ocean economy

Building A Dependable U.S. Financial Commitment to the UN

With renewed attention on the United Nations and a lengthy 2023 global “to-do list,” please join for a discussion on how sustained and dependable U.S. financial investment in the UN can advance U.S. national interests and improve the international body’s effectiveness and global impact.

The session will consider the diplomatic, political and practical management opportunities that would result from both regular and dependable U.S. payments. It will also showcase that a foundational element of renewed U.S. global leadership is engagement in the international system beyond financial contributions.

Register here!

Featured Speakers:

  • Christopher P. Lu, Ambassador, United States Mission to the UN
  • Sara Jacobs, Representative, California’s 53rd Congressional District
  • Jordie Hannum, Executive Director, Better World Campaign
  • Andrew Hyde, Senior Fellow, Peace Operations and Protecting Civilians in Conflict Programs, Stimson Center (Moderator)

This is part of a series under the project U.S. Financial Leadership in Multilateral Organizations.

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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/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 Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.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 Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com.

Towards Environmental Justice: The Role of the Legally Binding Instrument for Business Accountability in Combatting the Triple Planetary Crisis

On Oct. 25, please join Franciscans International for this side event during the 8th session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and human rights.

Panelists will discuss specific local cases and recent developments such as the recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment to explore how the current draft text of the legally binding instrument may serve to mitigate the triple planetary crisis and hold corporations accountable.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K0bBCBYjRHylqmFKzQIPDg

Speakers:

  • Erika Mendes (Justiça Ambiental / Friends of the Earth Mozambique) on gas projects in Cabo Delgado
  • Viviana Tacha (Centro Sociojurídico para la Defensa Territorial) on the La Colosa Mine in Colombia
  • Layla Hughes (Lawyer and Consultant) on the impact of oil and gas industries in the United States
  • Debbie Stothard (ALTSEAN – Burma)
  • David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment

Interpretation available in English, Español, and Português.

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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/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 Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com

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. 

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. 

Advancing the Blue Economy in Kenya

This UNOC2022 side event aims to promote awareness and discussion on how actors can contribute to unlock the full economic possibilities of coastal and marine resources through interventions that involve effective participation of all relevant people while protecting these resources for present and future generation, while developing ecosystem resilience.

The event is aligned with UNOC22 interactive dialogue “Promoting and strengthening sustainable ocean-based economies, in particular for small island developing States and least developed countries” and it will be centered on a technical debate with the thematic focus “How innovative solutions applied to the blue economy sector can help harnessing its potential and be beneficial for coastal communities in an inclusive, participatory, and sustainable manner?

Please register by 27th June 2022 here: https://forms.gle/nyhoS5MJtWdm5QrLA

After successful registration confirmation, you will receive a guest link. All confirmed guests are requested to login 10 minutes before the event time using the link that will be provided after registration confirmation. Please note that the event will be conducted in English.

The Go Blue Kenya project is a partnership between the European Union and the Government of Kenya to advance the blue economy agenda in Kenya through coastal development.  The overall objective of the 4 year Go Blue project is to contribute to coastal economic development in an inclusive, integrated, participatory, and sustainable manner. The project is funded by the European Union.

Contacts:
Camões — Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua, I. P.
Paula Alexandra Ribeiro Mota Vilela de Oliveira
Tourism and Cultural Heritage Go Blue Component Leader
Paula.Oliveira@camoes.mne.pt

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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-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com

International Declaration for Tuna Sustainability

The International Declaration for Tuna Sustainability, a global and collaborative alliance promoted by Bermeo Tuna World Capital, brings together the world’s leading tuna cities committed to sustainable tuna management and oceans sustainable development.

Register here: unocvirtualevent.comIn this event, to be held on 28 June within the United Nations Ocean Conference, delegates from several cities in which tuna is a fundamental part of their economy and social processes, their history and their future projection, will share their perspective on the sustainable management of tuna sector and the opportunities that the International Declaration for Tuna Sustainability offers to contribute to a better competitiveness and sustainability, with a strategy closely aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

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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 congocsd.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org

2022 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is celebrated globally on 9 August. It marks the date of the inaugural session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982. The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) is organizing a virtual commemoration of the International Day from 9 am to 11am (EST) on Tuesday, 9 August 2022, focusing on this year’s theme: “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge. ” Indigenous Peoples, Member States, UN entities, civil society, and the public are all invited.

Background:

Indigenous women are the backbone of indigenous peoples’ communities and play a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of traditional ancestral knowledge. They have an integral collective and community role as carers of natural resources and keepers of scientific knowledge. Many indigenous women are also taking the lead in the defence of lands and territories and advocating for indigenous peoples’ collective rights worldwide.

The significance of indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge is widely acknowledged: “Long before the development of modern science, which is quite young, indigenous peoples have developed their ways of knowing how to survive and also of ideas about meanings, purposes and values.” As noted by the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples, the term “scientific knowledge” is also used to underscore that traditional knowledge is contemporary and dynamic, and of equal value to other kinds of knowledge.

International consultations jointly facilitated by UNESCO and the Internal Council of Science (ICSU) states that “Traditional knowledge is a cumulative body of knowledge, know-how, practices and representations maintained and developed by peoples with extended histories of interaction with the natural environment. These sophisticated sets of understandings, interpretations and meanings are part and parcel of a cultural complex that encompasses language, naming and classification systems, resource use practices, ritual, spirituality and worldviews.”

However, despite the crucial role that indigenous women play in their communities as breadwinners, caretakers, knowledge keepers, leaders and human rights defenders, they often suffer from intersecting levels of discrimination on the basis of gender, class, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Their right to self-determination, self-governance and control of resources and ancestral lands have been violated over centuries.

Small but significant progress has been made by indigenous women in decision-making processes in some communities. They are leaders at local and national levels, and stand at the frontlines of defending their lands, their cultures, and their communities. The reality, however, remains that indigenous women are widely under-represented, disproportionately negatively affected by decisions made on their behalf, and are too frequently the victims of multiple expressions of discrimination and violence.

The Committee of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) highlighted some of the major issues encountered by indigenous women, particularly noting the high levels of poverty; low levels of education and illiteracy; limitations in access to health, basic sanitation, credit and employment; limited participation in political life; and the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence.

Format:

The virtual commemoration will include an interactive dialogue segment with invited speakers, moderated by Ms. Rosemary Lane, Acting Chief of the Indigenous Peoples Development Branch – Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Speakers will share their expertise and experience from their indigenous communities in preserving, reviving, retaining, and transmitting the traditional ancestral knowledge in various fields of communal activities, including but not limited to effective and sustainable climate solutions, use of natural resources, protection of biodiversity, ensuring food security, promoting native languages and culture, and managing indigenous science and medicine. Questions to be discussed include:

  • What is the unique position of indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge?
  • What are some of the brightest examples of indigenous women-led processes in solving contemporary global issues through the effective application of traditional scientific knowledge?
  • How are indigenous languages crucial to the development, preservation, and transmission of indigenous cultural and knowledge systems? How are women leading the way in maintaining indigenous languages?
  • What was the effect of applying indigenous scientific knowledge and medicine in alleviating the consequences of the COVID-19 epidemiologic crisis?

Panel Speakers:

Archana Soreng (Kharia) – Member of UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change

Aili Keskitalo (Sámi)  – Former President of the Sámi Parliament of Norway

Zakiyatou Oualet Halatine (Touareg) – Former Minister of Tourism & Handicrafts, Mali

Hannah McGlade (Noongar) – Member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Commentary on Panel Discussion by His Excellency Ambassador Diego Pary Rodriguez(Quechua), Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the United Nations

 

More information about International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2022 available here: un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/international-day-of-the-worlds-indigenous-peoples-2022.html

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CoNGO Notes: 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 the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.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. For more information on the NGO Committee on Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at fmhult@umbc.edu or tonkin@hartford.edu. 

Can Harnessing Blue and Thematic Bonds Build a Sustainable, Regenerative Ocean Economy?

On Wednesday, June 29, at 1pm ET, join the NGO Committee on Financing for Development for an official virtual side event of the 2022 UN Ocean Conference!

A multilateral expert panel will discuss what blue and thematic bonds are, how they’re working in practice, and how to optimize them as building blocks toward a regenerative, sustainable ocean economy.

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvc–%20%20prD4sG9eXXTtidrPei5J2Xe3tQPb8

Speakers:

  • H.E. Mr. Ian Dereck Joseph Madeleine, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Seychelles to the United Nations
  • Mr. Stephen M. Liberatore, Head of ESG/Impact – Global Fixed Income for Nuveen, a private investor in the Seychelles blue bond
  • Mr. Greg Fisk, Global Lead – Climate Risk and Resilience, Senior Principal Consultant, BMT
  • Mr. Nicola Mercusa, Sustainable Finance Hub, Debt and Bond issuance expert advisor, UNDP H.E. Leon Kaulahao Siu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands
  • Dr. Megan Davis, Ph.D., Research Professor, Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute/ Queen Conch Lab
  • Additional NGO speakers to be confirmed

Moderator:

Ms. Anita Thomas, Chair, NGO Committee on Financing for Development; Representative to the UN, Women First International Fund (formerly Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund)

Co-organizers:  General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church, PEAC Institute, ManUp Campaign, United Religions Initiative, Dominican Leadership Conference, Africa Development Interchange Network, Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO), Temple of Understanding

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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on Financing for Development is a Substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org.

Economist Group’s 8th Annual World Ocean Summit: Accelerating a Sustainable Ocean Economy

Since 2012 The Economist‘s World Ocean Summit has been the pre-eminent global platform for leaders in business, finance, government, and civil society to debate the greatest challenges facing the seas, share bold strategies to help tackle them, and form partnerships that will mobilize the action needed to build a sustainable ocean economy.

The 2020 “ocean super year”, of a series of major conferences and events, was disrupted by the pandemic. In 2021 it will therefore be an even more urgent move from theory to action.

The 8th annual edition, now a fully virtual event, will aim to change the way business is done in the ocean, shaping and accelerating how governments, businesses, and civil society work together to create a sustainable blue economy.

The virtual week offers the opportunity to access five days of highly curated content and the chance to make meaningful connections no matter where you are in the world.

Plenary sessions and action-oriented industry tracks include: Aquaculture, Energy, Plastics, Fishing, Shipping, and Tourism.

Register here and explore the full agenda here

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