agriculture

2022 SDG Investment Fair

It’s not too late to register to the December 2022 SDG Investment Fair! The upcoming edition of the Fair is going to be held virtually on 1-2 December and offers a chance to hear from projects teams in Ethiopia, Armenia, Eswatini, and Malawi pitching bankable SDG-aligned projects in hydropower, sustainable agriculture, telecommunications and more. The Fair also features exciting panel discussions and policy roundtables on:

  • Enhancing public-private collaboration for sustainable development in the Least Developed Countries

Thursday, 1 December, 09:00 – 09:30 (EST)

  • Fostering Private Infrastructure Investment in LDCs

Thursday, 1 December, 11:10 – 12:00 (EST)

  • Strengthening country and regional ecosystems to scale-up private sector participation in advancing SDG financing

Friday, 2 December, 10:00 – 10:50 (EST)

  • Mobilizing investments for the SDGs through innovations in data

Friday, 2 December, 11:00 – 11:50 (EST) View the full programme here.

Register today by filling out this brief form.

For more information about the Fair, visit un.org/development/desa/financing/events/december-2022-sdg-investment-fair.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

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

Dear civil society colleagues,

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

Background and Objective

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

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

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

Format

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

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

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

Logistics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Provisional Programme

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

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at tonkin@hartford.edu or fmhult@umbc.edu. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. 

UNESCO-UNFCCC COP27 webinar #7: Climate Change Education

From April to September, UNESCO-UNFCCC hosted the first six webinars of eight for the Webinar Series, Climate Change Education for Social Transformation: On the Road to COP27, which is dedicated to the goal of greening every education policy and curriculum to be climate ready. Taking place on the last Tuesday of every month, each episode will explore the critical role of climate change education, and how to harness its transformative power, in leading up to COP27.

The seventh session, Getting Ready to Scale Up Climate Change Education at COP27, takes place on Tuesday, 25 October 2022 from 10:00 – 11:00 CET, and reviews the gaps, challenges, and opportunities in promoting climate change education for social transformation in education and sustainable development policies and curriculums. The discussion will present concrete strategies to promote the greening of every education policy and curriculum, particularly around COP27.

Register here!

The session will be in English with interpretation in French. The forthcoming Session 8 (November), next and last in the series, will focus on: “Post-COP27 climate change education: Where do we go from 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 NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.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 the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP.

Science, Spirituality, Solidarity: Weaving Interconnections for Change

On Oct. 20, you are invited to join the Temple of Understanding – in collaboration with Marble Collegiate Church – for FORUM2022!

FORUM2022 is a call to action on the global crisis facing humanity and all life on planet Earth. Connecting the variable causes of the climate crisis, our speakers bring together ancient wisdom and modern science to address this time of severe destruction with positive and effective solutions.

Program

Distinguished 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, will open FORUM2022 with traditional Native American Sioux prayers.

“Earth Democracy: Sustainability and Justice” Keynote dialogue between Bill McKibben and Dr. Vandana Shiva will expound upon the era of unrestricted capitalism and inspire us to embrace a moral and spiritual perspective for restoring our bio-system.

Prayers will be offered for the global ecological crisis by several world religious leaders:

  • The Rev. Sally Bingham, Canon for the Environment for the Diocese of California, or you can use founder and President Emerita, Interfaith Power and Light. (Christian)
  • Imam Saffet Catovic, Director, Interfaith, Community Alliances, and Government Relations, Islamic Society of North America, Washington, D.C.(Muslim)
  • Rabbi David Rosen, KSG CBE, International Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee (Jewish)
  • Pandit Shukla Ji, Hindu Priest, Hindu Samaj Mandir Mahwah, New Jersey (Hindu)

“Sacred Soil & Sacred Forests” panelists examine the relationship between ancient knowledge and current scientific thinking and present practical solutions for the climate crisis. Ray Archuleta, an American soil scientist, is joined by Irish botanist and author Diana Beresford-Kroeger and Patricia Kombo, passionate environmentalist, founder of the PaTree Initiative, and she is a United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Land Hero, to discuss the crucial importance of healthy soil and vibrant forests for life on our planet, balancing the climate, harnessing water and sustaining food supplies.

A short video will introduce Jerusalem artist Beverly Barkat’s “Earth Poetica,” a phenomenal sculpture constructed from plastic waste collected from around the world, which will be exhibited at New York City’s World Trade Center complex next year.

Panelists on “Caring for our Endangered Oceans and Waterways” analyze the many ways to address the trashing of our oceans, create an international water policy, and tackle ocean warming. Dave Ford, founder of the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network, USA, an activist to industry organization, is joined by David Helvarg, executive director of Blue Frontier, and Dr. Kelsey Leonard, a citizen of the Shinnecock Nation, who is a water scientist, legal scholar, policy expert, writer, and assistant professor, University of Waterloo, Canada.

Co-sponsors 

Interfaith Center of New York, Interfaith Power and Light, Islamic Society of North America, Parliament of the World’s Religions, World Interfaith Network

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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 the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bknotts@uua.org or bobbinassar@yahoo.com. 

Smart Solutions for Better Business: Is Your Enterprise Future-Ready?

CACCI is pleased to invite members and friends to join the webinar on “Smart Solutions for Better Business: Is Your Enterprise Future-Ready?” which will be held on October 4, 2022 at 2:00 PM Taipei time (GMT+8).

To register, please visit bit.ly/SmartBizSolutions.

The webinar aims to introduce successful cases of smart solutions in various fields of business. Experts will be invited to present various smart solutions applicable to business and provide the opportunity to discuss potential collaboration among businessmen in the Asia-Pacific region.

The 90-minute session will be moderated by Herman Sameisky, the International Director of Taiwan Smart Solutions Association. Mr. Samiesky is a technical communicator and data analyst who has previously worked for Google and Amazon.

(1) James Chiao, Chairman of the Asian ICT Council at CACCI and the Smart Cities Committee at CIECA-Taiwan; Founding President of Taiwan Smart Solutions Association; and CEO of Smart Cities Consulting, Ltd, Co.  will talk about the COVID-19 Pandemic’s impact on and opportunities for businesses. In particular, he will discuss the digital transformation of businesses, how smart solutions can optimize them, and how glocalization is a win-win business model for international partnerships.

The session will then delve into case studies of smart solutions for businesses.

(2) Joni Kuo, Chairman of Softfoundry International Pte Ltd., will introduce FacePro  “5G+AR Remote Xpert” Smart Service,” which enables experts to remotely guide on-site personnel with 4K ultra-high-definition video from the first perspective and conduct troubleshooting and maintenance, which not only improves maintenance efficiency and ensures safety, but also results in a sharing of expertise and technology.

(3) Shao-Jen Weng, CEO of Healthcare Systems Consortium (HSC), will focus on how hospitals and health systems are positioning their organizations for the future in a post-pandemic world, and the top 10 healthcare industry trends and innovations that impact healthcare companies worldwide.

(4) Bruce King, Marketing Director of GoodLinker Co., Ltd., will look into the two common barriers manufacturing SMEs face in reaching digital transformation to be smarter and more efficient. He will also tackle the benefits of Industry Internet of Thing (IIoT), and the service model with glocalization eco-system. Examples of different industry application cases will also be presented.

(5) The session will conclude with a Q&A.

Please note that registrants will also receive a link to the webinar’s video and presentation documents after the session.

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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/Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/New York, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. 

SDG Action Zone 2022

Over the course of three days during the UN General Assembly, the SDG Action Zone brings together the highest levels of UN leadership, activists, government officials, business leaders, changemakers and disruptors in a virtual collaborative space – to highlight the ecosystem-wide solutions, plans, and investments needed to positively impact people’s lives and the future of our planet.

With the fierce urgency of the now, we have no choice but to all step up to the most ambitious of global agendas. By amplifying voices, convening thought leaders, connecting changemakers, and calling on all participants to leverage their own sphere of influence, the SDG Action Zone provides everyone with the opportunity to cultivate the community and momentum needed to transform this moment of global upheaval into one of movement-building for people and the planet
September 21-23, 2022
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (EST)

Learn more, view the full programme, and register here: sdgactionzone.org

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/Vienna, please visit csr-sustainability.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.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 NGO Committee on Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at fmhult@umbc.edu or tonkin@hartford.edu. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. 

 

Holistic Climate Solutions Summit

From September 19-25, join Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s “Holistic Climate Solutions Summit” for thought-provoking panels, interactive workshops, and dialogues exploring an alternative future that is within reach. Convened in alignment with Climate Week NYC and the UN General Assembly, we’ll present solutions-focused themes that model a better tomorrow, as well as those that showcase what’s possible when optimism and action converge with respect for all sentient beings and our planet.

View the full program here: tzuchicenter.org/programs/climate-week-nyc

In-person (RSVP required): Tzu Chi Center, 229 E 60th Street, New York, NY 10022

Virtual: tzuchicenter.org/programs/climate-week-nyc#live

Each day of the Summit will be dedicated to the following themes (and their respective sessions):

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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 Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns/NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/Vienna, please visit csr-sustainability.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 Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. 

Land Dialogue: Pandemic, social unrest and war echoing in the Amazon

Over two years into the pandemic, its unwelcome impacts stemming have become apparent, particularly for tropical rainforests. A variety of factors, from decreases in ecotourism, to spikes in illegal fishing and wildlife trafficking and opportunistic criminals taking advantage of COVID-19-distracted governments to ramp up illegal logging activity, have had adverse impacts on Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who are vital in maintaining healthy rainforests. Overall, these activities have led to considerably higher tropical rainforest deforestation than in previous years, with the pandemic playing a part. More recently, the war in Ukraine has caused serious disruption to the global timber trade and these impacts are echoing in the Amazon rainforest.

This webinar will thus look at how global events are impacting the Amazon region, but will place a specific focus on solutions and what needs to change.

Register here!

* Webinar will be available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese*

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit un-ngocrip.net. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/Vienna, please visit csr-sustainability.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 Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at fmhult@umbc.edu or tonkin@hartford.edu. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. 

51st regular session of the Human Rights Council

Dear civil society,

The Human Rights Council will hold its fifty-first regular session from 12 September to 7 October at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Nada Al-Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, currently serving as acting High Commissioner, will present the High Commissioner’s oral update at 9 a.m. on Monday, 12 September in room XX.

Event info for in-person and/or virtual participation by NGOs:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/regular-sessions/session51/regular-session
https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/accreditation
Panel discussions to include:
  • Biennial panel discussion on the right to development
    Theme: 35 years on: policy pathways to operationalizing the right to development
  • Annual discussion on the integration of a gender perspective throughout the work of the Human Rights Council and that of its mechanisms
    Theme: Overcoming gender-based barriers to freedom of opinion and expression
  • Panel discussion on the future of the right to work in connection with climate change actions, responses and impacts in the context of sustainable and inclusive economies
  • Annual half-day panel discussion on the rights of indigenous peoples
    Theme: Impact of social and economic recovery plans in the COVID-19 context on indigenous peoples, with a special focus on food security
  • Panel discussion on the negative impact of the legacies of colonialism on the enjoyment of human right

The Human Rights Council:

The composition of the Human Rights Council at its fifty-first session is as follows: Argentina (2024); Armenia (2022); Benin (2024); Bolivia (Plurinational State of) (2023); Brazil (2022); Cameroon (2024); China (2023); Côte d’Ivoire (2023); Cuba (2023); Czechia (2023); Eritrea (2024); Finland (2024); France (2023); Gabon (2023); Gambia (2024); Germany (2022); Honduras (2024); India (2024); Indonesia (2022); Japan (2022); Kazakhstan (2024); Libya (2022); Lithuania (2024); Luxembourg (2024); Malawi (2023); Malaysia (2024); Marshall Islands (2022); Mauritania (2022); Mexico (2023); Montenegro (2024); Namibia (2022); Nepal (2023); Netherlands (2022); Pakistan (2023); Paraguay (2024); Poland (2022); Qatar (2024); Republic of Korea (2022); Senegal (2023); Somalia (2024); Sudan (2022); Ukraine (2023); United Arab Emirates (2024); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2023); United States of America (2024); Uzbekistan (2023); and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (2022).

The President of the Council is Federico Villegas (Argentina).  The Vice-Presidents are Andranik Hovhannisyan (Armenia); Muhammadou M.O. Kah (Gambia); Katharina Stasch (Germany); and Vice-President and Rapporteur Ulugbek Lapasov (Uzbekistan).

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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 Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. 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 Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights/NY, please visit childrightsny.org. 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.

GF22 Global Futures Conference

Setting critical actions for global transformational change

What are the ‘must-have’ outcomes and ‘must-do’ actions that can accelerate the necessary transformations to a safe, just and habitable planet for all? This vital question is the focus of the GF22 Global Futures Conference.

Co-convened by the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory™ at Arizona State University and the Earth League, GF22 will bring together members of the public and private sectors, scientists, youth and activists from around the globe to formulate a bold and actionable agenda to push the boundaries of discourse on what can and must be done now. This will not be a passive forum. It is an opportunity to shape the agenda for governments, corporations and multilateral institutions. Conference leaders will publish and promote a roadmap that outlines the far-reaching, crucial solutions developed at this conference–solutions that are simultaneously ambitious and achievable.

We need your voice. Join us at the Javits Center in New York City to outline the levers of transformation across systems to enable all to flourish.

Registration is complimentary, but by invitation: Reserve your place today

Liberato Bautista, CoNGO President is a speaker. See speakers list here.

Full program available here: globalfuturesconference.org/program

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit csr-sustainability.com. 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 Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

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