The Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN and the International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), are pleased to convene the commemorative meeting of the 2023 World Day of Social Justice. This year’s theme will focus on the recommendations of Our Common Agenda to strengthen global solidarity and to re-build trust in government by “Overcoming Barriers and Unleashing Opportunities for Social Justice”.
The 2023 World Day of Social Justice provides an opportunity to foster dialogue with Member States, youth, social partners, civil society, UN organisations and other stakeholders on actions needed to strengthen the social contract that has been fractured by rising inequalities, conflicts and weakened institutions that are meant to protect the rights of workers. Despite these multiple crises, there are many opportunities to build a coalition for social justice and to unleash greater investments in decent jobs, with a particular focus on the green, digital and care economy, and on young people.
Key Questions for Discussion:
What are the key bottlenecks and challenges to overcoming rising inequalities, decent work deficits, including lack of access to social protection, digital exclusion and disruption of trade?
What are the opportunities in the green and digital economy to reduce inequalities and promote social justice, in particular for youth?
What actions are needed by governments, the UN system, international financial institutions, employers’ and workers’ organisations, civil society and other stakeholders to increase investments for social justice?
The commemoration will start with an online dialogue with youth advocates and young entrepreneurs on their vision for social justice and shared prosperity and will be followed by an in-person side-event.
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 commemorates the World Day of Social Justice, see CoNGO Global Thematic Webinar on Social Justice.
The Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) invites you to the first of six global thematic webinars marking its 75th anniversary in 2023 under the overall theme “Defining the present, shaping the future, and making the change, now.” This first webinar in a series of six starts with a focus on Social Justice: migration justice, racial justice, and health justice.
BACKGROUND
Social justice—or the astonishing lack of it for many people and communities worldwide—is one of the fundamental issues of our time. No country, city, or place has achieved the common human expectation of social justice for all its inhabitants. Social justice can be characterized as including full respect for the human rights of all persons; equality of treatment and opportunity; non-discrimination on any prohibited grounds (including color, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, etc.); universal health care; decent work; minimum basic income; decent living conditions; social protection; access to justice for all; peace and human security for all; and a safe and healthy environment.
The UN General Assembly resolution establishing the World Day for Social Justice stated: “The General Assembly recognizes that social development and social justice are indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security within and among nations and that, in turn, social development and social justice cannot be attained in the absence of peace and security or the absence of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
The international system embodied by the United Nations and regional community organizations has elaborated binding conventions and other instruments that set out minimum standards and obligations to realize those standards regarding the abovementioned concerns. International supervisory and review mechanisms have been established to support the national implementation of these standards.
Many civil society organizations advocate for and support achieving social justice at local, national, regional, and global levels—with some level of activity in nearly all countries.
However, contemporary knowledge and evidence indicate that contrary to universal aspirations and normative standards, levels and extent of injustice, violations of human rights, discrimination, and violence on the grounds of color, perceived race, ethnicity, nationality, and national origin, as well as gender, age, etc.; exclusion; indecent working conditions even forced labour; lack of extension of social protection; absence of access to justice; etc. are manifest to greater or less extent in every country.
The Civil Society Summit on Substantive Issues brought together over 1,000 participants worldwide to contribute experience and competences, share doubts about our current world, and collectively articulate aspirations and proposals for the world we want and must achieve. The Civil Society Summit was rich in outlining concepts and actions needed to shape the future.
As a direct outcome, the CoNGO General Assembly resolved to use the outcome of the Summit—the Synthesis Report—as a substantive basis for CoNGO’s programmatic direction, especially highlighting it in 2023, CoNGO’s 75th anniversary year. It agreed to convene a series of six high-level global thematic webinars over the course of 2023 to highlight and engage the global constituency on the critical themes articulated at the Summit and to elaborate on the agenda, responses, and actions necessary to shape a future of human rights, social justice, non-discrimination, peace, sustainable development, human and environmental security, and gender justice and inter-generational solidarity for all.
THIS FIRST GLOBAL THEMATIC WEBINAR
The CoNGO Board, meeting in March 2022, agreed to turn the six thematic clusters of the Summit into the six thematic clusters of its programmatic directions for the leadership term 2021-2025. The subsequent board meeting mandated the coalition to organize global thematic webinars addressing those clusters.
The inaugural webinar focuses on Social Justice, with subthemes on Migration Justice, Racial Justice, and Health Justice. This thematic webinar proceeds along the lines articulated by the UN General Assembly on the World Day of Social Justice and the CoNGO Civil Society Summit iterated above. The webinar will identify what areas of change and action are needed, what should be undertaken now, and by whom.
The Synthesis Report from the 2021 Summit graphically referred to these sub-themes: “Slavery, colonialism, racism, militarism, xenophobia, homophobia, ageism, patriarchy, misogyny… are historic injustices that must be combated, and their intersecting complicities {must} be exposed. We must multiply our efforts at eliminating structural and systemic racism…” and discrimination.
The treatment of migrants and refugees in many situations worldwide represents egregious violations and denial of human rights and rights at work, belying the growing dependence of economies and societies worldwide on the international mobility of people –skills, and labour—for sustainable development and well-being. “We heard migrants assert their voice and agency, saying, ‘For a long time, others spoke on our behalf. Now we speak for ourselves.’ Indeed, migrants and refugees must be at the table when their human rights, needs, and concerns are at stake…
The COVID-19 pandemic and our responses have exacerbated the vast gulfs in achieving the human right to the highest attainable physical and mental health standard for all. Three years on, the pandemic has yet to be resolved, let alone the preparedness of nations and communities to meet future pandemics. “The COVID-19 situation further illustrates the interests of the few taking precedence over the needs of the many. A cardinal principle should be prioritizing people and the planet over profit.”
PROVISIONAL PROGRAM
9:30 AM: Welcome Remarks
Dr. Liberato Bautista (President of CoNGO)
Ms. Gillian Sorensen (Co-Chair, CoNGO 75th Anniversary Committee, and Former UN Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations)
Brig. Gen. Patrick Rea (Co-Chair, CoNGO 75th Anniversary Committee, and International Grandmaster Emeritus of OSMTH)
9:50 AM: Keynote Speeches
Ms. Helga Konrad (former Federal Minister for Women’s Affairs of the Republic of Austria and a leading expert on human trafficking)
Ms. Anna Biondi (Deputy Director, Bureau for Workers’ Activities, International Labour Organization – ILO)
10:12 AM: Q & A (Questions must be posted on Zoom Q&A and directed to a specific speaker. Questions that will not be answered will be emailed to the speaker).
Ms. Eni Lestari (President, International Migrants Alliance, and Indonesian domestic worker in Hong Kong )
Mr. Patrick Taran (President, Global Migration Policy Associates)
10:36 AM: Q & A (Questions must be posted on Zoom Q&A and directed to a specific speaker. Questions that will not be answered will be emailed to the speaker).
Ms. Catherine S. Namakula (Chair, United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent)
Dr. Edna Maria Santos Roland (Chair, United Nations Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Plan of Action)
11:00 AM: Q & A (Questions must be posted on Zoom Q&A and directed to a specific speaker. Questions that will not be answered will be emailed to the speaker).
11:06 AM: Health Justice (Rapporteur: Dr. Gill Adynski, International Council of Nurses)
Prof. Dr. Marianne Legato (Founder, Gender-specific Medicine, Professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons)
Dr. Pamela Cipriano (President, International Council of Nurses)
11:25 AM: Q & A (Questions must be posted on Zoom Q&A and directed to a specific speaker. Questions that will not be answered will be emailed to the speaker).
11:31 AM: Special feature: Celebration of Dr. Franklin Shaffer, Former CEO of CGFNS International and CoNGO Board Secretary
11:30Dr. Liberato Bautista (CoNGO President)
11:33 Dr. Holly Shaw (International Council of Nurses, Chair of NGO Committee on Mental Health, and NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy)
11:38 Mukul Bakhshi, Esq. (Chief of Strategy and Government Affairs CGFNS International, Inc.)
11:44 Response: Dr. Franklin Shaffer
11:50 AM Report by Webinar Lead Rapporteur
Mr. Cyril Ritchie (CoNGO First Vice President)
11:57 PM Closing Remarks
Dr. Liberato Bautista (President of CoNGO)
Webinar Co-sponsors
Congressional Black Caucus Institute, General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, Global Migration Policy Associates, International Council of Nurses, NGO Committee on Migration, National Council of Negro Women, Pan Pacific South East Asia Women’s Association, STUF United Fund, Thadhani Foundation
Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance: Ecological Crisis, Climate Justice and Racial Justice. E. Tendayi Achiume. UN document A/77/549.
The NGO Committee on the Family invites you to join us at our event in which we will hear from Executive Committee members Vincenzina Santoro and Sofia Piecuch as they share about the family holiday traditions they grew up with originating from Italy and Peru.
The hybrid event will be held on Zoom and onsite in New York – participants who indicate an interest in attending in person will be sent additional information. In either case, please register here!
CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on the Family/NY 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 the Family/Vienna, please visit viennafamilycommittee.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.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 Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit un-ngocrip.net. For more information on the NGO Committee on Language and Languages, please email the chair at fmhult@umbc.edu.
This annual campaign – supported by the United Nations through the Secretary General’s UNiTE – began on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends on the International Human Rights Day, 16 December.
The 2022 UN theme is “UNiTE! Activism to end violence against women and girls.
The NGO Committee on Ageing of New York – through its Subcommittee on Older Women – participate in 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
The NGO Committee on Ageing promotes Education along with Activism and includes ALL women and girls to emphasizes the invisibility of older women in this campaign and to raise awareness of their presence among survivors of gender-based violence.
In partnership with AARP and in collaboration with the Fordham University Institute for Women and Girls, the New York NGO Committee on Ageing Subcommittee on Older Women will disseminate brief informational messages – with links – throughout this campaign, raising the visibility of older women who also experience gender-based violence.
Please check the NGO CoA website and follow on Twitter @UNandAgeing.
CoNGO Notes: 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. 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 Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.
The NGO Committee on the Family invites you to join us at our event in which we will hear from Paul Carrese and Tammy Waller about providing civic education to children.
Date: Thursday, November 17th, 2022
Time: 1:15-2:30 PM
CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on the Family/NY 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 the Family/Vienna, please visit viennafamilycommittee.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.
Three Keys to Successful Advocacy: How to Move, Touch and Inspire Anyone at Anytime
We are pleased that Adriane Berg, an expert communicator and an Emmy award-winning TV host and podcaster, will join us today. Adriane is communications consultant to many major companies and a member of the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, Subcommittee on Communications. Erica Dhar, Director, Global Alliances, International Affairs, AARP, will be the respondent, applying Adriane’s presentation to our advocacy work at the NGO CoA.
Be prepared for a lively session on effective advocacy messaging followed by an eye-opening speed coaching session with your fellow attendees.
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/Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing/Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.
Ambassador Maritza Chan, Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations
Mr. Rio Hada, Chief of the Equality, Development, and Rule of Law Section, UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights – NYC
Lily Gray, Senior Liaison Officer, UNESCO
Daniel Seymour, UN Women
Levi Bautista, President, CoNGO
Patrick Sciarratta, President, Global NGO Executive Committee
Houry Geudelekian, NGO Committee on the Status of Women
This is an invitation-only event. If you plan to bring a guest, please ask them to RSVP to this invitation as well so that they will be on the guest list (or RSVP for them separately after you submit your own RSVP).
Please RSVP here by the end of the day on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022.
CoNGO Notes: 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 Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.org.
What does a second Marcos regime mean for human rights and social justice in the Philippines? Join us as we hear the latest updates on human rights through testimony of church leaders in the Philippines and advocates in the U.S.
Our Philippines-based speaker will share their firsthand experiences enduring surveillance and trumped-up charges, as well as to the general condition of the Filipino people under oppression and the role of progressive movements on the ground. A community member of a local grassroots organization will also share experiences of the curtailment of freedom of speech and the far reaches of the Philippine government’s repression on dissenters abroad.
CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@yahoo.org or bknotts@uua.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 Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com.
GAROP briefing for OHCHR Multi-stakeholder Meeting / Sesión informativa de GAROP para la reunión de múltiples partes interesadas de la OACDH
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is organising a multi-stakeholder meeting on 29-30 August 2022 at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, room XVII. This hybrid meeting will take place both in person and online.
NGOs are encouraged to attend in person if possible. You do not need to have ECOSOC status to participate. You can register now via the Indico system here.
The multi-stakeholder meeting is a follow-up to the Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution 48/3 (read more here) and will discuss the recent report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Further information and relevant documents are available here.
This is an important moment to further the discussions on older people’s rights and build support for a UN convention.
In preparation for the Multi-stakeholder Meeting on 29-30th August in Geneva organised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), GAROP is organizing a briefing meeting on Tuesday 23rd August from 9:00-10:30 EDT. You are all warmly encouraged to attend.
CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on Ageing-NY 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 Ageing-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.
Please join us! For Nuclear Prayer Day – Hiroshima / Nagasaki Interfaith Peace Gathering on Friday, August 5, 2022, from 2:00 pm onwards, both virtually and in-person at Tillman Chapel, Church Center for the United Nations, 777 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017.
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 Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngodisarm.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org.
