forced migration

NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief/NY Annual General Meeting

Dear Friends,

The NGO Committee on FoRB (NY) will host its Annual General Meeting at the Baha’i Center (866 United Nations Plaza #120) on Wednesday, October 12, from 1:15 – 2:30pm (EDT). A light lunch will be provided. (For those unable to attend in person, we will have a Zoom option for virtual attendance.)

Annual General Meeting:

The bureau will provide a brief overview of recent developments in the international FoRB space. We will also discuss ideas for upcoming events. We will conclude by holding our biannual bureau elections. Attached please find the proposed slate for the election. 

Please RSVP for the Annual General Meeting at info@unforb.org by Monday, October 10, 2022.

A Zoom link will be sent out to those who have RSVP’d for virtual attendance approximately an hour prior to the start of the event.

For more information on the Committee, please visit our website: unforb.org.

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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief 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 Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns/NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. 

12th Session-United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM)

The twelfth session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) will be held from 3 – 5 August 2022 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. UN-GGIM, comprising experts designated by the Governments of Member States, seeks to promote international cooperation in global geospatial information management and provide a forum for coordination and dialogue among Member States, and between Member States and relevant international organizations. As the relevant inter-governmental body on geospatial information in the United Nations, UN-GGIM reports on all matters relating to geography, geospatial information and related topics to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

For full agenda, side events, relevant documents, and registration information, please visit ogc.org/otherevents/unggim-12th-session.

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CoNGO Notes: 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 Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at fmhult@umbc.edu or tonkin@hartford.edu. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com.

Leadership for Change: A Call to Action from Sisters Supporting Vulnerable Communities

This side event will address SDGs 14, 15, and 17 – under review at this year’s High-Level Political Forum – by featuring panelists with expertise in creating environmental initiatives that serve and support our planet’s most vulnerable communities. Panelists will include Sisters engaged in grassroots advocacy, speakers from civil society sharing best practices for partnerships around the SDGs, and representatives from Member States with experience of collaborating to make the 2030 Agenda a reality for all. With this event, we aim to model effective implementation of SDG 17, Partnerships for the Goals. UNANIMA and UISG are partnering to produce a concise and powerful call to action, drawing from the experiences of Sisters as development leaders, with concrete policy recommendations on achieving the relevant SDGs.

Join live here on July 7 at 1pm Eastern / 7pm CET:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82672796766?pwd=uuOs9L9gjyMT_WOZAq3SV38ZlU4CWs.1&mc_cid=13e5b4d572&mc_eid=e1bba69d46#success

Through this event, UNANIMA International and the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) will bring to Member States the distinctive voices of Catholic Sisters – women leaders supporting marginalized communities around the world – with a strong call to action on SDGs 14, 15 and 17, under review at this Forum.

The Goals:

SDGs 14 and 15 were established by the UN in 2015. Life Below Water aims to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.” Life on Land was created to “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.” The Earth’s delicate ecosystems sustain and nourish life for all humans.

However, extractive industries, plastic pollution, and many other toxic practices are disrupting the relationship between people and our planet. Marginalized groups, Small-Island Developing States, and countries in the global south are particularly reliant on oceans and land for food security and wellbeing. Habitat loss caused by rising sea levels, deforestation, and other climate-related factors is wreaking havoc around the globe, forcing people to seek out temporary, crowded, and unsafe shelters where illness and infection spread quickly.

Climate injustice – including the loss of homes, biodiversity, and essential food and water supplies – is one of the most pressing obstacles to achieving the SDGs. Indigenous and local communities suffering from changes to their environments can often provide solutions to the challenges we face below water and on land: their insights will be essential in caring for the Earth as we approach 2030.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, a Substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship at the United Nations, please visit  ngocsw.org. 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 Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. 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 the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit  ngocsw-geneva.ch.

International Migration Review Forum

The quadrennial International Migration Review Forum (17-20 May 2022) will be hosted by the President of the UN General Assembly. It consists of four interactive multi-stakeholder round tables, a policy dialogue, and a plenary. It will result in an intergovernmentally agreed Progress Declaration.

An informal interactive multi-stakeholder hearing, hosted by the President of the UN General Assembly, will take place on the day immediately preceding the Forum (16 May).

Register here: un.org/en/migration2022/register

View the full agenda: un.org/en/migration2022/agenda

*Side events will take place outside of the official conference hours of 10 AM – 1 PM and 3 PM – 6 PM.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Migration, please visit ngo-migration.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 the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. 

Role of Culture and Community in Recognizing Diversity and Fostering Inclusion Among Older Immigrants and Other Underrepresented Populations

International Federation on Ageing presents: “The Role of Culture and Community in Recognizing Diversity and Fostering Inclusion Among Older Immigrants and Other Underrepresented Populations,” a Conversation with Mr. Kahir Lalji Provincial Director, Government Relations and Population Health, United Way of British Columbia

Immigration is a crucial factor in fostering growth and maintaining the economic and social health of countries around the world. Immigrants provide essential contributions to society and yet they often face disproportionate barriers to accessing social services and supports. For older’ immigrants, multiple factors (e.g., cultural differences, working conditions and health factors etc.) can affect their ability to actively engage in family and community activities.

The IFA is honored to invite Mr. Kahir Lalji, Provincial Director, Government Relations and Population Health, United Way of British Columbia with extensive background in non-profit leadership and community development, Mr. Lalji’s passion in working with underserved populations has driven his success in supporting community-based programs and services across the province.

Register here!

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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. 

Regular Pathways and Irregular Migration

Join GRFDT in the second round of virtual meetings, this one focused on “Regular Pathways and Irregular Migration.” This round will build on the action points from the first round. A moderator will guide the 90-minute open conversations and will go around the regions to collect participants’ insights.

Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkce6grjsrHtVe4SfYkG-gUWPFyW72hYo3

Recognize that in the absence of adequate, rights-respecting regular migration pathways, people who need to move for livelihood or other reasons will still do so and must not be criminalized for it.

Moderator: Mr. Oscar A. Chacon – Executive Director, Alianza Americas

Action Points:

1. Change the narratives – towards a reconceptualization approach

2. Unpack irregular migration into different thematics (intersectionality)

3. Pushing for the principle of non-discrimination

4. Moving forward with a multilateral approach

5. Family reunification

6. Temporary labour migration

7. Regular pathways and climate change

The Organizers: Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), the Cross-Regional Center for Refugees and Migrants (CCRM), the Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism (GRFDT), the Civil Society Action Committee, Alianza Americas, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), and the Climate Migration & Displacement Platform (CMDP)

Simultaneous interpretation in Arabic, English, French, & Spanish

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CoNGO Notes: 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. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@gmail.com or bknotts@uua.org. 

World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day 2021 focuses on the power of inclusion.

The shared experience of COVID-19 has showed us that we only succeed if we stand together. We have all had to do our part to keep each other safe and despite the challenges, refugees and displaced people have stepped up.

Given the chance, refugees will continue to contribute to a stronger, safer and more vibrant world. Therefore UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency’s World Refugee Day campaign this year is calling for the greater inclusion of refugees in health systems, schools and sport. Only by working together can we recover from the pandemic. Together we heal, learn and shine.

Background

Every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror. There are several types of forcibly displaced persons:

Refugees

  • A refugee is someone who fled his or her home and country owing to “a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”, according to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention. Many refugees are in exile to escape the effects of natural or human-made disasters.

Asylum Seekers

  • Asylum seekers say they are refugees and have fled their homes as refugees do, but their claim to refugee status is not yet definitively evaluated in the country to which they fled.

Internally Displaced Persons

  • Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are people who have not crossed an international border but have moved to a different region than the one they call home within their own country.

Stateless Persons

  • Stateless persons do not have a recognized nationality and do not belong to any country. Statelessness situations are usually caused by discrimination against certain groups. Their lack of identification — a citizenship certificate — can exclude them from access to important government services, including health care, education or employment.

Returnees

  • Returnees are former refugees who return to their own countries or regions of origin after time in exile. Returnees need continuous support and reintegration assistance to ensure that they can rebuild their lives at home.

To learn more about how/why the UN commemorates this observance, including how the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol helps protect refugees, explore un.org/en/observances/refugee-day.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Migration, please visit ngo-migration.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 Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@gmail.com or bknotts@uua.org. 

Families Coping with COVID: Challenges and Opportunities in Child Welfare

Families Coping with COVID: Challenges & Opportunities in Child Welfare
Please RSVP by 6pm EST Wednesday, Nov. 18th, via this form.
Families around the world are struggling with the added pressures of the COVID-19 health crisis due to the effects of job losses, changes in schooling, and affected family members, especially those which are vulnerable. For families involved in child welfare proceedings, there is an additional risk of prolonging family separation between children and parents who are capable but may need additional support. We are pleased to host Prof. Jane Spinak of Columbia University School of Law , who examines this in “Child Welfare and COVID-19: An Unexpected Opportunity for Systemic Change,” in Law in the Time of COVID-19. Prof Spinak will discuss the impact of covid on child welfare systems and ways in which it may spur reforms which will benefit children and families.
Note: If you were not able to attend our October members meeting, or would like to revisit the excellent remarks of our speakers, the recording is available on our YouTube  channel.
NGO Committee on the Family New York
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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Family, visit www.ngofamilyny.org. For information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of the Child, please email the co-chair at marjones@nyc.rr.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.

[UN Observance] International Migrants Day

Every year on December 18, the United Nations commemorates International Migrants Day. To learn more and stay apprised of relevant events, visit https://www.un.org/en/observances/migrants-day.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Migration, please visit ngo-migration.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of the Child, please email the co-chair at marjones@nyc.rr.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 Social Development-NY, please visit https://ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. 

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