human rights violations

2nd PyeongChang Youth Peace Challenge [registration deadline]

Dear Friends,

Greetings of peace from PyeongChang on the Korean peninsula!

We are pleased to announce that youths interested in promoting and building peace are warmly invited to “The 2nd PyeongChang Youth Peace Challenge (YPC)”.

The YPC 2022 is the peace and global citizenship education program in the form of essays and group debates for youths. It is organized in the context of the UN Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs by 2030 and the UN Declaration on the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the UN in 2020 in accordance with the PyeongChang Peace Spirit born out of the historical PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. 

THEME

How to implement the proposals contained in the Our Common Agenda report of the UN Secretary-General (Sep. 2021) from the peace perspective as a youth in your country and/or internationally. https://www.un.org/en/un75/common-agenda   

Pre-register online by 20th December 2021 at https://forms.gle/FsvHYpoK97HsdGwF7. Orientation for early applicants at 4-6 PM on Tuesday, 21 December 2021.

Submission of the essay is due by 15 January 2022. More detailed guidelines about the essay and group debate will be sent to registered applicants by email.

For any inquiries about YPC 2022 please contact us through PyeongChangYPC2022@gmail.com. More details about the PyeongChang Peace Forum (PPF) are available at http://ppf.or.kr/en/. Summary Report (English) of the PPF 2021 is available at http://ppf.or.kr/en/board/board_view.asp?BoardID=Notice&LangType=ENG&searchtext=&page=1&SNO=615. We look forward to welcoming your participation.

In peace and solidarity,  

PyeongChang YPC 2022 Organizing Team 

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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 Children’s Rights-NY, please visit childrightsny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.

International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust

Dear Colleague,

I am pleased to invite you to attend to the observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust on Thursday, 27 January 2022 at 12 noon in Room XX the Palais des Nations, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 60/7 of 2005. English and French interpretation will be provided. This year, due to COVID-19, the ceremony will be exceptionally organized in a hybrid format, with a limited presence in the room.

Registration is now open for this commemoration under this link https://indico.un.org/event/37258/.

Once the seating capacity is reached, the registration for in-person participation will be closed and confirmation emails will be sent. Participation in person will be possible upon presentation of the confirmation e-mail only. The event will be webcast live on the UN Web TV platform http://webtv.un.org/ as well as on Facebook (@UNGeneva) to allow interested participants to attend the event virtually. The provisional programme of the commemoration is attached. I look forward to your participation in this ceremony.

Yours sincerely,

Tatiana Valovaya

NGO Liaison Unit, Political Affairs and Partnerships Section
Office of the Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva
Palais des Nations

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Security, Peace, and Disarmament, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. 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

NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples [regular mtg]

On behalf of the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please consider yourselves cordially invited to attend our next regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021 at 1pm EST.

AGENDA

1. Moment of Silence in Honor of the Land we are on and the Native Peoples of this land

2. Welcome, Introductions and Review of Agenda

3. Meeting minutes of November 18, 2021

4. Report of the Executive Committee

5. Announcement – Secretariat Update by Elaine re: Indigenous Forum – April 25 – May 6

6. Speaker –Teresa Darder (invited) from Pointe au Chien in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana on the topic of fragile coastal areas – Intro by Joy

7. Film and Discussion – “Dawnland” –  Intro by Roberto

8. Resource – Native Network Consulting – LaVonne Peck & Nina Vandenburgh (invited) – Intro by Sandy

9. Other announcements

10. Next meeting will be held on Thursday January 20, 2022, 1-3 pm

Access the meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2028703180

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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a Substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations.

Understanding Public Attitudes towards Migrants Beyond Polarization

Dear GMPA network,

To mark the 2021 International Migrants Day, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) – the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) – in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European University Institute (EUI) are glad to invite you to participate to the event Understanding Public Attitudes towards Migrants Beyond Polarization, taking place on Friday 17 December from 14:30 to 17:30.

By discussing the challenges related to an increasing polarized debate about migration and migrants, the event will offer the opportunity to illustrate the E-MINDFUL project that OCEEA, ILO and EUI are implementing jointly. Concept Note and draft programme herewith enclosed for further information.

Addressed to delegations of the OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, the ILO’s constituents, key stakeholders, experts, civil society representatives and academia, the event will be organized in blended format, combining online participation via VTC Zoom with limited in-person access to the OSCE Hofburg premises in Heldenplatz, Vienna, Neuer Saal.

The working language will be English. 

Kindly register by sending an email to Magda Jugheli: Magda.Jugheli@osce.org before Wednesday 15 December. When registering, participants are requested to indicate if they will participate at the Hofburg in Vienna, or virtually via zoom.

Looking forward to your participation.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Migration, please visit ngo-migration.org. 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 the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP.

Remembering Past Massacres: Honoring the legacy and resilience of the victims | EUROPE

The webinar is part of a series of regional webinars organized by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in collaboration with the WCC Spiritual Life.

It is part of the many virtual events organized this year to mark the 75th anniversary of the CCIA.

Realizing that several of these massacres have lost relevance over the years, or are simply forgotten, the purpose of these regional webinars is to reflect on how these fallen heroes and heroines are remembered and honoured today.

Moderator: Rev. Karin van den Broeke, WCC Executive Committee member

The following speakers will share country perspectives:

  • Dr. Geraldine Smyth, Northern Ireland
  • Rev. Assoc. Prof. Habil. Cristian Sonea, Roumania
  • Eugenia Koukoura, Greece
  • Rev. Prof. Dr Konrad Raiser, former WCC General Secretary, will also be on the panel, and will bring insights the role of healing of memories.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-a7AJvGURAeQmQ5DiQx05Q

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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 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. 

Supporting Human Rights Defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Reality, Challenges, and Obligations

The UN Palestinian Rights Committee , will hold the virtual event “Supporting Human Rights Defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Reality, Challenges, and Obligations” on Tuesday, 7 December 2021 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm (New York Time), via WebEx. The event will also be livestreamed on UN Web TV.

The event will highlight the engagement of the Committee with civil society partners in the implementation of its mandate towards ending the occupation of the Palestinian territory and advancing the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. It will shed light on the implications of the Israeli decision of 22 October 2021 to designate six Palestinian human rights and humanitarian NGOs as “terrorist organizations” and more broadly on the work of civil society organizations and human rights defenders in the OPT. Finally, it will underline the role and responsibilities of the international community in the context of a shrinking space for CSOs.

The speakers – Shawan Jabarin (Al-Haq), Heba Morayef (Amnesty International), Michael Sfard (Human rights lawyer) and Omar Shakir (Human Rights Watch) – will brief on the varying dimension of this critical decision and show Israel’s long-time efforts to target organizations that document the ongoing violations of Palestinian human rights and seek to hold Israel accountable.

Participants in the Webex event will consist of the invited panellists, Committee Members / Observers and other Member States. Intergovernmental and civil society organizations as well as the public and media will be invited to follow the event via live stream. While participation in the virtual platform will be limited to UN Member and Observer States, panellists, IGOs ​​and CSOs, the general public can send their questions via the Committee Facebook pageTwitter account  or email dpr-meeting @ un.org.

For further information, please visit un.org/unispal.

Viewers are encouraged to use the hashtags #Rights4Palestine and #ForPalestineRefugees on their social media and to tag the Committee’s social media pages using Twitter & Instagram: @UNISPAL, Facebook: @ UN.palestinianrights.

Watch the live stream on UN Web TV: webtv.un.org

Share live updates from the Committee Twitter account and Facebook page.

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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 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.

Asia-Pacific Environmental Human Rights Defenders Forum

Dear Friends/Colleagues,

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific,  United Nations Environment Programme – Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Asia Pacific Network of Environment Defenders, together with our partner organizations, will be conducting the Asia-Pacific Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) Forum with the theme Building safe spaces for dialogue and support among environmental human rights defenders on 17-19 November 2021 at 10:00-13:00 GMT+7 / Bangkok time. The Forum aims to provide a venue for EHRDs discussion, learning exchange, and formulation of recommendations among EHRDs in the region. The recommendations will become a foundation to raise awareness amongst policymakers, the private sector, and other stakeholders in order to encourage policies and practices recognizing the vital and positive role of EHRDs. The recommendations developed at the Forum can further guide UN programming and advocacy at the country and regional levels to continue to support the contribution of EHRDs.

Register here: https://events1.social27.com/EHRDForum/auth/register

If you have questions, please contact the Forum team at ap.ehrd.forum@gmail.com.

#Asia-PacificEHRDForum2021

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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 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 NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP

UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent

The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent would like to invite all interested civil society representatives and people of African descent to an interactive consultation meeting on its mandate and activities. The meeting will also be an opportunity to discuss human rights concerns, opportunities in 2022 and recommended action to prevent racial discrimination faced by people of African descent.

The meeting will be held on Friday 19 November from 14:00-16:00 hrs in Room XVII at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The Working Group encourages civil society to attend in person if possible, and invite online participation for those who cannot attend in-person.   

For in-person participation, please register using the following link: https://indico.un.org/event/36496/

For online participation, we encourage all civil society organizations interested to participate in the discussion to register by sending an email to Joyce Fucio (jocelyn.fucio@un.org) by 17 November 2021, indicating participation and providing the participants name, organizations’ name and email address.

The link for online participation using the remote simultaneous interpretation platform Interprefy, and instructions on how to use the Interprefy platform will be sent to those who have sent their confirmation of participation one day prior to the event.

Best regards,

WGEPAD Secretariat

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

Stemming the role of criminal groups in contemporary forms of slavery within Nigeria

Jubilee Campaign is hosting a side event this Friday, October 29, 2021, 9:00 am to 11:00 am EST on “Stemming the role of criminal groups in contemporary forms of slavery within Nigeria.” This event is in light of the soon to be released report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Tom Obokata. His report will be presented on the 27th and this event will further explore this issue with a particular emphasis on Nigeria and the enslavement of women and children.

To register for this event, please click this link.

Co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the United Nations Office at Geneva

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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 NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. 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-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 to Stop Trafficking in Persons, please visit ngocstip.org.

Stand up for Rights of Older Persons

Violations of older persons’ human rights have been witnessed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Decades long implicit biases rooted in ageism have made older people invisible through lack of insightful policies that protect their rights. As the world’s population ages, the trends of human rights violations will undermine the fabric of society and its prosperity.

The United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) seeks to create an environment that enables older people to do what they value, where no one is left behind, left to languish, or be disregarded and patronized, be stopped from working or have access to basic health and care. In order to overcome the paucity of progress on drafting a legally binding document (a convention) on the human rights of older persons, the United States and Canada need to STAND UP as global leaders in the effort to Call for Action at the United Nations.

Register here!

This event is organized by the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, the International Longevity Center of Canada, the International Federation on Ageing, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People, and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, a Substantive Committee of the Committee of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, 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.

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