Interfaith Prayer Service: The impact of HIV among the marginalized within the marginalized

Dear colleagues,

You are kindly invited to an Interfaith Prayer Service for World AIDS Day on December 1, 2022, under the theme “The impact of HIV among the marginalized within the marginalized.”

The service will be held in Tillman Chapel at 777 United Nations Plaza, NY, New York 10017, and will begin at 1:00pm EST.

For those unable to attend in person, the event will be live-streamed at both youtube.com/@hivfaith and facebook.com/ushivfaith.

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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 Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@yahoo.com or bknotts@uua.org. For more information on the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief

On the occasion of the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief (established by the United Nations General Assembly), the UN NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief in New York will be hosting an online event highlighting the continued need for action and advocacy aimed at preventing, condemning, and seeking accountability for violence against individuals on the basis of their religion or belief.

Time: 2:15pm – 3:30pm EDT

Location: Zoom (link to be sent out to registrants the day of the event)

To register, please email INFO@UNFORB.ORG for the link by Friday, 19 August 2022.

Principal Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the UN Bani Dugal and UN NGO Committee on FoRB President Kelsey Zorzi and will provide overviews of several recent freedom of religion or belief initiatives, including the Washington D.C.-based Summit on International Religious Freedom and the London-based Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, and related future avenues for advocacy.

Dr. Thang Nguyen, founder and President of Boat People SOS (BPSOS) will provide an overview of the violence carried out against religious minorities in Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia and will detail the Vietnamese government’s efforts to hide and punish advocacy efforts aimed at shedding light on this violence or commemorating this International Day.

Participants are invited during the Q+A portion of the meeting to commemorate victims of religiously-based violence and share information about recent violent persecution of religion or belief minorities around the world.

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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 – for more info, please visit unforb.org. Likewise, 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, please visit csvgc-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

WMG’s Side Event: The Centrality of Human Rights to SDG 5 & Agenda 2030

This HLPF 2022 side event, organized by the Women’s Major Group, UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls, and the LGBTI Stakeholder Group, will look into the importance of centrality of human rights to the implementation and achievement of SDG 5 & Agenda 2030.

There are many topics that could be examined under the human rights & gender equality intersections, however, we would like to focus on four specific and pertinent dimensions, that are relevant for our current contexts throughout the world:

Policy coherence across UN spaces & beyond
Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with specific focus on abortion
Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD)
Anti-gender & anti-rights threats

WMG has been working on emphasizing the vitality of a holistic approach to SDGs that is centered in human rights, and takes on a systemic perspective to analyzing and offering solutions for the structural obstacles and systemic challenges in front of sustainable development.

Speakers:

Melissa Upreti – Chair of UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls
Victor Madrigal – Borloz, UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Sivananthi Thanenthiran, the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women
Felicite Djoukouo, Association des Acteurs de Développement (ADEV)

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdl0S6SI4rtbi5HBua4b1E8afz-a8Qyrf9mhdSnmC_9K3sgog/viewform?mc_cid=13e5b4d572&mc_eid=e1bba69d46

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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 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.

Stand up for Rights of Older Persons

Violations of older persons’ human rights have been witnessed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Decades long implicit biases rooted in ageism have made older people invisible through lack of insightful policies that protect their rights. As the world’s population ages, the trends of human rights violations will undermine the fabric of society and its prosperity.

The United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) seeks to create an environment that enables older people to do what they value, where no one is left behind, left to languish, or be disregarded and patronized, be stopped from working or have access to basic health and care. In order to overcome the paucity of progress on drafting a legally binding document (a convention) on the human rights of older persons, the United States and Canada need to STAND UP as global leaders in the effort to Call for Action at the United Nations.

Register here!

This event is organized by the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, the International Longevity Center of Canada, the International Federation on Ageing, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People, and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-NY, a Substantive Committee of the Committee of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, 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.

Reducing Ageism: Synergies in Research and Policy

Join us on September 29th, 9:00 am GVA for “Reducing Ageism: Synergies in Research and Policy,” an event organized by the Euro Ageism Project.

Register here!

September is World Alzheimer’s Month and the theme for the 2021 campaign is Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer’s. It’s all about the power of knowledge. Campaign resources for anyone wishing to support via social media or other means are available 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 for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.

Digital Equity for all Ages: Connect, Respect and Protect Older People in Digital Technologies

This year, the International Day of Older Persons 2021 will provide a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue and serve as a call to action. The #UNIDOP2021 will adopt a person centered, human rights approach to ensure digital equity including adequate policies, access, digital literacy and safety for individuals of all ages.

This particular side event from the NGO Committee on Ageing in Vienna’s program will address cyber security, especially for older persons. The virtual program will take place on October 1^stfrom 7:30—9:15am EDT.

Objectives of #UNIDOP2021:

• To address digital availability, connectivity, design, affordability, capacity building, infrastructure, and innovation in the areas of public and private interests

• To bring awareness of the importance of digital inclusion of older persons, while tackling stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination associated with digitalization taking into account sociocultural norms and the right to autonomy

• To highlight policies to leverage digital technologies for full achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs)

• To explore the role of policies and legal frameworks to ensure privacy and safety of older persons in the digital world

• To promote an intersectional person-centered human rights approach for a society for all ages taking into account existing/non-existing legal instruments in the field of digitalization

Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GqD_gJ4OTtymbzNWk5x-rw

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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.

Human Rights in older age: Towards the elimination of ageism and age discrimination

Join us for a special side event of the 48th session of the Human Rights Council on Tuesday 21 September 14:00 Geneva time.

Ageism is a global phenomenon, which has serious consequences for individuals and society at large. According to the UN Global Report on Ageism, half of the world’s population is ageist against older persons. The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light entrenched ageism and age discrimination in many areas including hate speech in public discourse and on social media. Despite its scale and harmful impacts, ageism remains largely unknown and is often considered more acceptable compared to other forms of discrimination.

The report of the UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons to the 48th session of the HRC (A/HRC/48/53), examines ageism and age discrimination, analyses their possible causes and manifestations, and reviews the way the existing legal and policy frameworks at the international and regional levels protects older persons against ageism and age-discrimination.

This side event of the 48th session will bring to the fore real-life experiences of ageism and age discrimination faced by older persons and will take stock of the Independent Expert’s conclusions and recommendations with the aim to discuss strategies to address and prevent ageism and age discrimination and to ensure the promotion and protection of the rights of older persons.

Register here: hrworg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wOy7GGkqQgaaACt38yJb9Q

Event will also be webcast live on https://media.un.org/en/webtv/

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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-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.

On the road towards COVID-19 recovery and delivery of the SDGs: Addressing the challenges of persons living with a rare disease as a human rights, sustainable development and equity priority

On the road towards COVID-19 recovery and delivery of the SDGs: Addressing the challenges of persons living with a rare disease as a human rights, sustainable development and equity priority

Overview:

The 300 million persons living with a rare disease around the world and their families face common challenges in all aspects of their daily lives. As they experience different levels of vulnerability, they are disproportionally affected by stigma, discrimination and marginalization, within their own social environment and in society at large. Knowledge and information are scarce and expertise is not accessible. Stigma, discrimination, lack of awareness and recognition lead to specific challenges in access to education, healthcare, employment and leisure. The impact is felt throughout their lives, causing increased impoverishment and isolation for individuals and their families. These socioeconomic challenges have been worsened by the current Covid-19 pandemic and will not diminish post-COVID-19 unless specific attention is paid to them. In the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development, it is critical to acknowledge how the specific challenges of persons living with a rare disease are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda and present many synergies with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including goals 1, 3, 8 and 10, which are under review at the High-Level Political Forum 2021. Persons living with a rare disease therefore require immediate and urgent attention, under the auspices of global and national policies that address their needs and respect their human rights. Indeed, unless persons living with a rare disease are explicitly included we cannot ensure that ‘no one is left behind.’

Objective of the event:

The side-event to the High Level Political Forum 2021 has the objective to showcase how addressing the challenges of persons living with a rare disease, recognizing their rights, needs and priorities, as well as promoting their active participation, and harnessing the opportunities for their inclusion in society is essential to the realisation of the 2030 Agenda and to the sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The rare disease civil society community (represented by the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, Rare Diseases International and EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe) with the support of a number of UN Member States including Spain, Brazil and the State of Qatar, proposes to discuss, at the event, the adoption of a UN General Assembly Resolution that can act as a catalyst and provide a constructive and consensual intergovernmental vision on the issue.

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_06nqC4E0S_ifw75SoKQDiw

Agenda: rarediseasesinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Final-Programme-UN-HLPF-Event.pdf

Concept Note: rarediseasesinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Concept-Note-HLPF-side-event-2021_Persons-rare-diseases_Final.pdf

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.org. 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 Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org.

The way forward: developing gender-sensitive treatment programs to eradicate barriers for women

Side-event to the 64th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs

Women who use drugs face specific barriers that limit their access to recovery programs. The online event will review ways to remove these barriers and improve their adherence to treatment. It will feature an infographic prepared for this event, and emphasize the need to focus on women’s needs in strategies and policies and will offer an Action Plan for a way forward – while highlighting best practice examples from different world regions.

Speakers:

Dr. Gisela Hansen – Dianova International
Britt Fredenman – Women’s Organisations Committee on Alcohol and Drug Issues (WOCAD)
Sara Esmizade – Asian Drug Demand Reduction NGOs Association (ADNA)

Moderator: Regina Mattsson, WFAD

The side-event is organized in partnership with World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD, Dianova International, the Women’s Organizations Committee on Alcohol and Drugs (WOCAD), and Celebrate Recovery.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Drugs, please visit nyngoc.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.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-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch.

Strengthening the prevention and treatment of cannabis problematic use

Strengthening the prevention and treatment of problematic cannabis use

a side event of the 64th annual session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND64)

Regardless of the debates on how best to control the use of cannabis through legal channels, it is urgent to respond to the needs of those for whom cannabis use is becoming a real problem. This online event will address on how to improve prevention and treatment programs, focusing on the implementation of science-based programs based on the needs identified by professionals from the field of drugs.

Speakers

Antonio Jesús Molina Fernández – Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Heidi Heilman – Rotary Action Group for Addiction Prevention (RAG AP)
Phaedon Kaloterakis – European Federation of Therapeutic Communities (EFTC)
Ana Afuera – European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD)

Moderator

Lucia Goberna Lehmann – Dianova International

Organized by Dianova International with the support of the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies, the European Federation of Therapeutic Communities and Rotary Action Group for Addiction Prevention

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Vienna NGO Committee on Narcotic Drugs, please visit vngoc.org. For more information on the New York NGO Committee on Drugs, please visit nyngoc.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.org.

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