UN Correspondents Association

UNCA "is a professional organization of nearly 200 journalists from dozens of countries representing scores of publications and broadcasters from all regions of the world, plus the major global news agencies.

"It represents reporters in dialogues with the U.N. Secretariat to resolve problems, such as disagreements over security concerns and access to news sources.

"UNCA also sponsors related briefings by sources both inside and outside the United Nations and an annual gala dinner recognizing outstanding journalism and a Citizen of the World Award. It is associated with the Dag Hammarskjold Memorial Scholarship Fund (www.unjournalismfellowship) which sponsors journalists from developing countries for the duration of the annual General Assembly."

"The UNCA Awards were established in 1995 to encourage in depth coverage of the United Nations and its work."


 * UN Correspondents Association: Past Presidents

2007 Winners
UNCA Citizen of the World Award


 * Sir Richard Branson - Founder & Chairman, The Virgin Group - For his strong support for environmental and humanitarian causes - Richard Branson was introduced by Academy Award winning actress Mira Sorvino.

UN Foundation Prize for Coverage of Development Issues


 * Lazaro Mabunda - O Pais - Mozambique - $10,000 - "a very strong effort at documenting national failure on what G77 governments claim is the most pressing UN goal"


 * Shakuntala Perera - Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka - $1,000 - “A revealing window on how ‘jawboning’ by UN human rights bodies and representatives can generate domestic political pressures domestically for government to clean up its act.”

Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Award for Best Overall Print Coverage of the UN and its Work


 * Opheera McDoom - Reuters - Sudan - $5,000 (joint gold recipient) - “A consistent, continuing, and convincing coverage of the Darfur agony and Khartoum mendacity – from the capital and from the countryside; multi textured and fearless”


 * Maggie Farley - LA Times - USA - $5,000 (joint gold recipient) - "impressive reporting on a global disaster."


 * Edmund Sanders - LA Times - USA - $5,000 (joint gold recipient) - "impressive reporting on a global disaster."


 * Godwin Nnanna - Businessday - Nigeria - $1,000 - “A good series ‘from the streets’ of Ivory Coast, tracking locals' assessment of the UN at work there."

Ricardo Ortega Memorial Prize for Best Electronic Coverage


 * Cairo Bureau - NHK - Japan - $10,000 - “For a broad television audience in a faraway land, this represents a major journalistic investment – and one that palpably captures the feel of a collapsed Somalia”


 * Martin Semukanya - Executive Producer, Channel Africa - South Africa - $1,000 - “An informative radio report on development issues in Africa, balanced yet critical."


 * Special Honorable Mention: Talal Al-Haj - Producer, Al-Arabiya - United Arab Emirates - “for a detailed historical overview and current examination of UN for the Arab World”

2005 Winners
"The 2005 “Citizen of the World Award” will be presented to Sir Brian Urquhart".

2004 Winners
Accessed July 2008:

The 2004 UNCA Citizen of the World Award Recipients


 * Hans Blix
 * Lakhdar Brahimi
 * Nicole Kidman

Guest of Honor and Awards Presenter


 * H.E. Kofi Annan, has been Secretary General of the United Nations since 1997. A citizen of Ghana and long time international civil servant, in 2001 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to rid the world of the scourge of war.

2004 UNCA Executive Committee
Accessed July 2008:


 * President, Tony Jenkins
 * First Vice President, Jim Wurst
 * Second Vice President, Vladimir Kikilo
 * Third Vice President, Lee Love
 * Secretary, Anjali Sharma
 * Treasurer, Horacio Sofi
 * Ricardo Alday
 * Raghida Dergham
 * Hongze He
 * Joe Lauria
 * Evelyn Leopold
 * Besty Pisik
 * William Reilly
 * William Varner
 * Sylviane Zehil

1999 UNCA Executive Committee
Accessed July 2008:


 * PRESIDENT - Erol Avdovic (Studio 99 & Radio Deutsche Welle)
 * FIRST VICE PRESIDENT - Noberto Svarzman (Telam)
 * SECOND VICE PRESIDENT - Evgueni Menkes (Ria Novost)
 * THIRD VICE PRESIDENT - Behzat Baris (IKA News)
 * SECRETARY - Azim M. Mian (The News)
 * TREASURER - Mohammad Fayyaz (PPI)
 * Salah Awad (BBC Arabic)
 * Afsane Bassir Pour (Le Monde)
 * Beryl Bernay (Worldview Reports)
 * Thalif Deen (IPS)
 * Sema Emiroglu (Milliet)
 * Linda Fasulo (NBC News)
 * Michael Ignatio (Ethnos)
 * Ted Morello (Far Eastern Economic Review)
 * Elvi Routtinen (Gemini News Service)

Contact

 * Web: http://cms.unca.com

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Noam Chomsky