humanitarian law

Creating an Enabling, Gender-Responsive Work Environment for the Future: The Role of ILO Convention 190 in Addressing Violence and Harassment in the World of Work

About: To achieve a job-rich recovery and just transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy, the UN Secretary-General is calling for a Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection that would create at least 400 million jobs and extend social protection to 4 billion women, men, and children currently without coverage. (Link to the Global Accelerator web page). A robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic requires an emphasis on climate-friendly, technology-focused green jobs (SDGs 9, 14.15), including in the informal sector and migrant communities.

A green, inclusive, and gender-equitable work environment that is decent, safe, and free from violence and harassment (v&h) will enhance the resilience of communities, in the face of economic and environmental challenges. ILO C-190 commits governments and employers to implement measures to protect all workers from v&h. Therefore, legislative and policy frameworks that incorporate ILO C 190, as well as strategies to promote lifelong learning opportunities (SDG 4), including awareness-raising on the prevalence of v&h in the world of work and measures to combat it, must be integral to this process. Hence the vital need for multi-stakeholder dialogue on this important dimension of “building back better” after the Covid-19 pandemic and advancing implementation of the SDGs.

Register here!

Objectives: This side event will focus on ways to create an enabling, gender-responsive, safe work environment for the future, by incorporating into its framework the International Labour Organisation Convention 190 (ILO C 190, 2019) addressing violence and harassment (v&h), in the world of work (Link: Status of Ratification).

In the spirit of SDG 17, it will bring together multi-stakeholder partners: governments, the private sector, trade unions, and NGOs with the aim of exploring strategies to promote universal ratification and effective implementation of ILO C 190, as part of a broader push that goes beyond job creation to the provision of safe, violence-free environments with decent jobs for all (SDG 5, SDG 8). This side event aims to build on the conclusions of the Multi-stakeholder Interactive Dialogue and strategy session of 8 September 2021 on promoting ILO C 190, organized by The NGO Coalition to End Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.

Speakers:

  • H.E. Ms. Mathu Joyini, Ambassador Permanent Mission of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations
  • H.E. Mr. Carlos Amorín, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the United Nations (TBC)
  • Ms. Chidi King, Chief, Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch (GEDI), ILO
  • Ms. Maria Paz Anzorreguy, Director for ILO Coordination, International Organization of Employers
  • Ms. Rukmini V P, President, Garment Labour Union, Bengaluru, India
  • A representative from the trade union sector speaking about their efforts to support countries with the ratification process and recommendations for areas and regions where collective advocacy efforts are needed (TBC)
  • A representative from the private sector speaking about the policy measures they have taken to ensure a work environment free of violence and harassment and the importance of ratification of ILO C-190 to ensure such an environment.
  • Youth voice (TBC)

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, a Substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship at the United Nations, please visit  ngocsw.org. Likewise, for more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Migration, please visit ngo-migration.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 to Stop Trafficking in Persons, please visit ngocstip.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 Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. 

We Champion Speaker Series: Yasmine Sherif

Dear Global Citizens,The upcoming “We Champion Speaker Series” session, hosted by the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, has been POSTPONED to Tuesday, July 5 at 4.30 PM CEST.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrf-2oqjIvEtydHYbot-npojJ5YnlFSw-w

Following the UNESCO Transforming Education Pre-Summit, join a conversation with the Director of Education Cannot Wait Yasmine Sherif to discuss the importance of delivering quality education in humanitarian crises like those occurring in Ukraine, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – especially to children and adolescents. Learn how Education Cannot Wait supports rapid responses to urgent education needs, turns investments into concrete public goods, and faces challenges in the field.Building on Mission 4.7’s #WeChampion social media campaign, the “We Champion” speaker series showcases best practices and innovative approaches to Transformative Education from across the Mission 4.7 community and beyond. The series will help further collective thinking around SDG 4.7 implementation and gather momentum on various thematic areas pertaining to SDG 4.7.AGENDA:

  • Interview with Director of Education Cannot Wait Yasmine Sherif and BKMC CEO Monika Froehler
  • Q&A Session with audience

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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 Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights-NY, please visit childrightsny.org.

Protecting Education from Attack: A Call for Improving Data Monitoring and Policy Response

Virtual side event to the ECOSOC High-Level Political Forum

The event will be entirely virtual, with simultaneous translation provided in English and French. Please register here, by Tuesday, 5 July, to participate. The event will also be livestreamed on UN Web TV.

Background

Attacks on education have harrowing effects, ranging from tragic deaths on account of damage to physical infrastructure, psychological injuries and threats that lead to school disruption and loss of learning over time. Long recognized by the international community in Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Right to Education obliges Member States to ensure its protection, respect, and fulfilment for all. In contexts of armed conflict, this inalienable human right has been further reiterated and reinforced by international humanitarian law and other prominent soft law mechanisms and tools, such as the Safe Schools Declaration and its guidelines, which aim to protect schools from military use. However, as it stands, the right to education is denied for many conflict-affected children and other vulnerable populations who fall victim to attacks on education. To this end, much needs to be done to ensure stronger evidence-based policies and conducive environments at the national level for the effective implementation of international legal frameworks.

Objectives

Organized in the margins of the ECOSOC High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), the virtual side-event will underscore the need for Member States to ensure full protection of the right to education in times of armed conflict, and will particularly aim to enhance government capacities to formulate and implement evidence-based policies on attacks on education within national data systems to better guide their actions towards realizing SDG 4. More particularly, this virtual event will bring together UN Member States, UN agencies and education stakeholders to highlight key challenges and promising practices around the following objectives:

  •  Inform key stakeholders on data, policy measures and tools needed to strengthen national capacities in order to effectively review, respond, prevent, and mitigate occurrences of attacks on education and military use of schools to better deliver and accelerate progress towards SDG 4.
  • Identify linkages for Member States to strengthen national action on data collection and analysis on attacks on education as enhanced data collection and management will allow for better-informed robust policies to prevent, mitigate and respond to attacks on education and ensure educational continuity for all during times of peace and war.
  • Promote greater quality and institutionalization of attacks on education data into national education systems to foster greater national ownership and increased harmonization and integration into education sector policies and plans. This will further enable the inclusion of the most vulnerable populations in crisis contexts while bridging the humanitarian-development divide in delivering education for all.
  • Secure further introduction of tools especially designed to assist refugees and vulnerable migrants, in particular Qualifications Passport for Refugees as a recognition tool particularly designed for these individuals.
  • Identify key recommendations on how to engage with international actors and mechanisms and optimize national actions in line with ongoing preparations for the Transforming Education Summit (TES), which aims to strengthen and accelerate the implementation of existing multilateral agreements, particularly the 2030 Agenda framework, and galvanize action towards meeting SDG4 goals at the national and global levels.

Organizers

This virtual event is co-organized by Belgium, Malta, Norway, the State of Qatar, Gabon, UNESCO and OSRSG-CAAC.

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

Common security, nuclear risks and the OSCE in the wake of the Ukraine conflict

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yqRRAyjZR8KLbjkYmMi7Xw

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is impacting significantly on the European security framework. The European Union has facilitated a sweeping package of economic sanctions against Russia, unlike anything undertaken by the EU in any previous conflict. The invasion has elevated the risks of nuclear war, and stimulated Sweden and Finland to abandon their historical neutral status and apply to join NATO – a nuclear alliance.In light of Russia’s violation of the UN Charter and security arrangements such as the Budapest Memorandum and Minsk agreements, it would be tempting to conclude that common security frameworks such as the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are becoming irrelevant to address security concerns. However, this event will highlight the opposite – that it is in times of such conflict and high tension that common security approaches and other mechanisms for diplomacy and nuclear risk-reduction are vital and should be strengthened, not abandoned. Common Security refers to building security between nations through international law, diplomacy and conflict resolution. It is based on the notion that national security cannot be achieved or sustained by threatening or reducing the security of other nations, but only by ensuring that the security of all nations is advanced.For more background see For Our Shared Future: Common Security 2022 Report, Olof Palme International Centre. Also of relevance is the recent resolution of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Forging a Path to Peace and Common Security.

Co-sponsors: Basel Peace Office, Détente Now, Initiatives pour le désarmement Nucléaire, G100 (Group of 100 Women Leaders) Defence and Security Wing, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, World Future Council, Youth Fusion

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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@yahoo.com or bknotts@uua.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights-NY, please visit childrightsny.org. 

Exchange with Mr. Volker Türk, Under-Secretary-General for Policy

Dear Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) accredited at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG),

We are pleased to invite you to an exchange with Mr. Volker Türk, Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, which will take place on Wednesday, 29 June 2022 from 10:00 to 11:00 am in Room XXIV at the Palais des Nations.

Mr. Türk will brief on the Secretary-General’s vision and strategic priorities as set out in the report Our Common Agenda. The report addresses fundamental questions and challenges that humanity is confronted with today and will face in the future, and presents proposals designed to strengthen and accelerate multilateral cooperation, with strong emphasis on turbo-charging the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

You are kindly invited to confirm the participation of your NGO by providing names of your representative(s) by email to unog.ngo@un.org.

Only NGO representatives in possession of a valid grounds pass will be able to attend.

We wish to inform you that the briefing will be in English only and to remind you of the requirement to wear facial masks in all conference rooms of the Palais des Nations.

With best regards,

NGO Liaison Unit

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Cher(e)s représentant(e)s des organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) accréditées auprès de l’Office des Nations Unies à Genève (ONUG),

Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un échange avec M. Volker Türk, Secrétaire général adjoint chargé de la politique au Cabinet du Secrétaire général, qui aura lieu le mercredi 29 juin 2022 de 10h00 à 11h00 dans la salle XXIV, au Palais des Nations.

M. Türk présentera la vision et les priorités stratégiques du Secrétaire général telles qu’elles sont énoncées dans le rapport Notre programme commun. Le rapport aborde les questions et les défis fondamentaux auxquels l’humanité est confrontée aujourd’hui et sera confrontée à l’avenir, et présente des propositions visant à renforcer et à accélérer la coopération multilatérale, en mettant l’accent sur la mise en œuvre de l’Agenda 2030.

Vous êtes cordialement invités à confirmer la participation de votre ONG en fournissant le(s) nom(s) de votre(vos) représentant(s) par courriel à unog.ngo@un.org.

Seuls les représentants d’ONG en possession d’un badge d’accès à l’ONUG valable seront en mesure de participer.

Nous vous informons que le briefing se déroulera uniquement en anglais et vous rappelons l’obligation de porter un masque facial dans toutes les salles de conférence du Palais des Nations.

Avec nos meilleures salutations,

Unité de liaison avec les ONG

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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 Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People

As customary, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 32/40 B of 2 December 1977, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (Solidarity Day) will be marked by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) with a Special Meeting of the Committee where UN Members States express their solidarity with the Palestinian people through messages by Heads of States and Government. Similar events are held at UNOG, UNON, UNOV and UNICs around the world.

This year, the Special Meeting will be held on Monday, 29 November from 10.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. (New York time) and will be livestreamed on UN WebTV.

The International Day of Solidarity provides an opportunity for the international community to focus its attention on the fact that the question of Palestine remains unresolved and that the Palestinian people are yet to attain their inalienable rights as defined by the General Assembly, namely, the right to self-determination, the right to national independence and sovereignty and the right to return.

The Special Meeting will be presided by the Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Cheikh Niang, who will deliver the opening statement, followed by remarks by the President of the General Assembly, the President of the Security Council, and by the Chef de Cabinet, speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General.

The Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine will deliver a statement on behalf of Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine. Video messages of solidarity by H.E. Ms. Tarja Halonen, Former President of Finland, Ms. Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International Secretary-General, and Ms. Hanan Hroub, Palestinian winner of “Global Teacher Prize,” will be broadcast.  Mr. Mohammed El-Kurd, Palestinian activist from Sheikh Jarrah and Representative of civil society, will also deliver a statement.

The Chair of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories and representatives of regional organizations (AU, LAS, OIC, NAM) will deliver statements in the second part of the Meeting.

This year, the Special Meeting will be held in-person, in the General Assembly Hall, with some of the COVID-19 restrictions and limits to access to the UN compound.

The Special Meeting will be open to the media. The Special Meeting will be conducted in the six official languages.The meeting will be broadcast on UN Web TV

Updates, including on the programme of the event and press releases, will be posted online at Home – Question of Palestine (un.org).

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

International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

In recent years, the number of violations perpetrated against children have, in many conflict zones, increased. More needs to be done to protect the 250 million children living in countries and areas affected by conflict. More must be done to protect children from targeting by violent extremists, to promote international humanitarian and human rights law, and to ensure accountability for violations of the rights of children.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides us with the universal masterplan to secure a better future for children. The new agenda includes for the first time a specific target (16.2) to end all forms of violence against children, and ending the abuse, neglect and exploitation of children is mainstreamed across several other violence-related targets.

To learn more about how and why the UN commemorates the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, please visit un.org/en/observances/child-victim-day.

Background:

Following on the ground-breaking Graça Machel report, which drew global attention to the devastating impact of armed conflict on children, in 1997 The General Assembly adopted 51/77 Resolution on the Rights of the Child. It was a landmark development in efforts to improve the protection of children in conflict situations. This signaled the start of a new consensus among Member States, on the need for dedicated attention, advocacy and coordinated effort, by the international community, to address the vulnerabilities and violations faced by children in conflict-related situations.

Resolution 51/77 built on existing General Assembly efforts to protect the rights of children, including through the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol, and the annual Rights of the Child resolutions. And it established the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights-NY, please visit childrightsny.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.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

This year’s observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) at 1:30pm (NYC time) on June 15 coincides with the fourth review of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Ministerial Conference on Ageing in Rome, Italy. While there will be an in-person WEAAD observance, we are pleased to invite everyone to participate virtually.

Details and registration here: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

In preparation for the event, this month the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY participated in the review and appraisal cycle of MIPAA in Rome. A new preamble paragraph has been added to recall the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, and the convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, among other treaties and covenants. The fact remains that older persons remain invisible and unprotected. The pandemic’s excessive toll on older persons has documented that human rights of older persons are not being protected. We must continue to advocate for a legally binding document to protect the human rights of all older persons.

Please note: The UN International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP) will be held once again in person at the UN (and live webcast). The exact observance date is pending due to space availability at the UN. The NGO Committee on Ageing-NY is collaborating on the theme with its counterparts in Geneva and Vienna on addressing older women and issues of climate change, pandemic and other issues, but from the perspective of the resilience and contributions of older women. Robin Fenley is chairing this year’s observance.

Note: The new chair of the Vienna Committee on Ageing is Shantu Watt and in Geneva, the new chair is Kelly Fitzgerald.

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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. 

Eighth Biennial Meeting of States on Small Arms and Light Weapons

The Biennial Meetings of States have the mandate to consider the national, regional and global implementation of the Programme of Action (PoA) to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects and its International Tracing Instrument (ITI).

Description

In 2001, countries adopted the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA). In it, governments agreed to improve national small arms regulations, to strengthen stockpile management, to ensure that weapons are properly and reliably marked, to improve cooperation in weapons tracing, and to engage in regional and international cooperation and assistance.

Stay apprised of updates and read all relevant documents, including the full agenda and information for NGO participants on the official event page here.

Watch events live from June 27 – July 1, 2022 here: http://media.un.org/en/asset/k1a/k1ape0jwz4

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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 Children’s Rights-NY, please visit childrightsny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org.

Implementing the CSW66 Agreed Conclusions: The Case for Widows, Women’s Land Ownership, and Inheritance

Don’t miss NGO CSW/NY‘s last monthly meeting until September!

Meeting discussion will center on advocacy for the implementation of the CSW66 Agreed Conclusions with a focus on widows, women’s land ownership, and inheritance.

Register here!

Please note that this meeting will be in English. However, the recording will be available with subtitles in the 6 UN languages on our Youtube channel.

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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on the Status of Women-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 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 Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. 

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