#civilsociety

{Virtual} UN75 Global Governance Forum (Day 1)

OPENING PLENARY

9:00am – 10:30am

Livestream Link: https://livestream.com/accounts/22723452/UN75GGForumSept16

Translation Link: https://attend.wordly.ai/join/REUF-0065

CONCURRENT DIALOGUES

Post-COVID Recovery and the Future of Global Economic and Social Governance
Day and time: Day 1, September 16, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm EST

Zoom Webinar Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86964411976  Translation Link: https://attend.wordly.ai/join/BBWD-3967

The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center has tracked more than 25 million confirmed cases of the virus globally, already causing nearly 850 thousand deaths (by 1 September 2020). The remarkable speed, global reach, and ease by which the virus crossed borders and is being transmitted between people have sent stock markets tumbling worldwide, with the World Bank projecting the deepest global recession since World War II (an estimated 5.2 percent contraction in global GDP in 2020). This excessive volatility, the sudden drop in confidence by consumers, and severe knock-on economic and social effects have resulted in a swift overnight contraction in cross-border finance, trade, air travel, and other sectors of our hyperconnected global economy, as well as millions of job losses. This session will examine measures to overhaul our system of global economic and social governance, both to respond to the immediate challenge of recovery from COVID-19 and redouble efforts to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Rethinking the World’s System of Collective Security 75 Years After San Francisco
Day and time: Day 1, September 16, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm EST

Zoom Webinar Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89314705291 Translation Link: https://attend.wordly.ai/join/JJUP-0643

75 years after its inception, the United Nations faces daunting challenges regarding one of its main tasks: the maintenance of international peace and security. Multiple, concurrent, and recurring intrastate conflicts, exploited by international state and non-state actors, have reversed the declining global trends in political violence witnessed since the end of the Cold War, fueling refugee movements and human suffering, particularly in the fragile and less developed countries. Moreover, the modernization of nuclear weapons arsenals and the collapse of the existing control and disarmament regimes are adding to the global threat scenario. At the same time, the growing roles of women, civil society organizations, and businesses, whose voices are amplified through modern communications technologies, offer new opportunities for effective peacebuilding and governance reform and renewal while more research illustrates the effectiveness of organizing and nonmilitary approaches to security. The complexity of the 21st-century challenges to global peace and security requires a far-reaching overhaul of a peace and security architecture with the United Nations at its core. This discussion, therefore, takes off with a set of proposed reforms to the peace and security architecture of the United Nations that were developed in expert discussions prior to the September 2020 Forum.

Reimagining the Global Human Rights and Humanitarian Architecture
Day and time: Day 1, September 16, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm EST

Zoom Webinar Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84866014310 Translation Link: https://attend.wordly.ai/join/XXTS-2744

Though a latecomer to the United Nations system’s informal “pillar structure” (and despite fears of backsliding in recent years), human rights has assumed over the past two decades a central space on the United Nations Agenda, alongside more traditional concerns with peace and security and sustainable development. Similarly, with the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit, the worst refugee crisis worldwide since the Second World War, and proliferation of urgent human needs accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic, the viability and design of the global humanitarian system has also moved to the forefront of international policy-making. This session will explore steps to reimagine and improve the global human rights and humanitarian architecture, leveraging the United Nations’ 75th Anniversary Commemoration and Declaration in novel ways to ensure that “We The Peoples” drive deliberations on the future of global governance.

Climate Governance: The Paris Agreement and Beyond
Day and time: Day 1, September 16, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm EST

Zoom Webinar Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86051900433 Translation Link: https://attend.wordly.ai/join/XVKP-4679

The currently inadequate global governance mechanisms leave humanity exposed to unacceptable levels of risk. Climate and ecological related risks are also interwoven with knock-on effects across other sectors. The window for action is narrowing for the international community, and the current situation calls for unprecedented levels of international cooperation and exponential action across every region of the world, and across the global economy. In response to these catastrophic risks, a number of new business models and technical solutions have been developed and are increasingly being accepted and implemented. However, a truly transformational shift away from a fossil fuel dependency will require global governance solutions that facilitate existing and new ways of delivering on policy goals as described in the Paris Agreement and beyond. This session will explore the leverage points in global climate governance which may allow for solutions to scale and to catalyze the necessary transformation.

A Global Civic Ethic, Countering Rising Nationalism, and The Future of Global Governance
Day and time: Day 1, September 16, 12:00 – 1:30 pm EST

Zoom Webinar Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84617435437 Translation Link: https://attend.wordly.ai/join/MHTX-2168

Especially in an age of rising nationalism, modernizing and making more inclusive our institutions of global governance requires more than creative, often technocratic proposals recommending new tools and structural change. True global governance transformation must be underpinned by a moral and ethical vision for a more just, inclusive, sustainable, and peaceful world. Drawing insights and teachings from major world religions, philosophers, public intellectuals, and other global civil society actors, this session will speak to the moral and ethical principles associated with growing emergence of a Global Civic Ethics and the accompanying notions of global responsibility and citizenship. The roots of — and effective strategies for countering — exclusive forms of nationalism (which undermine and erode efforts to strengthen global cooperation and responsibility) will also be explored.

The Future of Philanthropy in Global Governance
Day and time: Day 1, September 16, 12:00 – 1:30 pm EST

Livestream Webinar Link: https://livestream.com/accounts/22723452/UN75GGForumFOP                                                       Translation Link: https://attend.wordly.ai/join/YYTU-3866

This lively and interactive session will feature leading voices in the philanthropic sector working, in partnership with civil society, the private sector, governments, and the UN system, to build a more inclusive, effective, and just system of global governance. The dialogue will be framed around the past and present advances in global governance philanthropy, as well as future considerations for philanthropy and global governance systems. It will consider how philanthropic institutions worldwide can best empower and catalyze other partners seeking to achieve progressive changes in the global governance architecture, to better address issues of equitable sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security.

Technology, Financing and Global Governance Partnerships for Good Global Citizenship
Day and time: Day 1, Sept. 16, 12:00 – 1:30pm EST

Zoom Webinar Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89808827586 Translation Link: https://attend.wordly.ai/join/FJZN-0000

In this challenging time, the need for universal connectivity and inclusive finance is greater than ever before. With the backdrop of the United Nations’ 75th anniversary, this session will explore how rapid advances in technology for digital cooperation and new perspectives of global citizens (private and corporate, national and multinational) can advance a more fair global economy for the better. The speakers include thought leaders who are innovating how global collective action problems can be addressed in our hyperconnected global economy. This interactive dialogue will give special attention to transformative approaches for fostering a more secure, just, equitable, and environmentally sustainable recovery to the COVID-19 crisis.

{Virtual} International Day Against Nuclear Tests 

DGC Civil Society Unit

SAVE THE DATE: International Day Against Nuclear Tests
Virtual Event

Organized by the President of the General Assembly with support from the Office for Disarmament Affairs

Date: 26 August 2020
Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Watch online at http://webtv.un.org
More info: www.un.org/en/observances/end-nuclear-tests-day
Established to commemorate the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site on 29 August 1991, the International Day Against Nuclear Tests is marked around the world each year with events highlighting the effects of nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world.

Photo: Licorne test, 1971, French Polynesia. The Official CTBTO Photostream

WHO Digital Health virtual Round Table with Civil Societies & NGOs

WHO Digital Health virtual Round Table with Civil Societies & NGOs

Date: 3 September 2020
Time: 2 – 4:30 p.m. CEST
To apply for participation, please fill out this registration form

WHO would like to invite partners and potential investors to an engaging virtual round table to learn, collaborate, invest, and commit to the future in Digital Health.

This event, which is a series of round table scheduled to be held this year, is an opportunity to:

  • Present the WHO vision for digital health by building the Global Digital Health Community together with key stakeholders including the Member States
  • Bring together a global digital health community to work together in the prioritization, adoption and acceleration of digital health technologies
  • Commit to a global effort to contribute to and invest in the Global Digital Health Ecosystem

For more information and contact details, please visit WHO webpage

[Webinar] Local to Global: Agents of Change, A Youth Led Initiative

1. Nature of event: Webinar

2. Organizers | Sponsors: Nonviolence International New York

3. Title of event: “Local to Global: Agents of Change, A Youth Led Initiative”

4. Concept note about or brief introduction to the event:
This Side Event will feature Agents of Change, youth from all around the world who have led significant initiatives in response to pressing social issues,  with a focus on disarmament, nonviolent methodologies, and civil society. This event hopes to highlight and encourage youth involvement in civil society as well as provide information on how to effectively get involved in advocacy and social justice, whilst highlighting avenues for active engagement in accomplishing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The Agents of Change will be joining us to share their own experiences and anecdotes on how they are personally involved in sustainable peace.

5. Day and date, start and finish time (including time zone), venue: Wednesday, July 15th, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST

6. Speakers, moderator:

– Parker Dolton, Research Analyst NVI-NY (moderator)
– Joshua Kirshbaum, Executive Director NVI-NY (speaker)
– Nicole Himel, Research Analyst NVI-NY (speaker)
– Veronika Leitmanova, Research Manager NVI-NY (speaker)
– Inci Sayki, Research Analyst NVI-NY (speaker)
– Meredith Carbonell, Research Analyst NVI-NY (speaker)

7. Links or information about registration and participation: Please RSVP for the event here. If this link doesn’t work, please copy and paste the following in your browser:
https://www.nviny.net/remote-programs/local-to-global-agents-of-change-a-youth-led-initiative  

8. Announcement posters or background documents:
Please visit our website for background information on NVI-NY: www.nonviolenceny.org  and this will lead up to the set of webinars that this team will be hosting in late July through August (dates TBA)

AUGUST EXPERT PANELS 

The series of online panels hosted by NVINY’s Civil Society Engagement (CSE) team will consist of 3 panels and will take place through 3 consecutive weeks, with one panel taking place each week.

  1. Nishka Malik’s panel discussion will be concerning indigenous people and mining,
  2. Parker Dolton’s will be on education initiatives in developing countries,
  3. Arielle Rosenthal’s will be on the future of humanitarian aid.

Each panel will feature 4 speakers and will be 60 to 90 minutes. The panels will take place on Zoom, and will preferably be broadcasted on Youtube and Facebook for more engagement with the audience.

We are still looking for a few more panelists and if you know anyone who would want to speak in the expert panel on one of these three topics if you could encourage them to reach out to the CSE Team lead Inci Sayki at  incisayki@nonviolenceny.org
Organizers | Sponsors:
a) Nonviolence International New York – Nonviolenceny.org
b) the New York Graduate Plan – newyorkgraduateplan.org

Organizational meeting (44th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council)

CHANGE OF DATE: Organizational meeting — 44th regular session of the Human Rights Council (12 June 2020, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m)

To all Permanent Missions to the United Nations Office at Geneva:
The Secretariat of the Human Rights Council presents its compliments to the Permanent Missions to the United Nations Office at Geneva, international organizations or their offices, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and other human rights bodies, and has the honour to attach a note verbale concerning the organizational  meeting for the forty-fourth session of the Council, which will be held on Friday 12 June 2020, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. instead of Wednesday 10 June as indicated in the previous note verbale dated Friday 5 June.
 
The Secretariat of the Human Rights Council avails itself of this opportunity to renew to all Permanent Missions to the United Nations Office at Geneva, international organizations or their offices, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and other human rights bodies the assurances of its highest consideration.
Secretariat of the Human Rights Council
——————————————————————————————
A toutes les Missions permanentes auprès de l’Office des Nations Unies à Genève :Le Secrétariat du Conseil des droits de l’homme présente ses compliments aux missions permanentes auprès de l’Office des Nations Unies à Genève, aux organisations internationales ou à leurs bureaux, aux institutions nationales des droits de l’homme, aux organisations non gouvernementales et aux autres organes des droits de l’homme, et a l’honneur de leur transmettre ci-joint une note verbale concernant la réunion d’organisation de la 44ème session, qui aura lieu le vendredi 12 juin 2020 de 11h00 à 13h00 au lieu du mercredi 10 juin comme indiqué dans la note verbale du vendredi 5 juin.

Le Secrétariat du Conseil des droits de l’homme saisit cette occasion pour renouveler à toutes les missions permanentes auprès de l’Office des Nations Unies à Genève, aux organisations internationales ou à leurs bureaux, aux institutions nationales des droits de l’homme, aux organisations non gouvernementales et aux autres organes des droits de l’homme les assurances de sa très haute considération.
 
Secrétariat du Conseil des droits de l’homme

NGO Committee on Financing for Development – NY annual meeting on strategy & advocacy

The annual strategizing meeting of the NGO Committee on Financing for Development-NY will take place by Zoom  on June 3 from 1:00 – 3:30 pm EST. Alberto Padova and Philipp Erfuch will join us to discuss strategies to strengthen our areas of work and advocacy priorities as we prepare for the upcoming year. 

Register in advance here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwuc-mhrD8qGtTFb9ETM8qFd01LJvpdyz6l

NGO COMMITTEE ON FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT – NY

Our annual strategizing meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Time: 1-3:30 pm
Location: Zoom

Agenda
1. Welcome, introductions and approval of Minutes (1:00 pm -1:05 pm)
2. Annual Report and treasurer’s report – (1:05 pm- 1:30 pm)
3. Appreciation and thanks – (1:30 pm- 1:45 pm)
4. Strategies to strengthen engagement and advance advocacy priorities:
Alberto Padova, Chief, Strategic Engagement and Policy Integration Branch, UN FSDO and
Philipp Erfurth, Economic Affairs Officer, UN FSDO (1:45pm – 2:15 pm)
5. Breakout sessions (2:20 pm- 2:55 pm pm)
6. Briefing on FACTI panel and its work – Peter Chowla, Senior Economic Affairs Officer
High Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency & Integrity (FACTI)
(3:00 pm – 3:20 pm)
7. Reporting back from breakout sessions and next steps – Working Group leads
(3:20-3:25 pm)
8. Other business and next meeting (3:25 pm– 3:30 pm)

_______________________

CoNGO Notes: To know more of the work of the NGO Committee on Financing for Development-NY, including how to become a member, send an email to its Chair, Anita Thomas, at ngosonffd@gmail.com, and visit their website, ngosonffd.org/.  See also the Committee’s social media handle on Facebook: NGOsOnFfD and @NGOsonFfD.

Annual Meeting: Academic Council on the UN (ACUNS)

ACADEMIC COUNCIL ON THE UN (ACUNS)

2020 Annual Meeting – UN @ 75: The Future of Partnership and Multilateralism

Register at: https://acuns.org/am2020/

The signing of the UN Charter in 1945, signaled the beginning of the new dawn in multilateralism. 75 years later we need to ask ourselves: what future do we want and what UN do we need (for that future)?

The 2020 ACUNS Annual Meeting not only provides an appropriate moment to critically reflect on 75 years of UN history, but also and perhaps more so provides an opportunity to constructively discuss the future of multilateralism and the role of partnerships in the future governance of our common global good. UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call “to promote and support a reformed, reinvigorated and strengthened multilateral system” is timely. Brexit; the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and UNESCO; Uzbekistan’s withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Community; The Philippines’ and Burundi’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court; and Japan’s withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission, can all be cited as examples of what many consider to be a ‘crisis in multilateralism.’

Crises in multilateralism are not new, but now more than ever, the opposition to multilateralism seems to be triggered by a fateful combination of nationalist and populist tendencies in politics, and a growing distrust in international organizations among the people whom governments and inter-governmental organizations intend to serve. There is a need to not only reaffirm and reinvigorate the merits of multilateralism, but also to reconceptualize multilateralism as an all-inclusive and
encompassing global partnership. The UN has the potential of becoming our global partnership hub; not only as a landing platform for all stakeholders at all levels: public and private; international, regional, national and local; civil society and business; political parties, faith groups, labor unions, professional associations and educational institutions; but also—and more so—as springboard towards a new-multilateralism.

SDG 17 calls for multi-stakeholder partnerships in such crucial issues as capacity building, the co-production of knowledge and innovation, enhanced policy coherence, and entrepreneurship must be met with a strengthened effort to (re)build trust among those with a stake and an interest in the future of multilateralism and global partnerships. The Academic Council on the United Nations System therefore invites you to submit individual paper proposals and panel proposals on a wide variety of topics and issues that speak to the general theme of the Annual Meeting: UN @ 75: THE FUTURE OF PARTNERSHIP AND MULTILATERALISM.

Such proposal topics can include, but are not limited to:
> Public-private partnerships
> Trust building
> Leadership and resilience in multilateralism
> The role of the Global South in multilateralism and Global South partnerships
> The role of business and corporate stakeholders
> The history and future of multilateralism and international organizations
> The relationship between NGOs and IGOs
> The reform of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations
> The role of higher education in researching and teaching multilateralism and partnerships
> Local communities in/and global governance
> (Future) technologies in the development of dialogues between different stakeholders
> The position of young people in determining their future
> The cooperation between global and regional IGOs
> The future governance of such issues as development, security, education, and health

The deadline for submitting proposals is Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

High-Level Political Forum 2020

HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM 2020 (HLPF 2020) UNDER THE AUSPICES OF ECOSOC

The meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2020 will be held from Tuesday, 7 July, to Thursday, 16 July 2020, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. This will include the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from Tuesday, 14 July, to Thursday, 16 July 2020. .

The theme will be “Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development “.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and expected limitations on in-person meetings and international travel, the ECOSOC Bureau is planning to make adjustments to the format and programme of HLPF 2020. Available technological solutions for virtual sessions and interaction are being explored – including for presentations of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Any potential physical participation will have to be limited to New York based delegates only. All side-events will be virtual. The final format and programme of HLPF will follow the recommendations of the UN Medical Director regarding the convening of in-person meetings. More information will follow as soon as there is more guidance on the situation.

For more information, visit https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2020

e-Conferennce: Strategies for Transformative Global Leadership (Global Leadership in the 21st Century)

LATEST UPDATE: Click here to register for the Strategies for Transformative Global Leadership e-Conference on June 15-19, 2020

AGENDA AND SPEAKERS, click here: worldacademy.org/conferences/stgl

________________________________________________________

Dear NGO Representatives,

On behalf of the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, this is an update about the project Global Leadership in the 21st Century, which is being implemented by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) in collaboration with the World Academy of Art & Science (WAAS).

Following the briefing conducted at UN Geneva on 8 November 2019 and a survey of the NGOs that followed to elicit ideas and experiences related to the core themes of the project, a five day e-conference will take place on 15-19 June 2020 to present ideas and recommendations from various organizations on catalytic strategies for transformative global leadership with the objective to bring together and synthesize the best ideas. The results of the e-conference will feed into the main conference to be organized at the Palais des Nations on 27-28 October 2020 and the final report of the project.

Please find attached an update on the Global Leadership in the 21st Century project as well as a call for proposals for the June e-conference.

Thank you for being part of this important project.

***

Cher(e)s représentant(e)s d’ONG,

Au nom de la directrice générale de l’Office des Nations Unies à Genève, Mme Tatiana Valovaya, voici une mise à jour sur le projet “Global Leadership in the 21st Century” (Leadership mondial au 21e siècle). Ce projet est présentement mené par l’Office des Nations Unies à Genève (ONUG) en collaboration avec la World Academy of Art & Science (WAAS).

Suite à la séance d’information organisée à l’ONU à Genève le 8 novembre 2019 et à l’enquête menée ensuite auprès des ONG pour recueillir des idées et des expériences liées aux thèmes centraux du projet, une conférence virtuelle de cinq jours aura lieu du 15 au 19 juin 2020 pour présenter les idées et les recommandations de diverses organisations sur les stratégies catalytiques pour un leadership mondial transformateur, avec pour objectif de rassembler et de synthétiser les meilleures idées. Les résultats de cette conférence alimenteront la conférence principale qui sera organisée au Palais des Nations les 27-28 octobre 2020 et le rapport final du projet.

Veuillez trouver ci-joint une mise à jour sur le projet “Global Leadership in the 21st Century” ainsi qu’un appel à propositions pour la conférence virtuelle de juin (en anglais).

Merci de faire partie de cet important projet.

 

NGO Liaison Unit

Political Affairs and Partnerships Section
Office of the Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva
Palais des Nations
T: +41 22 917 1304 / 2178 | F: +41 22 917 0583
(New) E: unog.ngo@un.org
www.ungeneva.org

____________________________________________________

CoNGO NOTES: CoNGO is a partner organization of the event.

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