diplomacy

International Day of UN Peacekeepers

2021 Theme

The road to a lasting peace: Leveraging the power of youth for peace and security

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, 29 May, offers a chance to pay tribute to the uniformed and civilian personnel’s invaluable contribution to the work of the Organization and to honour more than 4,000 peacekeepers who have lost their lives serving under the UN flag since 1948, including 130 last year

This year, the challenges and threats faced by our peacekeepers are even greater than ever as they, like people around the world, are having to cope not only with the COVID-19 pandemic but also the continued requirement to support and protect the people in the countries in which they are based.

The theme for this year’s Day is “The road to a lasting peace: Leveraging the power of youth for peace and security.”

Today, tens of thousands of young peacekeepers (between the ages of 18 and 29 years) are deployed around the world and play a major role in helping the missions implement their mandated activities including the protection of civilians.  And UN peace operations — in line with a series of Security Council resolutions (2250, 2419 and 2535) — are increasing their collaboration with youth and youth groups to help build sustainable peace and implement their mandates on the ground.

The first UN peacekeeping mission was established on 29 May 1948, when the Security Council authorized the deployment of a small number of UN military observers to the Middle East to form the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Since then, more than 1 million women and men have served in 72 UN peacekeeping operations, directly impacting the lives of millions of people and saving countless lives. Today, UN Peacekeeping deploys more than 89,000 military, police and civilian personnel in ;12 operations.

To mark the Day at the UN Headquarters in New York on 27 May, the Secretary-General will lay a wreath in honour of all peacekeepers who have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag over the past seven decades. And a virtual ceremony will be held at which the Dag Hammarskjold medal will be awarded posthumously to peacekeepers who lost their lives in 2020 and in January 2021. The Military Gender Advocate of the Year award will also be presented at the virtual ceremony.

To keep apprised of this year’s events and learn more about the origins of this observance, visit  un.org/en/observances/peacekeepers-day.

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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 Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@gmail.com or bknotts@uua.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. 

International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace

The International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace was established on 12 December, 2018 through resolution A/RES/73/127 and was first observed on April 24, 2019.

Preserving the values of multilateralism and international cooperation, which underpin the UN Charter and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is fundamental to promote and support the three pillars of the UN – peace and security, development and human rights.

The international norms and rules-based system that have steered nations through seven decades must rise to meet the mounting challenges of protectionism and isolationism. Global issues such as climate change, geopolitical tensions, humanitarian and migratory crises are cross-cutting, implicating the values and interests of nations and necessitate collective attention and action. Technological advancement has also impacted the political and socio-economic landscape and inter-state relations.

As emphasized in the resolution, the International Day is a reaffirmation of the UN Charter and its principles of resolving disputes among countries through peaceful means. It acknowledges the use of multilateral decision-making and diplomacy in achieving peaceful resolutions to conflicts among nations.

To learn more about how we commemorate this observance and read the UN Secretary-General’s comments on it, click here: un.org/en/observances/Multilateralism-for-Peace-day.

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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, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@gmail.com or bknotts@uua.org. 

2021 Freedom of Religion or Belief Priorities at the United Nations

Join us on Friday, May 7th, from 1:15pm-2:45pm Eastern for a virtual event that will highlight various missions’ recent past and upcoming efforts to promote religious freedom and related rights in 2021 at the United Nations. The event will feature a panel of UN diplomats who will present on their mission’s specific priorities on this issue. Following the presentations, there will be ample time for Q+A.

Our expert panelists include: 

  • Madeeha Ashraf, Advisor, U.S. Mission to the UN
  • Timothy Sylvester, Second Secretary, U.K Mission to the UN 
  • Klas Nyman, Counsellor, EU Delegation to the UN

We anticipate the event will be insightful for our shared focus on promoting FoRB at and through the United Nations, and we hope that you will join us.

To register, please RSVP to info@unforb.org by 12pm on May 6. A Zoom link will be sent to you on the day of the event.

We look forward to your presence on May 7th.

Best regards,

Kelsey Zorzi, President, NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief – New York 

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, please visit unforb.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org.

The Iran Deal or No Deal

The Iran Nuclear Deal or No Deal

Grassroots organizations from across the country are joining together to present the most recent developments surrounding the JCPOA and what they may mean for the future of Iran and the rest of the Middle East. For those who care about preventing a future war as well as addressing the humanitarian role the U.S. has in Iran, Yemen, and elsewhere, this is the event to join.

Register here: https://secure.everyaction.com/aFVE5ygCQEOMyNrNBjpx_Q2

Featuring:

  • Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
  • Barbara Slavin, Director of the Future of Iran Initiative and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council
  • Kelsey Davenport, Director of Nonproliferation Policy at Arms Control Association
  • Peter Beinart, Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York

Moderated by: Jamal Abdi, President of the National Iranian American Council

Note: You are welcome to watch a recording of a previous event (https://fb.watch/3aRHLDJRGL/), which provides a great overview of the topic, but will not be necessary to get the full experience out of this larger event.

This event is co-sponsored by: 

Brooklyn for Peace; CODEPINK; Coloradans for Middle East Diplomacy & Peace; Demand Progress; Friends Committee on National Legislation Colorado Advocacy Team; Friends Committee on National Legislation New York City Advocacy Team; Friends Committee on National Legislation New York State Advocacy Team; Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace; Historians for Peace and Democracy; J Street Colorado; J Street NYC; Jewish Voice for Peace – Denver/Boulder Chapter; Long Island Activists; Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives; Manhattan Project for a Nuclear Free World; Massachusetts Peace Action; National Iranian American Council; New Jersey Peace Action; New York Progressive Action Network; NYPAN Greene; No War Westchester; North Country Peace Group; PEAC Institute; Peace Action; Peace Action Bay Ridge; Peace Action New York State; Peace & Social Justice Committee of the 15th St. Monthly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers); Rethinking Foreign Policy, Inc.; Peace Corps Iran Association; Progressive Democrats of Sussex County (Delaware); Progressive East End Reformers; Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center; South Country Peace Group; Suffolk Progressives; Syracuse Peace Council; Upper Hudson Peace Action; WESPAC; Win Without War; Women’s Action for New Directions; and Women’s March.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bknotts@uua.org or bobbinassar@gmail.com. 

An NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security Discussion: Spending to Increase Nuclear Danger

Join the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security as we discuss how in the midst of an economic and public health crisis, the US is set to spend hundreds of billions on new nuclear weapons which could never be used, add nothing to national security, and actually increase the risk of nuclear war. Funding for these extremely dangerous weapons systems will come up soon in Congress. The NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security presents three leaders to clarify the key issues and discuss possible plans of action.

Register here!

Speakers:

Bruce Knotts has directed the Unitarian Universalist Office at the United Nations since 2008. Before that, he served as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State with notable service during the Nairobi Embassy bombing 1998, Embassy Khartoum, Sudan, Regional Refugee Coordinator for West Africa and Deputy Chief of Mission in The Gambia. His final tour was in the Bureau of International Organization at the Department of State.

Dr. John Burroughs is Senior Analyst for the New York City-based Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy. He has represented LCNP in Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty meetings and negotiations on the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons. His articles and op-eds have appeared in publications including Fordham International Law Journal, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Arms Control Today, Newsweek, and Newsday.

Jackie Cabasso has been Executive Director of the Western States Legal Foundation, based in Oakland, California, since 1984. In 1995 she was a “founding mother” of the Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, and she continues to serve on its Coordinating Committee. Since 2007 she has served as an Executive Advisor to Mayors for Peace. In the U.S., she is a National Co-convener of United for Peace and Justice. Jackie was the 2008 recipient of the International Peace Bureau’s Sean MacBride Peace Award.

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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 Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Peace (Vienna), email its Chair,  Helga Kerschbaum at helga.kerschbaum@aon.at

The International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development 2021: Inclusively Creative, for Global Recovery

Setting the Scene

· The resolution 74/198 on International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, 2021, was envisioned as a rallying point behind the development of a creative economy as a way to promote sustained and inclusive economic growth, foster innovation and provide opportunities, benefits and empowerment for all and respect for all human rights.

· With the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some boom and bust creative industries. Some industries have shown tremendous growth, such as virtual music and apps development; some industries face tremendous challenges, for instance, industries dependent on the tourism sector, such as performing arts and crafts.

· Most creative industry players are either small-medium enterprises, self-employed people, and freelancers, who have more limited financial capacity to weather the impacts of a prolonged crisis.

· It is important to ensure a meaningful and impactful implementation of the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development toward a sustainable and resilient recovery by among others optimizing opportunism and addressing main challenges in creative economy.

The virtual side event will discuss:

· Outcome of the Friends of Creative Economy (FCE) Meeting 2020 held on 11-12 November 2020.

· Outcome of the Creative Forum held on 30 November 2020.

· Implementation of the resolution, including roadmap for the implementation of the resolution.

· Expectation by countries, possible collaborations, relevant events, with a summary of the discussion.

On Dec. 9, join the Zoom meeting here. 

Agenda

9:00 – 9:10 Opening Remark by H.E. Dian Triansyah Djani, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations in New York

9:10 – 9:50 Panel Discussion
Mr. Candra Negara, Director for Inter-Institutional Relations, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Indonesia

  • Briefing on the outcome of the Friends of Creative Economy (FCE) Meeting 2020

Ms. Petra Kežman – Head of Department for Public Diplomacy and International Cooperation in Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia

  • Briefing on the International Conference, “Symptoms of Creativity”

Marisa Henderson, PhD – Chief, Creative Economy, Division of International Trade and Commodities, UNCTAD

  • Implementation of Resolution 74/198

Mr. Ernesto Ottone – Assistant-Director General for Culture, UNESCO

9:50 – 10:25 Discussion
10:25 – 10:30 Virtual Photo Session & Closing

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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. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-New York, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.

[UN Observance] Arabic Language Day

Annually on December 18, the United Nations commemorates Arabic Language Day. To learn about why we mark this observance, and how to participate in 2020’s events, check un.org/ar/events/arabiclanguageday/index.shtml.

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

10th Samadhi Day Celebration of Yogiraj Buaji

Namaste Dear Friends,
 
I hope you are safe and healthy! I am organizing a zoom meeting and you are invited! Please join us.
 
Topic: 10th Samadhi Day Celebration of Yogiraj “JAGAT GURU H.H. SWAMI BUA Ji MAHARAJ”
A supercentenarian yogi (lived 123 years) who blessed many around the world including diplomats at the United Nations and lived in New York City since the 1970s until 2010. Buaji was involved with numerous Inter-religious/Interfaith/peace events at the United Nations. He was one of the spiritual leaders who worked hard to create “Interfaith Harmony Week” and the “International Day of Yoga” at the United Nations.
 
Those who had a wonderful experience with him, please share a few words (short message) about him at the meeting. Please consider this as a gathering for a spiritual family to honor our elders.
 
Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Time: 11 AM – 1 PM Eastern Time (New York)
 
Please register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
 
With love & prayers!
Guru Dileepji
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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, please visit csvgc-ny.org.
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