human security

Ninth International Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs 

NINTH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE ROLE OF RELIGION AND FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Theme: Securing People’s Wellbeing and Planetary Sustainability

24 January 2023 | 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM EST 

Virtual Event | Interpretation in English, Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish

REGISTER: bit.ly/2023_symposium

READ SPEAKER AND MODERATOR BIOGRAPHIES HERE.

PROGRAM

8:15     Zoom opens for participants to join 

8:30     WELCOME

            Video Introduction to the Ninth Symposium 

8:45     HIGH-LEVEL OPENING SESSION

The moderator will introduce the theme of the symposium, and the 9th Symposium will open with representatives of the three major organizing components of the annual symposium–UN official, faith-based representative and member state providing their perspectives on the theme of human security.              

CO-MODERATORS:

  • Rev. Dr. Liberato C. Bautista (Assistant General Secretary for United Nations and International Affairs, General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church and Chair, 2023 Symposium Planning Team)
  • Ms. Nika Saeedi (PVE Team Leader, Crisis Bureau, UNDP; Global focal point on Religion, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, and Hate Speech for UNDP)

SPEAKERS:

  • H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés (Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense of Ecuador and former President of the UN General Assembly)
  • H. E. Archbishop  Gabriele Giordano Caccia (Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer, Permanent Observer  Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations)
  • Ms. Ulrika Modéer (UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy, UNDP)
  • Ambassador (ret.) Sergio Duarte (Former United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs and President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs)
  • Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm (Moderator, Central Committee of the World Council of Churches and Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria)
  • Priestess Beatriz Schulthess (Founder and President of Indigenous Peoples Ancestral Spiritual Council and Member of Qulla/Kolla Nation and Honorary President, Religions for Peace)

9:25      FRAMING HUMAN SECURITY AS SHARED SECURITY FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET

Conceptual and practical convergences on the topic of human security abound between faith communities and the UN System. These convergences also illustrate the complexity of what security, in its multiple dimensions, entails.

MODERATOR:

  • Prof. Dr. Azza Karam (Secretary General, Religions for Peace)

SPEAKERS:

  • Mr. Samuel Rizk (Head, Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsible Institutions (CPPRI) Team, Crisis Bureau, UNDP)
  • Mr. Anwar Khan (President, Islamic Relief USA)
  • Mr. Garry Jacobs (President and CEO of World Academy of Art and Science and Chairman and CEO the World University Consortium)
  • Ms. Sophia Farion (Senior Program Officer for Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, and Central Asia, Global Network of Women Peacebuilders {GNWP})
  • Dr. Anne Mette Fisker-Nielsen (Associate Professor, Soka University)

10:45       BREAK

Cultural intermission: Cello piece by Michael Fitzpatrick

90-second video on human security

11:00       SEEING AND DOING HUMAN SECURITY

This session will highlight actual activities and initiatives that are focused on and promote human security. It will demonstrate how faith based actors, UN entities and Member States see and work for human security.

MODERATOR:

  • Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria (General Secretary of ACT Alliance)

SPEAKERS:

  • Ambassador Amanda Ellis (Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Mission of New Zealand to the United Nations in Geneva and Professor, Arizona State University)
  • Ms. Mehrnaz Mostafavi (Chief of the Human Security Unit {HSU} and the UN Trust Fund for Human Security {UNTFHS})
  • Dr. Jerry White (Executive Director, United Religions Initiative {URI})
  • Ms. Nadia Alawamleh (Team Leader for Social Cohesion Programme, UNDP Iraq)
  • Mr. Asif Ali Sherazi (Country Director for Pakistan, Islamic Relief Worldwide)
  • Atty. Salma Pir Rasul (Programs Director, Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy and Director, Islamic Law Studies, University of the Philippines Law Center {UPLC})
  • Mr. Nelson Ngalle (National Programme Officer, Presbyterian Church in Cameroon {PCC} Peace Work Department)RESPONDENT:
  • Peter Schlosser (Vice President and Vice Provost of Global Futures, Arizona State University)

12:20       KEY LEARNINGS

This session will highlight key learnings that relate to work for human security and the roles different actors can play. It  will address in concrete ways the development of “unity, solidarity, international cooperation and global coordinated action” necessary to make human security real. 

MODERATOR:

  • Ms. Audrey Kitagawa, JD (President/Founder, International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation and President, Light of Awareness International Spiritual Family)

SPEAKERS:

  • Prof. Dr. PL de Silva (Adjunct Professor, UN Studies, Seton Hall University)
  • Dr. Elizabeta Kitanovic (Executive Secretary, Human Rights, Council of European Churches {CEC|KEK})
  • Ms. DWI Rubiyanti Kholifah (Secretary General of The Asian Muslim Action Network {AMAN}, Country representative of AMAN Indonesia)

12:50       CONCLUDING SESSION

This concluding session will provide key ideas about what needs to be done next, and is envisioned to inspire action and impart a strong call for collaboration and partnership on the key learnings from the symposium.

CO-MODERATORS:

  • Rev. Dr. Liberato C. Bautista (Assistant General for United Nations and International Affairs, General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church and Chair, 2023 Symposium Planning Team)
  • Ms. Nika Saeedi (PVE Team Leader, Crisis Bureau, UNDP; Global focal point on Religion, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, and Hate Speech for UNDP)

SPEAKERS:

  • Mr. Jonathan Granoff (Senior Advisor and Representative to the United Nations of the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates)
  • Dr. Ganoune Diop (Director, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, Seventh-day Adventist Church)

1:30         CLOSE

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CO-ORGANIZERS AND PARTNER OF THE 2023 SYMPOSIUM

Religious and Faith Based Organizations: ACT Alliance | General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church | Islamic Relief | Religions for Peace | Seventh-Day Adventist Church | Soka Gakkai International | United Religions Initiative | World Council of Churches

United Nations: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) acting on behalf of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development (currently chaired by UNFPA, United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations and includes 27 entities within the UN System. See IATF-Religion and SDGs).

Partner: The  Human Security for All (HS4A) campaign led by the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security and the World Academy of Art and Science.

ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM

The Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-based Organizations in International Affairs was initiated by the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the World Council of Churches. Today, the symposium co-organizing entities and partners have grown to include denominational, ecumenical, multireligious and faith-based groups including long-time co-organizers ACT Alliance, Religions for Peace, Islamic Relief-USA, and the United Religions Initiative. From the third year (2017) of the symposium, the Interfaith Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development – currently representing 27 entities within the UN System – cooperated as a co-organizer. The Symposium was conceived as a space to focus on how religious and partner faith-based organizations could reinforce engagement around shared concerns of human dignity, human rights and sustainable development, in particular as regards UN the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)/Agenda 2030. The Symposium is organized as an annual event for conversation to identify and deepen the multifaceted, multi-layered, multidimensional, and multidisciplinary aspects of the permanent general theme on human rights and human dignity and follow that with an annual thematic focus that would enjoin the organizers to build upon previous conversations and continue to heighten intellectual engagement, create practical forms of action, and develop mechanisms for collaboration among symposium organizers, partners and participants. The Symposium is held annually on a date in January close to the birthday (January 15) of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

 

CONCEPT NOTE

NINTH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE ROLE OF RELIGION

AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

8:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Virtual Event | Interpretation in English, Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish

I.   HISTORY OF THE SYMPOSIUM:

The 2023 Symposium will be the ninth in a series of symposiums held annually since 2015.

Nine years ago (2015), faith-based partners came together to launch an annual symposium around the intersections of religion and international affairs, intentionally including the participation of UN member states and UN System entities. From the second symposium (2016), partnership with the UN Interagency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development was instituted with the intention of organizing an annual policy dialogue between the UN System, member states, faith actors and wider civil society on critical issues of the day. Over the years, the sponsorship of the Symposium has included an increasing range of religious and faith traditions.

The Symposia series features a theme each year that both relates to current policy debates and intersects with the concerns and contributions of faith-based actors working in international affairs. The first Symposium in 2015 established the framework for all future symposia with a focus on human rights and human dignity. Such focus will undergird all symposiums in the series.

The second Symposium focused on the prevention of atrocity crimes and violent extremism (2016), the third focused on just, inclusive and sustainable peace (2017), the fourth focused on migration and displacement (2018) and the fifth (2019) covered the intersections of these four themes with key aspects of economic justice and financing for sustainable development, positing an economy of life. The sixth (2020) was intended to reflect on the planned processes to review progress 25 years after the Beijing Platform for Action and the state of multilateralism at the 75th anniversary of the UN, but was postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. Given the crucial importance of the theme, a smaller but well-resourced workshop for faith-based organizations was organized in its stead.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the seventh symposium was convened  as a virtual symposium (2021) and focused on accelerating gender equality, equity and justice. The succeeding 2022 symposium was also held virtually on a theme focused on “mobilizing moral influence and governance to end the systemic injustices of racism, the legacy of colonialism and slavery.

The Symposiums have been timed to be held in January of every year in close proximity to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday to help commemorate the values and legacy he bequeathed to the world. The Symposium is also a contribution to the global observance of the World Interfaith Harmony Week that is celebrated annually in the first week of February of each year.

The symposium in 2023 is co-organized by the following groups and their representatives compose the planning team. They are, from the faith-based side, the ACT Alliance, General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church, Islamic Relief USA, Religions for Peace, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Soka Gakkai International, United Religions Initiative, World Council of Churches, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of  the  Inter-Agency Task Force on Religion and Development. The  Human Security for All (HS4A) campaign led by the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security and the  World Academy of Art and Science is  a partner.

II.   2023 THEME: SECURING PEOPLES’ WELLBEING AND PLANETARY SUSTAINABILITY

A.   HIGH-LEVEL WELCOME

The 9th symposium will be opening with a high-level panel that represents the three major organizing components of the annual symposium–UN official, faith-based representative and member state. The moderator will introduce the theme of the symposium, both in the context of the history of the symposium and the urgency and saliency of the current theme.

B.   FRAMING HUMAN SECURITY AS SHARED SECURITY FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET

Conceptual and practical convergences on the topic of human security abound between faith communities and the UN System. The convergences—in discourse and practice—also illustrate the complexity of what security entails—be it national security, human security, or people’s security. Add to that complexity the urgency of conceiving security beyond human needs into planetary security that speaks to the intricate relation between people and the planet and their survival and sustainability in a common ecosystem. The UN Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030), in particular the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), refers both to the wellbeing of peoples and the ecological integrity of the planet. In Agenda 2030, sustainable development is people-centered and planetary in scope. The attainment of sustainable development is co-constitutive with the attainment of peace and prosperity. This symposium intends to scale up support for the achievement of the SDGs by faith-based groups.

Faith based organizations have rich and diverse histories of discourse and practice demonstrating the nexus of human development, humanitarian work, and peace and human rights advocacy. Such discourses  and practices affirm a people-centered, community-focused and human rights-based approach to peace and human security. The religious, ecumenical and interfaith character of the symposium will ensure presentation of the diversity of both discourse (theological, ethical, moral) and practice (advocacy, campaigns, projects) on human security. The unique contribution of this and previous symposiums in this series is the intentional exploration of faith-based understandings and their complementarity with UN normative frameworks and standards, like the Agenda 2030, the UNDP reports,  and UN debates and reports of the UN Secretary-General on human security (see Part V. Readings).

The symposium is structured in such a way that faith-based organizations, UN System entities, including member states contribute to the development of “unity, solidarity, international cooperation and global coordinated action” on the thematic focus on human security, bearing in mind the overarching themes of all symposia in this series which is human dignity and human rights. The symposium will be a venue to illustrate how both conceptual and practical convergences around human security are exhibited in actual projects, programs, advocacies and campaigns by the participating entities, including the intersections of human security with sustainable development, durable peace, and gender justice.

Any discussion about human security necessarily implicates human development. Put in another way, human security and human development must be pursued simultaneously. The symposium will contribute to the bridging of the disconnect between human development and human security. It will demonstrate human security as shared security.

The inequalities unraveled by the Covid-19 pandemic and the varied forms of human induced activities, especially climate change, illustrate the urgency of revisiting the nexus between people’s needs, wellbeing, physical integrity and human dignity and the planet’s sustainability and ecological integrity. Such discussion necessarily implicates a variety of existential threats to human and planetary security that must be laid bare and addressed by the symposium.

In fact, UNDP’s 2021-2022 Human Development Report, “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World”, argues that layers of uncertainty are stacking up and interacting to unsettle life in unprecedented ways. The last two years have had a devastating impact for billions of people around the world, when crises like COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine hit back-to-back, and interacted with sweeping social and economic shifts, dangerous planetary changes, and massive increases in polarization. Human development has fallen back to its 2016 levels, reversing much of the progress towards the SDGs. There are many reasons for these devastating trends, including how insecurity and polarization are feeding off each other today to prevent the solidarity and collective action we need to tackle crises at all levels.

This symposium will explore how to better address these threats and more through the discourse and practice of faith-based organizations and partners in the UN System, including member-states, civil society actors, and other international and regional organizations committed to human and people’s security. The symposium will present  grassroots perspectives, experiences and voices from the ground that will give evidence to what makes them secure or insecure and therefore what needs to be done.

C.   SESSION ON SEEING AND DOING HUMAN SECURITY

This session will highlight activities, events, programs, campaigns and the like that demonstrate how human security works and is operationalized in a variety of settings by a variety of actors. Panelists will come from the three categories representing the tripartite character of the symposium’s collaborators.

  1. How do faith-based organizations see and do human security?

Much is needed in understanding human security.  But much more is required to realize it in the day to day lives of peoples and their communities. The UN General Assembly Resolution 66/290 speaks of human security as “an approach to assist Member States in identifying and addressing widespread challenges to the survival, livelihood and dignity of their people” and thus calls for “people-centered, comprehensive, context-specific and prevention-oriented response that strengthen the protection and empowerment of all people.” (UN Trust Fund for Human Security).

The role of religion in realizing human security is not alien to the work of faith-based organizations. The symposium will take a look at how religious, theological, ecumenical and interfaith groups have translated the theme into actual advocacy on the ground. Themes predicated by concern for human security abound in religious discussion and work, including food security, water security, economic security, climate security, health security, common security, digital and information security, and more. These themes, not exhaustive in this list, demonstrate the complexity of both theory and practice of human security. The symposium planners are all too aware of such complexity even as they are focused on specific themes for this symposium. This segment will spotlight how lives of peoples and communities are affected and changed by what faith groups do.

  1. How do U.N. partners and member states see and do human security?

The themes identified with work by faith-based organizations are not alien to UN partners. The active collaboration by faith-based organizations, UN partners and Member-States underscores the concern for joint and concerted action and transformative solidarity among all actors. This and eight previous symposiums prove both the importance of FBO and UN partnership and collaboration.

The 2022 Special Report of the UNDP, called “New Threats to Human Security on the Anthropocene: Demanding Greater Solidarity” is timely for the purposes of the symposium. The Special Report reminds us that when introduced in 1994, the “human security approach refocused the security debate from territorial security to people’s security”, emphasizing “the importance of everyone’s right to freedom from fear, freedom from want and freedom from indignity”, and highlighting “the close connection among security, development and the protection and empowerment of individuals and communities.” New data and analysis in the Special Report shows that people’s sense of safety and security is at a low in almost every country, including the richest countries, despite years of upwards development success.

Today, accelerating planetary and social changes have given birth to a new generation of threats, which span borders and foster insecurity in fragile settings and beyond. In this context, the Special Report offers a new framework for action, adding “solidarity” to the existing pillars “protection” and “empowerment”. Threats to human and planetary security abound, and the symposium will look into them, including but not limited to what the Special Report calls the “four threats to human security superimposed on the Anthropocene context: “the downsides of digital technology, violent conflict, horizontal inequalities, and evolving challenges to healthcare systems.” (Overview, 2022 UNDP Special Report on Human Security)

D.   KEY LEARNINGS

Identifying the normative corpus of international law dealing with security and doing the same in the body of available religious, ecumenical and interfaith teachings on human security will be critical in the symposium’s aim to contribute to the reorientation of  both discourse and practice from territorial security (state constructs of national security, for example) into viable human security (securing the needs and wellbeing of peoples and the integrity of the planet and the whole ecosystem).

The symposium will give time to the demonstration by FBOs and UN partners of ongoing discourses and practices of human security that prove  the viability and necessity of human security as a pivotal and overarching principle for “peace and prosperity for people and the planet”.

III.   STRUCTURE, FORMAT AND LEADERSHIP OF THE SYMPOSIUM

A.   High Level Welcome:

The formal welcome session will feature a high level representative from three entities—faith-based and IATF-nominated speakers from the UN System and UN member state. It will focus on reaffirming the importance of the symposium in general and the urgency and relevance of the current theme.

B.   Framing Session:

The framing session will be held in a conversational format involving a moderator and speakers representing faith-based leaders, officials from the UN System, Member-States, and other experts in the human security field. (Part II.A)

C.   Session on Seeing and Doing Human Security:

This session will highlight activities, events, programs, campaigns and the like that demonstrate and are focused on human security. Panelists will come from the three categories representing the tripartite character of the symposium’s collaborators. The session will address the following questions:

  1. How do faith-based organizations see and do human security? Panelists will come from religious, ecumenical and interfaith organizations. (Part II.B)
  2. How do UN partners see and do human security? Panelists will come from UN entities and member-states. (Part II.C)
  1. How do Member States see and do human security? Panelists will come from UN partners and member-states. (Part II.C)

D.   Session on Key Learnings: (practical experiences from different levels–grassroots, national, regional, multiregional, international) 

This session serves as the learning and hearing section of the symposium. The chair and panelists will attempt to retell what they heard are key learnings from the symposium and relate that to the roles played by religious and multilateral processes and entities—both intergovernmental and religious/ecumenical/interfaith. The session will address in concrete ways the development of “unity, solidarity, international cooperation and global coordinated action” necessary to make human security real. (Part II.D)

This panel session will be interactive. Panelists will be asked to speak about actual, practical, and good and beneficial practices of UN and FBOs  working together collaboratively. Emphasis will be given to distinguishing as well as moving from national security to human security into shared security for people and the planet. Session chair will draw wisdom from the participants by eliciting examples of  ways of seeing and doing human security different from already identified ones in the previous sessions above.

E.   Concluding Session: This concluding session will feature speakers  from all of the symposium entities–faith-based groups, UN system, governments– who will provide key ideas about what needs to be done next. This session is envisioned to inspire action and impart a strong call for collaboration and partnership on the key learnings from the symposium.

IV.   PARTICIPATION

A.   Invitations will be sent to various constituencies and networks of the collaborating symposium partners. This includes FBOs, civil society organizations, member states and their permanent missions, and UN agencies through the Inter-Agency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development.

B.   The event will be virtual and all participants will be required to register electronically. Direct participation in the symposium via Zoom is limited to the first 500 registrants. Registrants beyond this number will be directed to a livestream via the WCC YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/WCCworld. Questions and comments by participants in Zoom and YouTube will be monitored.

C.   Interactive modes of communication will be employed. There will be language interpretation in English, Arabic, French and Spanish.

V.   DOCUMENTATION 

Following in the tradition of previous symposiums, a symposium packet will be produced electronically and distributed in advance. It will include this concept note, a short bibliography of reference materials to prepare participants for discussion, and a list of biographies of panel moderators and speakers. A weblink to the event will contain the symposium packet as well as post-event documentation of presentations and statements. As a hybrid event, various social media platforms will be used to simulcast and broadcast the symposium.

VI.   READINGS

U.N. RESOURCES

  1. UNDP Special Report: New Threats to Human Security in the Anthropocene: Demanding Greater Solidarity (2022) (https://www.un-ilibrary.org/content/books/9789210014007/read; https://www.undp.org/somalia/publications/new-threats-human-security-anthropocene-demanding-greater-solidarity)
  2. UNDP Human Development Report 2021-2022: Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2021-22
  3. UNDP Human Development Report: New Dimensions of Human Security (1994)https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents//hdr1994encompletenostatspdf.pdf
  4. What is Human Security (UN Trust Fund for Human Security) https://www.un.org/humansecurity/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/What-is-Human-Security.pdf
  5. UN General Assembly Resolutions and Debates, and Reports of the Secretary-General on Human Security https://www.un.org/humansecurity/reports-resolutions/
  6. GA Resolution 66/290 on Human Security https://www.un.org/humansecurity/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/N1147622.pdf
  7. Human Security Approach from Principles to Practice, especially the first two modules https://www.un.org/humansecurity/human-security-e-course/

RELIGIOUS, ECUMENICAL AND INTERFAITH RESOURCES

  1. Peace and Human Security, Excerpts from a lecture given by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda at the East-West Center, Hawai’i (1995)
  2. Vulnerability and Security: Current challenges in security policy from an ethical and theological perspective. Prepared by the Commission on International Affairs in Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations (2015)
  3.  Vulnerability and Security: A Paradox Based on a Theology of Incarnation (Wanda Deifelt, 2005)
  4. Religion and Human Security: A Global Perspective. Edited by James K. Wellman Jr. and Clark B. Lombardi (Oxford University Press, 2012)
  5. Human Security as Shared Security: Towards Sustaining Peace and Human Wellness with Justice and Human Rights (Liberato Bautista, 2013)
  6. The Letter: A Message for our Earth (Movie): The Letter tells the story of a journey to Rome of frontline leaders to discuss the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ with Pope Francis. The exclusive dialogue with the Pope, included in the film, offers a revealing insight into the personal history of Pope Francis and stories never seen since he became the Bishop of Rome.

Parliamentary action to ensure equal participation and sustainability in disarmament initiatives

Dear colleagues,

PNND cordially invites you to “Women’s Leadership, Gender Perspective and Gender Approaches in Disarmament Action,” an online event on effective policies and parliamentary action to ensure inclusivity and sustainability in disarmament initiatives.

This is the sixth in a series of international parliamentary events in follow-up to the publication of Assuring our Common Future: a parliamentary handbook on disarmament for security and sustainable development.

Session A: Timed for Asia/Pacific: 7:00 – 8:30 CET. Register here!
Session B: Timed for the Americas/Europe/Africa: 16.00 – 17:30 CET. Register here!

The UN Secretary-General’s report, Securing our Common Future, recommends that in order to sustainably rid societies of the weight of armed violence, disarmament and arms control processes should include all relevant stakeholders and impacted parties. This includes empowering women and ensuring their equal and meaningful participation.

Following in the footsteps of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security”, which recognizes the importance of including a gender perspective in peace-related efforts, parliaments should seek to identify and address the barriers that limit the participation of women in peace and disarmament-related matters.

Gender approaches to disarmament and security also address the different and disproportionate impact of weapons proliferation and armed conflicts on women, and incorporate a full range of perspectives and frameworks for security, including national/military, human and common security. These contribute to international processes and parliamentary practices that can make peace and disarmament efforts more inclusive, effective and sustainable.

The event will draw from relevant sections of Assuring our Common Future, including the section on ensuring the participation of women in peace and disarmament.

Objectives of the event:

1.    Increase awareness of the value of gender perspectives and approaches in disarmament processes;
2.    Enhance knowledge of Resolution 1325 (Women, Peace and Security) and good practices for its implementation;
3.    Share examples of effective policies and parliamentary practices that better include  women and gender approaches in disarmament-related efforts.

Languages:

The event will take place as an online webinar. Session A in English. Session B with simultaneous translation in English, French and Spanish.

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CoNGO Notes: 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 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@yahoo.com. 

Building A Dependable U.S. Financial Commitment to the UN

With renewed attention on the United Nations and a lengthy 2023 global “to-do list,” please join for a discussion on how sustained and dependable U.S. financial investment in the UN can advance U.S. national interests and improve the international body’s effectiveness and global impact.

The session will consider the diplomatic, political and practical management opportunities that would result from both regular and dependable U.S. payments. It will also showcase that a foundational element of renewed U.S. global leadership is engagement in the international system beyond financial contributions.

Register here!

Featured Speakers:

  • Christopher P. Lu, Ambassador, United States Mission to the UN
  • Sara Jacobs, Representative, California’s 53rd Congressional District
  • Jordie Hannum, Executive Director, Better World Campaign
  • Andrew Hyde, Senior Fellow, Peace Operations and Protecting Civilians in Conflict Programs, Stimson Center (Moderator)

This is part of a series under the project U.S. Financial Leadership in Multilateral Organizations.

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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/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 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 Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com.

President of the General Assembly Town Hall meeting with Civil Society Organizations

Dear civil society colleagues,

You are kindly invited to join the President of the General Assembly for a Town Hall meeting with Civil Society in the Trusteeship Council Chamber (UN Headquarters, NY) on 2 December 2022, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. The meeting will also be webcast live on UN WebTV.

Background and Objective

In his vision statement, His Excellency Csaba KŐRÖSI, President of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly stated “It is my intention to hold impact-oriented consultations with civil society organizations, youth representatives, science-based knowledge centres and representatives of business communities, key finance institutions and faith-based organizations. I hope to be able to encourage them to bring their contributions to the General Assembly while keeping in mind the interlinked nature of the risk factors we face and the integrated character of the solutions we need.”

The PGA has further asserted that a more effective and responsive United Nations will require engagement with an array of relevant stakeholders, including civil society, businesses, philanthropic organizations, academia, the scientific community, and other partners on the key issues under discussion in the General Assembly. While Member States remain the decision-makers of the United Nations, all stakeholders must assume their role as decision-shapers.

In this light, the PGA will convene a Town Hall with civil society representatives to discuss his priorities for the seventy-seventh session, with a particular aim to hear proposals for solutions directly from civil society representatives. This Town Hall is supported by the Department of Global Communications, with additional support by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Format

The moderated event will consist of an opening statement by the President of the General Assembly followed by five short keynote statements from civil society representatives that will address the following topics:

  • Solutions through solidarity:  The pandemic has demonstrated how solidarity within societies and among countries has an impact on social and economic stability and security. In times of crisis, focusing on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable is more important than ever. Civil society is on the ground. What does sustainable solidarity look like?
  • Solutions through sustainability: We must get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Next year’s SDG Summit at the UN will be a key opportunity to take stock of gaps and recommit to the achievement of the SDGs. Best practices that can be replicated are needed. Civil society will play a key role in this endeavor.
  • Solutions though science: Our efforts to tackle global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the digital revolution have provided us with convincing proof of the role science can play in shaping decisions on complex issues. This transformative agenda must be based on scientific evidence and the political wisdom of negotiators.
  • Solutions from youth: It would be difficult to fix present crises and prevent new ones while adhering to the same mentality and logic that led to their onset. Youth already have a voice, but they need to be heard, particularly as every negotiating process affects them and future generations. In September, the General Assembly decided to establish a UN Youth Office to promote meaningful, inclusive and effective engagement of youth and youth-led organizations in the work of the UN.
  • Solutions through partnership: In times of interlocking crises, no country —without exception— can effectively address global challenges alone. Similarly, the complexities of these problems make it so that governments alone, even when working together, are unable to sustainably implement solutions without partnerships that reach beyond the State. Civil society participants are critical partners in highlighting best practices and lessons learned so that partnerships become the international default when addressing common threats.

The floor will then be opened for discussion and for questions from civil society representatives.

Logistics

Civil Society Organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC, formally associated with the Department of Global Communications, and other stakeholders are invited to attend the meeting in the Trusteeship Council Chamber in person.

All in-person participants are required to register in advance here.

For in-person events at the UN headquarters, the use of masks is strongly encouraged. By registering to attend in-person, all participants attest that their COVID-19 vaccination record is up to date to access the UN Headquarters complex in New York, based on the guidelines provided by local health authorities.

Please note: Civil Society Representatives are reminded to carry proof of COVID-19 vaccination while on UN premises in New York and must be prepared to show them if requested to do so by UN personnel.

To register an interest in delivering a keynote statement, please fill in the online form here no later than 14 November. CSO representatives will be selected by taking into account geographical and gender balance, as well as thematic diversity.

Due to time limitations, it will not be possible to accommodate all requests for interventions. A limited number of speakers will be contacted by the Secretariat. We appreciate your understanding. The time for interventions will be limited to 4 minutes for each speaker.

To ensure a wider participation from all geographical regions, CSO representatives will also have the opportunity to submit pre-recorded questions, a selection of which will be presented during the questions and answers segment of the event. Please register your interest in submitting a pre-recorded question here no later than 14 November.

Provisional Programme

  • Introductory remarks by moderator
  • Opening statement by the President of the General Assembly
  • Remarks by keynote speakers from Civil Society Organizations
  • Discussions, questions and answers with the PGA
  • Closing statement by the President of the General Assembly

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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 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 Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at tonkin@hartford.edu or fmhult@umbc.edu. 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 Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. 

Climate Action Day

In light of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, students and teachers from across the world will get together at a global online discussion to share ideas, solutions, and innovative projects for climate action. In an interactive session, youth leaders and innovators will present their ideas and recommendations. The online event will be an opportunity for schools to showcase their sustainability practices and environmental projects. It will also present the outcomes of the Climate Action Project, a six-week climate education initiative that has reached over 2.7 million people in 149 countries. Climate education for all!

Registration is open for all global classrooms. Watch live here on Thursday, November 3rd: youtube.com/takeactionglobal

View full event details here: climateactionday.net

Register here: bit.ly/cop27tag

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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 the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit un-ngocrip.net. 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 Children’s Rights/NY, please visit childrightsny.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. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. 

Women, Life, Freedom: Global Implications of the Women-Led Uprising in Iran

The women’s uprising in Iran has captivated the world. The death of Massa Amini in government custody in September sparked protests all over Iran. What started out as a spontaneous women’s resistance has grown and evolved into a sustained cross-sectoral movement calling not only for reform of repressive policies in relation to women, but for structural changes in society.

Join us for an event addressing the situation in Iran and its global implications. We will have a panel discussion consisting of Iranian women who will offer an analysis of the uprising in Iran, followed by another panel of women active in the women’s movements across different regions who will discuss the global implications of this women-led uprising. The event will showcase how feminists from around the world are working together to build global solidarity in their advocacy for structural change. A dedicated conversation will be held with UN Women senior leadership as part of the event to discuss and present key feminist asks from the NGO CSWs in the Regions and other global women’s movements. Finally, we will discuss concrete steps for building global solidarity for feminist advocacy purposes.

This event is presented by the NGO CSWs in the Regions and sponsored by The New York Women’s Foundation and Iranian American Women’s Foundation, in partnership with UN Women.

Register here!

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

 

53rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

The 53rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals will take place on 19 and 20 October 2022 in Bonn, Germany.

Participation

The meeting is open to all members and alternate members of the Standing Committee and representatives of CMS Parties, CMS Agreements, partner organizations and other observers.

According to the Rules of Procedures, any Party or any observer admitted to the COP immediately preceding the meeting of the Committee, after advising the Secretariat of their intention to attend, can observe a meeting of the Committee. Other agencies or institutions that are not members of the Committee can participate as observers after approval of their participation by the Chair and Standing Committee members.

Registration

Please complete the online pre-registration form.

Deadlines for Submitting Documents

The deadline for submitting reports and documents to the Secretariat for the consideration of the StC53 is 20 August 2022.

View the Document Template

All documents will be posted in the three working languages by 9 September 2022, with the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety kindly providing simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish and German. 

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CoNGO Notes: 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. 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 ngodisarm.org

Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

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.

The provisional agenda, programme of work, preparatory documents, and registration information are available here: un.org/en/conferences/npt2020.

For NGOs:

On August 5 from 3-6 PM, the NGO session of the NPT will be broadcast live here: media.un.org/en/webtvPlease be advised that CoNGO members PEAC Institute and New Detroit will deliver a Statement on Equity & Disarmament during this session. The statement can also be viewed in this PDF. These members would like to invite you and your organization to endorse the statement (endorsement in the UN system means you/your organization support the statement and want your name attached. The statement will have all endorsers listed at the end of the statement. The statement will then be in the official archive and posted on the UN NPT Conference page.)

If you would like to endorse the statement, please fill out this form: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsNc0trReXm6xUgjw9W_cC_o1ADUmfclajXMgBzRp2-3f22w/viewform

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngodisarm.org. 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 Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

Torture in Our Name: A Moral Call to End Solitary Confinement

Please join us for a film screening and discussion about how survivors of solitary confinement and religious communities are working together to abolish torture once and for all. Join live via Zoom or Facebook!

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hIAox0YhQOCLvRJgLqxMHA

Religions for Peace (RFP) USA is the largest and most broadly-based representative multi-religious forum in the United States, with participants from more than 50 religious communities, representing each of the major faith traditions. The organization identifies shared commitments among religious communities in the U.S., enhances mutual understanding among these communities, and facilitates collaboration to address issues of common concern.

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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 Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit crngo.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 Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, please visit crimealliance.org

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