Transforming Education Summit

Dear ASPBAE Members, Partners, and Asia Pacific Members of CCNGO,

Warm greetings to all! We hope this finds you well.

We are now three weeks away from the start of the Transforming Education Summit, which will be organized at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 16, 17, and 19 September 2022.

On 16 September: The Mobilisation Day will be organized and led by youth with the full involvement of a broad variety of stakeholders. Informed by the Summit Youth Declaration, it will serve to convey the collective recommendations of youth on transforming education to decision-makers and policymakers. Additionally, it will emphasize getting the support of the public, youth, educators, civil society, and other stakeholders to support the transformation of education across the world.

On 17 September: The Solutions Day will give partners a platform to rally support for the beginning or expansion of activities linked to the Summit’s Thematic Action Tracks. There will be presentations of coalitions for action and other multi-stakeholder initiatives that will help transform education.

On 19 September: The Leaders Day will be dedicated to the presentation of National Statements of Commitment by Heads of State and Government in the form of Leaders Roundtables. A limited number of thematic sessions will also be held to place a focus on cross-cutting priorities for transforming education. Leaders Day will also feature the presentation of the Summit Youth Declaration and the Secretary-General’s Vision Statement for Transforming Education.

Those interested in participating in the Summit proceedings (16-17 September, 19 September) – including youth and civil society – are invited to fill out the online expression of interest form available on the Summit website using this link: Civil Society Engagements in the Transforming Education Summit Registration. The deadline for registration is 31 August 2022.

National and international commitments to transform education; greater public engagement around and support for transforming education; and a Vision Statement on Transforming Education from the Secretary-General are the Summit’s primary outcomes. The Vision Statement will be formally presented as an input to intergovernmental negotiations on the future of education as part of the preparations for the proposed UN Summit of the Future. To ensure efficient follow-up at all levels, it will also be used as input for the SDG4-Education 2030 High-Level Steering Committee’s work.

For more information, including on the TES-related national consultations, visit the Transforming Education Knowledge Hub. You may also view the TES Information Note and the TES Concept Note and Programme.

Please also keep an eye out for more updates on ASPBAE’s social media channels. Thank you and we look forward to your active participation!

Warm regards from the ASPBAE Secretariat

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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 Children’s Rights-NY, please visit childrightsny.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.

Invest in SDG 4.7 to Unleash the Transformative Power of Education

This side event sponsored by Salesian Missions, addresses the critical need for a holistic education focused on target 7 of SDG 4. Even though we are yet to achieve the various targets under Goal 4, considerable progress has been made in this regard. This has not resulted in a more equal world despite the fact education has always been seen as a great leveler. Globally inequality has continued to grow. What can make education truly transformative are the aspirational goals set out in target 4.7.

The World Program of Human Rights Education that followed the Decade of Human Rights Education, the Decade of Education to Sustainable Development, and the United Nation’s Gyeongju Action Plan for Education for Global Citizenship, not only add content to target 7 but also set the framework for Sustainable Development Goals and its overarching goal: Leave No One Behind. They have the power to make education transformative. The call of Pope Francis for a Global Compact on Education also reinforces the need for addressing target 4.7.
In conversation with experts from OHCHR, UNESCO, Development Cooperation Agencies, and field practitioners, this side event will attempt to deepen this understanding even as it examines the progress already made in this respect.

The side event while presenting good practices that highlight the transformative power of education where there has been a focus on target 4.7. will also strengthen the call for investment and commitment to pursue target 4.7.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0td-2trDgoEtIO29WYZajXTVG3O6m0N68H

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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 Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. 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.

Dispelling Misconceptions & Myths: Faith Actors Advancing Gender Equality & the Empowerment of Women and Girls

Dear friends,

You are warmly invited to an HLPF side event organized by the UN Multi Faith Advisory Council, Dispelling Misconceptions & Myths: Faith Actors Advancing Gender Equality & the Empowerment of Women and Girls.

The event will be held virtually, Thursday 7^th July 7:30 – 9:00 EDT.

Please register here! We hope you will be able to join us.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. 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 Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

[2022 WSIS Forum] Inclusiveness, Access to Information and Knowledge for All / Bridging Digital Divides

WSIS Forum 2022

High-Level Policy Session 7:

Inclusiveness, Access to Information and Knowledge for All / Bridging Digital Divides

Register here for this 7th session of the 2022 WSIS Forum (virtual and in-person participation available): itu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIkf-ysqzsuGtMorqFMzRQ1zPPF0GurUgte

About the Session:

The ability for all to access and contribute information, ideas and knowledge is essential in an inclusive Information Society.

The sharing and strengthening of global knowledge for development can be enhanced by removing barriers to equitable access to information for economic, social, political, health, cultural, educational, and scientific activities and by facilitating access to public domain information, including by universal design and the use of assistive technologies.

A rich public domain is an essential element for the growth of the Information Society, creating multiple benefits such as an educated public, new jobs, innovation, business opportunities, and the advancement of sciences. Information in the public domain should be easily accessible to support the Information Society, and protected from misappropriation. Public institutions such as libraries and archives, museums, cultural collections and other community-based access points should be strengthened so as to promote the preservation of documentary records and free and equitable access to information.

Read more about the Geneva Declaration of Principles here: itu.int/net/wsis/docs/geneva/official/dop.html

Speakers:

Moderator: Dr. Liberato Bautista (High-Level Track Facilitator), President, Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO), United States of America
Mr. Paul Donohoe (WSIS Action Line Facilitator), Digital Economy and Trade Coordinator Universal Postal Union, Switzerland
H.E. Mr. Mustafa Jabbar [R], Minister Posts and Telecommunications Division, Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and ICT, Bangladesh
H.E. Mr. Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo, Minister, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Samoa
H.E. Mr. Bogdan Dumea, State Secretary, Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Romania
Ms. Aichatou Habibou Oumani, President, Niger Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communication and Postal Service, Niger
Mr. Dan Sjoblom, Director General, Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, Sweden
Mr. Bakhtiyar Mammadov, Deputy Head of Administration, Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, Azerbaijan
Dr. Caterina Berbenni-Rehm, Founder & CEO, PROMIS@Service, Italy
Ms. Tatyana Kanzaveli, CEO, Open Health Network, United States of America
Mr. Ahm Bazlur Rahman [R], Chief Executive Officer, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio & Communication (BNNRC), Bangladesh

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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 Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at fmhult@umbc.edu or tonkin@hartford.edu. 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. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org.

WSIS Forum 2022 Opening Ceremony: CoNGO President Speaks

View the full list of speakers and register here: itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2022/Agenda/Session/252

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum is a multistakeholder platform to coordinate implementation activities, exchange information and knowledge, showcase innovation, share best practices and foster partnerships to ensure ICTs remain a key enabler in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Under this year’s theme, ‘ICTs for Well-Being, Inclusion and Resilience: WSIS Cooperation for Accelerating Progress on the SDGs’, the WSIS Forum continues to highlight the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The WSIS process is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is highly dependent on ICTs for its implementation.

The Opening Segment will inaugurate the Final Week of the WSIS Forum 2022 and will consist of opening statements from the WSIS Forum 2022 co-organizers, UN partners, sponsors, and representatives of stakeholders engaged in the WSIS Process.

Mr. Houlin Zhao, Secretary-GeneraI

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Ms. Isabelle Durant, Deputy Secretary-General

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Mr. Haoliang Xu, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (RBPPS), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP

H. E. Engineer Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General,

Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), United Arab Emirates (Platinum Partner)

H.E. Dr. Mohammed Saud Al Tamimi, Governor

Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), Saudi Arabia (Gold Plus Partner)

Mr. Masahiko Metoki, Director General

Universal Postal Union (UPU)

Ms. Pamela Coke-HamiltonExecutive DirectorInternational Trade Centre (ITC)

Mr. Edward Kwakwa, Assistant Director General

World Intellectual Property Organization

Liberato C. Bautista, President

Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (USA/Switzerland/Austria)

View the full list of speakers and register here: itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2022/Agenda/Session/252

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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 Language and Languages, please email the co-chairs at fmhult@umbc.edu or tonkin@hartford.edu. 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.

UNESCO-UNFCCC webinar: How Climate Change Knowledge Can Become Action

Tune into the first season of UNESCO-UNFCCC’s 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.

About this month’s session, the second webinar of the series, “How Climate Change Knowledge Can Become Action:”

It is important that education policies, curriculum and pedagogies go beyond focusing on the cognitive knowledge and engage learners in their hearts and hands to lead profound changes in our societies towards sustainability. The second session questions the dominance of cognitive knowledge in education policies and investigates what needs to be integrated into curriculum to empower learners as agents of change towards the climate crisis.

Register here: unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cfnJlyG0R4a_Vzze7bKdtg

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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 Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org.

Science and Diplomacy: How to ensure that scientific and technological innovation contribute to peace and development?

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on CoNGO–the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, visit www.ngocongo.org. For specific information about how CoNGO and its substantive committees (also known as NGO Committees) work on matters related to the subject of the event on this page, visit NGO Committees.

Conversation with Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief

Please join us on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 10:00am to 11:15am (Eastern) for a conversation about Freedom of Thought with Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

On the occasion of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief is hosting a conversation with Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, to discuss his most recent report (presented to the Third Committee on October 19, 2021), which focuses on the Freedom of Thought. Dr. Shaheed will discuss what freedom of thought entails, how and where it is most in danger of being violated, the ways in which emerging technologies are threatening this right, how it connects with religious freedom and freedom of expression, and how it is impacted by social media, among other things.

Dr. Shaheed’s report on Freedom of Thought can be accessed here: https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Religion/A_76_380_AUV.docx

We will have time for Q+A, so please feel free to come with questions for Dr. Shaheed.

Please note: Registration is required by Monday, October 25, at 11:59pm. To register, please reply to this email with your name and organization. You will receive a Zoom link via email on the morning of the event.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, one of many Substantive Committees of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, please visit unforb.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, please visit facebook.com/groups/1637987226437203. For more information on the NGO Committee on Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

UNCTAD Civil Society Forum

The hosting of UNCTAD 15 in October of 2021, by a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) offers a critical opportunity to ground the discussions in the present and future realities and prospects of the most vulnerable countries and their populations.

The theme of UNCTAD 15, From Inequality and Vulnerability to Prosperity for All, provides a platform to re-energize and refocus development efforts and commitments. It also presents a unique opportunity for member states to respond strategically by reinforcing the value of multilateralism and providing a renewed mandate for a strengthened UNCTAD.

This Civil Society Forum is intended to contribute to the transformative discourse that needs to take place to address some of the systemic and structural inequalities in the trade and development space. The Day 3 agenda includes:

Closing

14:45-15:00 (CEST) • 08:45–09:00 (AST)

Speakers:

Ms. Kozel Peters-Frazer, Caribbean Policy Development Centre and host country civil society coordinating organization
Ms. Arlette Verploegh, UNCTAD
Ms. Shantal Munro-Knight, Barbados UNCTAD15 Civil Society Forum Lead

Solidarity and system change are the only way forward to overcome the global economic, health, and human rights crisis: feminist perspectives from Asia and the Pacific

15:05–16:20 (CEST) • 09:05–10:20 (AST) | side event organized by Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development

Exploring the divide between the global north and south

15:05–16:20 (CEST) • 09:05–10:20 (AST) | side event organized by Tax Justice Network Africa

Sustainable solutions to debt crisis, the role of UNCTAD

16:25–17:40 (CEST) • 10:25–11:40 (AST) | side event organized by the Global Policy Forum

How do we build a just recovery from the COVID crisis?

16:25–17:40 (CEST) • 10:25–11:40 (AST) | side event organized by Friends of the Earth International

Discussion on the Civil Society Declaration

17:40–19:40 (CEST) • 11:40–13:40 (AST) | The session will provide for discussion and confirmation of the Civil Society Declaration. The Caribbean Policy Development Centre is the host country civil society organization.

Access the sessions here: wtvglobal.6connex.eu/event/UNCTAD15-Barbados/login

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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 Day for Universal Access to Information

On 17 November 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared 28 September as International Day for Universal Access to Information. Considering that several civil society organizations and government bodies in the world have adopted and currently celebrate this observance, the UN General Assembly also adopted 28 September 2019 as the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

UNESCO and its intergovernmental programs – the International Programme for Development of Communication and the Information for All Programme – provide a platform and frame for all the stakeholders to participate in international discussions on policy and guidelines in the area of access to information. Both programs also enable positive environment for ATI to flourish through the development of projects aimed to strengthen open science, multilingualism, ICTs for disabled and marginalized, and media and information literacy.

Access to information

Informed citizens can make informed decisions, for instance, when going to the polls. Only when citizens know how they are governed, can they hold their governments accountable for their decisions and actions. Information is power. Therefore, universal access to information is a cornerstone of healthy and inclusive knowledge societies.

Universal access to information means that everyone has the right to seek, receive and impart information. This right is an integral part of the right to freedom of expression. The media plays a crucial role in informing the public about issues of interest, but it relies on the ability to seek and receive information, too. Hence, the right to universal access to information is also bound up with the right to freedom of the press.

To learn more about why and how the UN commemorates this day, please visit un.org/en/observances/information-access-day.

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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 Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@gmail.com or bknotts@uua.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com.

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