imperialism

Updates on the Human Rights Crisis in the Philippines under Marcos, Jr.

What does a second Marcos regime mean for human rights and social justice in the Philippines? Join us as we hear the latest updates on human rights through testimony of church leaders in the Philippines and advocates in the U.S.

Our Philippines-based speaker will share their firsthand experiences enduring surveillance and trumped-up charges, as well as to the general condition of the Filipino people under oppression and the role of progressive movements on the ground. A community member of a local grassroots organization will also share experiences of the curtailment of freedom of speech and the far reaches of the Philippine government’s repression on dissenters abroad.

RSVP at tinyurl.com/PHSideEvent. For more information, contact nychrp@gmail.com.

Please note we’ll be in the 10th Floor Meeting Room of the Church Center for the United Nations, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@yahoo.org or bknotts@uua.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 Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. 

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. 

Two years after the death of George Floyd: Antiracism, #BLM and the United Nations

As people continue to challenge the systemic racism that has devalued the lives of Black and Brown people globally, many are asking the question: why do some of these tragic events spark a stronger call for change than others?

Floyd’s murder also revived the concept of antiracism. The webinar will explore, in practice, what it means to be antiracist. Participants will also be invited to reflect on the role played by Christian nationalism in reinforcing white supremacy and racial subjugation, thereby fueling racism, xenophobia and racial discrimination.

As a follow up of its 1 June 2021 webinar marking the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, the World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on International Affairs will host this webinar on the sides of the 30th session of the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, which will be taking place in New York city, USA, from 23 to 27 May 2022.

Speakers:

Moderator: Rev. Chebon Kernell, ordained elder in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference

  • Gaynel D. Curry, member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
  • Rt. Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  • Rev. Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the Faculty at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis
  • Prof. Gay McDougall, member of the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)

Register here to join this webinar live on Wednesday, 25 May, 3:30 pm CEST / 9:30am EST.

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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 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. 

Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)

Theme: Indigenous peoples, business, autonomy and the human rights principles of due diligence including free, prior and informed consent

Date: 25 April – 6 May 2022

Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York + online

The 2022 session of the Permanent Forum will be open to in-person and online participation. Each organization may register a maximum of three individuals.  Pre-registration is required for all in-person and online participants.  See information below about registration.

Note that all open meetings of the Forum will be streamed at webtv.un.org.  Viewing the live stream will not require any registration.

Side event listings: un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/04/Side-event-list-to-be-published-26-April.pdf

More info: un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples

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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.

[registration deadline] Course on non-tariff measures and their relevance to the pandemic

The UNCTAD secretariat is pleased to inform the permanent missions of member States in Geneva that the UNCTAD Trade Analysis Branch will organize the first edition of an online course on economic analysis of non-tariff measures of 2021. This edition of the course will be held from 4 October to 19 November 2021.

The objective of this course is to introduce the main empirical approaches used to assess the impact of non-tariff measures on bilateral trade flows. The course targets audiences who are working in trade and/or development field, such as government officials, researchers and representatives of the private sector. We especially encourage participants who want to strengthen their understanding of non-tariff measures, use non-tariff measures data and/or who are or may be involved in the design or negotiation of policies related to non-tariff measures. The course may also be of benefit to participants involved in the regulatory cooperation and harmonization of non-tariff measures across countries/sectors and participants involved in the resolution of trade frictions related to non-tariff measures.

A limited number of applications will be considered from the stakeholders of developed countries. Qualified women candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should apply by following the instructions available at research.net/r/EconNTMs. The deadline for applications is 26 September 2021.

To obtain assistance with the online application process, please contact elearningtrade@un.org. Requests for further information or clarifications about the course may be sent to Ms. Chi Le Ngo, Trade Analysis Branch, UNCTAD Division on International Trade and Commodities; email: ntm.training@unctad.org.

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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.

Biden and Economic Imperialism | Biden y el imperialismo económico

Biden has been hailed as an antidote to Trump who will “restore America’s place in the world.” Centuries of US imperialism show he actually represents a continuation of neoliberal exploitation and settler colonialism.

A panel of American and global South activists will analyze Biden’s role in upholding US imperialism beyond the military, focusing on his economic policies–including around trade, investment, finance, climate, and food systems–which underpin US empire in profound ways.

Critically assessing the implications of Biden’s first 100 days, this event will engage participants around what’s at stake for our anti-imperialist activism.

We at Regions Refocus invite you to join us with your questions and thoughts, and we welcome messages at team@regionsrefocus.org.

Register here!

Panel:

US Dollar Hegemony and Special Drawing Rights | Hegemonía del dólar estadounidense y los derechos especiales de giro: Francisco Pérez (Center for Popular Economics, USA)

Biden’s Climate Plan and Green Imperialism | El Plan Climático de Biden y el Imperialismo Verde: Max Ajl (Observatory for Food Sovereignty and the Environment, Tunisia)

Agribusiness and US-India Trade Relations | Agronegocios y Relaciones Comerciales EE.UU.-India: Sagari Ramdas (Food Sovereignty Alliance, India)

Extractivism and the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement | El extractivismo y el Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá: Manuel Pérez-Rocha (Institute for Policy Studies/ Mexican Action Network on Free Trade, Mexico)

COVID-19 Vaccine Justice | Justicia de Vacunas COVID-19: Salimah Valiani (Independent Researcher)

Moderator | Moderador: Camden Goetz (Regions Refocus, USA)

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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 Decolonization Alliance, email lbautista@umcjustice.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP.

People Power Under Attack

On Tuesday, 8 December, the CIVICUS Monitor is launching its global data report, People Power Under Attack 2020. Please join us for a panel event, which will provide an overview of global civic space ratings and the top violations to civic freedoms. Over 10 countries are set to have their ratings changed (upgrades and downgrades). The panel will zoom-into a number of regions and unpack the most common restrictions facing activists, journalists, protest leaders and civil society organisations. Data insights will also be presented on the relationship between the rise of authoritarian governments, COVID-19, and the impact on rights.

Translations provided in Spanish and French.

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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.

[UN Observance] International Day of Commemoration in Memory of Victims of the Holocaust

Each year on January 27, the United Nations officially recognizes the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The UN Charter endeavors that the human rights violations that occurred throughout World War II and the Holocaust must never be repeated, yet we know that they continue to be perpetrated today all over the world. Stay apprised of 2021 events to join us in honoring the memory of victims lost to the Holocaust and lifting up the critical message of peace, security, and human rights for all people here.

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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 Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, please visit unforb.org.

Combating a Pandemic of Misinformation: Teaching Media Literacy

CTAUN is pleased to announce our first online event – a discussion about the way we receive and share information, and how we can  help our students – and ourselves – to tell fact from fiction.
In this age of COVID-19, the rapid spread of misinformation may be as dangerous as the virus itself.   We will examine why people believe and spread misinformation, and we have invited media professionals to offer techniques and resources that help students and educators recognize “red flags”of misinformation (“fake news”).
We will direct special attention to Social Media. We will hear from UN Communications experts about special initiatives underway to stem the spread of misinformation, and how educators and students can participate in this effort.
Please mark the date on your calendar.   Registration will open next week and will also be posted on our website.  There will be no charge for this event. A second webinar “United Nations and Indigenous People”  is planned for January.  Details will be posted on the CTAUN website.
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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN/. 

[UN Observance] International Day for Universal Health Coverage

On December 12 each year, the United Nations commemorates International Day for Universal Health Coverage. To read more and stay apprised of relevant events, please visit  https://www.un.org/en/observances/universal-health-coverage-day.

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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 Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.org. 

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