Nelson Mandela International Day

What is Mandela Day?

On 18 July every year, we invite you to mark Nelson Mandela International Day by making a difference in your communities. Everyone has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better! Mandela Day is an occasion for all to take action and inspire change.

Since November 2009, in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom, the UN General Assembly has declared 18 July “Nelson Mandela International Day.” Resolution A/RES/64/13 recognizes Mandela’s values and his dedication to the service of humanity in: conflict resolution; race relations; promotion and protection of human rights; reconciliation; gender equality and the rights of children and other vulnerable groups; the fight against poverty; the promotion of social justice. The resolution acknowledges his contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world.

To learn more about how and why the UN commemorates Nelson Mandela International Day, please visit un.org/en/events/mandeladay.

The Mandela Rules

In December 2015, the General Assembly decided to extend the scope of Nelson Mandela International Day to also be utilized in order to promote humane conditions of imprisonment, raise awareness about prisoners being a continuous part of society, and to value the work of prison staff as a social service of particular importance.

General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/175 not only adopted the revised United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, but also approved that they should be known as the “Nelson Mandela Rules” in order to honour the legacy of the late President of South Africa, who spent 27 years in prison in the course of his struggle.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bknotts@uua.org or bobbinassar@yahoo.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com.

Creating an Enabling, Gender-Responsive Work Environment for the Future: The Role of ILO Convention 190 in Addressing Violence and Harassment in the World of Work

About: To achieve a job-rich recovery and just transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy, the UN Secretary-General is calling for a Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection that would create at least 400 million jobs and extend social protection to 4 billion women, men, and children currently without coverage. (Link to the Global Accelerator web page). A robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic requires an emphasis on climate-friendly, technology-focused green jobs (SDGs 9, 14.15), including in the informal sector and migrant communities.

A green, inclusive, and gender-equitable work environment that is decent, safe, and free from violence and harassment (v&h) will enhance the resilience of communities, in the face of economic and environmental challenges. ILO C-190 commits governments and employers to implement measures to protect all workers from v&h. Therefore, legislative and policy frameworks that incorporate ILO C 190, as well as strategies to promote lifelong learning opportunities (SDG 4), including awareness-raising on the prevalence of v&h in the world of work and measures to combat it, must be integral to this process. Hence the vital need for multi-stakeholder dialogue on this important dimension of “building back better” after the Covid-19 pandemic and advancing implementation of the SDGs.

Register here!

Objectives: This side event will focus on ways to create an enabling, gender-responsive, safe work environment for the future, by incorporating into its framework the International Labour Organisation Convention 190 (ILO C 190, 2019) addressing violence and harassment (v&h), in the world of work (Link: Status of Ratification).

In the spirit of SDG 17, it will bring together multi-stakeholder partners: governments, the private sector, trade unions, and NGOs with the aim of exploring strategies to promote universal ratification and effective implementation of ILO C 190, as part of a broader push that goes beyond job creation to the provision of safe, violence-free environments with decent jobs for all (SDG 5, SDG 8). This side event aims to build on the conclusions of the Multi-stakeholder Interactive Dialogue and strategy session of 8 September 2021 on promoting ILO C 190, organized by The NGO Coalition to End Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.

Speakers:

H.E. Ms. Mathu Joyini, Ambassador Permanent Mission of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations
H.E. Mr. Carlos Amorín, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the United Nations (TBC)
Ms. Chidi King, Chief, Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch (GEDI), ILO
Ms. Maria Paz Anzorreguy, Director for ILO Coordination, International Organization of Employers
Ms. Rukmini V P, President, Garment Labour Union, Bengaluru, India
A representative from the trade union sector speaking about their efforts to support countries with the ratification process and recommendations for areas and regions where collective advocacy efforts are needed (TBC)
A representative from the private sector speaking about the policy measures they have taken to ensure a work environment free of violence and harassment and the importance of ratification of ILO C-190 to ensure such an environment.
Youth voice (TBC)

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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. Likewise, for more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Migration, please visit ngo-migration.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 to Stop Trafficking in Persons, please visit ngocstip.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 Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org.

Nelson Mandela International Day

Nelson Mandela devoted his life to the service of humanity — as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa.

November 2009 – in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom, UN General Assembly declares 18 July “Nelson Mandela International Day.” Resolution A/RES/64/13 recognizes Mandela’s values and his dedication to the service of humanity in: conflict resolution; race relations; promotion and protection of human rights; reconciliation; gender equality and the rights of children and other vulnerable groups; the fight against poverty; the promotion of social justice. The resolution acknowledges his contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world.

Last year, coinciding with the date of the Nelson Mandela International Day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered the 18th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture. In his speech, “Tackling the Inequality Pandemic: A New Social Contract for a New Era,” the Secretary-General takes aim at the various layers of inequality that are being exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about Nelson Mandela and view UN materials on his life and message, check out nelsonmandela.org/content/page/annual-lecture or un.org/en/events/mandeladay.

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

[#GGKP webinar] Green Jobs and a Just Transition: Country Perspectives from Argentina, South Africa and ILO

Please join #GGKP for an important and timely webinar,

Green jobs and a just transition: Country perspectives from Argentina, South Africa and ILO

Why must green jobs be central in national recovery strategies?

What sectors are leading in green jobs creation? What are some new green job profiles?

How can governments support workers during a green transition? What are key social protections as job profiles change or shift to new green sectors?

How can businesses lead in the green jobs transition, and how can going green make a business more competitive?

On 18 November (2-3:30pm CET), join the GGKP for a discussion on how governments and business can lead a just transition to greener economies featuring country perspectives from Argentina and South Africa. The discussion will be moderated by Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Coordinator of the Green Jobs Programme at the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The ILO Guidelines for a just transition to environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all provide a policy framework for inclusive, employment-centered green transitions for workers, enterprises and communities. This webinar is the third in a five-part #GGKPwebinar series held under the project, Green Economy Transformation in Cooperation with the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) – Synergies between low-emission pathways and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) through its International Climate Initiative (IKI), and is implemented jointly by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and UN Environment.

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

[HLPF virtual side event] Green Economy & COVID-19 Recovery

PAGE (Partnership for Action on Green Economy) @ #HLPF2020

Green Economy & COVID-19 Recovery: Implications for the Decade of Action

Join the virtual conversation: How can a green economic recovery contribute to accelerated action on the Sustainable Development Goals?

As we enter the Decade of Action and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must unlock the opportunity to build a better tomorrow. Green recovery responses will not only address the root causes of the current crisis but also build resilience to future economic shocks and accelerate action towards the achievement of inclusive sustainable development.

Drawing on the unique expertise of the Partnership and its commitment to supporting action on green economy, this high-level panel discussion will connect how targeted policies and investments can create jobs and income while addressing global sustainability challenges. This conversation will rally around renewed commitment towards the Sustainable Development Goals and climate and biodiversity targets, highlighting the ways in which an inclusive green economic recovery can support the Decade of Action.

Register now: mailchi.mp/8928be644e7c/page-hlpf-registration

Moderation by: Nozipho Tshabalala, Conversation Strategist and Global Moderator

Distinguished Speakers:

Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany
Omar Paganini, Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Uruguay
Arifin Rudiyanto, Deputy Minister for Maritime Affairs and Natural Resources, Ministry of National Development Planning, Indonesia
Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Minister of Industry, Trade and green Digital Economy, Kingdom of Morocco
Sveinung Rotevatn, Minister of Climate and Environment, Norway, and President, United Nations Environment Assembly
Claudio Moroni, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Argentina
Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry and Fisheries and Environmental Affairs of the Republic of South Africa
Inger Andersen, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme
Guy Ryder, Director-General, International Labour Organization
Li Yong, Director-General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization
Nikhil Seth, Executive Director, United Nations Institute for Training and Research

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information, on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development-NY, visit ngosonffd.org.

COVID-19 and SDGs: Inequalities and the Informal Economy

Dear Civil Society Representatives,

We have the pleasure to invite you to a special online discussion hosted by the SDG Lab at UN Geneva on COVID-19 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will take place on Tuesday, 9 June 2020 from 3.00 p.m. to 4.30 pm EDT. Organized in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), this discussion will address SDG progress through the entry point of Inequalities and the Informal Economy and the pandemic’s impact on the 1.6 billion people employed in this sector. You are kindly requested to confirm your participation, or that of your representative(s), online at sdglab.eventbrite.com. Once registered, you will receive an email with access details on how to join the session.

Concept Note + Programme

As the world grapples with COVID-19, the pandemic has drastically exacerbated the urgent need to address the social, economic and environmental inequalities that prevail within countries and between different regions of the planet. The SDG Lab at UN Geneva, in collaboration with ILO, is offering policymakers a high-level discussion platform to unpack how COVID-19 is impacting progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and what actors are doing to address immediate needs of their citizens while keeping the 2030 SDG horizon in clear view. This online event will focus on the many facets of inequalities in responding to the crisis, through the entry point of the informal economy. Representative of four countries – India, Jordan, Portugal and South Africa – will speak to their efforts to address inequalities while maintaining focus on the 2030 Agenda.

Programme:

Part 1. Setting the scene:

Opening remarks: Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General, UN Geneva
The many facets of the informal economy crisis: Guy Ryder, Director-General, ILO
Perspective from the Global South: Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) (tbc)

Part 2. Sharing good practices:

India
Jordan
Portugal
South Africa

Part 3. Exchanging views with speakers and participants

Moderator: Nadia Isler, Director, SDG Lab

For more information about the event and to register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/107194730324

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Cher(e)s représentant(e)s de la société civile,

Veuillez trouver ci-joint une invitation de Mme Tatiana Valovaya, Directrice générale de l’ONUG, et de M. Guy Ryder, Directeur général de l’OIT, à une discussion en ligne sur COVID-19 X SDGs : Inégalités et Économie Informelle, qui se tiendra le mardi 9 juin 2020 de 15h00 à 16h30.

Pour plus d’informations sur l’événement et pour vous inscrire, veuillez consulter le site : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/107194730324

With best regards,

Tatiana Valovaya Guy Ryder
Director-General Director-General
United Nations Office at Geneva International Labour Organization

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

south africa

COVID-19 and SDGs: Inequalities and the Informal Economy

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