DESA

2022 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is celebrated globally on 9 August. It marks the date of the inaugural session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982. The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) is organizing a virtual commemoration of the International Day from 9 am to 11am (EST) on Tuesday, 9 August 2022, focusing on this year’s theme: “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge. ” Indigenous Peoples, Member States, UN entities, civil society, and the public are all invited.

Background:

Indigenous women are the backbone of indigenous peoples’ communities and play a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of traditional ancestral knowledge. They have an integral collective and community role as carers of natural resources and keepers of scientific knowledge. Many indigenous women are also taking the lead in the defence of lands and territories and advocating for indigenous peoples’ collective rights worldwide.

The significance of indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge is widely acknowledged: “Long before the development of modern science, which is quite young, indigenous peoples have developed their ways of knowing how to survive and also of ideas about meanings, purposes and values.” As noted by the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples, the term “scientific knowledge” is also used to underscore that traditional knowledge is contemporary and dynamic, and of equal value to other kinds of knowledge.

International consultations jointly facilitated by UNESCO and the Internal Council of Science (ICSU) states that “Traditional knowledge is a cumulative body of knowledge, know-how, practices and representations maintained and developed by peoples with extended histories of interaction with the natural environment. These sophisticated sets of understandings, interpretations and meanings are part and parcel of a cultural complex that encompasses language, naming and classification systems, resource use practices, ritual, spirituality and worldviews.”

However, despite the crucial role that indigenous women play in their communities as breadwinners, caretakers, knowledge keepers, leaders and human rights defenders, they often suffer from intersecting levels of discrimination on the basis of gender, class, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Their right to self-determination, self-governance and control of resources and ancestral lands have been violated over centuries.

Small but significant progress has been made by indigenous women in decision-making processes in some communities. They are leaders at local and national levels, and stand at the frontlines of defending their lands, their cultures, and their communities. The reality, however, remains that indigenous women are widely under-represented, disproportionately negatively affected by decisions made on their behalf, and are too frequently the victims of multiple expressions of discrimination and violence.

The Committee of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) highlighted some of the major issues encountered by indigenous women, particularly noting the high levels of poverty; low levels of education and illiteracy; limitations in access to health, basic sanitation, credit and employment; limited participation in political life; and the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence.

Format:

The virtual commemoration will include an interactive dialogue segment with invited speakers, moderated by Ms. Rosemary Lane, Acting Chief of the Indigenous Peoples Development Branch – Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Speakers will share their expertise and experience from their indigenous communities in preserving, reviving, retaining, and transmitting the traditional ancestral knowledge in various fields of communal activities, including but not limited to effective and sustainable climate solutions, use of natural resources, protection of biodiversity, ensuring food security, promoting native languages and culture, and managing indigenous science and medicine. Questions to be discussed include:

  • What is the unique position of indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge?
  • What are some of the brightest examples of indigenous women-led processes in solving contemporary global issues through the effective application of traditional scientific knowledge?
  • How are indigenous languages crucial to the development, preservation, and transmission of indigenous cultural and knowledge systems? How are women leading the way in maintaining indigenous languages?
  • What was the effect of applying indigenous scientific knowledge and medicine in alleviating the consequences of the COVID-19 epidemiologic crisis?

Panel Speakers:

Archana Soreng (Kharia) – Member of UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change

Aili Keskitalo (Sámi)  – Former President of the Sámi Parliament of Norway

Zakiyatou Oualet Halatine (Touareg) – Former Minister of Tourism & Handicrafts, Mali

Hannah McGlade (Noongar) – Member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Commentary on Panel Discussion by His Excellency Ambassador Diego Pary Rodriguez(Quechua), Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the United Nations

 

More information about International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2022 available here: un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/international-day-of-the-worlds-indigenous-peoples-2022.html

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit  ngocswvienna.org. 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 Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at fmhult@umbc.edu or tonkin@hartford.edu. 

Sixth Annual SDG Business Forum

The sixth annual SDG Business Forum will take place virtually on Wednesday, 22 September 2021 from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM, EDT in conjunction with Uniting Business LIVE, during the High-Level week of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Co-hosted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the UN Global Compact, SDG Business Forum is one of the largest annual gatherings of business leaders at the United Nations.

It offers a unique opportunity to drive pivotal momentum towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and leveraging the power of the private sector in co-creating lasting solutions for some of the most critical issues of our times, such as sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; climate change and nature loss; social inequality and economic exclusion. This year’s event will be closely related to the themes of several United Nations conferences in 2021, including the High-Level Dialogue on Energy, the United Nations Food Systems Summit, the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, while building momentum for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).

Confirmed speakers for the 2021 programme include the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All Ms. Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Envoy for the Food Systems Summit Dr. Agnes Kalibata, HRH Princess Noura Turki Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, the Honorable Prime Minister of Fiji Mr. Commodore Josaia V. Bainimarama and several senior ministers from Member States, as well as prominent business leaders such as Executive Chairman of Mastercard Mr. Ajay Banga, Executive Director of ITC Ms. Pamela Coke Hamilton, CEO of Alecta Mr. Magnus Billing, Chairperson and CEO of Kokusai Kogyo Ms. Sandra Wu, CEO of GIST Advisory Mr. Pavan Sukhdev, among others.

Registration

Registration for the SDG Business Forum can be accessed through the Uniting Business Live digital venue. One day access to the SDG Business Forum is complimentary. Participants from Governments, UN System, civil society organizations and other stakeholder groups also have the option to sign up for complimentary access to all three days of Uniting Business Live with the code DESAGUEST.

For more information on the event, topics, and confirmed speakers, please visit the SDG Business Forum webpage: http://sdgbusinessforum.org

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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 Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org

Partnerships as Game Changer for a Sustainable Recovery from COVID-19

Dear Colleagues,

The 2021 Partnership Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will be held virtually on Monday, 3 May 2021, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am (EST).

Under the theme of “Partnerships as Game Changer for a Sustainable Recovery from COVID-19”, the Forum will examine the critical role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) following the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

For more information, please kindly refer to the event home page: https://sdgs.un.org/events/ecosoc-partnership-forum-2021

FYI, the 2021 ECOSOC Partnership Forum is scheduled to be webcast via webtv.un.org.

Registration for the Partnerships as Game Changer for a Sustainable Recovery from COVID-19 can be found at this link: https://sdgs.un.org/events/stakeholder-engagement-and-partnerships-during-and-beyond-covid-19-32662

We look forward to your active participation!

UN DESA

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org

Applying for ECOSOC Consultative Status

DESA NGO Branch will be conducting a Webinar on “Applying for ECOSOC Consultative Status” for NGOs on 5 May 2021, 11am – 12:30pm (NYT).

Register here! The meeting will provide answers to the following questions:

• What is Consultative Status, which organizations are eligible and what are its benefits?

• How the entire application process works since the application is submitted to the NGO Branch until ECOSOC makes its decision?

• What are the main components of the application package?

After the presentation, the floor will be open to answer questions from participants. Such questions may be raised either by chat or by requesting the floor using the Raise my Hand option. For more information, visit http://csonet.org/index.php?page=view&nr=409&type=230&menu=14.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bknotts@uua.org or bobbinassar@gmail.com. 

ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development

The 2021 session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up, also known as the FfD Forum, is scheduled to convene from 12-15 April 2021.

The 2020 Forum was originally planned to take place from 20-23 April, in New York, US. Due to the COVID-19 situation, an informal event took place virtually on 23 April 2020.

The FfD Forum is an intergovernmental process with universal participation mandated to review the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (Addis Agenda) and other financing for development outcomes and the means of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The FfD Forum is an intergovernmental process with universal participation mandated to review the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (Addis Agenda) and other financing for development outcomes and the means of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2021 session of the Forum is expected to include a special segment on “concrete steps towards a sustainable, inclusive and resilient recovery from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” in relation to SDG and AAAA achievement efforts. The session may also seek to integrate the menu of policy options developed through an initiative of the Governments of Canada and Jamaica and the UN Secretary-General on financing the 2030 Agenda in the era of COVID-19 and beyond.

FFSD Office, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA): un.org/ecosoc/en/events/2021/forum-financing-development-follow

As information becomes available, it will be posted to the website.

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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 Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. Fore more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

Older People’s Experiences in Real Life and Data

HelpAge International (in partnership with DESAAARP, Ghana Statistical Services, UNDP, and WHO )

is co-organizing the session “Older People’s Experiences in Real Life and Data” on 21 October 2020 at 10:00AM (New York) at the United Nations World Data Forum.

This session will:

  • Explore information required to understand the impact of the pandemic on the wellbeing and rights of older people
  • Examine systemic barriers to better data on older women and men
  • Identify actions members of the data community can jointly take to improve availability of data on older people for inclusive response and recovery

We look forward to your joining the event! Please register at: https://attendify.co/62RQIWV

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

{Virtual from New York} 30th Anniversary of International Day of Older Persons

UNIDOP

IDOP 2020 Program

The NGO Committee on Ageing, in partnership with UN DESA, invites you to the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of International Day of Older Persons on 1 October 2020.  Also celebrating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, this virtual event unites UN officials and leaders in the fields of ageing and elsewhere to address the call to action for a Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020-2030.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

Register here: https://bit.ly/2XWwLm

9:00am – 12:00pm EDT (New York)
2:00pm – 5:00pm GMT (London)

The event will be broadcast live via the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/intfedageing/). The event recording will be made available to all registered participants following the event. For additional information on programme and speakers, go to the NGO COA Website:  http://ngocoa-ny.org/

We look forward to your participation on this special day!

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO committees affiliated with CoNGO: NGO Committee on Ageing-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org; NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, please visit ngocoa-ny.org; NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org.

[WSIS Forum] Digital Inclusion of Older Persons

Digital Inclusion of Older Persons: Harnessing digital technologies to promote the inclusion and well-being of older persons

Tuesday 11 August 2020
14:00-15:00 CEST / 8:00-9:00 EST

Register here: https://bit.ly/3hKJKPV

Background and Objectives

Highlighting the importance of older persons, the World Summit on the Information Society Forum in 2020, for the first time, has dedicated a special track to older persons and ICTs. Technological advances are becoming entrenched in many aspects of our societies and hold the potential to create opportunities towards an inclusive and sustainable development and provide tools to surmount the challenges faced by many to fully participate in the development process. However, where access to ICTs is limited and not inclusive, it can intensify existing inequalities and even create new ones. Both the opportunities and challenges intrinsic to technological progress have been illustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Available evidence shows that older persons are often among those that do not benefit fully from the potential of ICTs. This session will explore access and inclusion of older persons in technology, discuss the digital divide in this group identifying their main vulnerabilities, reasons and the impact that such divide has on older persons’ participation in society, and provide some examples of successful efforts to promote access and inclusion of older persons.

The event also serves as a springboard to the fifty-ninth session of the Commission for Social Development to be held in February 2021, where the priority theme is “Socially just transition towards sustainable development: The role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all”.

Opening remarks: Daniela Bas, Director, Division for Inclusive Social Development, DESA

Panel Discussion 

Moderated by: Amine Lamrabat, Associate Public Information Officer, DISD/DES

  • Alison Bryant, Senior Vice President, AARP Research and Lead for Technology Work 
  • Anupam Sibal, Group Director, Medical Services, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, India (tbc)
  • Heidrun Mollenkopf, German National Association of Senior Citizens’ Organisations 
  • Michael Hodin, CEO of the Global Coalition on Aging
  • Osarieme Omokaro, User Experience Researcher, Google 

Download a copy of this document here. (PDF 358 KB)

#WSIS2020 #OlderPersons | @UN4Ageing 

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development-New York, please visit ngosocdev.org or facebook.com/NGOCSocD. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, please visit www.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.

[HLPF Side Event] Launch of the Online Technology Platform – 2030 Connect

Rebuilding Better with STI During COVID-19: Leveraging the Technology Facilitation Mechanism

Register here by July 12, 2020

The event is organized by UNDESA, UNCTAD and OICT, with support of other members of the UN Inter-agency Task Team on STI for the SDGs, and other network members. The event will bring representatives of governments, the UN, development partner organizations and other STI stakeholders.

The meeting would also invite high-level representatives of partner institutions that agree to exchange their respective technology databases. It will launch the Online Technology Platform – 2030 Connect in the context of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism and COVID-19.  It will be a new starting point for feedback and support, discussing key challenges and opportunities towards the full operationalization of the Platform in the next phase. 

For further details and registration about the event, visit sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Development-Geneva, contact Jan Lonn, co-chair, at info@ismun.net or jan.lonn@abc.se.

[Special Event] SDG Acceleration Actions to Build Back Better

SDG Acceleration Actions is an online platform set up by UN DESA in the lead up to the SDG Summit to capture and promote new commitments and actions from national governments and all non-state actors to accelerate the SDG implementation. All Member States and other actors are encouraged to use the 2020 High-level Political Forum as an opportunity to register new SDG acceleration actions and initiatives through the online platform, including those that seek to support efforts to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. Organized by UN DESA, the special event aims to showcase and galvanize ambitious new SDG Acceleration Actions by governments and other actors to contribute to the Decade of Action and Delivery in the context of post COVID-19 realities.

Register herehttps://bit.ly/HLPF2020AccelerationActions

For more information: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2020/sdgaccelerationaction

Kind regards,
Division for Sustainable Development Goals
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Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform
http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org