“Many people praise and acknowledge the healing power of plants, but few people actually take action to prevent their extension by planting and conserving them for future generations.” (Ernest Rukangira )
14 July Informal civil society consultation at UNHQ on the programme of activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent 15 July Side Event at UNHQ - A Global Call Spanning the Polar Regions to the Tropics: Sustainable Development Goals Must Prioritize Climate Change 18 July Briefing at UNHQ by the Co-Chairs of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICESDF) ...and more! See below.
The 13th session of the Open Working Group (OWG12) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - the fifth and final negotiating session of the Group - will be conducted as an informal session, building upon discussions from the 9-11 July informal negotiations.
The third and final PrepCom, held from 23-27 June in New York, sought to update and agree upon the zero draft of the outcome of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
On 19 June, an informal interactive hearing was held on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in preparation for the High-level Meeting on the comprehensive review and assessment of the progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, taking place in July. The hearing focused on the role of civil society and other stakeholders in NCD prevention and control, as well as ideas on how to prioritize NCDs in the post-2015 development agenda.
A series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of UNCTAD culminated with the 5th UNCTAD Public Symposium (18-19 June, Geneva) on the theme "A better world economic order for equality and sustainable development post-2015."
A thematic debate on Human Security was held on 18 June, providing Member States and other stakeholders with an opportunity to have an exchange of views on how human security could be included in the next development framework. Participants pointed to the added value of human security as a tool to address complex and interrelated human-centred threats.
The 17-18 June informal interactive hearings were held to further consultations among Member States and indigenous peoples to inform the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP) taking place from 22-23 September in New York.
On 17 June, against the backdrop of the annual full day discussion on women's human rights of the 26th session of the Human Rights Council, powerful statements and testimonies filled the room during the side-event on "Caste-based Violence against Women: The role of the UN in combating caste-based violence and discrimination." The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, underscored that caste-based violence and discrimination violate human dignity and the rights of over 260 million people across the globe.
From 9-10 June, the President of the General Assembly convened a High-level Event on "Contributions of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in the Post-2015 Development Agenda," providing an interactive platform to consider how human rights and the rule of law have been applied at national and international levels to improve development outcomes, and to draw from these experiences for framing the post-2015 development agenda.
Delegates from governments, workers' and employers' associations began discussions on a new instrument of the International Labour Organization on facilitating transitions from the informal to the formal economy, as part of the 103rd Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), held from 28 May-12 June.
The First Global Forum on Disability was held on 9 June at UNHQ as a side event to the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Under the theme of "Voice of Our Own," the Forum sought to provide a strong platform to voices from the global South, focusing on grassroots involvement of persons with disabilities in the post-2015 development agenda, and national implementation and monitoring challenges to achieving the CRPD.
On 6 June, 2014, PGA John Ashe hosted the concert "Setting the Stage: 2015 and Beyond," which sought to "shine a spotlight on the enormous significance of the year 2015: a once-in-a generation opportunity to set the world on a sustainable course through the post-2015 development agenda." Three UN-NGLS interns share their behind-the-scenes experiences supporting the musical talent on show day.
The first Sustainable Energy for All Forum was held from 4-6 June at UN Headquarters in New York bringing together approximately 1,000 representatives from governments, the UN and other international organizations, the private sector and civil society to focus on a range of sustainable energy issues.
On 4 June, UN-NGLS and ETC Group co-hosted a side event at UNHQ on "Technology Access and Assessment - The Trillion-Dollar Challenge," which complemented the 3rd General Assembly Structured Dialogue on "possible arrangements for a facilitation mechanism to promote the development, transfer and dissemination of clean and environmentally sound technologies."
UN-NGLS interviews Asha Kowtal, General Secretary of All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch, one of the organizers of the 17 June side event on "Caste-based violence against women; The role of the UN in combating caste-based violence and discrimination," which took place during the Human Rights Council's 26th session.
In this UN-NGLS interview, Raymond Torres, Director of Research Department at the International Labour Organization (ILO) and editor of the ILO's World of Work Report, shares insight on the newly released World of Work Report 2014.
OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE
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