ageism

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

This annual campaign – supported by the United Nations through the Secretary General’s UNiTE – began on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends on the International Human Rights Day, 16 December.

The 2022 UN theme is “UNiTE! Activism to end violence against women and girls. 

Read the full concept note here.

The NGO Committee on Ageing of New York – through its Subcommittee on Older Women – participate in 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

The NGO Committee on Ageing promotes Education along with Activism and includes ALL women and girls to emphasizes the invisibility of older women in this campaign and to raise awareness of their presence among survivors of gender-based violence.

In partnership with AARP and in collaboration with the Fordham University Institute for Women and Girls, the New York NGO Committee on Ageing Subcommittee on Older Women will disseminate brief informational messages – with links – throughout this campaign, raising the visibility of older women who also experience gender-based violence.

Please check the NGO CoA website and follow on Twitter @UNandAgeing.

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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 Ageing/NY, please visit ngocoa-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing/Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing/Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. 

61st Session of the Commission for Social Development

The 61st United Nations Commission for Social Development (CSocD61) will take place from 6 to 15 February 2023 in Conference Room 4 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Priority Theme:

Creating full and productive employment and decent work for all as a way of overcoming inequalities to accelerate the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Review of relevant UN plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of social groups:

(i) Outcome document of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities: the way forward, a disability-inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond;

(ii) World Programme of Action for Youth;

(iii) Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002;

(iv) Family issues, policies and programmes.

Full schedule of events, more info on NGO participation, and background documents available here.

Hosting Side Events:

Most CSocD61 side events will take place virtually. In person side events are ONLY open to Permanent Missions, intergovernmental organizations and United Nations system entities.

Each side event organizer is responsible for hosting and choosing their virtual event platform. All participants of the CSocD and users of the CSocD online platforms, and any contributions they make, must comply with the United Nations Code of Conduct.

General Instructions for Side Events

Deadline for submission of online application forms for side-events is 22 December 2022 for in person events and 6 January 2023 for virtual events (EDT – New York Time).

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Family/NY, please visit ngofamilyny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Family/Vienna, please visit viennafamilycommittee.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Migration, please visit ngo-migration.org.

United Nations International Day of Older Persons (IDOP2022)–Commemoration in Vienna

Hybrid Commemoration of the UN International Day of Older Persons
3 October 2022 at 13:30 (CEST)
REGISTER HERE.
In 1990, the United Nations’ General Assembly voted to establish October 1st as the International Day of Older Persons [IDOP] (GA Res. 45/106). Each year, the Vienna-based NGO Committee on Ageing organises a commemoration event in early October.
This year’s Vienna event will be celebrated in the afternoon of Monday, 3 October 2022 starting at 13:30, in the main hall of the ÖJAB-Haus (Untere Augartenstrasse 31, 1020 Wien).
The UN-wide general theme of the upcoming IDOP commemoration is “The Resilience and Contributions of Older Women”. You and your colleagues may also register to attend in person. However, those wishing to attend via online are kindly asked to register via this Zoom link.
The event starts at 13:30 hours and finishes at 16:00 hours, after which refreshments will be served. There is an opportunity to follow the parallel IDOP event at UN headquarters which starts at 10:00 hours New York time (16:00 hours Vienna time) via a large TV screen at the OJAB-Haus.
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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna 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-NY, please visit ngocoa-ny.org.  For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.

NGO Committee on Ageing/NY Fall Update

NGO Committee on Ageing/NY Sept. 8 regular monthly meeting: What’s Happening in Ageing at the UN? What’s Ahead for the NGO Committee on Ageing/NY?

So much has happened at the United Nations over the summer, laying the groundwork for the NGO Committee on Ageing/NY Fall agenda. Join the NGO CoA/NY for its monthly Programme Meeting and find out more about what we’ve been up to, including the progress made at the High-Level Political Forum.

Hear from our colleague and special guest Amal Abou Rafeh, Chief, Programme on Ageing Section, UN/DESA, about United Nations initiatives, where ageing fits into the bigger picture, and what’s coming up in the next several months.

There will be time set aside for questions, comments, and insights.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ud-2hpz4qHdyXa1FFY5IHKQZYgySDjurY

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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. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.

OHCHR’s multi-stakeholder meeting on the human rights of older persons

OHCHR’s multi-stakeholder meeting on the human rights of older persons will be held on 29 – 30 August 2022, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m CET, in a hybrid format at the Palais des Nations (Room XVII). More information, including on the panellists, is available here.

Registration for the event is open until 23 August. Once registered via Indico, you will receive the Zoom link a few days in advance of the event.

The meeting will also be webcast live and archived at: webtv.un.org.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, please visit ngocoa-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bknotts@uua.org or bobbinassar@yahoo.com. 

GAROP briefing for OHCHR Multi-stakeholder Meeting

GAROP briefing for OHCHR Multi-stakeholder Meeting / Sesión informativa de GAROP para la reunión de múltiples partes interesadas de la OACDH

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is organising a multi-stakeholder meeting on 29-30 August 2022 at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, room XVII. This hybrid meeting will take place both in person and online.

NGOs are encouraged to attend in person if possible. You do not need to have ECOSOC status to participate. You can register now via the Indico system here.The multi-stakeholder meeting is a follow-up to the Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution 48/3 (read more here) and will discuss the recent report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Further information and relevant documents are available here.

This is an important moment to further the discussions on older people’s rights and build support for a UN convention.

In preparation for the Multi-stakeholder Meeting on 29-30th August in Geneva organised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), GAROP is organizing a briefing meeting on Tuesday 23rd August from 9:00-10:30 EDT. You are all warmly encouraged to attend.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUod-itqD4iGNbKpSsqc2se-jvi1Cx2SHIf

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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-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.

High-level meeting to mark the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious & Linguistic Minorities

High-level meeting to mark the commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities

The President of the General Assembly will convene a High-level meeting to mark the commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities on Wednesday, 21 September, at the UN Headquarters in New York, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 76/168.

The high-level meeting offers an important opportunity to take stock and evaluate the implementation of the Declaration, identify constraints and achievements, showcase examples of good practices and set priorities for the future, consistent with minorities’ effective participation and based on their own realities and needs. As the world moves toward a post-COVID-19 future and a new social contract, diversity must be inclusive and just in order to build a resilient global community of individuals equal in rights and opportunities regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, language and other features. The President’s summary of the discussions at the High-level meeting will further assist the international community to chart the way forward and recommit its engagement to actively and fully implement protection of the rights of minorities as expressed in the Declaration 30 years ago.

Format

The high-level meeting will take place in-person on Wednesday, 21 September 2022, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The high-level meeting will consist of an opening meeting, a general debate, and a closing meeting. A detailed programme will be circulated in due course

Participation

In order to promote a constructive and inclusive dialogue, participation in the high-level meeting will be open for Member States, observers, the United Nations system, as well as representatives of non- governmental organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC that are actively engaged in minorities issues.

Registration will be open at: indico.un.org/event/1002409 from Monday, 1 August until 5:00 pm EST on Friday, 12 August 2022.

The proceedings of the high-level meeting will be webcast live on UN Web TV in all six official languages of the United Nations.

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

The Impact of Storytelling on Isolation in Older Adults

IFA Global Cafe: In Conversation with Dr. Victor Kuperman and Ms. Nancy Siciliana

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of connecting, communicating, and storytelling within the dialogue of isolation. The “Niagara Stories” project – run through a partnership between McMaster University, the Seniors’ Computer Lab Project, and Cyber Seniors’ Connected Communities Niagara – has allowed the opportunity for open conversations amongst Niagara residents. The project highlights the impact storytelling has on the sentiments of isolation, as well as how people communicate experiences through interaction and language.

To share their comprehensive insights, the Niagara Stories project organizers – Professor Victor Kuperman and Ms. Nancy Siciliana – will be leading a discussion on “The Impact of Storytelling on Isolation in Older Adults” in the IFA Global Cafe series.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlf-2sqjkqHtdEuypehon2jHv5tF0fp9fh

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, please visit ngocoa-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the co-chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at tonkin@hartford.edu or fmhult@umbc.edu.

Multi-stakeholder meeting on older people’s human rights

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is organising a multi-stakeholder meeting on 29-30 August 2022 at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, room XVII. This hybrid meeting will take place both in person and online.

NGOs are encouraged to attend in person if possible. You do not need to have ECOSOC status to participate. You can register now via the Indico system here.

The multi-stakeholder meeting is a follow-up to the Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution 48/3 (read more here) and will discuss the recent report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Further information and relevant documents are available here.

Objective:

This two-day meeting will bring together key stakeholders for a discussion on the gaps in the existing human rights protection system for older persons and the dispersiveness of international human rights law. The meeting will take stock of the progress made, assess the remaining challenges, identify opportunities and develop concrete proposals to accelerate efforts to close the gaps in the existing human rights protection system for older persons.
The report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the normative standards and obligations under international law in relation to the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons (A/HRC/49/70) will inform the discussion.

Outcome:
A summary report with conclusions of the meeting that includes recommendations on addressing possible gaps and the dispersiveness of international human rights law with regard to older persons, will be submitted to the Human Rights Council by its fifty-second session.

Mandate:
In its resolution 48/3, the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human to convene a multi- stakeholder meeting to discuss the report of the High Commissioner on the normative standards and obligations under international law in relation to the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons.

The meeting will be fully accessible to persons with disabilities, and held with the participation of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, human rights experts and expert representatives of Member States, the treaty bodies and the special procedures, regional mechanisms, the United Nations system, academia, national human rights institutions and civil society, including with the meaningful and effective participation of older persons and of persons of different ages.

The meeting will consist of an opening segment followed by a series of interactive panel discussions and a closing segment. Initial presentations by the panelists will be followed by two segments of interventions by participants and concluding remark from the panelists. A maximum of one hour will be set aside for the podium, which will cover the panelists’ presentations and their responses to questions and concluding remarks. The remaining hour will be reserved for two segments of interventions from the floor, with each segment consisting of interventions from States, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations. Speaking time for participants wishing to take the floor will be two minutes.

29 August Agenda

Opening session

Session 1: Gaps and challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the deficiencies in international and national frameworks for older persons in dramatic and tragic ways. While the pandemic seriously affected many groups, its consequences have been amplified by existing structures of inequality and disadvantage. This session will focus on identifying existing and emerging human rights protection gaps and particular risks facing older persons, as well as promising practices in responding to them.

Session 2: Adequacy of existing mechanisms in responding to the challenges

The aim of this session is to discuss current practices and identify recommendations on how the UN human rights mechanisms (Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures and Universal Periodic Review) can enhance the integration of the human rights of older persons in their work. As noted in the report of the High Commissioner (A/HRC/49/70), the engagement of the UN human rights mechanisms on the human rights of older persons is not adequate, systematic nor sustained. The session will also highlight lessons learned from the Inter-American system of human rights on the protection of older persons as well as the important role played by national human rights institutions.

30 August Agenda

Session 3: Strengthening coordinated actions for the protection of older persons
This session will identify opportunities for strengthening synergies and joint actions across global and regional networks and initiatives on ageing to integrate and promote the human rights of older persons.

Session 4: Towards strengthening the protection of human rights of older persons
The objective of this session is to develop proposals and recommendations for strengthening legal frameworks at both the national and the international levels to protect the human rights of older persons for further consideration by the Council and other relevant bodies, including the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing.

Closing session

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, please visit ngocoa-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the co-chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@yahoo.com or bknotts@uua.org. 

 

International Youth Day 2022

Official Commemoration

For International Youth Day 2022, DESA will work with the Major Group on Children and Youth (MGCY) to organize a global webinar for its official commemoration. The webinar will provide an opportunity for stakeholders around the world to exchange views on the topic of intergenerational solidarity, intergenerational equity, future generations, and ageism. 

To ensure inclusivity, the webinar will feature speakers from civil society, while ensuring age, regional and gender representation. Special consideration will be given to youth at the intersection of multiple vulnerable situations. Additionally, public institutions will be invited to share examples of efforts they are putting in place to promote intergenerational dialogue and combat ageism at the local, national, or international levels. 

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world needs to leverage the full potential of all generations. Solidarity across generations is key for sustainable development. We must collaborate to foster successful and equitable intergenerational relations and partnerships to ensure “no one is left behind.” While intergenerational solidarity and concern for future generations is being called for in tackling global issues – with the UN Secretary-General recently putting forward new recommendations on renewed intergenerational solidarity, including in Our Common Agenda – many challenges remain. 

Ageism continues to present a significant – yet, not sufficiently discussed – challenge to fostering collaboration and solidarity across age groups. The World Health Organization defines ageism as “the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) directed towards others or oneself, based on age.” Ageism is an insidious and often an unaddressed issue in health, human rights and development, and has bearings on both older and younger populations around the world. In addition, ageism regularly intersects with other forms of bias (such as racism and sexism) and impacts people in ways that prevent them to reach their full potential and comprehensively contribute to their community.

Objectives

In this context, the objective of this year’s International Youth Day theme, Intergenerational solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages, is to amplify the message that action is needed across all generations to achieve the SDGs and leave no one behind. The 2022 International Youth Day will also raise awareness on certain barriers to intergenerational solidarity, notably ageism, which impacts young and old persons, while having detrimental effects on society as a whole. 

This theme builds on the momentum from two side events organized by UNDESA and partners earlier this year on 1) ageism in health and employment and 2) ageism in politics on the margins of the 60th Commission for Social Development and the 11th edition of the ECOSOC Youth Forum, respectively. 

To learn more about how and why the UN commemorates International Youth Day, visit un.org/development/desa/youth/iyd2022.html.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the co-chairs at susanneseperson@gmail.com or kb16@stern.nyu.edu. 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 Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.

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