CoNGO, WCC, and civil society groups, reiterate shared commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

During a webinar presented by the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) and hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC), civil society and faith-based groups explored their shared commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Speaking at the podium at the Main Hall of the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva is CoNGO President Liberato Bautista, delivering his presidential remarks at the 75th anniversary commemoration of CoNGO on December 15. The event was held in a hybrid format–in person in Geneva, online webinar, and live streamed via the CoNGO YouTube channel–with a little over 200 participants hearing the presentations in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. Photo: Gregoire de Fombelle/WCC

Geneva, Switzerland | 18 December 2023 — CoNGO, the Conference of Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, is celebrating its 75th anniversary, as is the World Council of Churches (WCC)—and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights itself.

Among keynote speakers at the commemorative event held on December 15 at the main hall of the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva was Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director of Public Witness and Diakonia. He thanked CoNGO president Liberato Bautista for his leadership at a time when civil society space is closing up and getting restricted.

“We must indeed celebrate some considerable progress made in the advancement and reinforcement of the human rights protection mechanisms over the last years,” said Mtata. “The establishment of the Human Rights Council and of the Universal Periodic Review mechanism could be listed among the efforts to strengthen the United Nations human rights machinery in a more democratic and transparent way.”

However, Mtata said, most human rights mechanisms do not yet adequately take into account the human rights violations amplified by perpetrators of climate crimes. “Many governments encroach on the freedom of worship and numerous places of worship are attacked by non-state actors,” he noted. “It is evident that there is still a huge gap between words and deeds, promises and action.”

Adopting and ratifying intergovernmental human rights instruments, although very important, simply does not suffice, Mtata continued. “Governments must defend the rights of the people that are under their jurisdiction and must show their political will to seriously tackle the grave human rights violations that occur in various parts of the world,” he said. “First, we must reiterate our shared commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to the principles enshrined within it, and advocate for its full adaptation to the human rights violations caused by climate destruction.”

UN officials pay tribute to CoNGO and civil society; no civil society without faith-based actors

Sophie Torelli-Chironi, head of the NGO liaison unit, speaking on behalf of Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, highlighted the partnership between the United Nations and CoNGO. “It is a longstanding and solid relationship which dates back to 1948 when the NGO was created. CoNGO has since played a major role in strengthening the relations between NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC and various UN bodies. This is particularly true for us here at the United Nations Office at Geneva. We have collaborated with CoNGO for many years to reinforce the participation of civil
society in multilateral processes in Geneva in our areas of work – sustainable development, peace and disarmament, and human rights.”

Ibrahim Salama, chief, Human Rights Treaties Branch at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, was among several keynote speakers who underscored the importance of faith-based voices for human rights. “There is no human rights without civil society,” he said. “There is no civil society without faith-based actors.”

Lina Nykanen-Rettaroli, senior technical lead for human rights, World Health Organization, spoke about the human rights of women in low-income countries. “A woman in a low-income country is about 30 times more likely to die from pregnancy or child-birth related causes than a woman living in a high-income country,” she said. “They so often have the worst health outcomes.”

Ruth Marlyn Grace Sidabutar, project officer, World Summit on the Information Society at the International Telecommunication Union, the UN Agency for Digital Technologies, reflected on the challenges to human rights posed by artificial intelligence and other technology.

“The opportunities for advancing human rights are enormous—but so are the challenges,” Sidabutar said. “There are now more mobile phones than people in the planet.”

Barbara Reynolds, chair, United Nations Working Group of Experts of People on African Descent, also mentioned the importance of civic and faith-based groups in drawing the world together. “The pursuit of human rights can be seen as a saving of our people today,” she said.

Alejandro Bonilla, NGO Committee on Ageing Geneva, spoke of how ageism intersects with every other form of discrimination. “In a world where many circumstances are beyond our control, we are eventually presented with a choice: how will we relate to our people, and how will we relate to others?” he asked. “The divide between older and younger generations—age is one of the first things we notice about the others.”

In his presidential remarks, Liberato Bautista pointed to CoNGO’s organizational motto: “defining the present, shaping the future,” and the addition of a third phrase for the anniversary year, “making the change now,” The motto, he said, “indicates how crucial the role of civil society is in addressing the existential threats to people and the planet—including climate change that is compromising planetary sustainability and human rights violations that are threatening human dignity.”

“For all the lofty words we manufacture—whether at the UN or in our NGO circles—we must be willing to be the change we want and get ready to work on those changes now,” Bautista said.

CoNGO’s 75th anniversary year was marked by four commemorative celebrations at UN centers in Vienna (April), Bangkok (May), New York (October), and Geneva (December) and six global thematic webinars which attracted a little over 3,500 participants worldwide. (Marianne Ejdersten/WCC and CoNGO InfoNews)

For more information about the event, including concept note, speakers and schedule, please visit this link.

Conference explores stronger relationships between non-governmental organizations and United Nations

The Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO), celebrated its 75th anniversary, held a webinar in New York City on 27 October entitled “UN-NGO Relations: Enhancing Multilateralism, Protecting NGO Access, Civic Space, and Democratic Discourse.”

Members of the board of CoNGO during the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Conference on 27 October in New York City. Photo: Marcelo Schneider

CoNGO president Levi Bautista, in his opening remarks, commemorated the 75th anniversary of CoNGO, taking stock of accomplishments and envisioning future work.

“The United Nations was only three years old when CoNGO was born,” he said, and one could even say the two organizations grew up together in the same neighborhood. “Neighborhoods bring us back to a more general understanding of our global challenges.”

The Sustainable Development Goals are genuinely about people and the planet, he added. “We’ve borrowed our present from our future—and our future is our children,” he said. “Today CoNGO is a solid and a visible presence at the United Nations, thanks to the power of doing and acting as co-NGOs,” he added, stressing the importance of NGOs acting collectively.

CoNGO 75th anniversary year is marked by four commemorative celebrations at UN centers in Vienna (April), Bangkok (May), New York (October), and Geneva (December).

As the conference in New York opened, greetings and statements by high-level United Nations officials expressed appreciation to non-governmental organizations for, among other initiatives, helping many communities across the world strive for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Peter Prove, director of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, looked ahead at multilateralism amid the world’s extreme challenges. “

He opened by congratulating the CoNGO on its 75th anniversary—an anniversary that is shared with the WCC—recalling the days when the WCC worked very directly in the drafting of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, among many other roles.

Prove then summarized how the WCC has called for a global ceasefire, and for greater investment by governments and other actors for promoting peace and preventing conflict.

“We encouraged renewed efforts to reform and improve the effectiveness of the United Nations and other instruments for promoting peace and security,” he said.

CoNGO vice president Cyril Ritchie offered a history of UN-NGO relations, and emphasized the many issues NGOs bring before the UN. “They are the frontline soldiers with both advocacy and cooperation with the UN system,” he said. “It is well-established that close cooperation in the field is vital to several UN agencies in carrying out their missions.”

Leaders of NGO committees also shared their inspirations and challenges.

Ivy Koek, co-chair of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, reflected that she often hears about how civil society space is shrinking at the UN. But, she added, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about the necessity and the opportunity to expand that space. “We moved virtually and in that virtual space we were then opening it up to our global audience, and though this is a New York-based committee, it became a global conversation,” she said. “We—the people—also lead the UN and lead countries, so let’s start with ourselves.”

Margo LaZaro, president of the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development, described how the committee engages with the UN. “It’s just always looking into working in partnership with everyone,” she said. “One of the things we are dedicated to is making sure we are inclusive with everyone.”

Sylvie Jaqueline Ndongmo, president of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, shared how signifiant voices from civil society are missing because they cannot obtain visas to travel to New York. “The visa issue is a very, very big challenge especially for women from the Global South,” she said. “The shrinking of civic space—it is a problem.”

She recommended making sure women’s voices are heard. “We should also make sure that we care about one another—that is very important as we do this work,” she said. “We should always remind ourselves that the change we want to see, starts with us.” {WCC News}

As founding member of CoNGO, WCC cites urgent need for multilateralism (WCC news release 29 October 2023)

CoNGO’s Pivotal Role Connecting NGOs to the UN System Highlighted at 75th Anniversary Event in Vienna

{Photo from left to right: Cyril Ritchie (CoNGO First Vice President), Regina Wialla-Zimm (International Relations Officer, Chief Executive Office for International Relations, City of Vienna), Shams Asadi (Human Rights Commissioner, City of Vienna), Nikhil Seth (Executive Director, UNITAR), Liberato Bautista (CoNGO President), Martina Gredler (CoNGO Second Vice President), Omar Al-Rawi (Member of Vienna City Council and Provincial Parliament), Manfred Nowak (Secretary General, Global Campus of Human Rights, Venice), and Helga Konrad (Former Austrian Federal Minister of Women’s Affairs}

Vienna, Austria I 8 May 2023 (CoNGO InfoNews) — The Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations CoNGO celebrated its 75th anniversary with a global commemorative event at the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) on April 28, 2023. Founded in 1948, just three years after the establishment of the United Nations itself, CoNGO has played a pivotal role in connecting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with the UN system to address a wide array of global challenges.

CoNGO stands out among NGO networks for its unique relationship with the entire UN System, encompassing approximately 50 entities, commissions, agencies, institutes, and other bodies dealing with various aspects of human life and endeavor. These include human rights, maritime safety, meteorology, refugee protection, telecommunications, democracy promotion, disaster prevention and relief, the rule of law, and more.

The organization’s core mission is to facilitate and encourage member governments of the UN to engage openly and inclusively with NGOs in the planning and decision-making processes of intergovernmental debates. NGOs bring their professional expertise, grassroots experiences, detailed knowledge of community needs, and innovative thinking to the UN. Throughout its history, CoNGO has tirelessly worked to emphasize the shared values between the UN and the NGO world, advocating for integrating competent NGO inputs into the UN System.

In its 75th anniversary year, CoNGO organized commemorative events across various UN centers and hosted six global thematic webinars. The first celebration began in Vienna in collaboration with the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and the City of Vienna. The event featured formal statements, presentations, musical performances, and a reception courtesy of the City of Vienna. Distinguished guests included high-ranking UN and Austrian government officials, representatives from the City and the federal province of Vienna, and NGO leaders from around the world. Please take a look at the concept note for the entire program and the list of guests.

Ambassador Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry of Austria, sent a video greeting, extending his warm regards to CoNGO on this significant occasion. “Your strong commitment and active engagement are invaluable in addressing the pressing issues of our times, such as implementing the Agenda 2030 and the SGDs. In its 75 years of existence, CoNGO has established itself as an essential partner for multilateralism. We would like to congratulate you on this outstanding achievement.”

Th Director General of UNOV and Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Mrs. Ghada Fathi Waly, welcomed the participants, with a core message that “NGOs are an essential voice for the most vulnerable and a valuable partner of [UNODC] work.” CoNGO is “optimally equipped to lead the way and build bridges between various global stakeholders,” she said. Greetings and best wishes were also extended by the Ambassador of Israel to Austria and International Organizations in Vienna, Mr. Mordechai Rodgold.

During his reflections on the occasion, Nikhil Seth, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), emphasized the role CoNGO plays in fostering a new era of multilateralism, stating, “Civil society, academia, and business are leading the charge toward a new multilateralism where young people, enlightened business, and academia cooperate across borders like never before. New coalitions for change are transcending the purely intergovernmental nature of multilateralism. CoNGO must lead the way in empowering these coalitions. Your special status positions you to do just that. You are close to the grassroots and pivotal to the interface with global and regional processes.” Read Full Speech

Helga Konrad, Former Austrian Federal Minister of Women’s Affairs and Executive Director of the Anti-Trafficking Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, stressed the significance of NGOs in confronting the world’s most critical problems: “CoNGO’s motto, ‘Defining the Present, Shaping the Future, Making the Change Now,’ underscores our collective responsibility for the world’s present and future. NGOs play a vital role in addressing social, economic, environmental, and gender issues.” Read Full Speech

Manfred Nowak, Secretary-General of the Global Campus of Human Rights in Venice and Professor of International Human Rights at Vienna University, acknowledged CoNGO’s pivotal contribution in opening doors for NGOs to access UN bodies: “As the umbrella organization of hundreds of NGOs, the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO), founded in the year of the adoption of the Universal Declaration, played a pivotal role in coordinating civil society and providing NGOs with physical and political access to the Commission and other UN bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women.” Read Full Speech

Nowak recalled how, in collaboration with CoNGO, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights in Vienna and the International Service of Human Rights, he organized an NGO Forum with more than 3,000 NGO participants and a program of more than 400 parallel workshops and seminars, with Nowak serving as the main NGO spokesperson.

CoNGO President Bautista’s address further highlighted the imperative for ongoing improvements in access while expressing gratitude for global leaders actively working to facilitate such access: “Access to the premises and promises of the UN must be a fundamental element of Multilateralism 2.0. This entails not a mere reboot of the existing multilateral framework but a comprehensive reimagining and rewiring, integrating the NGO network within the architecture rather than leaving it external.

“It is with deep honor and pleasure that I convey CoNGO’s profound gratitude, on behalf of its leadership and global membership, to those individuals within multilateral institutions, particularly those here in Vienna, who have consistently provided platforms for our members and the broader civil society to voice their perspectives and exert their influence within the UNOV’s premises and the promises it represents.” Read Full Speech

As CoNGO enters its 75th year, it continues strengthening its commitment to fostering collaboration between NGOs and the United Nations, advocating for a more inclusive and cooperative approach to addressing the world’s most pressing challenges.

Information on all the Anniversary Commemorative events and the six Anniversary Global Thematic Webinars is available on CoNGO’s website.

CoNGO celebrates 75 years since its founding in 1948, lines up commemorative events worldwide

Vienna, Austria | 20 April 2023 (CoNGO InfoNews) – The first global commemorative event to celebrate the 75 years of CoNGO (the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations) will be held at the Vienna International Center in the City of Vienna in Austria on Friday, April 28, from 14:00 to 16:45.

The event may be attended in person or online by registering in one of these three categories: In-person with a UNOV pass, in-person without a UNOV pass, or online through live streamed broadcast. If you are registering without a UNOV pass, the deadline is Friday, April 21, 18:00 EDT | 23:00 CET.

Attendees will listen to speeches from the Director General of the United Nations Office in Vienna, Mrs. Ghada Fathi Waly and the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry of Austria, Ambassador Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal. Permanent representatives from missions of UN member states stationed in Vienna and officials from the City of Vienna will also speak. The President of CoNGO, Liberato Bautista, will deliver an Anniversary Presidential Address. Nikhil Seth, Helga Konrad and Manfred Nowak will deliver keynote lectures on timely themes.

Three musical pieces in flute will be performed, and the City of Vienna will tender a vin d’honneur immediately after the program. Please open this link for more information on other speakers and the program and schedule.

To be announced shortly are other global commemorative events in Bangkok, New York and Geneva, including five more global thematic webinars.

Addressing atrocity crimes is urgent, CoNGO President Bautista said at ECOSOC meeting; he also announced two new NGO committees in formation

New York City | January 26, 2023 (CoNGO InfoNews)—At the core of atrocity crimes is the “ignominious assault on intrinsic human dignity and fundamental human rights.”

This was the gist of the message that President Liberato Bautista of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) issued at the special meeting convened on January 24 by the President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Ms. Lachezara Stoeva. The special meeting focused on the “social and economic measures to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity”.

Denying people food and freedom, jobs and justice, land and liberation provides fertile ground for atrocity crimes, Bautista emphasized, noting the meeting’s emphasis on prevention and the responsibility to protect populations from such crimes.

Bautista took the occasion to announce the creation of two NGO committees under the auspices of CoNGO whose agenda will include the concerns addressed at the special meeting.

One committee to be organized will be called the NGO Committee on Racism, Colonialism, Slavery, Xenophobia and All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance and another committee to be called NGO Committee of Youth and Future Generations.

Bautista’s statement, read on his behalf by Ms. Dorothy Davis, ended with the plea that governments and the United Nations consider investing in young people as wise investment in the prevention of atrocity crimes. Ms. Davis is an NGO representative to the UN of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute which is a member of the CoNGO Board.

Read here President Bautista’s full statement.

CoNGO member organizations are invited to join as founding organizations for the two new NGO Committees mentioned above. If interested, please email the CoNGO President at president@ngocongo.org.

CoNGO Pays Tribute to Edith Ballantyne on Her 100th Birthday

Former CoNGO President, Edith Ballantyne (right), in a photo with current CoNGO President, Liberato Bautista (left) and former President, Cyril Ritchie (middle), taken at her house in Geneva, Switzerland on March 19, 2019.

New York City and Geneva, Switzerland | 10 December 2022 (CoNGO InfoNews)—CoNGO, the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, proclaims, celebrates, and enthuses over the 100 th birthday today, December 10, of one of its outstanding Presidents, Edith Ballantyne, a Canadian citizen who was Secretary General (and later President) of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF), headquartered in Geneva.

Edith was born in 1922, on December 10—the date which 26 years later became International Human Rights Day. Nothing could be more fitting, for Edith’s life was wholly devoted to the promotion and protection of all human rights, to the defence of the underprivileged, to the freedom of colonial populations, to countering racism and discrimination, and of course to every aspect of peace and freedom for women.

Edith’s Presidency of CoNGO (1976-1982) took place while the Cold War was still a daily fact of life, and when non-governmental organizations often identified—vocally and sometimes aggressively—with one or another protagonist. As CoNGO President, Edith exercised great diplomatic skill in urging focus on issues that brought NGOs together, and in protecting and enhancing CoNGO’s standing and influence with the United Nations System.

CoNGO salutes Edith Ballantyne for the values she had represented life-long, and wishes her continued health in communion with her family and friends.

In 2021, CoNGO conducted a lengthy interview with Edith, and broadcast it during the 27th CoNGO General Assembly at year-end. Her grasp of issues, her lucidity, and her adherence to principles impressed everyone. The interview gave insights into the illustrious and exceptional life and work of Edith Ballantyne. WILPF also produced an interview of Edith and can be watched here.

Liberato Bautista
President of CoNGO
2007-2011 and 2018-2025

Cyril Ritchie
President of CoNGO
2011-2018

CoNGO President: Use People’s Charter for an Eco-Social World as advocacy tool; organize a robust and protected transborder and transnational civil society

New York City | UPDATED 8 August 2022 (CoNGO InfoNews) — The Global People’s Summit “Co-building a New Eco-social World: Leaving No One Behind” concluded its online meetings on July 2. The Summit run for 24 hours for four days between June 29 and July 2.

The Summit produced The People’s Charter for an Eco-Social World. The Summit’s website hailed the Charter, “which comprises voices from throughout the world, highlights the importance of participatory democracy in effecting transformational change.”

Liberato Bautista, the President of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO), delivered a keynote speech and joined 25 global partners in drafting the Summit’s People’s Charter.

Bautista called on CoNGO members to study the People’s Charter and use it as an advocacy tool and inspiration in pursuing CoNGO’s strategic organizational mantra: “defining the present, shaping the future, making the change, now”.

Delivering one of the Summit’s keynote speeches, Bautista challenged the Summit participants to “co-build an eco-social world that depends largely on the empowerment of the voice and agency of peoples as they identify their concerns and craft their futures.”

Addressing more directly some of the elements of the People’s Charter, Bautista implored everyone to join in the task of increasing hope and decreasing fear. “Decreasing fear and replacing it with increased hope augurs well into assuring people of their dignity and human rights and of the planet’s sustainability,” Bautista added.

“To increase hope, we must build a common future for all the inhabitants of the earth and their natural ecology by promoting and safeguarding the common public goods and services indispensable to life. We must increase hope through arrangements that truly put peoples and the planet at the center of both the local and global public imagination of policy and legislation.”

Bautista stressed the need today for “a cadre of leaders from grassroots, local, national, regional and international arenas to provide leadership for the much needed catalytic strategies and action for transformative change in social and ecological relations” such as those identified in the “Pathway Forward” section of the People’s Charter.

Organizing the Summit and drafting the People’s Charter were done under the joint facilitation by Rory Truell, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) and Paul Ladd, the Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD).

As you use the People’s Charter in your own contexts, the CoNGO President would like to know your experience. This will enhance our understanding of the elements of the Charter and enrich them. Email him at president@ngocongo.org. Read more about the Global People’s Summit and CoNGO’s collaboration here.

CoNGO joins the People’s Global Summit “Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind”

Photo: Co-Building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind

Geneva, Switzerland | 29 June 2022 (CoNGO InfoNews) — The People’s Global Summit, ‘Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind’ starts today, June 29, Wednesday. The Summit will run 24 hours for four days, June 29 – July 2, online. Join here.

Liberato Bautista, the President of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) will be one of the keynote speakers, scheduled to talk on June 30, Thursday (at 17:30 UTC | 19:30 CEST | 13:30 EST). CoNGO members who are partners of the Summit include the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) which is on the CoNGO Board and led the planning of this Summit, Baha’i International Community (BIC), International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), International Council of Social Welfare (ICSW), and Public Services International (PSI).

Here is the full press release on the Summit:

“During the Summit people will be able to share their experiences and stories in different ways. These will include presentations from people in communities, live panels, open mic rooms, indigenous-led sessions, storytelling, interviews, cultural expression along with workshops, academic presentations, and keynote addresses from political and civil society leaders. All live and video-presentations will have a chat section for your contributions and to interact with the presenters. This process will provide opportunities for co-building a new eco-social world, and generate security, safety and sustainability for this and future generations.

“The summit effectively acts as a people’s assembly that uniquely and proudly comprises differing world cultures and values, with a holistic vision that combines sustainability, social justice and ‘we the people’ working together for an eco-social world. It was initiated by 26 global diverse organizations and represents 100s of millions of people with roots in communities throughout the world. We share the perspective that the lofty pledges made by governments after the second world war – on peace, development and human rights – have not been realized. Inequalities and fractures have grown. Poverty sits alongside extreme wealth. Nature has been stripped, leading to climate warming and environmental destruction. Millions of people have been displaced as a result, adding to the millions more displaced by conflict and violence. The governments that made these commitments have prioritized competition over collaboration, sovereignty over solidarity. They have not yet served the people they represent.

“In the Summit all participants will contribute to The People’s Charter for an Eco-Social World. The process has already started by people and communities submitting their contributions on what values, policies and practices needed to be developed to give everyone and the planet safety and security. During the Summit, the Charter will be developed and drafted from everyone’s contributions. The partners have agreed that the Charter needs to be a living document and will be initially submitted to the world’s leaders as they gather at the 2022 United Nations High-Level Political Forum and General Assembly as an invitation to join us and call to action to work with us for our shared futures.

“This is one step on the journey of a continuing process for sustainability, justice and equality for all.”

Address climate change without delay, NGOs say on eve of COP26 in Glasgow

New York City, 28 October 2021 (CoNGO InfoNews) – Measures and actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change need to be taken without delay. This is the message conveyed by sixty-one NGOs that joined in issuing the statement “Challenges of Climate Change” under the banner of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO).

Ten of the 61 NGOs submitting the statement have observer status with the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). COP26—which is the twenty-sixth UN conference on climate change—begins this weekend, October 31, in Glasgow, Scotland, and closes on November 12.

The UN convenes the climate change conference on the heels of the 2021 report of the International Panel on Climate Change—the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC 2021 report, released on August 9, characterized climate change as widespread, rapid and intensifying.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, included attention to climate change among ways to save succeeding generations. In his “Our Common Agenda” report to the General Assembly, Guterres said, “Just as the founders of the United Nations came together determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, we must now come together to save succeeding generations from war, climate change, pandemics, hunger, poverty, injustice and a host of risks that we may not yet foresee entirely.”

The NGO statement was drafted and finalized by the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development Vienna, one of more than 30 substantive committees of CoNGO. Thirteen of the committee’s organizational members in consultative status with the UN approved the statement.

The full statement follows:

Challenges of Climate Change:
An NGO statement to the 2021 UN climate change conference, COP 26, in Glasgow

For many years the scientific community, the Member States of the United Nations, and civil society have discussed the impact on our planet of climate change and identified measures needed to protect the world in which we live.

To date, the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have convened 25 conferences. They have signed and ratified decisions, protocols and agreements on the reduction of CO2.

Measures and actions to mitigate and/or adapt to climate change need to be taken without delay. The undersigned NGOs admitted with Observer Status by the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC and joined by other NGOs in Consultative Status with the United Nations thus urge the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC to act promptly on the following challenges:

1) Mitigation

The scientific community worldwide should coordinate research and innovation so as to draw up procedures to reduce CO2 emissions. Systems need to be developed that are sufficiently robust to operate under varying conditions, e.g., excessive drought or flooding, changes in flora and fauna due to rising temperatures, and the loss of biodiversity. The ultimate aim should be to halt global warming and achieve the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

2) Adaptation

Recent months have shown that the impact of climate change is palpable on every continent and in every region, and is driven by the physical environment, such as mountains, oceans, and permafrost. Therefore, local decisions are critical to effective adaptation to changing weather and climate conditions. The regional focus should be on planning, land use, settlements and infrastructure, as well as forestry and agriculture. The global rise in temperatures and the related changes in the spread of disease pose an inordinate challenge for public health systems. Moreover, it is evident that with regard to energy systems, limiting changes to electric vehicles alone will not suffice.

3) Participation and cooperation

Action plans for adaptation may result in significant changes to regional patterns of settlement and lifestyles and may have a disproportionate effect on marginalised populations including minorities, women and children. New formats for democratic participation are thus called for. They should be so designed as to inform all stakeholders and secure their participation in the decision-making processes. Only if the consistency of such measures is upheld can aims be reached ensuring that the most marginalised groups do not bear the brunt of the climate crisis.

On the international level, UN cooperation in particular needs to be reliable and accountable. International treaties and conventions must be respected, reports must be verifiable, obligations implemented without delay, and enforcement transparent. Matters would be improved where an international panel set up empowered to monitor progress independently and make reluctant states confront their responsibilities.

4) Financial frameworks

The costs for all necessary measures and actions will be very high, yet far lower than the costs of damages incurred in the case of “business as usual”. Countries should provide sustainable, long-term financial plans, which may require modifying tax systems. An international fund – administered by the UN – should provide assistance to the developing countries.

The challenges posed by climate change are global and cannot be successfully met by countries or regions in isolation, and even less by competition between nations. Cooperation and transparency are critical and indispensable to solving climate change.

October 4, 2021

Submitted by NGOs in Observer Status with the Conference of Parties of UNFCCC:

Association pour le Développement Durable (ADD)

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD)
Haiti Cholera Research Funding Foundation, Inc. USA
International Council of Women (ICW)
Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic, Inc.
Nurses Across the Borders (NAB)
UNANIMA International
Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
United Methodist Church—General Board of Church and Society (UMC-GBCS)
VIVAT International

Endorsed by NGOs in Consultative, Associated and Observer relations with the United Nations:

1. Abraham’s Children Foundation
2. African Action on Aids (AAA)
3. Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS)
4. Arab Society for Academic Freedoms(ASAF)
5. Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs
6. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
7. Asociación Latinoamericana para Los Derechos Humanos (ALDHU)
8. Association of Presbyterian Women Aotearoa New Zealand
9. Awaz Centre for Development Services (AwazCDS-Pakistan)
10. Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI)
11. Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO)
12. Congregations of St. Joseph
13. Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute (CBCI)
14. Dianova International
15. ECPAT-USA
16. Election Network in the Arab Region(ENAR)
17. GCS International
18. Global Action on Aging (GAN)
19. Graduate Women International (GWI)
20. Initiatives of Change

Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Loreto Generalate
International Alliance of Women (IAW)
International Council on Environmental Economics and Development (ICEED)
International Federation of Business and Professional Women (IFBPW)
International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)
International Federation of Women in Legal Careers (FIFCJ)
International Federation on Ageing (IFA)
International Inner Wheel (IIW)
International Presentation Association, The (IPA)
International Progress Organization (IPO)
Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP)
League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS)
Organization for Defending Victims of Violence (ODVV)
Pan Pacific South East Asia Women’s Association (PPSEAWA)
Pax Romana
Servas International
Sisters of Charity Federation
Society for International Development (SID)
Socialist International Women (SIW)
Soroptimist International (SI)
Temple of Understanding
Tiye International
Universal Peace Federation (UPF)
Verein zur Förderung der Völkerverständigung
Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI)
Women’s International Zionist Organisation (WIZO)
Women’s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
World Association for Psychological Rehabilitation (WAPR)
World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ)
WUZDA Ghana
Zonta International

The statement above was drafted and finalized by the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development in Vienna and was officially endorsed by the following NGO members with ECOSOC consultative status: Graduate Women International, Initiatives of Change, International Inner Wheel, International Federation of Business and Professional Women, Pax Romana, Servas International, Soroptimist International, Society for International Development, Socialist International Women, Verein zur Förderung der Völkerverständigung, Women’s Federation for World Peace International, Women’s International Zionist Organisation, and World Union for Progressive Judaism.

INVITATION TO CIVIL SOCIETY SUMMIT ON SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

New York City 20 October 2021 (CoNGO InfoNews) – A civil society summit on substantive issues will be held on October 25, Monday, on the occasion of United Nations Day 2021. The summit is organized by CoNGO—the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations.The summit is open to the public and registration is ongoing.

The summit brings to a virtual conference some 45 UN, NGO and civil society leaders from all geographic regions of the world, from grassroots to international arenas, and from a cross section of fields of focus and expertise, leading seven thematic panels that will address the overall theme “shaping the future: the UN we need for the world we want”.

CoNGO president, Liberato Bautista, emphasized the word “for” in the theme. “It addresses the coherence needed between the UN we need and the world we want. That coherence happens only if the multilateral infrastructure is built around the true and urgent needs of the world, not just for today, but into the future, both immediate and long term.”

There are other renditions of the same theme, Bautista said, but many use the word “and” rather than “for”. The “UN for the world” provides a necessary if urgent orientation for this multilateral institution called UN, and for civil society organizations to be decisively organized and working in the service of people, the planet and their futures, Bautista asserted.

Impetus for the summit partly came from the report of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, Our Common Agenda. A high-level opening panel will explore the subtheme “the future in the present tense”. This civil society summit is not unlike Mr. Guterres’s concern for the future, Bautista opined, and hence the SG’s expressed desire to convene a Summit of the Future in 2023.

CoNGO’s declaration on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the UN called this global body and its Member States, “to enter into a dialogue with civil society to create innovative partnerships” and to recognize “the vast potential of civil society as an essential element of the international system, defining the present and shaping the future.”

The year 2023 will be CoNGO’s seventy-fifth anniversary. CoNGO since 2008 has had for its organizational theme, “defining the present, shaping the future”. Today’s UN undertaking has been more than a decade-old theme for CoNGO.

Moving into its seventy-fifth year, CoNGO is poised to join the UN and civil society worldwide in shaping the future. What kind of future(s) and what actions to undertake to achieve a just, peaceable, and sustainable world is an undertaking the civil society summit will try to elicit recommendations for from participants.

The summit on Monday will inform the work of CoNGO. A synthesis report will be submitted to the upcoming twenty-seventh CoNGO General Assembly scheduled for November 29 to December 1.

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