February & March 2012

2012 Commission on Social Development, 1-10 February
This was a “policy session” year for the Commission on the theme of Poverty Eradication. Marianists International as a member of the NGO Committee on Social Development helped organize a number of opportunities for NGOs to engage with the process. The Committee again organized a Civil Society Forum the day before the start of the Commission with the focus on the Social Protection Floor Initiative. We held two “working breakfast” advocacy meetings with selected governments to discuss aspects of the Commission outcome resolution. NGOs also held a number of “Side-Events” during the lunch period. For more general information on the Commission and download the resolutions and session summaries GO TO http://social.un.org/index/CommissionforSocialDevelopment/Sessions/2012.aspx. To see more detail about the NGO engagement GO TO the NGO Committee website http://www.ngosocdev.net

2012 Meeting of UN Economic & Social Council with International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization and UN Conference on Trade and Development
Marianists International was one of several Civil Society speakers at this year's ECOSOC-BWI meeting held on March 12-13. Bro. Steve O'Neil spoke on the topics of sovereign debt and trade in the session on “Promoting sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, job creation, productive investment and trade.” GO TO http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/ecosoc/springmeetings/2012/index.htm  to access the full program, background documents, government statements and more. If you would like to see the video of the session when Bro. Steve spoke GO TO http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/2012/03/part-2-thematic-debate-on-theme-1-promoting-sustained-inclusive-and-equitable-economic-growth-job-creation-productive-investment-and-traded-economic-and-social-council.html and move time slider to about 1 hour 22 minutes into the session.

UNICEF publishes “The State of the World’s Children 2012: Children in an Urban World”
The State of the World’s Children, the annual flagship report of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is this year dedicated to “Children in an Urban World,” drawing attention to the fact that over a billion children are living in a more and more urbanized world. “Already, half of all people live in urban areas. By mid-century, over two thirds of the global population will call these places home,” the report explains. Cities are often perceived as a synonym for economic growth, development and employment. However, in reality, not all children are benefitting form urban growth. In this regard, the report draws attention to the fact that many children living in cities still lack access to education, health and sanitation. Featuring five chapters, as well as different graphs and statistical tables, the UNICEF report aims to show the reality in which children in an urban world live; the challenges they face; and the main urban problems that affect their lives. The report also presents a number of examples of initiatives that try to improve the quality of life of these children; and it identifies policies that are needed to address urban disparities. For more information, see a video or download the report GO TO http://www.unicef.org/sowc2012/

New Report Highlighting Growing Concern about Global Youth Unemployment
“Today we have the largest generation of young people the world has ever known. They are demanding their rights and a greater voice in economic and political life,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the “World Youth Report”, published by UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development, was launched on 6 February. Entitled “Youth Employment: Youth Perspectives on the Pursuit of Decent Work in Changing Times”, the report gathered responses from over one thousand young people around the world in an extensive online survey. It reveals that the greatest concerns among youth are the quality and relevance of their education, job vulnerability, labour migration, delayed marriage, and the rural divide, as well as age, gender and racial discrimination. GO TO http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/newsletter/desanews/feature/2012/03/index.html#3031 for more information.

World Water Day, 22 March 2012
The theme for World Water Day this year is “Water and Food Security.” Each of us needs to drink 2 to 4 litres of water every day.
But it takes 2,000 to 5,000 litres of water to produce one person’s daily food. The world is thirsty because of our needs for food.
Food security exists when all people at all times have both physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary requirements for an active and healthy life. People who have better access to water tend to have better levels of nourishment. Lack of water can be a major cause of famine and malnutrition, particularly in areas where people depend on local agriculture for food and income. Today, there are over 7 billion people to feed on the planet and this number is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. To be able to feed everybody, we first need to secure water, in sufficient quantity and adequate quality. We will also need to produce more food using less water, reduce food wastage and losses, and move towards more sustainable diets. There are very good resources on the topic at http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/. Franciscans International has also produced a very good grassroots community tool, “The Right to Water and Sanitation: A Practical Guide. To download this GO TO http://franciscansinternational.org/Publications.82.0.html

ILO Highlights “VOICES OF YOUTH ON SOCIAL JUSTICE” for World Day of Social Justice
On 20 February, World Day of Social Justice, the International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the video “Voices of Youth on Social Justice” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UHlNOBMecg&list=PLFCB380AFEAF2D1D7&index=1&feature=plpp_video) which features the voices of young people explaining what social justice means to them, what challenges they face and their message to the international community. The video is part of a campaign inviting young people to share their own views on social justice – whether in the form of a message of hope, a call of action, or in the form of advice. Moreover, it joins a series of perspectives on what social justice means and how it might be achieved in the years to come. These will be added throughout 2012. More information is available at http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article3776.

Rio+20: Building the Peoples’ Summit
The next Earth Summit Rio+20—officially named the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development—will be held from 20 to 22 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This summit is a new attempt by the United Nations in this new millennium to advance the commitment of States and the world community in the major transitions of the twenty-first century. It takes place twenty years after the first historic summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and ten years after the 2002 Johannesburg summit. Rio+20 is a new step on the route of an emerging global community. It is important not to see the Summit, as it was the case in Copenhagen, as a turning point for mankind, as a sort of double or quits where the future of the planet is being played in the space of a few days. In fact, the processes of international negotiation have been stagnant for over ten years, whether it be the trade negotiations with the freezing of the Doha round, the climate negotiations with the failure of Copenhagen, or even the inability to reform in depth the UN system conceived after World War II. Only the G20 may appear today as an endorsement, timid and ambiguous—considering that the richest countries set themselves up as the executive board of the world—of the need for global multi-polar governance. There is a new interactive website devoted to the Peoples and citizens already starting to prepare for the Summit Rio+20. Find here the Initiatives and the schedule of activities of the partners in the process. Find also the Documents and Proposals, and be part of the Rio+20 Community. GO TO http://rio20.net/en/

October - November 2011 

*Reminder: If you have not already done it, please sign the petition for the Social Protection Floor We are hoping to present at least 1 million signatures in support of this to the UN Commission on Social Development next February. Please send this information to all your networks, schools parishes, or ministries. The petition is available in 4 languages:
English: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/signature-campaign-social-protection-floor.html  
Spanish: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/en-apoyo-del-piso-de-protecci%C3%B3n-social.html
French: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/appuyer-le-socle-de-protection-sociale.html
Portuguese: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/patamar-de-prote%C3%A7%C3%A3o-social-para-todos-e-todas.html

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty,
17 October 2011
The theme of the 2011 observance is "From Poverty to Sustainability: People at the Centre of Inclusive Development". With global attention focused on the upcoming Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), it is critical to draw attention to the importance of poverty eradication for building sustainable futures for all. People living in poverty face increasingly difficult challenges as climate change, environmental degradation and rising food prices threaten their livelihoods and survival. The path to sustainable development must ensure that people living in poverty are included in decision-making processes, and that concrete action is taken to respond to their needs and demands. To see a video presentation of the Secretary General’s message for the day or view the program for the commemoration and additional background material go to: http://www.un.org/en/events/povertyday/index.shtml

Report of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights & Extreme Poverty
In this year’s report to the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty, Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona, focused on how those living in poverty suffer from discrimination, stigmatization, penalization and exclusion. She links this back to the State’s obligation to direct all resources necessary to ensuring that persons living in poverty are able to enjoy all their economic, political, social, civil and cultural rights. To download her complete report go to http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/PenalizationOfPoverty.aspx

Fifth High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, 2011
The General Assembly, in its resolution 65/314 of 12 September 2011, recalled its decision to hold its fifth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development on 7 and 8 December 2011 at UN Headquarters. The Dialogue's overall theme will be “The Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: status of implementation and tasks ahead”. The two-day event will include a series of plenary meetings chaired by the President of the General Assembly, at which ministers and high-level officials will be able to make formal statements. The second day will include three interactive multi-stakeholder round tables in the morning followed by an informal interactive dialogue in the afternoon, with the participation of all relevant stakeholders. The themes of the three round tables and the interactive dialogue will be as follows:

• Round table 1: “The reform of the international monetary and financial system and its implications for development”;
• Round table 2: “The impact of the world financial and economic crisis on foreign direct investment and other private flows, external debt and international trade”;
• Round table 3: “The role of financial and technical development cooperation, including innovative sources of development finance, in leveraging the mobilization of domestic and international financial resources for development”;
• Informal interactive dialogue: “The link between financing for development and achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals”.

For more information go to http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/hld/HLD2011/index.htm

World’s Population Tops Seven Billion, 31 October 2011
Top United Nations officials today marked the global population reaching 7 billion with a call to action to world leaders to meet the challenges that a growing population poses, from ensuring adequate food and clean water to guaranteeing equal access to security and justice.  “Today, we welcome baby 7 billion. In doing so we must recognize our moral and pragmatic obligation to do the right thing for him, or for her,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at a press event at UN Headquarters to mark the milestone. Mr. Ban noted that the world’s population reached 6 billion in 1998, only 13 years ago, and it is expected to grow to 9 billion by the middle of this century, or even a few years earlier – by 2043. “But today – this Day of 7 Billion – is not about one newborn, or even one generation,” he stated. “This is a day about our entire human family.” The world today is one of “terrible contradictions,” said Mr. Ban, noting that there is plenty of food but 1 billion people go hungry; lavish lifestyles for a few, but poverty for too many others; huge advances in medicine while mothers die everyday in childbirth; and billions spent on weapons to kill people instead of keeping them safe. “What kind of world has baby 7 billion been born into? What kind of world do we want for our children in the future?” he asked. For more info got to: http://7billionactions.org/

Global Employment Trends for Youth: 2011 Update

New Intern at Marianists International
Ms. Abagail Lawson, a University of Dayton graduate now studying at Seton Hall University is volunteering at the Marianist NGO this year. She will be covering the NGO Committee on the Status of Women (see next news item) and the Working Group on Girls.

56^th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
CSW 56 will take place from February 27 through March 9, 2012.  The priority theme for this year’s session is empowering rural women and examining their role in hunger eradication and development. Central to the issues under this theme is a discussion of reducing the gender gap in agriculture that prevents women from possessing equal access to land, resources, technology, markets, and adequate compensation for their work. Eradicating these inequalities would increase the productivity of women in their livelihoods, which, because of the role that women play in managing their families, would have significant implications for the health, nutrition and education of rural children (particularly girls).  The challenges faced by rural women in their role as the primary caretaker of their family will also be addressed under this year’s theme. These challenges include the hours of unpaid work in educating, feeding (including growing the food), and maintaining the health of their children and other family members, which has a direct impact on young girls, as they are the ones relied upon to assist in these tasks, often causing them to abandon their education before completion. Other challenges to be examined include climate change, access to income-generating employment opportunities outside the agricultural sector, and natural resource management.

 The focus on empowerment forms the guiding paradigm for addressing all of the above issues.  Primarily, this means enhancing rural women’s ability to mobilize and organize themselves in order for them to claim their rights and have a say in the decision-making processes that affects their daily lives. This will require less “top-down” initiatives imposed by governments or organizations, and more facilitation for the rural women to empower themselves to lead the efforts aimed at addressing these challenges. Only by empowerment and local leadership can endeavors to address poverty and development of and for rural women be meaningful and sustainable.

 The topic under review (Review Theme) is from CSW 52: Financing Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

 For more information, including links to the documents from the expert group meeting on this year’s priority theme, go to: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw56/egm.htm

25 September 2011 

MDG Gap Task Force Report 2011:
The Global Partnership for Development: Time to Deliver
The report to be launched the third week of September monitors the progress made in achieving the targets of MDG 8. Continued attention is given to the impact of the global crisis on meeting these targets and embedding any new commitments resulting from the High-level Plenary Meeting of the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly on the MDGs into the monitoring process.

Policy coherence is a central theme of the report, paying attention not only to issues of consistency across the various dimensions of global partnerships, but also to the extent to which those alliances are aligned behind national development strategies for attaining the MDGs. The adequacy of international support measures, especially for least developed countries particularly regarding trade preferences and debt relief, are also analyzed. With less than four years left until the 2015 MDG deadline, the 2011 report provides recommendations to all major stakeholders on how to address the remaining implementation gaps. To download: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/mdg_gap/index.shtml

UNICEF’s 2011 “State of the World’s Children” Report Focuses on Adolescents
There are 1.2 billion adolescents across the world, nine out of ten of these young people live in developing countries. Millions are denied their basic rights to quality education, health care, protection and exposed to abuse and exploitation. Recognizing the need to turn this vulnerable age into an age of opportunity, UNICEF has dedicated it flagship publication State of the World's Children 2011 to adolescents. Go to http://www.unicef.org/sowc2011/index.php for access to the multimedia webpage and to download the complete report.

Marianists International Asking for All Marianists to Sign onto Social Protection Floor Petition
In the last issue of our newsletter we called for signatures in support of a universal “Social Protection Floor” for all people. This would ask all country governments to insure that all its citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, get access to the most basic services such as food, shelter, education and health care. We are hoping to present at least 1 million signatures in support of this to the UN Commission on Social Development next February. Please send this information to all your networks, schools parishes, ministries. The petition is available in 4 languages:
English: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/signature-campaign-social-protection-floor.html
Spanish: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/en-apoyo-del-piso-de-protecci%C3%B3n-social.html
French: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/appuyer-le-socle-de-protection-sociale.html
Portuguese: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/patamar-de-prote%C3%A7%C3%A3o-social-para-todos-e-todas.html

The Financial Transaction Tax (FTT): A means to aid reform and universal social protection?
The UN Social Protection Floor initiative promotes universal access to essential social transfers and social services. It is a critical initiative that the UN is attempting to place prominently on the G20 agenda. It is a noble initiative but one which needs more elaboration and sophistication based on research to establish its logic, feasibility and impact. One of the major questions involved in this research, apart from financing, is the method to achieve it, i.e. universal or targeted approach. The Brazilian experience shows, however, that the dichotomy between universal and/or targeted approach is not productive. Both approaches are necessary, as demonstrated by Bolsa Familia, a Brazilian program widely recognized as a "best practice" to reduce poverty, which is situated within the framework of universal social protection. Bolsa Familia demonstrates the step-by-step procedure towards achieving social security and social services for all, positioning their targeting schemes as steps towards universalism. If universal social security and social services guarantee the effective reduction of poverty, how should the global community ensure this guarantee? How can targeting schemes be designed as steps toward achieving universalism? What are the financial implications of universalism for developing countries? How can diverse financing mechanisms, such as domestic revenues, aid and the FTT enhance efforts to achieve universalism? The G8/G20 Summits are good opportunities for global civil society to have an in-depth discussion on the Financial Transaction Tax within a broad context of development strategy, i.e. the relationship with other resources such as domestic revenues and aid, the potential impact of taxes spent on social security and social services in developing countries, and the implications for global governance. To read the entire article go to: http://www.globalsocialjustice.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58:ilcheong-yi-olive-cocoman&catid=5:analysis&Itemid=6

Rio+20: Making it Happen
The latest issue highlights the General Assembly's High-level Meeting on Youth, which took place on 25-26 July in New York, including the Secretary-General's call to Member States to include youth in national delegations to UN meetings, including Rio+20. Besides upcoming events, this issue also announced a pre-launch seminar on 25-25 August for the newly established UN Office for Sustainable Development in Incheon, Korea and the Delhi Dialogue on "Green Economy and Inclusive Growth" taking place on 3-4 October.
View full issue at: http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?menu=40

64^th Annual DPI/NGO Conference, Bonn, Germany, 3-5 September
The Conference, whose theme was “Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens”, was organized in a partnership including DPI/NGO Relations, NGO/DPI Executive Committee, the Government of Germany, the City of Bonn, and UN Volunteers (UNV).

The Conference aimed to highlight effective ways in which citizens and civil society, in partnership with other stakeholders, can contribute to creating and maintaining sustainable societies – economical, cultural and environmental. Subthemes included environmental sustainability, green manufacturing and commerce, transparent governance, grassroots activism, and limiting personal carbon footprints. The 64th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference will serve as a bridge between the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the Rio+20 Conference in 2012. Furthermore, it should be considered as a major civil society contribution to the Rio+20 Conference. The themes for Rio+20 are the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and institutional framework for sustainable development. The conference will also review previous commitments and new and emerging issues. The “Final Declaration” of the conference can be downloaded at: http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/ngoconference/resources/final

United Nations Youth Flash
The July issue is now available. The newsletter is a service of the UN Program on Youth to keep the public informed about the work of the UN on youth issues. It is prepared with input from UN offices, agencies, funds and programs, and from youth organizations around the world. This month’s newsletter highlights Oliver Felix, Switzerland’s Youth Delegate. In this article, he shares his experiences with all of you of how he became Youth Delegate, and what it was like to represent his country during the past High Level Meeting on Youth, celebrated between 25th and 26th of July. View full issue at: http://social.un.org/index/Youth/Youthflash.aspx

Speculating with Lives: How Global Investors Make Money out of Hunger
Overall food costs in 2011 have risen 39% since 2010 and have surpassed prices seen during the last major food crisis in 2008. Agricultural commodities today attract hedge funds and private investors looking to make a profit on “safe” investment options--unlike stocks or bonds. According to a new UNCTAD report, the activities of financial participants in the food system have driven commodity prices away from levels justified by “market fundamentals.” Although food price increases are due to a variety of reasons including climate change, the cultivation of biofuels, and the rise in meat consumption, food price speculation has played the biggest role in excessive price hikes. The Report addresses the main regulatory reforms that should take place in relation to financial markets. So far, the process of re-regulation of the financial systems has been slow and inadequate to cover the shadow banking system and to cope with a highly concentrated financial sector that is dominated by a small number of gigantic institutions. In general, the financial sector needs to be restructured in order to reduce the risk of mis-pricing and the resulting systemic crises. Reforms should mainly aim a clear separation between the activities of investment and commercial banking. http://www.unctad.org/Templates/WebFlyer.asp?intItemID=6060&lang=1

Take Action, Spread the Word – Trafficking Activist Toolkits Available Online
Interested in raising awareness about the commercial sexual exploitation of children, but not sure where to begin? Now there are two toolkits to help you get started. Centered on child sex trafficking in the U.S. and child sex tourism, these toolkits are perfect for fundraisers, panel discussions, or club meetings. Each has valuable information on the issues, as well as activities, video links and discussion materials for group facilitators. Through the process, groups will learn about common misconceptions regarding sexually exploited youth and gain an overall understanding of prostitution, human trafficking, and sex tourism. Teachers can also access the toolkit presentation in lesson plan format.
Download the toolkits and get started today! Visit:  http://www.ecpatusa.org/take-action/spread-the-word/

June/July 2011

Civil Society Rejects 'Toothless' Istanbul Plan of Action
The Program of Action proposed at this year's Istanbul Conference on the LDCs (Least Developed Countries) has been roundly criticized by Civil Society. One of the main reasons for this is that the conference failed to meet the main goals of the UN General Assembly Resolution which called for mobilization of additional international support and action in favor of the least developed countries, and the adoption of renewed partnerships between LDCs and their more developed counterparts. To make matters worse, there is a gradual shift from the Developed Country partners towards the Least Developed Countries themselves to take full responsibility for their own development. This comes at a time when many of the donor countries are now reducing their aid or diverting it. Furthermore, the harmful results of liberalization policies such as financial and food speculation, unjust trade rules, illegitimate loans with onerous conditionalities, and ecological damage are still negatively affecting the Least Developed Countries despite the fact that such policies have contributed to an increase of LDCs from 24 to 48 over the last three decades. To read the full article click here: http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55605

12 June 2011 - World Day Against Child Labor

Observed every year on 12 June, the World Day Against Child Labor aims to raise global awareness on the issue of child labor. This year, the day is centered on hazardous child labor. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), around 115 million children are involved in hazardous work. On this day, the organization therefore calls for urgent action in identifying and tackling hazardous child labor; in scaling up global, national and local level efforts against all forms of child labor through education, social protection and strategies to promote decent and productive work for youth and adults; and in building strong tripartite action on the issue. For more information go to: http://www.un.org/en/events/childlabourday/

Marianists International and the NGO Committee on Social Development Initiate Signature Campaign for a Universal Social Protection Floor
The concept of a social protection floor is very clear. No one should live below a certain income level and everyone should be able to access at least basic health services, primary education, housing, water, sanitation and other essential services. The two necessary elements are social transfers, whether in cash or kind, to guarantee income security, food security and adequate nutrition and universal access to essential services.  The Social Protection Floor (SPF) is a policy that must be tailored to the needs of each country and builds on that country’s existing social protection mechanisms. It aims to make it possible for every citizen to enjoy the human rights expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (par 22) “Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security”. So it is universal! To learn more and sign the petition go to: http://www.ngosocdev.net/index.php/social-protection-floor-campaign/ . The petition is currently available in Spanish and English with more languages to be added soon.

Social Dimension of a Marianist Education
At a recent meeting of Marianist educators in Santiago, Chile, the centrality of citizenship education was reaffirmed for the Marianist educational project. A civic education is not in the enumeration of rules, but attempting to encourage critical thinking, participation and commitment to social transformation. For our pedagogy, the integral formation of our students whose main purpose is not "work" in the world, but the transformation of it, to make it fairer, more fraternal, more free. Our civic education is based on the social concept of the person and the basic principle: "Every man is my brother," because we believe in a God who is Father but did not stay in the highest and came to Earth to share our fate incarnate and give us a destiny of salvation. So to be good citizens is to be builders of the Kingdom of God in Argentina, being near the suffering, offering suggestions, participating in various levels of community life, including politics.

Education makes progress but challenges remain

Regional Ministerial Meeting was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 12-13 May on the theme “Key Education Challenges in Latin America and the Carribean: Teachers, Quality, and Equity” The meeting—hosted by the Government of Argentina, in cooperation with UNDESA, UNESCO, UNICEF, and ECLAC—was held in preparation for the 2011 Annual Ministerial Review of ECOSOC. It was attended by a number of education ministers and vice-ministers from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as participants from Governments, regional organizations, the UN system, civil society and the private sector. ECOSOC was represented by Vice-President Ambassador Gonzalo Gutiérrez and Mr. Thomas Stelzer led DESA’s delegation. Key messages emanating from the discussion include the following: LAC has made significant progress on the education agenda (primary education, gender equality in education, and adult literacy rates), but challenges remain. There is a need to develop strategies to address inequality in access to education and to improve education quality and to include civil society as a key partner in education policy. Bilateral donors and multilateral organization need to better harmonize their agendas and programmes and efforts are needed to promote the educational use of new technologies, as well mechanisms that facilitate the sharing of lessons learned on the use of ICTs in education. A summary report containing a full list of policy recommendations from the meeting will be presented at the high-level segment of ECOSOC. For more information: http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/

UNEP Organizes Two Consultations with Major Groups and Stakeholders for Rio +20 Conference
Ahead of the 64th Annual United Nations DPI/NGO Conference on “Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens” (3-5 September), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) will organize two consultations with Major Groups and Stakeholders in Bonn, Germany. The first (on 1 September) is a global consultation on the theme: “Engaging with Major Groups and Stakeholders on Rio+20: the Role of Civil Society in Shaping the Sustainable Development Agenda for the 21st century!” On 2 September, UNEP will organize its Regional Consultation for Europe (RCM) in preparation for UNEP’s 12th Special Session of the Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum. All interested Major Groups and Stakeholders are invited to participate. More information is available at http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article3434

2011 UNCTAD Public Symposium: Making Trade and Finance Work for People and the Planet
The third annual UNCTAD Public Symposium, organized in cooperation with NGLS, will take place on 22-24 June 2011 in Geneva. Under the general theme “Making Trade and Finance Work for People and the Planet,” the symposium will focus on two main topics:
• Financial and monetary reforms for sustainable development: global and regional initiatives What are the global and regional initiatives needed to avert new crises and make trade and finance work for full and productive employment, reduce inequalities and promote sustainable development?
• Making the transition to a green economy fair and equitable How can the transition to a green economy, in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, be made fair at the national and international levels?

General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Youth, 25-26 July 2011
As part of the International Youth Year, the General Assembly will hold a high-level meeting on youth on 25 and 26 July 2011. The high-level meeting will have as its overarching theme “Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding.” The high-level meeting will comprise two consecutive informal interactive roundtables on 25 July 2011 and two plenary meetings on 26 July 2011. The round tables will be chaired by Member States at the invitation of the President of the General Assembly will address the following themes: Round table 1: Strengthening international cooperation regarding youth and enhancing dialogue, mutual understanding and active youth participation as indispensable elements towards achieving social integration, full employment and the eradication of poverty; Round table 2: Challenges to youth development and opportunities for poverty eradication, employment and sustainable development. For more information go to:
http://social.un.org/youthyear/

April 2011 

Special meeting of ECOSOC with BWIs, WTO & UNCTAD
The Economic and Social Council held its Special high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions (International Monetary Fund-IMF, & World Bank), World Trade Organization, (WTO) and UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) on 10 and 11 March 2011 in New York. The overall theme of the meeting was “Coherence, coordination and cooperation on Financing for Development”. The meeting consisted of informal thematic debates on the following topics:

1.   “Follow-up to the 2010 MDG Summit outcome: building the global partnership for development, including in response to new challenges and emerging issues”;

2.   “The role of the UN system in global economic governance”;

3.   “Financial support for development efforts of Least Developed Countries: development finance, including innovative mechanisms, aid for trade and debt relief”;

4.   "Financial support for development efforts of Middle-Income Countries: development cooperation, trade, capital flows, policy space and reserve system".

Bro. Steve of Marianists International was selected as an alternate speaker on behalf of civil society to address the third thematic debate. His intervention focused on the question of debt relief for least developed countries. To see a list of all the NGO speakers go to: http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/ecosoc/springmeetings/2011/CivilSociety.pdf. If you would like more analysis on how these international financial institutions impact development in poorer countries check out the website of the Bretton Woods Project, http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/index.shtml. You can also sign up for their regular e-updates.

Informal Interactive Hearing of the General Assembly with Civil Society on LDC-IV
In order to provide greater space for civil society input into the preparatory process for the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV), the UN General Assembly has asked the President of its 65th Session, H.E. Mr. Joseph Deiss, to convene an "Informal Interactive Hearing of the General Assembly with Non-governmental organizations and Civil Society organizations." The Hearing took place on 1 April 2011 at UN Headquarters in New York. The outcome of the Hearing will be an official summary by the President of the General Assembly, which will become an official General Assembly document and be fed into the preparatory process.

In addition to the opening and closing sessions, the meeting is divided into three thematic sessions, that focus on:
1: Harnessing Productive Resources for Sustainable Development;
2: Enhancing Productive Capacity and Resilience against Global Crises;
3: Promoting Good Governance and Effective Monitoring Mechanisms for Development.

To view the program for the Informal Interactive Civil Society Hearing in full go to: http://www.un-ngls.org/IMG/pdf/Final_Programme.pdf

2011 World Water Day: "Water for Cities: Responding to Urban Challenges"
On 22 March, UN Water commemorated World Water Day 2011, which focused on “Water for Cities: Responding to Urban Challenges." The goal this year was to draw international attention to the impacts of urbanization and industrialization, as well as threats posed by climate change, conflict, and natural disasters in regard to water management. Today, half of the world’s population – 3.3 billion people – lives in cities, and 95% of urban population growth in coming decades is projected to occur in developing countries. This [situation] is particularly alarming in sub-Saharan Africa, where 50% of the urban population does not have direct access to drinking water and approximately 60% does not have access to adequate sanitation infrastructure, largely due to insufficient investment and resources. As the majority of the urban population do not have access to sanitation, they rely on unsanitary means – such as ’flying toilets’ – which greatly increases the risk of contracting diarrhea, cholera or malaria. In addition, the poorest populations who lack access to safe drinking are often the victims of informal water sellers who increase the water prices 20% to 100% in comparison to the prices charged by public and private utility companies. For more information go to: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article3290

“Migration and Youth: Harnessing Opportunities for Development,” 17-18 May 2011
UNICEF as the current chair of the Global Migration Group (GMG) together with the other 15 Member Agencies will be hosting a two-day Symposium “Migration and Youth: Harnessing Opportunities for Development” in New York City on 17–18 May 2011. The Symposium will bring together a wide range of experts and practitioners to present future trends, discuss
current knowledge, highlight existing gaps, and share good practices on how to increase migration’s positive impacts and minimize its negative impacts on the development prospects of youth. It is expected that participants will produce a set of key policy action messages that can evolve into a road map for development practitioners, governments, academics, civil society partners and the international community for the next five years. There will four thematic roundtables as well as an interactive panel discussion on youth migration from a youth perspective. To see the entire details of the program go to: http://www.globalmigrationgroup.org/gmg_symposium2011.htm 

Education: Quality, access and innovation
Education is a fundamental factor in achieving success and growth in different aspects of life. Education equips people with the knowledge to achieve all of the Millennium Development Goals by providing the skills to increase income, create employment opportunities, reduce hunger and poverty and enhance socio-economic development.

In an effort to improve education, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will follow the six goals of “Education for All” of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). These goals are: (1) expand early childhood care and education, (2) provide free and compulsory primary education for all, (3) promote learning and life skills for young people and adults, (4) increase adult literacy by 50 per cent, (5) achieve gender parity by 2005, gender equality by 2015 and (6) improve the quality of education. To read the entire article and see other resources go to: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/newsletter/2011/march/feature.shtml#fea1

64TH ANNUAL UN DPI/NGO CONFERENCE BONN, GERMANY, 3-5 SEPTEMBER 2011: “SUSTAINABLE SOCIETIES; RESPONSIVE CITIZENS”

The Conference will highlight effective ways in which civil society, in partnership with other actors, can contribute to fostering sustainability. The title revolves around citizen and NGO involvement in creating and maintaining various aspects of sustainable societies for the benefit of mankind and the planet: economical, cultural and environmental. The sustainable development revolution is about individual and collective actions. It’s about empowering people to get involved. Governments change, but when civic engagement is harnessed to its full potential, it is a genuine force for social cohesion and sustainable societies. That’s just what NGOs and civil society are for. Connecting the dots between sustainable development and engaging communities is about bringing in those citizens that respond to the challenge: not just the challenge of building a green economy but all the implications that come with it. NGOs and voluntary organizations empower responsive citizens to act together and build real, sustainable societies. Some subthemes could be environmental sustainability, green manufacturing and commerce, transparent governance, grassroots activism, and limiting personal carbon footprints. The 64th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference could be considered as a major NGO event in preparation for the Rio+20 Conference.

 International Year of Youth: Their Year, Their Voice
The International Year of Youth, commencing on the United Nations annual Day of Youth, 12 August 2010, celebrates and focuses on the importance of youth around the world. The contributions of youth to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are fundamental for success and Youth Conferences with the United Nations reflect the role youth play in achieving development. Youth are the future of the UN, and the future of all development. Events surrounding this year aim to make young people more visible in the international development agenda. In efforts to capture the energy, imagination and initiative of the world’s youth in overcoming the challenges facing humankind, from enhancing peace to boosting economic development, the United Nations proclaimed the International Year of Youth, which will commence on the 2010 International Day of Youth on 12 August under the theme “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding,”. The theme was chosen by the General Assembly out of appreciation for the value of dialogue among youth from different cultures as well as among different generations. For more information go to: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/newsletter/2010/august/feature.shtml#fea1 

General Assembly President Issues Summary of Hearings with Civil Society
and the Private Sector on the MDGS
In order to provide input to the preparatory process for the ‘MDG summit’ (High-level Plenary Meeting) on 20-22 September 2010, the UN General Assembly, in resolution A/RES/64/184 has asked the President of its 64th session, H.E. Dr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, to convene ‘Informal Interactive Hearings of the General Assembly with Non-governmental organizations, Civil society organizations and the Private sector’. The Hearings took place from 14-15 June 2010 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Hearings were attended by representatives of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, civil society organizations and the private sector, Member States and observers. In addition to 46 official speakers in the meeting, 519 individuals representing 335 non-governmental, civil society and private sector organizations observed the Hearings. Of these, well over half were women. For more information go to: http://www.un.org/ga/president/64/issues/mdgs.shtml
ACTION ALERT: Anyone wishing to help lobby their own government to support the NGO recommendations for the September MDG review download the 2-page document and attach it to your letter to your national representative; http://www.marianistngo.org/documents.htm  

Students from St. Mary’s University attend UN Seminar
At the end of May Marianists International hosted two students from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, David Duarte and Keily Rivero, who attended a week long seminar at the UN sponsored by the Path to Peace Foundation in conjunction with the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. The topic of the seminar was, “Freedom, Truth and Charity: Promoting Human Development as a Vocation.” In addition, they participated in one of the weekly NGO briefings and talked with other Catholic NGO representatives on how they help keep the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching at the center of international policy development.

 World Day Against Child Labor, 12 June 2010: “Go for the Goal... End Child Labor.” The World Day against Child Labour will be celebrated on 12 June 2010. It comes just one month after a major Global Conference on Child Labour is to be held in the Netherlands, the first event of its kind for more than 10 years. The World Day will provide an early opportunity for national and local activities to follow up on the momentum generated by the Global Conference, and to scale up the worldwide movement to tackle child labour. On this World Day we call for:

·         Renewed urgency to tackle the worst forms of child labour.

·         Scaling up global, national and local level efforts by making action against all forms of child labour an integral part of poverty reduction, social protection and education planning strategies.

·         Building political and popular commitment to tackling child labour, with social partners and civil society playing a leading role in advocacy and awareness raising efforts.
For more information go to: http://www.ilo.org/ipec/Campaignandadvocacy/WDACL/WorldDay2010/lang--en/index.htm

UN Women entity to accelerate empowerment of women
In an historic move, the United Nations General Assembly voted unanimously on 2 July 2010 to create a new entity to accelerate progress in meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide. The establishment of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women — to be known as UN Women — is a result of years of negotiations between UN Member States and advocacy by the global women’s movement. It is part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. Over many decades, the UN has made significant progress in advancing gender equality, including through landmark agreements such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Gender equality is not only a basic human right, but its achievement has enormous socio-economic ramifications. Empowering women fuels thriving economies, spurring productivity and growth. Yet gender inequalities remain deeply entrenched in every society. Women in all parts of the world suffer violence and discrimination, and are under-represented in decision-making processes. High rates of maternal mortality continue to be a cause for global shame. For many years, the UN has faced serious challenges in its efforts to promote gender equality globally, including inadequate funding and no single recognized driver to direct UN activities on gender equality issues. To see website of the new ‘UN Women’ go to: http://www.unwomen.org/  

UN Declares Water and Sanitation a Basic Human Right
When food, clothing, shelter and medical care were included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, water and sanitation were excluded. On July 28^th, in a historic, albeit non-binding and politically divisive resolution, the UN General Assembly has cast its vote and rectified this omission. The decree, declaring water and sanitation basic human rights, states all nations must "scale up efforts to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable water and sanitation for all" - an endeavor that dollar for dollar provides some of the best poverty reduction returns. Forty-one nations abstained from the vote, many suggesting the resolution was rushed and could undermine the ongoing work on water and sanitation underway in the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council.

International Day of Families, 15 May 2010:
"The impact of migration on families around the world"
Families in which some members remain at home in the country of origin, while other family members live in the country of destination are often called “transnational families”. The number of such families is on the increase with the globalization of migration worldwide. Another important feature is the growth of one type of transnational family – one in which the mothers leave their families behind. Although, the number of female migrants remained constant at around 49 percent since 1990s, more women tend to migrate independently and/or as primary migrants. The current economic crisis has or will impact migration in several ways. In response to the crisis, some governments have reduced their quotas of migrants, the number of work visas available or have raised academic and financial requirements for migrants. Moreover, in response to growing unemployment, many governments have tightened services to immigrants. As jobs are being lost and competition for work increases, there has been some evidence that working conditions and wages deteriorate. Migrants are more vulnerable in times of unemployment as they often do not have the same access to state benefits. To read Secretary-General’s statement and more information go to: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/idf10.html 

Survey on the Impact of Economic Crisis on Civil Society Organizations
Marianists International as part of the NGO Committee on Social Development has been on the Steering Committee to guide a UN sponsored project to assess the impact of the Economic Crisis on Civil Society organizations and the people they serve. The findings indicate that there are significant regional differences on how civil society has been affected by the crisis and how they have been able to respond. Marianists International was also asked to moderate a panel discussion about the survey during the recent UN High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, 23 March 2010. The final report on the survey, a shorter executive summary, some case studies and a PowerPoint presentation is now available for download: http://ngosocdev.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/174/ 

Hawaiian Students From Marianist High School Do Alternative Spring Break
Six students and their teacher from St. Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, were hosted in New York by Marianists International and St. John’s Home for Boys for an “alternate” Spring break. In addition to sampling some for the great cultural opportunities the city offers, they got a “hands-on” experience of the two pillars of social justice, direct service and systemic change. For the former the students worked in a soup kitchen and with the homeless in a recycling project. Then at the UN they learned how NGOs and governments partner to formulate international policies which try to address why there are more people poor and marginalized. 

International Year of Biodiversity
The United Nations proclaimed 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity, and people all over the world are working to safeguard this irreplaceable natural wealth and reduce biodiversity loss. This is vital for current and future human wellbeing. You are an integral part of nature; your fate is tightly linked with biodiversity, the huge variety of other animals and plants, the places they live and their surrounding environments, all over the world. We need to do more. Now is the time to act. The International Year of Biodiversity is a unique opportunity to increase understanding of the vital role that biodiversity plays in sustaining life on Earth. For More Information: http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/ 

Educating Girls, a Dividend That Pays Well
Educating girls offers such high returns for a society that it could be likened to a charging bull rather than a balky bear if you looked at it through the lens of a Wall Street investor. As a strategic tool for increasing a country’s development, it helps reduce poverty, lowers infant-child mortality rates and HIV/AIDS infection rates, improves overall health, reduces sexual violence and promotes gender equality – major components of the Millennium Development Goals. “Girls’Education: An End to Poverty?” brought the topic into focus at a Department of Public Information/NGO briefing on April 1 at the United Nations. The participating panelists were Elizabeth Fordham, the education adviser for UNICEF in New York; Jean-Francis Régis Zinsou, the permanent representative of Benin to the UN; Winifred Doherty, a representative to the UN from the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd; and Tamara Rosenberg, a New York documentary filmmaker.For More Information:  http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/time-for-school-series/introduction/4340/

High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development, 23-24 March 2010, UN Headquarters, New York
The General Assembly, by its decision 64/551 of 23 February 2010, decided to convene its fourth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development on 23 and 24 March 2010 at United Nations Headquarters. Pursuant to resolution 64/194 of 21 December 2009, the Dialogue's overall theme was “The Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: status of implementation and tasks ahead”. The first day of the Dialogue consisted of plenary meetings chaired by the President of the General Assembly, at which ministers and high-level officials were able to make formal statements. The second day was devoted to three interactive multi-stakeholder round tables followed by an informal interactive dialogue with the participation of all relevant stakeholders. The themes of the 3 round tables and the interactive dialogue were as follows:

• Round table 1: “The reform of the international monetary and financial system and its implications for development”;

• Round table 2: “The impact of the current financial and economic crisis on foreign direct investment and other private flows, external debt and international trade”;

• Round table 3: “The role of financial and technical development cooperation, including innovative sources of development finance, in leveraging the mobilization of domestic and international financial resources for development”;

·         Informal interactive dialogue: “The link between financing for development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals: the road to the 2010 high-level event”. The Dialogue will result in a summary by the President of the General Assembly as an input to the preparation of the High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on MDGs (New York, 20-22 September 2010).

Marianists International, as a member of the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, was able to be a speaker in Roundtable 2 and contributed points on external debt in developing countries.  For more information go to: http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/hld/HLD2010/index.htm

Giving Voice to Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous peoples are the caretakers of some of the world’s most diverse territories. However, in many countries, they face discrimination and conflict on a daily basis. They make up some five per cent of the world's population – but represent one-third of the world's poorest. Speaking at the opening of the annual forum on indigenous peoples in New York on 19 April, 2010, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for “all Governments, indigenous peoples, the United Nations system and all other partners to ensure that the vision behind the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples becomes a reality for all...” To Read the full article go to: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/social/voice-indigenous-peoples.shtml

The "World Peoples Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth," in Cochabamba, Bolivia
The idea of the Cochabamba People's Accord coming out of the summit is for this document to serve as a counterweight, or people's alternative, to the weak and inadequate Copenhagen Accord, which the U.S. principally is trying to jam through the UN process. The submission period for the UN's Climate Change Framework is open until April 26th, leaving the Bolivian government just enough time to present the final document forged with government and civil society representatives before the official process. Aside from the radical positions contained in the document, the process through which it was created is a statement in itself. In Copenhagen, we saw the idea of democracy to solve this problem threatened - the analysis was that 192 countries was simply too many to try to come to a consensus - better to lock out those whose survival was at stake to be able to at least agree to something between the biggest polluters. Bolivia turned this on its head, opening up the process further to another major voice who wasn't able to be in the room, civil society. To Read the full article go to: http://pwccc.wordpress.com/category/working-groups/03-mother-earth-rights/  & http://www.350.org/about/blogs/after-cochabamba-new-way-forward   

 Every year, 1,500 cubic kilometres of wastewater are produced globally. While waste and wastewater can be reused productively for energy and irrigation, it usually is not. In developing countries 80 percent of all waste is being discharged untreated, because of lack of regulations and resources. And population and industrial growth add new sources of pollution and increased demand for clean water to the equation. Human and environmental health, drinking and agricultural water supplies for the present and future are at stake, still water pollution rarely warrants mention as a pressing issue.

To do something about that UN-Water has chosen Clean Water for a Healthy World as theme for World Water Day 2010. The overall goal of the World Water Day on 22 March 2010 campaign is to raise the profile of water quality at the political level so that water quality considerations are made alongside those of water quantity. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: http://www.worldwaterday2010.info/ 

Commission on Social Development 2010
This was the "policy year" of the two year cycle on Social Integration for the Commission on Social development. As usual, the NGO community hosted a civil society forum the day before the Commission began. At that time final edits were given to the "civil society decelaration" which was then presented to the member states during the opening session of the Commission. The Commission concluded its work with five draft resolutions which go to ECOSOC and then the General Assembly for acceptance. The resolutions cover the themes: Social Integration (the priority theme), mainstreaming disabilty in the development agenda, implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action on Aging, proposed methods of work for the Commission, and the social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Bro. Maximin Magnan from Togo was able to attend the Civil Society Forum with Bro. Steve. Bro. Max is a member of the Advisory Committee to Marianists International. To see photos from the Commission, download texts of the resolutions, read statements from specific member states and more go to http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/csd/2010.html 

New Report on Education from UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) recently released a global study on targeted political and military violence against education staff, students, teachers, unions and government officials, aid workers and other institutions. The study, entitled Education under Attack 2010, is the second in a series of UNESCO publications that aims to bridge the gaps in knowledge and information about attacks on education and about how education can be protected from attack. “Its aim is to enhance global understanding of the nature, scope, motives and impact of attacks on education and of the work that is being done by communities, organizations and governments to prevent and respond to such violence. When appropriate, the publications also provide recommendations for action by a variety of stakeholders at local, national and international levels,” wrote Mark Richmond, Director of UNESCO’s Division for the Coordination of UN Priorities in Education, in the publication’s foreword. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article=1865 

Beijing +15
In March 2010, the Commission on the Status of Women will undertake a fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly.   Emphasis will be placed on the sharing of experiences and good practices, with a view to overcoming remaining obstacles and new challenges, including those related to the Millennium Development Goals.  Member States, representatives of non-governmental organizations and of UN entities will participate in the session.  A series of parallel events will provide additional opportunities for information exchange and networking. The principal output of the Commission on the Status of Women is the agreed conclusions on priority themes set for each year. Agreed conclusions, contain an analysis of the priority theme of concern and a set of concrete recommendations for Governments, intergovernmental bodies and other institutions, civil society actors and other relevant stakeholders, to be implemented at the international, national, regional and local level. In addition to the agreed conclusions, the Commission also adopts a number of resolutions on a range of issues, including the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women; and women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS. The final report of the Commission is submitted to the Economic and Social Council for adoption. 

Global Classrooms Los Angeles Students Meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
Students from Global Classrooms Los Angeles program met UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the Global Creative Forum on March 1. The daylong event brought together United Nations officials with leaders from the entertainment industry and featured discussions on how empowering women is crucial for achieving global peace and prosperity and the critical role that the artistic community can play in helping the UN achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Ban gave students from Carson High School, Lawrence Middle school and the International Studies Learning Center, all in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a pep talk for their upcoming Model UN conference on March 5 at UCLA. The secretary-general also wished them luck in the debates and told them "you are the world's future leaders, and I have great faith that you will one day help solve many of today's global issues."

Statement on Haiti Debt Cancellation by Group of Seven Countries
WESTPORT, Conn., (Feb. 9, 2010) — Save the Children applauds the Group of Seven countries (G7) for the decision to cancel bilateral debts with Haiti.   This will allow Haiti's government to concentrate its scarce resources on the urgently needed reconstruction of the country. Other nations owed money by Haiti bilaterally should also move to forgive these debts. Save the Children also encourages G7 countries to work vigorously with the multilateral institutions that still hold Haitian debt, such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. We understand these organizations are working to cancel Haiti's debts, and we hope that the G7 and other nations support their efforts in this direction. Haiti faces many challenges, and new debt should not be one of them.  All post-earthquake assistance to Haiti should be in the form of grants, rather than through the standard practice of issuing new loans to the Haitian government.  In New York in April, governments attending an international donors conference for Haiti will have the opportunity to enable a hopeful future for a devastated nation.  Save the Children urges donor governments to make the kind of robust long-term commitments needed to build a better future for Haitian children and the nation as a whole.

Learn more about our emergency response to the earthquakes in Haiti go to: http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2010/g7-Haiti-debt.html

21 January 2010*

*Unfortunately, I had completed this report and sent it out to our translators before the Haitian earthquake. I’m sure you have seen many reports of the tragedy there; including reports from our own General Administration: http://www.marianist.org/PDFs/eng/via_latina/via_latina/VL187%20(1-2010%20EXTRA2)-Eng.pdf

Review of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Shortly after agreement was reached, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the press that the talks had been exhausting.  “The Copenhagen Accord may not be everything that everyone hoped for. But it is a beginning--an essential beginning.”  He said countries have agreed to work toward a common, long-term goal to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius and many governments have made important commitments to reduce or limit emissions.  Significant progress was made to preserve forests and there was agreement to provide comprehensive support to the most vulnerable to cope with climate change.  And he said, “the deal is backed by money,” about $30 billion for short term use.  .  “We have the foundation for the first truly global agreement that will limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support adaptation for the most vulnerable, and launch a new era of green growth.” GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE FOR MORE ANALYSIS, PICTURES AND VIDEO OF THE CONFERENCE: http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/climatechange/pages/gateway/copenhagenfieldnotes 

Critique of Copenhagen by Oxfam International
"The UN climate talks must be rescued from the shambles of Copenhagen by revolutionizing the way the negotiations are carried out so that a deal can be delivered in 2010 and the chaos witnessed in Copenhagen is never repeated." In its new report: Climate shame: get back to the table (http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/climate-shame-get-back-table) launching today, the international aid agency reviews the outcomes of the recent climate conference, the shortcomings and the missed opportunities which will send repercussions among the world’s poorest people already suffering the effects of climate change. Too much was left to be resolved in Copenhagen but, at the moment, only two intersessional meetings are planned before reconvening at the next UN climate talks in Mexico in December. By then, an estimated 150,000 people will have died and a further 1 million displaced as a result of climate change. TO READ MORE GO TO: http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressrelease/2009-12-21/un-climate-negotiations-overhaul-avoid-4-degrees 

UNICEF’s five-year tsunami report highlights goals reached in relief and recovery efforts
The tragic events of December 26, 2004 caused destruction on an unprecedented scale. Nearly 230,000 people were killed – the majority of them women and children.  Communities were devastated, livelihoods destroyed, homes, schools and heath facilities washed away.  Yet the sheer scale of the Tsunami’s destruction – as well as the massive mobilization of resources received from international relief – provided many opportunities to restore basic services and build back better than before. The international community pledged over USD 14 billion for the relief and recovery of tsunami-affected countries, and UNICEF funds received for the Tsunami stand at USD 694.7 million, of which three quarters was raised from UNICEF’s National Committees. GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBPAGE TO ACCESS THE ENTIRE REPORT: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_52206.html 

Preparations for the 2010 Commission on Social Development
Marianists International, as members of the NGO Committee on Social Development has been working hard to prepare of this year's Commission on Social Development, 3-12 February 2010. This will be the "policy year" to conclude the two-year cycle on the theme of "social integration/inclusion." We were a member of the NGO team participating in the Expert Group Meeting on this priorty theme in November. The final report for that meeting and its recommendations can be found on the NGO Committee's website, http://ngosocdev.wordpress.com/ along with the recommendations from the other expert group meeting in Accra, Ghana. Also available on the website is a report the Committee did on a two year survey of NGO 'best practices' in social integration that included 190 responses from 62 countries. The Secretary-General's background report for the Commission plus all the written interventions by NGOs are available at the UN site for the Commission: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/csd/2010.html. 

Marianists International Intern Reports
Vilma Ilic, the Columbia University student working at Marianist International this semester has written three important reports that are now available on the website, http://www.MarianistNGO.org/documents.htm. One deals with the issue of "Migration through the Eyes of Young People." It was a panel held at the UN on the International Migrants Day, 18 December. Another paper covers a discussion at the UN on the 30th Anniversary of CEDAW, the Convention to End Discrimination Against Women, held on the 3rd of December. Finally, there is a report on the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UN Year in Review Video Available on "You Tube" (http://www.youtube.com/user/unitednations)
2009 - a year when arctic ice was melting faster than ever before and multiple crises -food, energy, recession or pandemic flu - called for global cooperation on an unprecedented level. At the same time, peacekeepers served in missions around the world and the fight against hunger and poverty continued. It was a year when UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon travelled to Gaza to witness firsthand the damage to the UN compound after it was bombed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He also travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and reminded the world that sexual violence against women there, and everywhere, was an abomination and had to be stopped.

 16 November 2009

Stand Up Against Poverty Campaign Reaches New Record of 173,045,325
Now in its fourth year, we have seen the impact that Stand Up is making in people's lives and improving the MDG policies and practices of governments. Providing the space and platforms for ordinary citizens to have their voices heard on issues that matter to them at the national and local level. In both rich and poor countries, citizens have come together, to put the priorities of the poor and excluded groups, firmly on the political agenda and get their own governments to address them.  Once again an overwhelming majority of the people who stood up were from poor countries.  And as their voices grow louder, they can no longer be ignored. FOR MORE PICTURES AND INFO GO TO: http://standagainstpoverty.org/

Marianists International Welcomes New Intern: Vilma Ilic
Vilma is a graduate student of the Columbia University School of Social Work here in New York. One of the other NGOs we work with on the Sub-committee for Poverty Eradication, International Movement ATD 4th World, has had interns from Columbia University for a number of years. They recommended the Marianists as another NGO who might be willing to accept an intern placement. Since the Marianist Volunteer Program has been put on hiatus this year we were able to welcome Vilma to our office. She will be working with the NGO Committees on the "Status of Women," "the UNICEF Working Group on Girls" and Migration. She has had experience working in programs to address domestic violence against women and children. She will prepare a curriculum package to present to our schools on these international topics. 

Victims of Human Trafficking Break Their Silence
By Sue Gloor
Trafficking in people is a $4 billion business worldwide driven by poverty and high youth unemployment. It is also the fastest growing source of profit for organized crime. And as the number of people who are trafficked grows, the ages of victims drops. On Oct. 22, a conference “Giving Voice to Victims and Survivors of Human Trafficking,” was presented by the New York office of the high commissioner for human rights. Panelists presented troubling new facts and also discussed new approaches to reducing the numbers, an effort that the UN has not been terribly effective in doing. “A human rights approach demands that we listen to survivors of human trafficking to craft better responses,” Navanethem Pillay, the high commissioner, told the conference. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave the opening address and stayed on to listen to the moving testimony of victims. TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE OR SEE VIDEO GO TO: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1674&srctid=1&erid=903936

Citizens Stage 5,200 Events in 181 Countries for International Day of Climate Action; Call for 350ppm Target in International Negotiations
On Saturday, 24 October, people around the world celebrated the International Day of Climate Action with more than 5,200 events in 181 countries, in what was the largest day of environmental action in history. From the Himalayas to the Great Barrier Reef, from schoolchildren to politicians, participants rang bells, planted trees, scuba dived, climbed mountains, crossed bridges and danced in the streets, in the name of combating climate change.

Actions ranged from the directly environmental to the artistic, from the religious to the revelrous – as people planted trees artists created 3 minute 50 second sound art, believers gathered on cathedral steps to have their climate pledges blessed and even club-goers found a way to show their support as they “danced to save the world.” A choreographed flash mob stopped traffic in Hong Kong, 20,000 students rallied in Addis Ababa, participants in Sydney spelled out the number 350 in umbrellas on the steps of the opera house, and deep sea divers in the Maldives brought the number underwater. “Together, we’ve shown the world that a global climate movement is possible and set a bold new agenda for the upcoming United Nations climate meetings in Copenhagen this December,” stated Bill McKibben, environmental activist and founder of 350.org. FOR MORE INFO GO TO: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article1662

UNICEF to launch special edition of State of the World’s Children to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
With a press conference at its headquarters, UNICEF will release its flagship report focusing on the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly the day before the anniversary itself. The Convention is the first legally binding international convention to affirm human rights for all children.  Since 1989, the CRC has achieved near-universal acceptance, having now been ratified by 193 parties – more than belong to the United Nations or have acceded to the Geneva Conventions. Thursday, 19 November at 10:30 a.m. at UNICEF Headquarters on 44th Street in Manhattan, a press conference with UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, Lucy Liu, UNICEF Ambassador and actor and Grace Akallo, former child soldier to discuss the special edition of the agency’s widely-quoted annual publication, State of the World’s Children which this year will focus on the impact the CRC has had on the lives of millions of children and challenges moving forward. FOR MORE INFO GO TO: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_51630.html

UN General Assembly High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development
The General Assembly will hold on 23-24 November 2009 its fourth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development. Under the overall theme “The Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: status of implementation and tasks ahead”, the Dialogue will include a series of plenary and informal meetings. Plenary meetings will take place on Monday, 23 November. On Tuesday, 24 November there will be 3 round tables (morning) and an interactive dialogue (afternoon), as follows:

• Round table 1: “The reform of the international monetary and financial system and its implications for development”;
• Round table 2: “The impact of the current financial and economic crisis on foreign direct investment and other private flows, external debt and international trade”;
• Round table 3: “The role of financial and technical development cooperation, including innovative sources of development finance, in leveraging the mobilization of domestic and international financial resources for development”;
• Informal interactive dialogue: “The link between financing for development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals: the road to the 2010 high-level event”.

Eastern DR Congo: Surge in Army Atrocities (November 2, 2009)
The UN has declared it will stop providing support to one of the units of the Congolese army which has been accused of gross human rights violations. But Human Rights Watch says it's too little, too late. The UN peacekeeping mission, MONUC, has been giving logistics and operational support to the Congolese Army since March 2009 - the beginning of the operation aimed at disarming the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). During the past 8 months, more than 500 civilians were deliberately killed and thousands of women were raped by government soldiers. MONUC should cease its participation in the Congolese army's operations and find ways to disarm the FDLR that won't put the civilian population in the cross-fire. (Human Rights Watch) TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE GO TO: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/11/02/eastern-dr-congo-surge-army-atrocities

October 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2009:
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SPEAK OUT AGAINST POVERTY
“Investments in children and the realization of their rights are among the most effective ways to eradicate poverty.” [A/RES/S-27/2, 11 October 2002 (A World Fit for Children Resolution)] In recognition of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child the 2009 observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty focuses on the plight of children and families living in poverty and the need to fulfill children's rights in partnership with them and in keeping with the Convention. This year’s observance highlights the role of the convention in securing children’s rights, in particular the right to survival and full development, the right to protection from abuse and exploitation and the right to participation in family, cultural and social life. Participation also means that children have the right to express their opinions and have those opinions heard and acted upon when appropriate. The observance will present an opportunity for children to speak out against poverty and dialogue with others. We will hear from children, young people, parents, and people working with them on their actions to implement policies which strengthen both children and their families in tackling poverty and exclusion. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/social/intldays/IntlDay/2009intlday.html. TO TAKE ACTION SEE: http://www.oct17.org/en & http://standagainstpoverty.org/?gclid=CO-vkvK1j50CFeEN5QodXCP68Q

UN Expert on Extreme Poverty: New ReportThe report of the Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty, Ms. Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, to the 64th UN General Assembly has recently been released. The report looks at the consequences of the global financial crisis on the rights of people living in extreme poverty, and underlines that the crisis provides an opportunity to move beyond the re-structuring of the global financial and monetary systems. People should be placed at the centre of policy measures by enhancing social protection systems and human rights based approach. THE REPORT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE: http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N09/452/76/PDF/N0945276.pdf?OpenElement

October 16: World Food Day
Action Against Hunger is an international network committed to saving the lives of malnourished children and their families while ensuring access to safe water and sustainable solutions to hunger. Action Against Hunger has pursued its vision of a world without hunger for nearly three decades, combating hunger in emergency situations of conflict, natural disaster, and chronic food insecurity. As part of its international network, Action Against Hunger’s 6,000 staff work in over 40 countries carrying out innovative, life-saving programs in nutrition, food security, water and sanitation, public health, and advocacy. Their programs reach some 5 million people each year, restoring dignity, self-sufficiency, and independence to vulnerable populations throughout the world. FOR MORE INFORMATIONGO TO: http://www.actionagainsthunger.org  

Marianists International Present at DPI/NGO Conference, Mexico City, 9-11 September
Bros. Ed Longbottom (district superior), Esteban Reyes Durán and Rigoberto Martínez Hernández of the District of Mexico attended a three-day NGO conference in Mexico City called “Disarmament Now, Working for Peace and Development.” Bro. Steve O’Neil of the Marianist NGO at the United Nations arranged for the brothers to attend. Highlights of the conference included inaugural addresses by Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the UN, and Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and founder of the international campaign for the prohibition of land mines. Sessions covered issues relating to nuclear arms and weapons, violence, political unrest, poverty and security issues in Latin America. TO READ MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE GO TO: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article1595

 UN Survey on the Impact of the Global Crises on Civil Society Organizations and their Constituencies
The Civil Society and Outreach Unit of the United Nations Secretariat's Division for Social Policy and Development invites your organization to take part in a survey on the current situation that local, national and international civil society organizations (CSOs) are facing as a result of the global economic and environmental crises. The results of the study will be published for advocacy use of CSOs and also made available at the Forty Eighth Session of the UN Commission for Social Development. Answers to all questions will be kept totally confidential, in particular as questions are included on how the crises have impacted the resources available for programmes. The link to the survey, which may be forwarded to members or partners, is (if the link does not work for any reasons, please copy the whole link and paste it into your web browser):

English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=fU2GqJbXEyUt7ZNseEwiww_3d_3d
French: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=yQy9TagHRqugiCSwkgvPlg_3d_3d
Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ukZJH8y0qPD9UYIyh_2fpUew_3d_3d

Outcome of September UN Climate Summit
On 22 September 2009, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened the largest-ever high-level summit on climate change at UN Headquarters in New York. The meeting demonstrated how climate change—the ‘defining challenge of our time’—has come to the fore of political attention.

The sentiment was one of optimism and determination for sealing an ambitious, comprehensive, fair, and scientifically robust agreement in Copenhagen (COP-15) this December. Leaders have expressed commitments to develop:
1. enhanced action to assist the most vulnerable and the poorest to adapt;
2. ambitious emission reduction targets for industrialized countries;
3. nationally-appropriate mitigation actions by developing countries;
4. significantly scaled-up financial, technological, and capacity-building resources; and
5. an equitable governance structure.

This was the first time that financing had been recognized as a central issue, stressing that funds from both public and private spheres should be made readily available and in addition to ODA. The Secretary-General expressed his intent to set up a High Level Panel after the Copenhagen Conference that will advise on integrating adaptation and mitigation into development. Read the analysis by NGLS: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article1609

UNCTAD Hearings with Civil Society Addresses Global Economic and Climate Crises
As part of the annual Board meeting, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) held its hearing between Member States and civil society on 16 September 2009 in Geneva to address confluence of crises, in particular the global economic and climate crises. Participants noted that responses to the crisis had not only been generally insufficient, but could in fact exacerbate the polarization of income and power between developed and developing countries. In particular the loss of export-linked revenue would hamper the budget of those countries and their only solution would be to launch a new cycle of indebtedness. Several participants repeated the call for a debt moratorium for developing countries and expressed support to UNCTAD’s proposal to set a debt moratorium that goes beyond the IMF’s current initiative to reduce interest rates on concessional loans to zero. It was further proposed that all loans promised to developing countries in response to the crisis should be transformed into grants. In addition, the additional US$250 billion in Special Drawin! g Rights decided at the April 2009 G20 Summit should be allocated on the basis of real financial need, rather than IMF based quotas. FOR FULL STORY: http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article1619

Be it G8 or G20, Activists Say Protests to Continue (September 25, 2009)
Changing the G8 to the G20 did not ease the many protests at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh. Despite the increase from eight to twenty states, activists still criticize the summit for not representing the voices of the poor and developing countries. The activists do not believe that twenty countries are capable of making the reform that the global economy needs and making it favorable to all. About 10,000 protesters marched against capitalism and the G20's summit agenda on Friday, in what organizers called the biggest protest in this western Pennsylvania city since Vietnam war demonstrations. Protests -- usually against some aspect of capitalism -- have often marked summits since trade talks in Seattle in 1999, when demonstrators ransacked the center of the city, targeting businesses seen as symbols of U.S. corporate power. Such summits are often held within a ring of security. (Reuters)
TO READ MORE GO TO: http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/174-advocacy/48235-be-it-g20-or-g8-activists-say-protests-to-continue.html

 
June - July 2009 

General Assembly Conference on the World Economic Crisis and Development
24-26 June  2009 - The high-level United Nations meeting on the global economic crisis has culminated in the approval of an outcome document that represents the first step in a long process of putting the world on a new path towards solidarity, stability and sustainability, the President of the General Assembly, Miguel D’Escoto, said today. The Assembly – the “G-192” – has now been established as the central forum for the discussion of world financial and economic issues, D’Escoto said, as the UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development wrapped up in New York. “We must all join forces to confront these crises. The proposals we have adopted today point in this direction. But much remains to be done,” he said. To download the outcome document and statements of specific country representatives as well as view webcasts of the plenary sessions go to http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/. 

Civil Society Declares that the Outcome of the Conference, "in no way measured up to the extreme gravity of the situation facing developing countries."
Representatives of the Global Social Economy Group (GSEG) [comprised of 13 NGO networks working on issues of global finance, including the NGO Committee on FFD to which Marianists International is a member] at a press conference declared that a global economic council was needed to bring together all Member States and stakeholders, but a proposal for such a Council was missing from the outcome document.  The text also lacked time frames for its recommendations, so there was no way to monitor the actions of the Governments of industrialized countries.  For that reason, civil society needed to remain strongly engaged at every step.  Non-governmental organizations would insist on a consultative arrangement for civil society in the open-ended [working group] that had been proposed. To download the recommendations made by civil society to the conference outcome go to: http://www.ffdngo.org/cs-crisis-watch

12 June, World Day Against Child Labor
This year is especially important because 2009 marks the tenth anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention No. 182, which addresses the need for action to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. World Day Against Child Labor is an important opportunity for people around the world to call attention to the plight of child workers and to call for stronger labor protections for workers everywhere. The theme for 2009 as determined by the International Labor Organization is the exploitation of girls in child labor. More information is available on the ILO’s website here. Marianists have been trying to address the issue of the continued use of forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton industry through its work in corporate social responsibility. For ways you can become involved visit the website of the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF): http://www.laborrights.org/stop-child-labor/wdacl

More Hungry People, but Less Food Aid  By Mirva Lempiainen
June 24 -- As more than a billion people in the world now go hungry every day, according to the World Food Program, the need for food aid becomes greater than ever. Yet in a stunning paradox, while the number of people suffering from hunger has reached an all-time high, the amount of available aid is at its lowest amount in two decades. Development assistance is under a strain as developed countries use their resources to solve their own financial problems. Experts say that the reduction of funds could have serious consequences, reversing years of progress made in eradicating hunger. No end is in sight to the soaring numbers: FAO expects the amount of hungry people to rise to 1.02 billion this year, an 11 percent jump from last year. Director-General Jacques Diouf of the Food and Agriculture Organization said in a statement last week that a “dangerous mix of the global economic slowdown combined with stubbornly high food prices” is to blame for the rise in hunger numbers. To read the entire article go to: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1330

Global Classrooms Marks a Decade of Model UN By Jason Williams
There was little doubt over who would be the star of the show – he is the highest ranking official at the world body – but the roar of the crowd when he took the stage reminded anyone who may have forgotten. “You can go far if you have a big dream and you work hard to achieve it,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told more than 2,300 students packed into General Assembly Hall at UN headquarters for the opening ceremonies of UNA-USA’s 10th annual Model United Nations conference. Student delegates represented cities and nations from all corners of the world; from Manhattan to Milazzo, Italy, young men and women gave of their time and energy to be a part of the nation’s largest Model UN conference. Some participants, including conference secretary-general Amy Jenson, passed up their own graduation ceremonies to attend. In a letter to her fellow participants, Jenson, a George Washington University graduate student, wrote “the past ten years, this conference has provided students from around the globe the chance to come together as international delegates and work together to address some of the worlds most pressing issues.” To read the entire article go to: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1284

US Marianists and Fellow Novice Classmates share National Award
Bro. Steve O’Neil, SM of Marianists International and Bro. Bob Donovan, SM have been awarded the National Brotherhood Award for Exemplary Ministry by the Religious Brothers Conference. The award recognizes brothers whose ministries contribute significantly to the meaning of brotherhood in the Church. Bro. Bob, a physician, performs mobile medical treatment for the homeless in Cincinnati. Bro. Steve operates the Marianist NGO at the United Nations in New York. The awards will be given at the National Assembly of the Religious Brothers Conference July 24 to July 27 in St. Louis.

12 August, 2009 International Youth Day -  SUSTAINABILITY: Our Challenge. Our Future.
Sustainability does not only refer to maintaining environmental balance and renewal. Sustainability encapsulates three facets of life: the environment, society and the economy. With these things in mind, as the energizers of today and the holders of tomorrow, it is imperative that youth embrace the challenge of sustainability in its fullness as they help pave the way forward through the 21st century and beyond. Youth action, inclusion, and their full participation are key to developing today’s world for the generations of today and tomorrow and central to a sustainable existence. For information about the Photo Contest for this year's celebration as well as other ideas on ways to participate in the day go to: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/iyouthday.htm

15 May 2009: International Day of Families

From the Secretary-General's message: "This year's International Day of Families, being commemorated under the theme, “Mothers and Families: Challenges in a Changing World,” focuses on the important role of mothers for families and communities around the world. Mothers play a critical role in the family, which is a powerful force for social cohesion and integration. The mother-child relationship is vital for the healthy development of children. And mothers are not only caregivers; they are also breadwinners for their families. Yet women continue to face major – and even life-threatening – challenges in motherhood." This theme follows last year's focus on "Fathers and Families: Responsibilities and Challenges" For more information GO TO: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/IDF.html

22 May 2009: The International Day for Biological Diversity
The theme for the International Day on Biological Diversity (IDB) in 2009 is invasive alien species (IAS) - one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, and to the ecological and economic well-being of society and the planet. Designation of IDB 2009 on the theme of invasive alien species provides Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and those dealing with IAS, opportunity to raise awareness of the issue and increase practical action to tackle the problem. For more information GO TO: http://www.cbd.int/idb/2009/

13 May 2009: Interactive Thematic Dialogue of the UN General Assembly on the "Taking Collective Action to End Human Trafficking"
The day’s dialogue examined the progress achieved over the last two years, and draws upon last year’s thematic dialogue which focused on prevention of trafficking and protection of victims. The dialogue used, as a point of departure, the Background paper of the Secretary-General on “Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons,” and was organized into three separate, but interrelated, panels comprised of leading officials from United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT), civil society experts and prominent officials from various Member States.

 Between two and four million men, women and children are trafficked worldwide every year, and the number is growing, according to Stop the Traffik: People Shouldn’t be Bought or Sold, a global coalition dedicated to eradicating human trafficking. Stop the Traffik operates in over 50 countries with some 1000 affiliated organizations. Their work includes spreading awareness of the growing threat posed by human trafficking, lobbying leaders with the power to effect change and fundraising to help victims of human trafficking and protect those vulnerable to the scourge.To see video of the webcasts from the sessions, download the SG's background paper, or read meeting summary GO TO: http://www.un.org/ga/president/63/interactive/humantrafficking.shtml

General Assembly Summit on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development
The United Nations is convening a three-day summit of world leaders from 1 to 3 June 2009 at its New York Headquarters to assess the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression. The aim is to identify emergency and long-term responses to mitigate the impact of the crisis, especially on vulnerable populations, and initiate a needed dialogue on the transformation of the international financial architecture, taking into account the needs and concerns of all Member States. The United Nations summit of world leaders in June was mandated at the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development, held in December 2008 in Doha, Qatar. Member States requested the General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann to organize the meeting “at the highest level”. The conference will consist of plenary sessions and four interactive roundtable exchanges among world leaders and representatives of the United Nations system, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as civil society organizations and the private sector. The summit will produce an outcome document, a draft of which is expected to be available in the first weeks of May. For more information GO TO: http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/

United Nations Economic Crisis Summit - Draft Outcome Document
The President of the General Assembly (PGA) Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann has presented this draft outcome document for the UN Conference which will take place June 1-3, 2009. The EU, the US and Canada objected to the process of producing the draft, arguing that the PGA has excluded member states from it. The PGA explained that he has incorporated inputs from the Co-Facilitators of the preparatory process as well as from his visits to member states. The draft contains bold proposals to transform the global economy in order to put a focus on people instead of profit, including a new Global Economic Coordination Council. To download Draft Outcome Document GO TO: http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/docs.shtml

May 14, 2009: US Elected to Human Rights Council; Administration Vows to Strengthen Council’s Performance

On May 12^th, the United States was one of 18 countries elected to serve on the UN Human Rights Council, marking a dramatic shift in American policy toward the Council and US participation in the United Nations. In securing a three-year term on the 47-member Council, which replaced the historic Human Rights Commission in 2006, the United States won 167 votes in the General Assembly, far exceeding the absolute majority of 97 required for election (though seven countries received more votes). The United States was one of five countries elected to the Council for the first time, along with Belgium, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, and Norway. In remarks to the press following the election, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan E. Rice said the administration was “gratified by the strong showing of encouragement for the United States to again play a meaningful leadership role in multilateral organizations, including the UN, on the very vitally important set of issues relating to human rights and democracy.” Noting that the administration recognizes the Council “has been a flawed body that has not lived up to its potential,” Rice said she was “looking forward to working from within with a broad cross section of member states” to strengthen the Council. She said the administration would not have run for election if it thought the Council could not be effective, and pointed to the upcoming 2011 General Assembly review of the body “as an important opportunity to strengthen and reform the Council,” including assessing its procedures and the substance of its actions. For more information GO TO: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1281

 Global Classrooms Continues Model UN Conference Season
On Monday, May 11, the Global Classrooms: Washington, DC, program hosted its sixth annual Model UN conference at the US State Department. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed more than 600 middle and high school students from Washington, DC, public schools, talking to them about the benefits of Model UN and noting that her daughter Chelsea participated in that same conference while in high school in the DC area. Ambassador Tom Miller also made his first official appearance as UNA-USA president.  To view a video of Secretary Clinton's remarks or read the full text, GO TO: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1276.
 

Happy Easter!!!

53rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission on the Status of Women considered the theme: “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS” at its 53rd session, 2-13 March 2009. The work in the Commission will be guided by two reports of the Secretary-General on the theme: one will identify and discuss key issues in sharing of responsibilities between women and men and suggest policy recommendations; and a second will provide an overview of mainstreaming efforts related to sharing of responsibilities at national level. To learn more about the Commission this year or previous sessions as well as see the draft document on agreed conclusions GO TO: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/53sess.htm#themes 

Students from St. Mary's University Attend Session of CSW as part of "Alternative" Spring Break
Eleven college students (and two moderators) from the Marianist University, St. Mary's in San Antonio, Texas, attended part of the session of the 2009 Commission on the Status of Women. They also got a tour of the UN and learned how NGOs participate in the work at the United Nations. 

Call for Marianists to Please Participate in the Survey on Social Integration, Inclusion
The NGO Committee for Social Development invites you to respond to a survey on social integration, in connection with the United Nations Commission for Social Development. The survey aims to collect experiences, good practices and policy recommendations to be presented to governments and the international community in February 2010 at the policy session of the Commission. Social integration is the priority theme for the 2009-2010 review and policy cycle of the Commission, taking into account the relationship with poverty eradication and full employment and decent work for all. Social integration policies should seek to reduce inequalities, promote access to basic social services, education for all and health care, and increase the participation and integration of social groups. We would like to hear about your experiences, especially any examples or good practices your organization has on successful initiatives that promote social integration. Your responses to the survey will be compiled into a document which will showcase good practices and policy recommendations for promoting social integration. The document will be presented to governments at the Commission in February 2010, and also widely distributed to civil society. To complete the survey on-line GO TO: http://www.un-ngls.org/socialintegration/. The survey is now available in English and soon to be in Spanish and French. You can also GO TO http://www.marianistngo.org/documents to download the survey as a Word document and send back via email. 

On 'Red Hand Day', children call for an end to their forced use in conflict
Children from 101 countries have appealed to international leaders to take stronger action to end the use of child soldiers. Red Hand Day, 12 February, marks the anniversary of the signing of a protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that forbids the use of children in conflict. But despite the existence of this protocol, more than 250,000 children are still being forced into conflict in at least 17 countries – including some that have ratified the treaty. For more information and to see a video of the event GO TO: http://www.unicef.org/protection/index_48040.html and http://www.redhandday.org/ 

Obama Meets With Ban Ki-moon 
By Alan Averyt, Washington -- Seven weeks after his inauguration, President Obama met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the White House on March 11 to discuss issues that included climate change, the Millennium Development Goals, Darfur and the global economic crisis. To Read More GO TO: http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=1196 

Action Alert: Help Renew America's Human Rights Leadership
Late in the evening on Friday, Feb. 27, the State Department announced that the United States will participate as an observer during the March 2009 session of the UN Human Rights Council, the world's only global intergovernmental human rights body. This is a positive change, but it does not go far enough. FOR USA MARIANISTS - TAKE ACTION NOW: GO TO: http://capwiz.com/unausa/issues/alert/?alertid=12833166

Marianists International Intern, Nhan Nyugen, Gives Presentation at the International Catholic Center
Nhan has recently given two presentations at the ICO Center here in New York. With other new interns this year he shared his experience as a Vietnam refugee. Then later he related those experiences to his spirituality of forgiveness and reconciliation. GO TO the Marianist NGO website http://www.marianistngo.org/documents to see his report on a recent UN briefing about "Volunteerism."

UN Water- Water in a Changing World
The 3rd edition of the report (WWDR-3), entitled “Water in a Changing World,”  builds on the work of previous studies, including the two previous WWDRs, “Water for People, Water for Life”  (WWDR-1), presented at the 3rd World Water Forum in Japan in 2003, and “Water: A Shared Responsibility”  (WWDR-2), presented in 2006 at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico. However, the Third Edition of the Report presents several changes from the previous two editions. Unlike the earlier Reports which were structured along UN agency lines, the third Report has a new, holistic format. For more information about the WWDR-3, CLICK HERE: http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/

Civil Society presents its Declaration at the 2nd Plenary Session of the International Follow-Up Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, in Doha, Qatar.
"We, the members of more than 250 civil society organizations and networks  from around the world gathered before the official Review Conference on Financing for Development in Doha, Qatar, 25 – 27 November 2008 under the theme “Investing in people centered development”.  To download and read the entire text click: http://www.ffdngo.org/. At that site you may also read the text presented to the assembled delegates during the plenary session or you may access the video of the presentation at: http://www.un.org/webcast/ffd/2008/index.asp?go=100081129. The official Conference website contains excellent summaries of all the plenaries and roundtables.

IMF, World Bank chiefs to miss UN conference on Financing for Development in Doha
World Bank President Robert Zoellick and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn will not be in attendance next week at a major United Nations development conference due to schedule conflicts, UN officials said Monday [even though this conference has been scheduled for over a year]. The conference is intended to shore up donor commitments made in [Monterrey] Mexico in 2002 to aid developing countries through investment, aid and debt relief. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N24538361.htm

Interactive Panel of the United Nations General Assembly on the Global Financial Crisis, 30 October 2008
The President of the General Assembly, Fr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, MM, convened a panel, composed of Prof. Joseph Stiglitz (USA), Prof. Prabhat Patnaik (India) and Prof. Sakiko Fukuda-Parr (Japan) to open up a dialogue at the UN on the global financial crisis.  Member states discussed the issues - FOR MORE DETAILS SEE: Please see the report on the meeting at: http://www.un.org/ga/president/63/interactive/gfc.shtml  

 

World AIDS Day 2008

1 December 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. This year’s theme is “Lead – Empower – Deliver.” Designating leadership as the theme provides an opportunity to highlight both political leadership and celebrate leadership that has been witnessed at all levels of society. To mark the day, the UN Secretary General as well as UNAIDS Cosponsors and partners speak out in special World AIDS Day statements. The report, titled Children and AIDS: Third stocktaking report, was jointly prepared by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). This 2008 Stocktaking Report examines data on progress, emerging evidence, and current knowledge and practice for children as they relate to the four programme areas. The report also calls for actions in the next one to three years that can significantly improve prospects for children and women affected by AIDS. These initiatives involve changes in thinking, as well as concrete actions. For More Details (video, reports, pictures): http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp

Paris, 25 November - The failure of governments across the world to tackle deep and persistent inequalities in education is consigning millions of children to lives of poverty and diminished opportunity, according to a report published by UNESCO today. Blaming a combination of political indifference, weak domestic policies, and the failure of aid donors to act on commitments, the 2009 Education for All Global Monitoring Report – Overcoming inequality: why governance matters - warns that ‘unacceptable’ national and global education disparities are undermining efforts to achieve international development goals. “When financial systems fail, the consequences are highly visible and governments act,” commented UNESCO’s Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, adding: “When education systems fail the consequences are less visible, but no less real. Unequal opportunities for education fuel poverty, hunger, and child mortality, and reduce prospects for economic growth. That is why governments must act with a greater sense of urgency.” FOR MORE DETAILS SEE: http://www.unesco.org/education/gmr2009/press/ including press release, executive summary or full report.
 

Milennium Development Goals: 2008 Stand Up and Take Action has finished!
After some frantic counting, recounting and verifying, we finally have the figures for how many people took part in Stand Up and Take Action 2008. The worldwide number is… 116,993,629. That’s almost 2% of the total world population! Here’s how the figures break down:

• Africa: 24,496,151
• Arab region: 17,847,870
• Asia: 73,151,847
• Europe: 951,788
• Latin America: 211,250
• North America: 123,920
• Oceania: 210,803

18 September 2008: Feast of the Marianist Spanish Martyrs

Marianists Attend the Annual DPI/NGO Conference in Paris
Brothers Charles-Henri Moulin and Olivier Glaizer of the French Province and Brother Sandah Remy of Togo attended this year's UN NGO Conference in Paris, 3-5 September. The theme of this year's conference was celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed in Paris in 1948. Approximately 1,300 NGO representatives from around the world attended various thematic workshops. The conference was held at the headquarters of UNESCO. To view selected portions of the conference via WebCast go to the UN website: http://www.un.org/webcast/dpingo/. To get more details about the conference see the website: http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/conference/home.shtml

Bro. John Samaha, SM has written an article on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. TO DOWNLOAD ARTICLE GO TO: http://www.marianistngo.org/documents.htm

63rd General Assembly to Open with High-Level Segments on the MDGs and Africa

The High-level Event on the MDGs will take place on 25 September and, "will be a forum for world leaders to review progress, identify gaps, and commit to concrete efforts, resources and mechanisms to bridge the gaps. By asking world leaders to announce their specific plans and proposals, the High-level Event will help accelerate implementation and follow-through." TO LEARN MORE GO TO: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2008highlevel/

The high-level meeting on Africa’s development needs will take place at United Nations headquarters in New York on 22 September 2008. The theme of the meeting is: “Africa’s development needs: state of implementation of various commitments, challenges and the way forward.” The meeting takes place at a time of both promise and challenge for the continent. While on the one hand many African countries have shown strong GDP growth and progress on the MDGs over the last few years, rising world prices for food and oil, climate change and intractable conflict threaten to reverse these gains. The high-level meeting provides an opportunity for world leaders to come together to renew their commitments to Africa’s development and focus attention on how to address the challenges. TO LEARN MORE GO TO: http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/ThematicDebates/adnhlm.shtml

Caribbean storms displace hundreds of thousands of children and their families
Hurricane Ike has made its unwelcome presence felt in the Caribbean this week, leaving a path of destruction across many smaller islands before slamming into eastern Cuba, which had already borne the brunt of Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna. Meanwhile in Haiti, an estimated 800,000 people, including 300,000 children, are struggling to recover from massive flooding caused by the back-to-back storm systems. The government has officially requested international assistance. Large quantities of humanitarian supplies were pre-positioned prior to hurricane season in the Caribbean, but the number of storms that have developed this year was unexpected.                                                                       © UNICEF/2008
See the UNICEF Press Release: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_45527.html

New MSJC Global Economics Team - Making Sense of It 
Interested in getting a better understanding of economics as it interconnects with our basic Christian principles?  Looking for ways to effectively promote human rights, development and sustainability?  The Global Economic Justice Team of the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative (formerly Sweatshop Labor) invites you to consider attending a Global Economics Workshop at the UN on Oct. 15-17.  Financial assistance is available.  For more information, contact the MSJC office - 859-291-6197 or jimvogt2@yahoo.com.

Asia/Pacific young leaders unite to support the Millennium Development Goals
Nearly 300 university students from 20 member countries of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) met from 21-25 July in Incheon, Republic of Korea in the context of the WFUNA Asia and Pacific Regional Model UN Conference. In considering how to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, they discussed in a Plenary and three Committees, the need for pursuing alternative energy sources to ensure the future against threats of climate change, diminishing the risk of natural disasters especially in impoverished areas, advancing towards a knowledge-based economy, and regional collaboration to stop human trafficking. The delegates adopted by acclamation several resolutions and the Incheon Declaration, which advocates drawing on support from international organizations, civil society and the private sector to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Mr. Kiyo Akasaka, UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information participated in the conference on the final day, and announced that the UN will, for the first time next year, convene a global Model UN conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.  FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: www.apmun2008.org  FOR THE PRESS RELEASE: http://www.wfuna.org/atf/cf/%7B84F00800-D85E-4952-9E61-D991E657A458%7D/MDGs%20-%20English.pdf

State of the Future 2008
The 2008 State of the Future Report of the Millennium Project will be launched in collaboration with WFUNA and the UN Department of Public Information at the UN Bookstore this September in New York. The English, Spanish, and Russian versions of the Executive Summary available at: www.millennium-project.org/millennium/sof2008.html Initial pre-publication press coverage is available at the Millennium Projects newsroom: www.millennium-project.org/millennium/press.html .The Millennium Project Planning Committee has held its twelfth conference from 24-26 July in Washington, D.C.

UNESCO conference to review literacy and adult education challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean
Literacy and adult education in Latin America and the Caribbean are the focus of a UNESCO conference that will take place in Mexico City from 10 to 13 September, 2008. Hosted by the Government of Mexico and organized with the National Institute for Adult Education (INEA), the conference will bring together ministers of education and other representatives of governments and multilateral partners, regional NGOs, experts and stakeholders from the private sector, universities and the media. 
 
UNESCO survey finds under-privileged children also disadvantaged in the classroom
A new study by UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics (UIS) highlights the strong effect of social inequality on primary education systems in many countries and the challenge to provide all children with equal learning opportunities. Entitled A View Inside Primary Schools, the report presents the results of a unique survey undertaken in 11 countries[1] in Latin America, Asia and North Africa. As part of the World Education Indicators (WEI) programme, the countries were involved in developing and conducting the survey to examine the factors shaping the quality and equality of primary education.  In general, village schools are in greater need of repair, according to the survey results. In Peru and the Philippines, for example, principals in rural areas report that about 70% of their pupils are in schools that needed major repairs or complete re-building. In Brazil, half the pupils in villages sat in run-down classrooms compared to less than 30% of pupils in urban establishments.

Download the following materials:
• Full report available in English:http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/Report.pdf
• Executive summary in English (http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/ExecSum.pdf) 
Spanish (http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/ExecSumSP.pdf)
• Press release in English (http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/unescopressEN.doc),
French (http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/unescopressFR.doc) 
Spanish (http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/wei/sps/unescopressSP.doc)

• Preparedness and disaster risk reduction is about building individual and community capacities so that the likelihood of climate change-induced disasters is reduced and that people are able to respond promptly, expeditiously and effectively.
• Adaptation entails actions that moderate harm, or exploit benefits, of climate change.
• Mitigation entails actions that minimizes or cushions the adverse impacts of climate change.

International Youth Day gives the world an opportunity to recognize the potential of youth, to celebrate their achievements, and plan for ways to better engage young people to successfully take action in the development of their societies. It presents a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to rally together to ensure that young people are included in decision-making at all levels. http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/iyd2008.htm

 

Hearings of Civil Society on Financing for Development:
18 June 2008, UN Headquarters
As part of the preparation for the Review Conference on the Monterrey Concensus in November the General Assembly held a session for civil society suggestions for the topics of the conference as well as areas to be included in the outcome document which will be negotiated at the conference. The two sessions were well represented by NGOs from both the North and the South, men and women. The NGO networks which form the Doha Group of NGOs hosted an interactive forum for civil society the day before the formal hearings. The final NGO benchmark document can be downloaded from the FFD website as well as the program and specific panel presentations. http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/doha/hearings/civilsociety/index.htm 

• Allocating more aid: where should it go?
• South-South and triangular development cooperation: what can development actors learn?
• How are civil society and new actors enhancing impact at the country-level?
• Are country-level capacities ready for more aid?
• How can development aid support national development strategies?
• Aid effectiveness agenda: towards consensus at Accra and Doha

UNICEF begins rebuilding schools in cyclone-stricken Myanmar
Cyclone Nargis made landfall in early May, killing more than 77,000 people in the Southeast Asian country, according to a UN estimate. Some 55,000 others are reportedly missing, and as many as 600,000 people, mainly in the Irrawaddy Delta, have had to be relocated. Myanmar's Government has granted access to the United Nations to use helicopters for delivering aid to those hit by last month's cyclone. But making deliveries often means battling strong winds and rain. UNICEF and its partners have been able to reach people who live in the southern Irrawaddy Delta, but more aid is needed. Where villages have lost school buildings, UNICEF is delivering about 80 large tents that will provide safe learning spaces for more than 6,000 children.

 DPI Annual NGO Conference: 3-5 September, Paris France
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 60 this year and to celebrate this anniversary we have chosen the theme "Reaffirming Human Rights: The Universal Declaration at 60." The Declaration is the first universal statement on the basic principles of the human rights to which peoples of all nations are entitled. It has also set the common standard of achievement to which people all over the world should aspire. This 61st annual Conference is organized by the Department of Public Information in cooperation with the NGO community, this year with the assistance of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of France. The capital city of France is also the place where the Declaration was signed some 60 years ago. It is therefore fitting, that it will be the host city for the premier NGO event of the year, at UNESCO's Headquarters, attracting more than 2,000 NGO representatives from some 90 countries. As of this writing, 2 French Marianist Brothers and one from Togo will be representing Marianists International at the conference. http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/conference/
 

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