discrimination

Interfaith Prayer Service: The impact of HIV among the marginalized within the marginalized

Dear colleagues,

You are kindly invited to an Interfaith Prayer Service for World AIDS Day on December 1, 2022, under the theme “The impact of HIV among the marginalized within the marginalized.”

The service will be held in Tillman Chapel at 777 United Nations Plaza, NY, New York 10017, and will begin at 1:00pm EST.

For those unable to attend in person, the event will be live-streamed at both youtube.com/@hivfaith and facebook.com/ushivfaith.

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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/NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@yahoo.com or bknotts@uua.org. 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.

Language and Minority Rights: A Dialogue Forum with the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues

The United Nations Charter (Article 1) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 2) affirm the right to non-discrimination based on language while the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (Article 2) asserts that persons belonging to minorities have the right to “use their own language, in private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of discrimination.” Yet linguistic minorities throughout the world continue to experience challenges to their language rights as well as inequitable access to other civil and human rights.

In this session, current Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Fernand de Varennes will discuss the intersection of language and minority rights, including implementational challenges and possibilities. Representatives of NGOs, Secretariat and UN agency staff, colleagues from Member States, scholars, and others interested in linguistic minority rights are invited to participate in an open dialogue with the Special Rapporteur.

Register here by November 27!

About the Special Rapporteur:

Professor Fernand de Varennes, a globally recognized expert on linguistic and human rights, has served as the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues since 2017 Reporting to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur promotes the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and guides the work of the Forum on Minority Issues, among other responsibilities.

Programme:

8:45 – 9:00am Sign In
9:00 – 9:05am Introduction – Francis M. Hult, Chair, Committee on Language and Languages
9:05 – 9:35am Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues
9:35 – 9:55am Open Dialogue
9:55 – 10:00am Closing Remarks – Humphrey Tonkin, Vice-Chair, Committee on Language and Languages

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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on Language and Languages is a Substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations. For more information, please email the chair at fmhult@umbc.edu. Likewise, 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 Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit un-ngocrip.net.

U.N. International Day of Older Persons (IDOP2022)-Commemoration at UN Headquarters in New York

The United Nations International Day of Older Persons aims to enshrine and promote the rights of older persons, and to engage and mobilize advocates to protect those rights.

UNIDOP 2022 will involve a multi-stakeholder dialogue aimed to address the socioeconomic, environmental, and health experiences of older women, highlight their participation in helping to build resilient societies, and the importance of their full inclusion in policy development.

Register here: eventbrite.com/e/2022-international-day-of-older-persons-celebration-registration-411340148457

Registration is open now. Closes Sept. 23rd, 2022.

Where: ECOSOC Chamber (OR LIVE on webtv.un.org). In-person participants, please use the UN Headquarters Visitors’ entrance on First Avenue and 46th Street.

Language: ASL will be provided in English only; Closed captioning will be provided on UN Web-TV in English at media.un.org

UN Security: Security screening begins promptly at 9:00 a.m. at the Visitor’s entrance on 46th Street and 1st Avenue. Information will be provided on picking up a temporary grounds pass. A government-issued photo ID is required for this process. Wearing a mask is recommended. Proof of vaccination is not required.

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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/Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing/Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.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 the Status of Women/NY, please visit ngocsw.org.

NGO Committee on Ageing/NY Fall Update

NGO Committee on Ageing/NY Sept. 8 regular monthly meeting: What’s Happening in Ageing at the UN? What’s Ahead for the NGO Committee on Ageing/NY?

So much has happened at the United Nations over the summer, laying the groundwork for the NGO Committee on Ageing/NY Fall agenda. Join the NGO CoA/NY for its monthly Programme Meeting and find out more about what we’ve been up to, including the progress made at the High-Level Political Forum.

Hear from our colleague and special guest Amal Abou Rafeh, Chief, Programme on Ageing Section, UN/DESA, about United Nations initiatives, where ageing fits into the bigger picture, and what’s coming up in the next several months.

There will be time set aside for questions, comments, and insights.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ud-2hpz4qHdyXa1FFY5IHKQZYgySDjurY

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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on Ageing/NY is a Substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations. Likewise, 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 ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.

OHCHR’s multi-stakeholder meeting on the human rights of older persons

OHCHR’s multi-stakeholder meeting on the human rights of older persons will be held on 29 – 30 August 2022, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m CET, in a hybrid format at the Palais des Nations (Room XVII). More information, including on the panellists, is available here.

Registration for the event is open until 23 August. Once registered via Indico, you will receive the Zoom link a few days in advance of the event.

The meeting will also be webcast live and archived at: webtv.un.org.

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

International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief

On the occasion of the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief (established by the United Nations General Assembly), the UN NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief in New York will be hosting an online event highlighting the continued need for action and advocacy aimed at preventing, condemning, and seeking accountability for violence against individuals on the basis of their religion or belief.

Time: 2:15pm – 3:30pm EDT

Location: Zoom (link to be sent out to registrants the day of the event)

To register, please email INFO@UNFORB.ORG for the link by Friday, 19 August 2022.

Principal Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the UN Bani Dugal and UN NGO Committee on FoRB President Kelsey Zorzi and will provide overviews of several recent freedom of religion or belief initiatives, including the Washington D.C.-based Summit on International Religious Freedom and the London-based Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, and related future avenues for advocacy.

Dr. Thang Nguyen, founder and President of Boat People SOS (BPSOS) will provide an overview of the violence carried out against religious minorities in Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia and will detail the Vietnamese government’s efforts to hide and punish advocacy efforts aimed at shedding light on this violence or commemorating this International Day.

Participants are invited during the Q+A portion of the meeting to commemorate victims of religiously-based violence and share information about recent violent persecution of religion or belief minorities around the world.

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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief is a Substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations – for more info, please visit unforb.org. Likewise, 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. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

High-level meeting to mark the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious & Linguistic Minorities

High-level meeting to mark the commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities

The President of the General Assembly will convene a High-level meeting to mark the commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities on Wednesday, 21 September, at the UN Headquarters in New York, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 76/168.

The high-level meeting offers an important opportunity to take stock and evaluate the implementation of the Declaration, identify constraints and achievements, showcase examples of good practices and set priorities for the future, consistent with minorities’ effective participation and based on their own realities and needs. As the world moves toward a post-COVID-19 future and a new social contract, diversity must be inclusive and just in order to build a resilient global community of individuals equal in rights and opportunities regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, language and other features. The President’s summary of the discussions at the High-level meeting will further assist the international community to chart the way forward and recommit its engagement to actively and fully implement protection of the rights of minorities as expressed in the Declaration 30 years ago.

Format

The high-level meeting will take place in-person on Wednesday, 21 September 2022, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The high-level meeting will consist of an opening meeting, a general debate, and a closing meeting. A detailed programme will be circulated in due course

Participation

In order to promote a constructive and inclusive dialogue, participation in the high-level meeting will be open for Member States, observers, the United Nations system, as well as representatives of non- governmental organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC that are actively engaged in minorities issues.

Registration will be open at: indico.un.org/event/1002409 from Monday, 1 August until 5:00 pm EST on Friday, 12 August 2022.

The proceedings of the high-level meeting will be webcast live on UN Web TV in all six official languages of the United Nations.

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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@yahoo.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at tonkin@hartford.edu or fmhult@umbc.edu. 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 Migration, please visit ngo-migration.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

The Impact of Storytelling on Isolation in Older Adults

IFA Global Cafe: In Conversation with Dr. Victor Kuperman and Ms. Nancy Siciliana

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of connecting, communicating, and storytelling within the dialogue of isolation. The “Niagara Stories” project – run through a partnership between McMaster University, the Seniors’ Computer Lab Project, and Cyber Seniors’ Connected Communities Niagara – has allowed the opportunity for open conversations amongst Niagara residents. The project highlights the impact storytelling has on the sentiments of isolation, as well as how people communicate experiences through interaction and language.

To share their comprehensive insights, the Niagara Stories project organizers – Professor Victor Kuperman and Ms. Nancy Siciliana – will be leading a discussion on “The Impact of Storytelling on Isolation in Older Adults” in the IFA Global Cafe series.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlf-2sqjkqHtdEuypehon2jHv5tF0fp9fh

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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, please email the co-chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at tonkin@hartford.edu or fmhult@umbc.edu.

27th Session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The twenty-seventh session of the Committee will be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva, in Room XVII at the Palais des Nations, from 15 August to 9 September 2022. The 1st meeting of the session will be convened on Monday, 15 August, at 10 am. A representative of the Secretary-General will open the session. The Committee will consider matters concerning the organization of the twenty-seventh session, in particular the adoption of its programme of work.

Registration available here: https://indico.un.org/event/1001249/

At its twenty-seventh session, the Committee will:

Consider the initial reports of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Singapore and the combined second and third reports of China, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea. In pursuance of established practice and in conformity with rule 41 of the rules of procedure, the Secretary-General has informed the parties concerned of the tentative dates on which their reports have been scheduled for consideration by the Committee. A schedule for the consideration of the reports will be set forth in the tentative programme of work, which will be made available on the web page of the Committee.
Discuss how to strengthen cooperation with United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations, including organizations of persons with disabilities, and other competent bodies in order to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, including the empowerment and promotion of the rights of women and girls with disabilities. Representatives of such organizations and bodies may seek to address the Committee.

Continue its work on drafting a general comment on article 27 of the Convention, on the right of persons with disabilities to work and employment. The Committee will review the progress made by the working group established to draft guidelines on the deinstitutionalization of persons with disabilities, including in emergency situations, to supplement the Committee’s general comment No. 5 (2017) on living independently and being included in the community.

Provisional agenda

Adoption of the agenda
Organizational matters
Report of the Chair on activities undertaken between the twenty-sixth and twenty- seventh sessions of the Committee
Submission of reports by parties to the Convention under article 35
Consideration of reports submitted by parties to the Convention under article 35
Cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, organizations of persons with disabilities and other competent bodies
General comments
Methods of work of the Committee
Activities under the Optional Protocol to the Convention
Future meetings
Other matters
Adoption of the report on the twenty-seventh session

*Remote participation in private briefings may be granted only on an exceptional basis and under compelling reasons. Please contact Jorge.araya@un. org no later than 15 July, 2022.

However, civil society, including organizations of persons with disabilities and other civil society organizations may observe the dialogue in-person at in Room XXIII Palais des Nations. They can also follow all constructive dialogues on the UN Web TV webpage.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@yahoo.com or bknotts@uua.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.org. For more information on the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.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 the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org.

Emerging technologies in the area of LAWS: Exploring the legal and ethical implications of algorithmic bias

In September 2021, the European Union adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/1694 in support of the universalization, implementation and strengthening of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW).

Under “Project 3: Facilitation of discussions on under-explored, emerging & cross-cutting issues of relevance to the CCW” in the document annexed to the Council Decision, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs’ (UNODA) Geneva Branch has the pleasure to invite you to a webinar on the legal and ethical implications of algorithmic bias in emerging technologies in the area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) to take place on Tuesday, 26 July 2022, 1:15-2:45pm (CET).

The webinar will host panelists who will speak on a) machine learning and bias; b) legal and ethical implications of algorithmic bias in the area of LAWS; and c) implications of algorithmic bias for military AI governance.

Here is the link to register.

Format:

Moderator: Dr. Vincent Boulanin, Senior Researcher at SIPRI

1) Presentations will be given by panelists.

2) After the presentations the floor will be open for questions and comments, which will be typed by participants into the chat and selected by the moderator.

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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 for Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com.

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