Various royals flocked to Stockholm these past two days, to attend events to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the United Nations’ Rights of the Child convention.

View the image at royalcourt.se

A private seminar on the celebration was held at the Royal Palace of Stockholm early on Thursday November 19th, and was attended by a large group of royal women: Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Paola of Belgium, Queen Sofia of Spain, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.

The group was joined by Crown Princess Margarita of Romania and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia for a visit to Barncentrum, a children’s centre in Stockholm. The centre provides assaulted and abused children a place where they can come and receive treatment from all the authorities which are involved in such a case (paediatricians, socials workers, therapists, police and prosecutors) in the one place. According to Swedish newspaper DN, the royals were told of a twelve-year-old girl’s story of being abused by her father, and how the centre assisted in the man receiving a ten year jail sentence for his actions.

View the image at Svensk Dam

On Thursday evening, a jubilee concert was hosted by the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs at Berwald Hall in Stockholm. All the royal visitors attended, as well as King Carl XVI Gustaf, the two Swedish princess’ fiancés (Daniel Westling and Jonas Bergström) and Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson. Speeches were given by Queen Silvia and Göran Hägglund, Sweden’s Minister for Health and Social Affairs. The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra performed for the event, as well as a dance performance by the Lasse Kühlers Dansskola.

The following day, Friday November 20th, a government conference had been organised and was once again attended with a large royal contingent at the Radisson Blu Royal Park Hotel in Frösundavik. The conference was organised through the framework of the Swedish Presidency of the European Union.

Click here to view the thread at TRF.

JessRulz Belgian Royals, Danish Royals, Dutch Royals, Luxembourg Royals, Norwegian Royals, Spanish Royals, Swedish Royals Children, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Princess Madeleine, Princess Mary, Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Victoria, Queen Beatrix, Queen Paola, Queen Silvia, Queen Sofia, United Nations

Crown Prince Haakon visited Botswana from November 11th to 13th in his capacity as Goodwill Ambassador for UNDP. The Prince met Vice President Mompati Merafhe with whom he discussed key topics related to development cooperation effort. Afterwards he met the Minister for Foreign Affairs Phandu Skelemani and the permanent secretaries of the Ministries of Environment, Wildlife & Tourism, as well as local UN representatives.

Click at the image to see it at Kongehuset.no

On Thursday Prince Haakon paid a visit to the Okavango Delta, which is the world’s largest inland delta.
There he met with the local authorities and fishermen and talked to them about fishing conditions in the delta.

In the afternoon Prince Haakon visited Xakanaxa in the Moremi Game Reserve. There he had a look at how water resources are managed. The aim of the visit to Botswana is to look at the impact of climate change and the battle against poverty in Botswana.

Prince Haakon was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) in 2003. Since then he has visited Tanzania, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Guatemala, Burundi, Mongolia and now Botswana.

You can read two articles about Haakon’s visit to Botswana here and here.

Her_Majesty Norwegian Royals Botswana, Climate Change, Official Visit, Poverty, Prince Haakon, United Nations

  Under the patronage of her role as UN Messenger of Peace and Chairperson of International Humanitarian City, Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, the wife of UAE’s Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will launch the “Stand Up & Take Action” campaign between October 16-18, 2009.

The “Stand Up & Take Action” (SUTA campaign), which is organised in the UAE by the International Association of Human Values (IAHV) and Art of Living, reminds world leaders of extreme poverty, hunger and reminds them of the pledge they took to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

On the campaign Princess Haya said, “With just six years left to 2015, our focus on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger from the world has become even more urgent. Let us all commit ourselves to doing what we can to end the scourge of global poverty, starting today.”

Last year 1,114,000 people in the UAE took part and about 117 million worldwide.

dazzling Jordanian Royals, UAE Royals Poverty, Princess Haya, United Nations

HRH Princess Máxima was appointed Monday September 21st by the United Nations’ Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, as his Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. The appointment was made official at the United Nations Head Quarters in New York City, where Ki-Moon praised the Princess.

“Your extensive knowledge and expertise makes you a perfect choice for this important undertaking. You will be able to work for the well-being of so many people who need the United Nations,” he said. In her new role, Princess Máxima will advise the Secretary-General on financial matters regarding developing countries, as well as travel the globe extensively to promote inclusive finances.She will also work to ensure that financial services are available to all, not just developed nations.

This position is not HRH’s first role in the United Nations. In 2005, she was a member of the Advisors Group for the International Year of Microcredit. A year later, she joined the Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors, and was a member of the group’s executive committee. Working with roles in finance draws on HRH’s previous knowledge and experience in the banking industry. Prior to her 2002 marriage to the Prince of Orange, Máxima worked in New York and Brussels for the Deutsche Bank as an investment banker.

Click here to read more about HRH’s new UN role.

JessRulz Dutch Royals Ban Ki-Moon, Princess Máxima, United Nations, United States of America

 Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan has been appointed as Honorary Global Chair for The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI). Queen Rania will continue to advocate on behalf of the girls who are denied an education. The appointment comes after Queen Rania’s work and efforts in promoting access, quality, and innovation in education both in Jordan and across the globe in places such as Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Morocco and Pakistan.

Queen Rania has called education “more than a basic human right.” She has also noted that girls throughout the world “lose out to poverty and cultural biases because families invest in sons over daughters when they struggle to survive. They leave education early because many schools fail to provide sanitation facilities that give girls the privacy and dignity they deserve. They lack female role models to emulate, to inspire them, to help them imagine what they can become. ”

Queen Rania has served as a UNICEF’s First Eminent Advocate for Children since 2007.

dazzling Jordanian Royals Education, Patronage, Queen Rania, United Nations

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  HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan, a United Nations Messenger of Peace, has called in a televised message to the public to give donations to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).The call comes to help hundres of thousands of people in Pakistan who live in shelters who have escaped from conflicts between Government forces and militants in the North West Frontier Province.

“Millions have been forced to leave, abandoning their homes, their communities and their loved ones,” said Princess Haya. “They arrive needing everything: shelter, food, and medical care.” The UNHCR said that it is seeking to expand camps, the UNHCR also needs hundreds of millions of dollars to help. Princess Haya said “Only with your help, can UNHCR revive hope, assist with shelter and meet other basic needs. Please help UNHCR.”

dazzling Jordanian Royals, UAE Royals Princess Haya, United Nations

Click the image to see the photo at BNA

  UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon launched a report on ‘2009 UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction’ which talks about Gulf countries face the risk of natural disasters such as Tsunamis, earthquakes and cyclones and that the countries have to be prepares if anything happenes. The report also explains natural disaster trends and strategies and how to reduce if happened.

Speaking at the launch of the report was UN Goodwill Ambassador for the World Health Programme, Princess Haya Al Hussein of Jordan wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai who emphasised that those effected by disasters are treated humanely and that disasters are added to the present challenges faced such as poverty, education, health, and famine. “It’s hard to motivate political leaders to focus on preventive measures to face possible disasters, because politically it’s difficult under the normal circumstances to convince the people of the benefits of such investments to face things which might not take place,” she said.

Another speak at the conference was Bahrain’s Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa who stressed the international community to set up efficient and collective disaster-response mechanisms saying “Such an organised global effort would reduce threats to the future of mankind.”

The event was held on May 17, 2009 in Bahrain’s capital, Manama. For more information, see this thread.

dazzling Jordanian Royals, UAE Royals Princess Haya, United Nations

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Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover (Princess Caroline of Monaco) was in Paris on May 14 to preside over the annual gathering of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.  The Annual Meeting, convened by the UN Director-General, brings together a large number of international personalities, from the worlds of art, film, music, literature, charity and public affairs.

Her Royal Highness has been a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador since 2003 and uses her role in the forum to promote education and training for young women.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945. Its stated purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the UN Charter.

More information on Her Royal Highness’ current events can be found in this thread.

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 Princess Lalla Meryem attended a meeting at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris on Thursday. Lalla Meryem spoke at the 8th Annual Meeting as UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassadors. Lalla Meryem seeks to promote the UN body activities in zones stricken by post-conflicts and natural disasters saying “My country’s commitment in this regard is as strong as its attachment to peacekeeping operations, in which it has been actively involved for more than 49 years.”

dazzling Moroccan Royals Lalla Meryem, UNESCO, United Nations

 It was a big day yesterday for the Danish Royal Family, and Denmark. Not only was the country celebrating the 64th anniversary of the liberation of Denmark from the Nazi forces, but Princess Marie gave birth to a son early in the morning. Crown Princess Mary was also out and about, performing two official engagements.

Click to see the images from Billed Bladet

Mary first attended the baptism of a new tulip, the ‘Kronprinsesse Mary Tulipan’ (Crown Princess Mary Tulip), at Gavnø Castle, south of Copenhagen. Accompanied by her close friend and the lady of the castle, Baroness Helle Reetz-Thott, the Crown Princess dipped her hand in a glass of champagne and sprinkled it over the tulip to perform the baptism.

From Gavnø, Crown Princess Mary returned to Copenhagen, where she attended the ‘The Art of Saving a Mother’ meeting arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Population Fund at the State Art Museum. The meeting brought light to the 1,440 third-world women who die each year during childbirth.

Here, Mary was congratulated by journalists and reporters on the birth of her new nephew, and said that she was very happy for the new parents. “I got the news directly from my brother-in-law,” Mary said. She also said that she and Frederik would probably visit Princess Marie and the new baby later today, Danish time.

Click here to read more about Mary’s attendance at these events.

JessRulz Danish Royals Flower Baptism, Princess Mary, United Nations