UNCTAD XV: Achieving prosperity for all after COVID-19

Co-organised by the Third World Network; the Civil Society Financing for Development (FfD) Group;
Our World Is Not for Sale; and the Third World Network – Africa

Join the Director of UNCTAD’s Division on Globalization and Development Strategies, Richard Kozul-Wright, to discuss the recent flagship Trade and Development Report 2020: From global pandemic to prosperity for all: avoiding another lost decade.

Thursday, January 21st, 23:00 Manila / 20:30 New Delhi / 18:00 Nairobi / 16:00 Geneva / 16:00 Lagos / noon Sao Paulo / 11:00 Bridgetown / 10am Washington, DC

Register here!

Covid-19 has served as a reminder that we live in a closely interdependent world that brings opportunities but also carries dangers. It has, just as importantly, shed light on a whole series of pre-existing conditions – from heightened inequality, to unsustainable debt and rampant environmental destruction – that were left unaddressed after the Global Financial Crisis.

The most recent Trade and Development Report argues that the global economic crisis caused by Covid-19 throws up a stark choice: continue misguided policy choices or collectively chart a new path that leads from recovery to a more resilient, more equal and more environmentally sustainable world in line with the ambition of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Neither path is preordained. Building a better world is a matter of conviction and collective action. The lives of future generations and of the planet itself will depend on the choices we all take over the coming months.

Kozul-Wright will share with civil society leaders from around the world some of the policy prescriptions recommended in the TDR, including:

· Increased government spending including a big public investment push into cleaner energy, environmental protection, sustainable transport systems and the care economy, including through industrial policies;

· Coordinated macroeconomic expansion focused on job creation and higher wages;

· Labour market regulation that supports employees’ compensation;

· Expanded use of Special Drawing Rights to boost global liquidity;

· Financial support for boosting the health emergency response to COVID-19 in developing countries through a Marshall Plan for Health Recovery;

· A Global Debt Authority to stop a repeat liquidity crises from turning into serial sovereign defaults;

This webinar is being held in the context of the XV Conference of UNCTAD which is scheduled for October 3-8, 2021 in Bridgetown, Barbados, which will set the mandate of UNCTAD for the next four years on the interrelated issues of trade, development, finance, technology, industrial policy, debt, investment, e-commerce, and more.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.

[Submission Deadline] Dynamics of Accumulated Inequalities for Seniors In Employment

Dynamics of Accumulated Inequalities for Seniors In Employment (DAISIE)
Final Conference – Call for papers
Organiser: Karlstad University, Sweden

Against the background of an ageing population, questions of extended working life have been
placed high on the global political agenda. At the same time, growing research indicates that
employment opportunities and working conditions for seniors are often at odds with these
political initiatives and that there are increasing inequalities associated with the normative
expectations associated with ageing at work. Unequal conditions in terms of health,
involvement in informal care and the age climate of different workplaces are examples of
factors that risk creating accumulated inequalities in an extended working life.

Based on analysis of the gendered impacts of policies aimed at extended working life and
comparisons of three contrasting occupations (health, transport, financial services) in the Czech
Republic, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, the NORFACE DIAL (Dynamics of
Inequality Across the Life Course: Structures and Processes) project Dynamics of Accumulated
Inequalities for Seniors in Employment (DAISIE) has focused on issues such as the current
working conditions of the 50+ group across countries and occupations, the combined effect of
employment histories, family life events and intergenerational care services on the dynamics of
inequality in later life.

This final conference is an opportunity for members of the DAISIE project and colleagues from
the broader international research community to present papers in relation to work in later life
and accumulated inequalities.
In particular, we invite paper proposals focusing on:
1. Extending working lives policies and organizational practices
2. Combining extending working lives with caring and other unpaid commitments
3. Older workers and ageism
4. Older workers and digitalization
5. Older workers and health
6. Older workers and working conditions
7. The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on older workers

We invite submissions of 250-300 words abstracts via the conference webpage: kau.se/en/daisie
Please note that abstract submissions shall include: chosen focus (see list above), names of all
co-authors, and name and contact details of the corresponding author. Deadline for submission is January 15th, 2021.

Key dates:
January 15th – submission of abstracts
February 15th – notification of acceptance
February 22nd – registration opens
April 16th – registration closes

The conference is free of charge. Practical information will be published on the conference webpage in due course.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-New York, please visit http://www.ngocoa-ny.org/ . For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Geneva, please visit http://ageingcommitteegeneva.org/. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.

COVID-19 & Older People Virtual Town Hall Series

As the world reflects on the impact that COVID-19 has had on older people in the context of the Decade of Healthy Ageing, advocating for the rights of older persons is more important than ever before. Leadership and solidarity of Member States and civil society at the UN OEWGA (March 29 – 1 April 2021) toward a common agenda and roadmap for a UN Convention on the Rights of Older People is urgently needed.

This town hall takes place at 07:00 am (Eastern Standard Time) on Friday 8 January 2021 (additional time zones below):

Geneva, Switzerland: 13:00
Lagos, Nigeria: 13:00
New Delhi, India: 17:30
Perth, Australia: 20:00

Register here!

This town hall will be recorded and streamed live on Facebook. Should you be unable to participate, a recording will be available on the IFA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/intfedageing/ and resources will be available at: https://ifa.ngo/ifa-virtual-town-hall-resources/

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-New York, please visit ngocoa-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org.

Human Development Report 2020: Pre-Launch Special Briefing

COVID-19 and its unprecedented effects on human development are a wake-up call to the potential consequences for people’s wellbeing from the relentless pressure we are placing on nature and the planet. This advance briefing on the 2020 Human Development Report will delve into these issues and discuss how to rekindle our relationship with nature and improve people’s lives today and in the future, in balance with the planet.

Please Note: This briefing is by invitation only and the content shared is under strict embargo until 9am EST on 15th December 2020

Introduction:

Oli Henman, Global Coordinator, Action for Sustainable Development
Marina Ponti, Director, UN SDG Action Campaign

Opening Remarks:

Ulrika Modéer, UN Assistant SecretaryGeneral, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy Advance Briefing on the 2020 HDR
Pedro Conceição, Director of the Human Development Report Office, UNDP

Questions from the floor
Closing Remarks

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

Human Rights and Mental Health: The New Normal

In honor of Human Rights Day 2020, the NGO Committee on Mental Health invites you to a discussion on some of the contemporary challenges posing as barriers to a world where the mental wellbeing of everyone is protected as a human right.

Speakers:

Prof. Corann Okorodude, Developmental Psychology and Africana Studies at Rowan University | Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues | Psychology Coalition at the UN

Dr. Vivian B. Pender, President-Elect, American Psychiatric Association | Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Med College

Prof. Elaine P. Congress, Associate Dean, Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University | International Federation of Social Workers’ NGO Representative to the UN

Please click here to register for the event and share with your professional networks and social media.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.org.

[UN Observance] International Day of Education

Every year on January 24, the United Nations commemorates International Day of Education. To stay apprised of this year’s events and how to participate, check out https://www.un.org/en/observances/education-day.

View UNESCO’s video explaining the 10 targets of SDG #4: Quality Education for All here:

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.

COVID-19 and Older People: A Rights-based Approach to Palliative Care

COVID-19 and Older People: A Rights-Based Approach to Palliative Care

Register for the event here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJErdemsrjouEtSyYSHLNE4mx6BJHHsdHXb9

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the provision of many health services on the global scale. Within this IFA Virtual Town Hall, Dr. Katherine Pettus, Advocacy Officer with the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, explores some of the challenges and opportunities of providing palliative care for patients in these extraordinary times.

Opening Remarks: Dr. Katherine Pettus, Advocacy Officer for Palliative Care, International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, please visit ngocoa-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

The UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE Campaign to End Violence against Women is pleased to invite you to the United Nations Official Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Date: 25 November 2020 | Time: 10:00 – 11:30 AM (EST)

The Official Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women will be a virtual multi-stakeholder event with the participation of high-level representatives of Member States, United Nations agencies, Goodwill Ambassadors, and civil society organizations. In the current context of COVID-19 and in line with the SG Political Engagement Strategy on Gender-Based Violence, the event will:

Highlight achievements and initiate additional commitments by Member States on the issue of ending violence against women;
Honour women’s organizations as first responders and acknowledge their leadership in ending violence; and
Activate UN-wide mobilization under the umbrella of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign and promote zero tolerance across all spheres of society everywhere.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres will participate live alongside UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem. Heads of State, UN Women Goodwill Ambassadors Ms. Nicole Kidman and Ms. Cindy Bishop; SDG Advocate, UNODC Goodwill Ambassador and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Ms. Nadia Murad; and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and Rise Founder Ms. Amanda Nguyen will participate via video.The event will be co-hosted by Zahra Al Hilaly and Stuart Moir and feature a performance by Ensemble Corona.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-New York, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org.

[Rescheduled] Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT

In light of the situation related to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, States Parties have decided to postpone the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to a later date but no later than February 2022.

2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was originally slated to be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 27 April to 22 May 2020. Please adjust your calendars accordingly, as civil society’s voice cannot be excluded from this critical session.

Stay apprised & register to participate here: un.org/en/conferences/npt2020

About:

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. The NPT represents the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty to the goal of disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development-NY, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org.

[UN Observance] International Day for Universal Health Coverage

On December 12 each year, the United Nations commemorates International Day for Universal Health Coverage. To read more and stay apprised of relevant events, please visit https://www.un.org/en/observances/universal-health-coverage-day.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bknotts@uua.org or bobbinassar@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.org.

access to healthcare