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2025 Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen Memorial Lecture
Event Details
To mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, UN Under-Secretary-General Christian Saunders will speak on the following theme: "The UN at 80: Current Challenges and Future Possibilities." Saunders will highlight UN action in areas such as peacekeeping, global development, nuclear weapons proliferation, climate change, and humanitarian relief operations.
This event is organized by the United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut in honor of its founder, Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen.
About the Speaker
As Special Coordinator on Improving the UN Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Christian Saunders brings to the role more than 30 years of experience with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations in the humanitarian, peacekeeping, and development sectors. Known for spearheading major transformative reforms and delivering results, he has held key senior positions in the United Nations Department of Operational Support and Department of Management.
Saunders’ career began with the Save the Children Fund in the Sudan and Mozambique and included key positions with UNRWA in Gaza, The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Rwanda, UN Peacekeeping in Sarajevo, and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
Under-Secretary-General Saunders is a graduate of Royal Holloway College, University of London, and the University of Wales in the United Kingdom. In addition to English, he speaks French and some Arabic and Portuguese.
About the Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen Memorial Lecture
To honor UN Day, the United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut holds its annual Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen Memorial Lecture on international affairs.
The Southwestern Connecticut Chapter of the United Nations Association has been promoting the ideals and work for the United Nations for more than 60 years. Its founder, Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen, worked tirelessly to support the UN. She established jUNe Day, in which Westport welcomes the staff and delegates of the UN, in 1965. The downtown bridge is named in her honor, and the member nations' flags fly each United Nations Day.
The chapter plans to bring a topical and thought-provoking speaker each year to The Westport Library on United Nations Day.
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