Areas of Work

SAFE Access to Cooking Fuel: A Critical Link in Preventing Non-communicable Diseases and Desertification

The Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the United Nations, The Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations and The Women's Refugee Commission invite you to "SAFE Access to Cooking Fuel: A Critical Link in Preventing Non-communicable Diseases and Desertification."

Side event on the occasion of the high-level segment of the 66th General Assembly

Monday, 19 September 2011 | 4:30pm — 6:00pm

UN Secretariat Building NYC, Conference Room 7

Opening remarks:

  • Dr. Francis S. Collins, M.D., PhD
    Director of the National Institutes of Health

Featured Speakers:

  • Dr. William J. Martin II, M.D.
    Associate Director for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,
    Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
  • Erin Patrick
    Senior Program Officer, Women’s Refugee Commission
  • Anita van Breda
    Director of Humanitarian Partnerships, World Wildlife Fund

Moderator:

  • Sarah Costa
    Executive Director, Women’s Refugee Commission

The collection, supply and use of firewood, particularly in humanitarian settings, are associated with a variety of dangers, including deadly respiratory infections caused by toxic smoke from indoor fires and land degradation resulting from overdependence on firewood and other unsustainable sources of cooking fuel. Simple solutions to this complex problem exist – from clean cookstoves to safer fuels to innovative new energy technologies.

The panel will discuss the linkages between two critical High-level Meetings of the 66th General Assembly – on non-communicable diseases and desertification – in the context of safe access to cooking fuel. It will cover the challenges that the humanitarian system faces in addressing this multi-sectoral issue and the progress that has been made in recent years as a result of the guidance created by the IASC Task Force on Safe Access to Firewood and alternative Energy in Humanitarian Settings (SAFE) and the new Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.

Please note that due to the start of the 66th General Assembly, security procedures for entrance to the UN Secretariat have changed.

Access through the visitor’s entrance will be blocked. *If you do not already have a UN pass, kindly let us know as soon as possible so that we can request one for you.* All passes must be requested 48 hours in advance. If you are receiving your temporary pass from us, we therefore ask you to meet us at the exterior security checkpoint at 46th Street and 2nd Avenue at 4:00pm. We will then escort you into the building.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding access to the event, or would like to RSVP, please contact the Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Click here to view the PDF version of this invitation.