Federal Development Minister Müller to Become New Director General of UNIDO

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Starting in January 2022, the current Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Gerd Müller, will assume the position of Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). This marks the first time that a candidate from an industrialized country has taken on this role. The position had previously been held by Li Yong of China since 2013.

UNIDO promotes industrial development as a means of combating poverty, while also supporting globalization and environmental sustainability. It serves as an important partner for Germany in advancing global development and creating new jobs in developing countries.

Upon his nomination, Müller stated: “UNIDO can and should become the leading UN agency for implementing the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action on Gender Equality. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals show us the path we must take. We all face enormous challenges – especially the developing countries. But we also have the opportunity to grow stronger together. We must act now, united for a better future!”

Dr. Gerd Müller is highly experienced in international development cooperation and economic development. Since 2013, he has served as Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. Through his participation in parliamentary assemblies of African, Caribbean, and Pacific states, he has gained extensive international experience. During his eight years as Parliamentary State Secretary, he was particularly committed to issues such as global food security and international agricultural development projects.

Among his most significant initiatives are the Green Button (Grüner Knopf), the Alliance for Development and Climate, and the Marshall Plan with Africa. FAW/n played a key role in the conceptualization and implementation of the latter two initiatives.

Further information:

Website of the Federal Ministry

Image source: © Michael Gottschalk/photothek.net

Soroptimists Take a Stand for Sustainable Development

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To mark the 100th anniversary of Soroptimist International, the service organization of professional women is placing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the center of its activities. The anniversary campaign, “Plant Trees”, which aims to plant trees and promote global tree sponsorships, ties back to the organization’s very first project. In 1921, the founders worked to protect centuries-old redwood trees.

Today, Soroptimist International has around 70,000 members in more than 100 countries. The organization’s core areas of focus include human rights, gender equality, peaceful coexistence, and environmental protection. Reflecting these values, Dr. Renate Tewaag, President of Soroptimist International Germany, emphasized during a press conference: “The pandemic and the climate crisis are a wake-up call to persistently and collectively preserve livable prospects for future generations.”

To actively contribute to international climate protection, several SI clubs are already supporting the Alliance for Development and Climate. Prof. Herlyn, senior researcher at FAW/n and member of the SI Club Meerbusch, has long advocated for this step within the organization. In the previous year, the Meerbusch club became the first SI club in Germany to achieve climate neutrality through development-promoting climate projects in Myanmar. In a recently published issue of the Soroptimist International Germany bulletin, Prof. Herlyn authored an article highlighting Soroptimist International’s commitment to sustainability and its fight against climate change.

You can find the complete bulletin here.

Image source: SI-Club Braunschweig

Job Opening at FAW/n

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FAW/n is currently seeking to fill a full-time position in the Executive Secretariat. All information can be found below.

Note: The full-time project staff position (m/f/d) has already been filled.

To support the Executive Secretariat of FAW/n, we are looking to fill the following position starting October 1, 2021, initially limited to one year:

Administrative Assistant (m/f/d)
Full-time (40 hours per week)

Your responsibilities:

  • Handling all general secretarial tasks
  • Managing correspondence independently and by dictation
  • Editing and formatting documents
  • Organizing and coordinating meetings and travel
  • Providing vacation replacement

Our expectations:

  • Successfully completed vocational training as a secretary, office, or administrative clerk
  • Independent, well-structured, and responsible way of working
  • Strong communication and teamwork skills
  • Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  • Good command of English
  • Professional experience in executive assistance is an advantage
  • Commitment and flexibility

We offer:

  • A varied position in a research-oriented environment
  • Insight into diverse future-oriented topics of our society
  • Appropriate remuneration
  • Option to work from home by arrangement
  • Work in a motivated and dedicated team

Have we sparked your interest? Then we look forward to receiving your detailed online application, including your earliest possible starting date, to the attention of Ms. Simon at: radermacher@faw-neu-ulm.de

For any questions by phone, please contact Ms. Regina Simon at +49 731 8507 1284

The application deadline is September 15, 2021.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Image source: FAW/n

Prof. Herlyn: “The World Needs Many More Companies Like ALDI SÜD”

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Recently, the media reported that four companies, including ALDI SÜD, had allegedly used the term “climate neutrality” in a misleading way. These reports are based on a complaint filed by the German Centre for Protection against Unfair Competition (Wettbewerbszentrale).

Prof. Dr. Estelle Herlyn addresses this issue in her article in UmweltDialog and clarifies what climate neutrality actually means: “CO₂ emissions that are generated can be offset or compensated by taking or enabling activities that, for example, remove CO₂ from the atmosphere through reforestation (negative emissions) or avoid CO₂ emissions by promoting renewable energy.”

She considers it incomprehensible that the Competition Center portrays achieving climate neutrality through CO₂ compensation as misleading. ALDI SÜD supports numerous international projects with positive climate impact and recognizes that this is the only way to make global sustainable development achievable. The company is also one of over 1,000 supporters of the Alliance for Development and Climate, whose projects demonstrably contribute to international climate protection

Den gesamten Beitrag von Prof. Herlyn finden Sie hier auf deutsch und auf englisch. You can find the full article by Prof. Herlyn here in German and English.

Image source: Alexas_Fotos (Pixabay)