Today, May 19th, 2021 we had an extraordinary presentation by Irena Zubcevic, Chief of Intergovernmental Policy and Review Branch at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs on the history and outlook on the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. RCNY member Elira Karaja, Ph.D. an economist and Fellow at Columbia University and Sustainability Specialist within the United Nations System.

As Chair of The Rotary Club of New York International Breakfast Meeting it is my pleasure to host: A Conversation on the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with Irena Zubcevic, Chief of Intergovernmental Policy and Review Branch at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and RCNY member Elira Karaja

With close to three decades of professional experience in sustainable development and international relations, Irena Zubcevic has certainly proven herself as an extraordinary professional and expert in the field.
Her most current area of focus is on the United Nations high-level political forum on sustainable development. Ms. Zubcevic is supporting countries as well as stakeholders ranging from the private sector to civil society in preparation for voluntary national reviews on implementation of sustainable global goals. She has put strategies into play for a wide range of sustainable development issues such as climate, oceans, cities, sustainable consumption and production and transport. Ms. Zubcevic’s key areas of expertise include Intergovernmental Processes, Sustainable Development, Rule of Law, Governance, Policy and Strategy Development at National Regional,and International Levels, Advocacy and Outreach. Working alongside many high-level functionaries which include, Heads of States and Governments, Ministers, CEOs in private sector, also many media platforms, foundations, academia and civil society in general. Along with these efforts, she has contributed to various reports and authored publications.

Elira Karaja, Ph.D.  is and Economist, Fellow at Columbia University, and Sustainability Specialist within the United Nation System.  

Please register here: https://nyrotary.org/event/irena-zubcevic/

As the Chair of the Rotary Club of New York’s United Nations International Breakfast Meeting is is my great honor to announce the speaking engagement of the Consul General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in New York Almat Aidarbekov.

This will be a very special meeting as it not only celebrates Kazakhstan’s 30th year of independence but also my retirement as Chair of the Rotary Club of NEw York International Breakfast meetings. It was an honor to arrange for the meetings in service to RCNY and host such notable diplomats.

Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country, and the ninth-largest country in the world. It has a population of 18.8 million residents, and has one of the lowest population densities in the world, at fewer than 6 people per square kilometre (15 people per sq mi). Since 1997, the capital is Nur-Sultan, formerly known as Astana. It was moved from Almaty, the country’s largest city. 2021 marks the 30th year of Independence Day. Kazakhstan became a sovereign state after the Supreme Council adopted a law on the state independence of Kazakhstan on Dec. 16, 1991. I had the great joy to visit Kazakhstan for it’s fantastic World Expo in 2017.

Established on July 27, 2009 Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in New York within its consular district provides consular and legal assistance to citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan and provides state and consular services to Kazakhstan citizens and residents of the United States. Our Consulate offers mutually beneficial cooperation between Kazakhstan and the states of the consular district in economic, cultural and humanitarian fields.
Consular district of the Consulate General of Kazakhstan in New York includes the following states:
Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Illinois, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Iowa, New Hampshire, Indiana, Maine, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Rhode Island.

General information about Consul General Aidarbekov
Education
Undergraduate degree in International Relations at Ankara University
Master’s degree in Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University
Career
Almat Aidarbekov started his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1998 as a desk officer at the Asia, Middle East and Africa Division of the Fourth Department.
In 1999-2000 held position of Attaché at the Department for Bilateral Cooperation.
In 2000 worked at the Attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Turkey.
In March, 2003 returned to the Foreign Ministry and held consecutive positions of Second and First Secretary at the Department of Europe and America. From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Aidarbekov was in Head of Consular Section position at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
In 2007-2014 served as Second, First Secretary and later as Counselor of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United States.
In 2014-2019 held several positions at the Foreign Policy Division of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan.
Since November 1, 2019 Mr. Aidarbekov serves as Consul General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in New York.
Speaks English, Russian and Turkish. Holds the diplomatic rank of Counselor of First Class. Married, has three children

As Chair of the Rotary Club of New York United Nations International Breakfast Meeting it is my pleasure to announce our next guest speaker: Miklós GÓR-NAGY, Hungarian Trade Attaché

In addition to his career as a professional athlete, he graduated from International Business School with a degree in economics and marketing, and earned a law degree from the Károli Gáspár Reformed University. He also has an international water polo referee and coach degree. He has been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade since 2019. In 2020, he began his service at the Consulate General in New York as a trade attaché. He is married and has two young children, Gordon and Abigel.

From 1992 to 2019 he was a professional water polo player. He has played for BVSC, Eger, Honvéd, Budvanska Rivijera Budva, OSC, and Ferencváros. He played his first national team match in 2005, under the captaincy of Dénes Kemény. He has participated in five world championships, three European championships, played 435 first division water polo matches in the Hungarian championship, and 200 he has times caps in the Hungarian national team.

Results Selected: FINA World Champion – Barcelona (2013), FINA World Championship silver – Budapest (2017), European Championship silver – Belgrade 2006, Budapest (2014), European Championship bronze – Belgrade (2016), World League silver – 4x , World Cup silver – Almaty (2014), European Youth Champion (2001), Juniur World Championship and European Championship silver medals.

Results in club teams: 3x Hungarian champion, 3x Hungarian Cup winner, 3x Hungarian Super Cup winner, LEN Champions League winner (FTC – 2019), LEN Super Cup winner (FTC – 2019), Montenegrian Cup winner (Budva – 2008)

Wed, February 17, 2021 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM EST

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rotary-club-of-new-york-international-breakfast-virtual-2172021-tickets-140300144509

Thomas Missong – President of the European Association of Credit Rating Agencies (EACRA)

TOPIC: “Credit Rating Agencies: stocktaking in times of crisis, Competition and international Framework“.

Date And Time
Wed, January 20, 2021 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM EST

Since 2010, Thomas Missong is the President of the European Association of Credit Rating Agencies (EACRA), registered in Paris, France, currently representing 9 credit rating agencies registered in the Euroepan Union and 3 in Switzerland, Turkey and Russia. Additionally, Thomas is a Managing Director at RATINGPLATFORM, a specialized website on ratings on a global level. He acted as independent Board Member of Russia’s leading agency Analytical Credit Rating Agency from its establishment in November 2015 to July 2020.

Prior to that Thomas was Executive Director of Triple A Corporate and Rating Advisory, a 100% subsidiary of UniCredit Bank Austria in Vienna, acting as communication channel between the bank, the bank clients and the international rating agencies.

In the past he worked as a project manager in Bank Austria Creditanstalt in the Energy and Utilities team in Vienna and as project Manager for Lyonnaise des Eaux, the leading global water utility, in Paris.

Thomas Missong has a Master’s degree in European Political Affairs from the College of Europe in Bruges and holds a Magister in Business Administration from Wirtschaftsuniversitat in Vienna (with focus on Capital Markets).

Register here:

As Chair of the RCNY UN International meetings I am pleased to announce Wolfram von Heynitz – Deputy Consul General of Germany in New York will speak on “The Future of Transatlantic Cooperation” on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wolfram-von-heynitz-deputy-consul-general-of-germany-in-new-york-tickets-131642370875

About Wolfram von Heynitz
Wolfram von Heynitz is currently the Deputy Consul General of Germany in New York.

Prior to this he was Head of the Cyber Policy Coordination Staff of the German Federal Foreign Office, a member of the Group of Governmental Experts on Advancing responsible State behavior in cyberspace convened in 2019 by UN Secretary-General Guterres and a member of the Ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence of the Council of Europe. In this position, he was also responsible for the recently published “Recommendations for the Future of Digital cooperation” which Germany and the UAE undertook at the request of the UN.

Previous positions include a term as Research Commissioner of the German Federal Foreign Office and a member of its Policy Planning staff, specializing in Cyberpolicy, Cybersecurity, and, in the face of emerging challenges, the development of future directions and strategies for the Foreign Office. He has also served as Head of the Division for Foresight, in the Ministry’s EU Enlargement Division, as the Political Counsellor in the German Embassy in Tel Aviv dealing with the Middle East Peace Process and Israeli interior politics, in the private office of the Minister for European Affairs and in the Office of the Federal President of Germany. He was also posted as Deputy Head of Mission to Ireland and Azerbaijan.

As Chair of the RCNY Virtual International Breakfast meetings at the UN it is my pleasure to announce our guest speaker the Consul General of Italy Francesco Genuardi.

Francesco Genuardi is an Italian diplomat with 23 years of experience in the field of International Relations. In March 2016 he has been appointed Consul General of Italy in New York, the most prominent consular position in the Italian diplomatic service, covering the States of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Bermuda with a resident Italian Population of about 90,000 and more than 3 million Italian-Americans.

From November 2014 and prior to his appointment to New York, he was at the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Gentiloni, dealing with parliamentary relations. Between 2005 and 2014 he served at the Cabinet of the Foreign Minister, working with the succeeding Ministers in office. From 2002 to 2005 he was appointed Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Italy to NATO, where he was responsible, among other issues, for the relationship with the Press in Brussels and with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

From 1998 to 2002 he served as Deputy Consul at the Consulate General in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He joined the diplomatic service in 1993, and between 1993 and 1998 he was at the General Directorate for Economic Affairs – where he dealt with international issues associated with environmental protection and safety – and at the Press and Media Office.

Born in Brussels on July 7, 1967, he graduated in Law at the University of Milan in 1991. He is married and has two daughters.

http://REGISTER AT: https://bit.ly/RCNYItalybkfst

As Chair of the Rotary Club of New York’s International Breakfast at the United Nations it is my pleasure to announce our next guest speaker: Adrian Kubicki Consul General of Poland in New York City. Join us virtually by registration https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rotary-club-of-new-york-international-breakfast-at-the-un-virtual-tickets-123754317495

DATE
Wed, Oct 21, 2020 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM EDT

Born in 1987 in Poland, Adrian Kubicki is a Diplomat, sociologist, expert in public relations and communication, former journalist and spokesperson of LOT Polish Airlines.

He graduated social sciences at University of Warsaw. For 7 years he worked as a journalist for one of the largest radio stations in Poland, reporting major news stories from Poland and many other countries across the globe. He contributed to major daily newspapers in Poland as well as the website dedicated to nongovernment organizations with a particular focus on humanitarian and development aid.

In 2014 he joined communications team at LOT Polish Airlines as international PR manager, building relations with media on airline’s key markets, including the U.S. In 2016 he became spokesperson and executive director responsible for building communication strategy for the ambitious plan of LOT’s global expansion. During that time he and his team organized more than 100 events and press conferences, launching new services to Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Newark, Los Angeles, Miami and many others, as well as introducing new Boeing aircraft to the service – 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX. He represented LOT on many of these events, as well as at major international conferences and gatherings around the World.

In 2017, together with LOT’s CEO Rafał Milczarski, he initiated and run a successful public campaign educating Polish passport holders about U.S. visa application process, with an aim to reduce the refusal rate below 3%. Campaign guided Poland to being included into the Visa Waiver Program in 2019.

In August 2019 he joined Polish foreign service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he received a consular title and was appointed for four years term as a director of Polish Cultural Institute in New York – part of Polish diplomatic mission to the U.S. working in the field of public diplomacy.

In January 2020 he has received an official nomination to become a new Consul General of Poland in New York. In February 2020 he passed the hearing before the parliament commission, receiving green light to take over the post later this year.

Privately he is married to Anna and is a father of two years old daughter Laura. In his spare time he enjoys playing piano and organs.

JOIN VIA ZOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83896620862