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S P E C I A L E D I T I O N

5 March, 2010

The Friends of the United

Nations hosted a luncheon in

onor of the President of the 64th

ession of the General Assembly,

H.E. Dr. Ali Abdusallam Treki,

or convening a High Level

nteractive Dialogue on Water,

uring the World Water Day andn support of the International

Decade for Action. Water for

ife 2005 to 2015.

The United Nations wasreated after World War II, and

we thought as part of thatost-war generation that this

would be the end to wars. Ihink peace and security --

peace building -- should beour priority in this world now.We do not want more war. Inthis world, we have one billionpeople without food, and wewere told today that there are2.6 billion people without

sanitation and access to freshwater.

And the money we arespending on arms and onwars, should be spent tofurther peace and prosperityin the world. We have fivemillion people dying everyyear from AIDS; and thenumber is higher fromMalaria. I do not think that the

world should ignore that. Onedollar a day, even one dime aday, can make a difference inthis world. We need help fromorganizations like Friends ofthe United Nations. With yourhelp, let us reform the United

Nations. Let us make it morepowerful. The United NationsGeneral Assembly representsthe whole world -- 192countries. They are the world.

We all should have stake in thefinancial crisis and relatedissues. Nor do I think thatwe should ignore ClimateChange at the United Nations;we should lead the Climate

Change negotiations inMexico for all of us.

We do not want to bedistanced from any this, onto listen and follow what a countries will decide. I thin

should be our responsibilitybe active and involved. Ibelieve that Friends of theUnited Nations and all of ywill play an important role shaping the future. Thank yDr. Brown and yourcolleagues for giving me thtribute.

H.E. Dr. Ali Abdusallam Trek22 March. WWD Luncheon


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S E Q U O I A C L U B

25 March

Dr. Noel J. BrownPresident & CEO. Friends of the UN

Let me thank you for joining us today in paying specialtribute to the President of the General Assembly for histimely initiative in convening this high-level session on

water.

Let me also commend him for his choice of theme, Waterand MDG a connection that is vital if the targets are to berealized and the world is to make progress in addressingthe scourge of poverty which faces so much of humanity.

Theme two on Water and Climate change is one of thoseself-evident truths which needs to be reiterated in orderto become as self evident reality.

Despite skeptics and controversies there is ampleevidence of accelerating change in the worlds climatesystem and hydrological cycle is being affected.

Scientists have already sounded the alarm about watervapor migration with the attendant danger of long, dryspells and more intense flooding.

This together with vegetation migration paints a bleakprospect for a secure human future. Fortunately waterdoomsday is not inevitable and our capacity to managethe worlds water budget is not insignificant .

That is why we value the presidents initiative inconvening this commemorative session in celebration ofone of the principal assets on which all life depends andwhich if properly handled could be a global unifier.

Ladies and Gentlemen Friends of the United Nations ispleased to host this luncheon and the specialopportunity it provides to commend the President andhis high level panel.

We salute you Sir.

HON. Tete AntonioSpecial Observer. African Union at the UN

As you know the world is divided between the rich andthe poor, it is also divided between thewater rich and thewater poor.

Africa stands somewhat in a unique position being bothwater rich and water poor at the same time.

Some of the greatest rivers of the the world like historicNile, the Congo and the Zambezi, flow through the veinsof Africa.

On the other hand Africa also has large areas of Arid landsas well as deserts which are on the march progressivelyencroaching on otherwise fertile lands.

Africa is also victim of water - borne diseases which

seriously aggravates the scourge of Aids.

Water security, including accessibility, availability,affordability and quality must become a higher priority forour continent if the health, prosperity and well being of ounearly one billion people is to be assured.

That is why Mr. President the African Union wishes to payspecial tribute to you today for your vision and leadershipin convening this high level Conference in commemorationof World Water Day 2010.

That is why also Mr. President we wish to thank therepresentatives and Ministers who have traveled greatdistances to support your initiative.

For these reasons Mr. President we are grateful to you andwish to salute you and your your very able team for givingnew energy, direction and impetus to the global watersecurity challenge.We urge the world to join you in this quest.

Thank you.


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5 March, 2010

Mr. Richard Granier

CEO & Chairman. HESTIUN Group.

My company stands ready to partner withhe United Nations and other relevantgencies to meet the aims of the MDG.

would like to thank the UN for giving myompany the honor of being the officialponsor of World Water Day 2010, which is,o my mind, one of the most important

world events on the yearly calendar. I am anntrepreneur, and as such could haveiewed my main goal in life as simplyaining personal & professional success.

However, like many of us here today, I am

lso a family man and firmly believe thatmy children and children all around theworld, have a right to a better future.

veryone has basic right to food, water andhelter.

have instilled in my personal beliefs in myompany, the HESTIUN Group, where weelieve commercial success is indivisible fromcommitment to our community and the

nvironment. How can we live with ourselveswhen more than 1 billion people worldwide

o not have even such a basic necessity?

n developing countries the main issue is theuality of the water that is available - it is tooften disease ridden through pollutants suchs raw sewage and untreated industrial waste.

he solution is to find a way of cleaning thewater at source. At HESTIUN we have found

number of ways to do this. We have investedn companies that are forging the future of

water treatment.

One of this is Bionetix, which has created anique formula of specially selected bacteria,

which digest organic waste quickly andompletely, without any use of chemicals. This

system has ability to clean up entire lakes,lagoons and rivers, and the formula can beused in sewage treatment plants, agricultureand many other applications.

In many developing countries, building largewater treatment facilities in the firsts place isexpensive, and even then the infrastructure toactually deliver the water to the people is nonexistent. Roads are poor, electricity supply isunreliable and laying pipelines is bothexpensive and environmentally undesirable.

Even if there is access to water locally -through a well, lake or river - it still needs to

be purified with chemicals. This involvesexpensive transportation, appropriate storage,technical knowledge and likely ecological risk.These considerations render this methoddifficult in remote locations and impossible inareas of conflict.

Our company, StarAqya, has invented thesolution, the Oxymatic. This system notonly controls bacteria, viruses, algae etc, but italso clarifies, filters, removes odor, taste andother contaminates such as pesticides and

organic matter - all without chemicals. Thwater produced is pure with no side effechuman health.

Without getting too technical, the patentedOxiamtic system is based on the formatof a disinfectant agent when an electricalcurrent is applied to copper and titaniumelectrodes. The electrodes produce hydrolwhich breaks down the water molecules.

Using this system means that water can bmade hygienic at source - locally, lessexpensively, and without the need ofinfrastructure - including mains electricitycan be run from a solar panel or a windturbine. It can even be controlled remotely

using modern communication technologysuch as mobile phone networks.

So when a person goes to the pump from well they can get clean, drinkable, safe waBut what happens when they fill up a buctake it back home, and pour water into anunhygienic cooking vessel?

StarAqya have the answer. The OXYPEN pen-shaped device which you drop into aof water, or cooking pot - it hydrolysis anddisinfects the water in minutes. Instantdrinkable water! THe OXYPEN can be usemore than once, is powered using minima

battery power or solar, and is incrediblydurable and easy to ship. By the end of thyear, this revolutionary product will be reand could change the lives of millions ofpeople.

HESTIUN is very proud to be working withese companies, and we hope that througthese products, and the future ones curren

being developed, we will still assist inachieving the Millennium DevelopmentGoals. We believe together we can make ithappen.

Friends of the United Nations together with HESTIUN hosted World Water Da

Luncheon at the United Nations


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25 March


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5 March, 2010

WATERT H E C H A L L E N G I N G T H A T W I L L N O T G O A WAY

Water is perhaps the planets most paradoxical resource. It is at once abundant, covering some 70% of the earths

urface while in some parts of the world the lack of water presents critical challenges both to daily subsistence and

urvival. On the other hand despite its abundance the planets water has a fixed total stock, and no amount of

engineering or scientific tinkering will enable us to create an additional drop of new water. All the water that we no

have is all water that we will ever have. But it is sufficient to satisfy all human needs many times over.

Unfortunately it is seldom in the right place and at the right time in the right quantity and right quality. Had the

global water budget been apportioned by the UNited Nations, it wold have done so with due regard for equitable

geographic distribution. But water was distributed by natures own design and nature knows best. This imbalance

he distribution pattern, however, pose serious challenges to human society especially in the light of increasing

ndustrialization, rapid urbanization, and the explosive growth of human settlements world wide.

These factors coupled with changing demographics, globalization and climate change are causing increased watercarcity, as well as posing a serious threat to future agricultural and economic development. And recent trends are n

very encouraging. By 2015, nearly 40% of the worlds population is expected to live in water stressed countries. By

2025, a staggering two-thirds of the world population will live in countries where there isnt enough water or its

quality has been compromised. But perhaps the most urgent issue facing the world today however is providing safe

drinking water and sanitation, which are especially critical for poverty eradication and development. Yet, it is

estimated nearly 1.1 billion people or 18% of the worlds population lacks access to safe drinking water, while 2.6

billion or 40% of the worlds population lacks access to adequate sanitation services. And, thousands of deaths every

day caused by water-borne diseases will continue unabated.

Those problems will not take care of themselves. They need sustained and enlightened management by the privateector, decision-makers, and civil society to mitigate our worlds emerging water crisis that is predicted by experts to

become one of the greatest causes of mass suffering in the 21st century. The longer we wait, the more severe the

challenge.

Recognizing the importance of water, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the period from 2005 to 201

as the International Decade for Action Water for life, which called on the international community to fulfill

commitments made on water and water-related issues by 2015. This is in keeping with the water-related targets set

forth by the 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and by the World Summit on Sustainable Development

2002.

Even if water is not universally accepted as a human right, it is a human necessity and it would seem that humanityowes it to itself to assure its availability to all. Water for All has been a long standing objective of the United

Nations. World Water Day 2010 can serve to reaffirm this.

Dr. Noel J. Brown

President and CEO

Friends of the UN

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