United Nations – Video message by champion swimmer Ning Zetao on the occasion of The Ocean Conference, the high-level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
The World Family Organzization is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
A renowned global public health leader, Dr. Osotimehin actively participated at the World Family Summit +10 held in China in 2014, and was widely regarded for his work on sexual and reproductive health. He was appointed as the head UNFPA in November 2010 and assumed office on 1 January 2011. He also held senior positions in the Nigeria, including the country’s Minister of Health.
UNFPA is dedicated to continuing Dr. Osotimehin’s grand vision for women and young people and will continue to stand up for the human rights and dignity of everyone, particularly the most vulnerable adolescent girls.
Our thoughts are with his family, the people of Nigeria, and members of the United Nations at this difficult time.
EVENTS
5 – 9 June: United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
A high-level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development will be convened in New York, from 5 to 9 June 2017, coinciding with World Oceans Day, to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14. The Conference will be co-hosted by the Governments of Fiji and Sweden.The Conference shall comprise plenary meetings, partnership dialogues and a special event commemorating World Oceans Day. The Conference shall adopt by consensus a concise, focused, intergovernmentally agreed declaration in the form of a “Call for Action” to support the implementation of Goal 14 and a report containing the co-chairs’ summaries of the partnership dialogues, as well as a list of voluntary commitments for the implementation of Goal 14, to be announced at the Conference.
For more information: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/oceans/SDG14Conference
http://csonet.org/index.php?page=view&nr=373&type=13&menu=1413 – 15 June: 10th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is one of the largest and most diverse disability-related meetings in the world. Over 1200 high-level Government ministerial delegates and representatives of UN agencies and civil society organizations attend the three-day Conference at UN Headquarters in New York. Along with the Plenary sessions of the COSP, over seventy side-events are also convened by States Parties and other stakeholders, in parallel with the Conference. During the 10th session of the COSP in 2017, for the first time ever, the UN Secretariat will also provide an opportunity for States Parties and other stakeholders to highlight innovations and advancements in the implementation of the Convention, through an exhibition held at UN Headquarters.
More information on the 10th session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP10): http://bit.ly/crpd_cosp10
COSP10 NGO registration for ECOSOC and COSP accredited NGOs, only: http://bit.ly/UNC (closes on 2 June)
http://csonet.org/index.php?page=view&nr=389&type=13&menu=1415 June – 7 July: United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leading Towards their Total Elimination
By resolution 71/258, the General Assembly decided to convene in 2017 a United Nations Conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. The Assembly encouraged all Member States to participate in the Conference and decided that it shall convene in New York with the participation and contribution of international organizations and civil society representatives. The Conference will be held in New York from 27 to 31 March and from 15 June to 7 July 2017. https://www.un.org/disarmament/ptnw/ngo.html
http://csonet.org/index.php?page=view&nr=383&type=13&menu=143 – 28 July: 120th session – Human Rights Committee
At its forthcoming 120th session in Geneva, the Human Rights Committee will examine the efforts of the following seven countries to implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Honduras, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Mongolia, Pakistan, Swaziland, Switzerland. The Committee will also adopt lists of issues on the following countries: Lebanon, Liberia. The Committee will also adopt lists of issues prior to on the following countries: Peru, Chad, Czech Republic.
http://csonet.org/index.php?page=view&nr=396&type=13&menu=1410 – 19 July: High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development
Registration for the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is now open to major groups and other stakeholders (MGoS). The HLPF will take place on 10 – 19 July 2017 at UN Headquarters in New York. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 67/270, registration is open for two categories of NGOs to participate in the HLPF: (1) Organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC; and (2) organizations on the CSD Roster. The deadline for registration is 11 June 2017.
For more information or to register, please visit the following website: http://bit.ly/HLPF2017
http://csonet.org/index.php?page=view&nr=395&type=13&menu=144 – 15 September: 13th Session, Committee on Enforced Disappearances, Geneva
At its forthcoming 13th session in September 2017 in Geneva, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances will examine the efforts of the following countries to implement the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance: Gabon and Lithuania. The Committee will also adopt lists of issues on the reports submitted by Albania, Austria and Honduras. To attend, please register here: http://bit.ly/CED13 More information: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1103&Lang=en
http://csonet.org/index.php?page=view&nr=383&type=13&menu=14NEWS
2017 Resumed Session of the Committee on NGOs
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations met from 22 – 31 May to consider applications for consultative status, reclassification, change of name and merger, as well as to review quadrennial reports submitted by organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC.The Committee had before it 164 new applications for consultative status and 221 applications deferred from previous sessions. In addition, it considered 280 new and deferred quadrennial reports. For the first time, the Committee session had been broadcast online at webtv.un.org, allowing for greater transparency with civil society.
The Committee approved the dates 29 January to 6 February and 22 February, and 21 to 31 May and 11 June for the 2018 regular and resumed sessions, respectively.
The Committee will reconvene on 12 June to adopt the report of the session and conclude its work.
DESA Workshops with stakeholders: ECA
On 17 May, 2017 at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the ECA, with the support of DESA/DSD, hosted a Preparatory and Capacity-Building workshop for Major Groups and other stakeholders. This workshop took place during the ECA Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD), and counted with the participation of approximately 80 representatives of African major groups and other stakeholders (MGoS) in order to build their capacity to participate in review process of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels. African MGoS agreed on a joint communiqué which was shared with the ARFSD in the form of a plenary statement. DSD, through the EC grant, supported stakeholder participation in this important forum. More information is available at: http://www.uneca.org/arfsd2017High Level Political Forum (HLPF) Ministerial Declaration
On 26 May 2017, DESA-DSD facilitated a meeting between the co-facilitators of the 2017 HLPF Ministerial Declaration (the Permanent Representatives of Austria and Jamaica) and Major Groups and other stakeholders to hear their views on the draft elements for the Ministerial Declaration. Over 50 MGoS attended the meeting in person and via webinar. DSD will share a summary of the meeting with the co-facilitators, as well as the inputs submitted by MGoS in writing.USEFUL LINKS
DESA NGO Branch
http://csonet.orgECOSOC Main page
http://www.un.org/ecosoc/enDaily updates on Twitter
http://twitter.com/un_ngoECOSOC on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/unecosocNGO Liaison Office, United Nations Office at Geneva
http://unog.ch/ngoUnited Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS)
http://www.un-ngls.orgUN Department of Public Information, NGO Relations
http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosectionOHCHR Civil Society Section
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/CivilSociety.aspxOHCHR Civil Society Update Subscription
http://conta.cc/can6GfAT YOUR SERVICE
Committee on NGOs Home Page
http://csonet.org/index.php?menu=80
“The promotion of a work-life balance and family-friendly environment is critical for the promotion of good health and well-being. For parents, particularly working mothers, it is crucial to have a system that can support their needs of balancing work and family.”Hon. Dr. Toshiko Abe
MP, Japan
In celebration of the 2017 Global Day of Parents, the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) is pleased to share excerpts from an interview with Hon. Dr. Toshiko Abe, Member of Parliament of Japan. In this interview, Hon. Dr. Abe spoke to us about issues related to the work-life balance in Japan faced by working parents, particularly the critical support needed for working mothers, and the challenges for parliamentarians in program implementation.
The Ronald McDonald Institute and Abrace opened today the new Espaço da Família Ronald McDonald in Hospital Da Criança De Brasília José Alencar. Now children and teenagers undergoing cancer treatment along with their families can count on the comfort and coziness environment inside the medical unit.
The New space has a brand new playroom, TV, accessible washrooms and several other amenities intended to make the waiting time between appointments and procedures a better experience. Together with that, the space provides a coser contact with the medical team, located right next to the paediatric unit.
WFO congratulates Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, elected today by the Member States of WHO as the new Director-General of WHO.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was nominated by the Government of Ethiopia, and will begin his five-year term on 1 July 2017.
Prior to his election as WHO’s next Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia from 2012–2016 and as Minister of Health, Ethiopia from 2005–2012. He has also served as chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; as chair of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board; and as co-chair of the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
As Minister of Health, Ethiopia, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus led a comprehensive reform effort of the country’s health system, including the expansion of the country’s health infrastructure, creating 3500 health centres and 16 000 health posts; expanded the health workforce by 38 000 health extension workers; and initiated financing mechanisms to expand health insurance coverage. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he led the effort to negotiate the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, in which 193 countries committed to the financing necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
As Chair of the Global Fund and of RBM, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus secured record funding for the two organizations and created the Global Malaria Action Plan, which expanded RBM’s reach beyond Africa to Asia and Latin America.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will succeed Dr Margaret Chan, who has been WHO’s Director-General since 1 January 2007.
Gregory Härtl
WHO Department of Communications
Mobile: +41 79 203 67 15
Email: hartlg@who.int
UNAF organiza junto con la Universidad de Salamanca el Curso ‘Políticas públicas ante la diversidad familiar y la igualdad: perspectivas y desafíos’, los próximos 20 al 22 de junio en Salamanca.
En él se analizarán los retos que plantean la diversidad familiar y la igualdad así como las respuestas más adecuadas desde el ámbito de las políticas públicas. Para ello se reunirá a especialistas en Derecho, Psicología, Filosofía y Sociología, así como a representantes de las organizaciones sociales que trabajan en favor de la inclusión social, los derechos y el bienestar de las familias.
Si estas interesada/o te recomendamos que hagas tu reserva de hotel lo antes posible. Como sugerencia: Abba Fonseca y Sercotel Las Torres.
The United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD), in partnership with the Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organizations (DPI NGO) held a briefing in observance of the International Day of Families 2017, under the theme “Families, Education and Well-Being.
The event was open to the public held on Thursday, May 18th, 2017, a the Conference Room 4, United Nations Headquarters, NY, and WFO will be represented by Mr. Bruno Ricardo Lopes, Vice President for Financial Affairs.
The Day will highlight the importance of all caregivers in families, be it parents, grandparents or siblings and the importance of parental education for the welfare of children. It will focus on good practices for work-family balance to assist parents in their educational and caregiving roles. Good practices from the private sector in support of working parents, as well as youth and older persons in the workplace will also be highlighted.
The Day also aimed to discuss the importance of ‘knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development’ (SDG4, target 4.7).
More information:
Flyer of the Event on 18 May 2017 at United Nations Headquarters in New York – Conference Room 4
UNAF organiza junto con la Universidad de Salamanca el Curso ‘Políticas públicas ante la diversidad familiar y la igualdad: perspectivas y desafíos’, los próximos 20 al 22 de junio en Salamanca.
En él se analizarán los retos que plantean la diversidad familiar y la igualdad así como las respuestas más adecuadas desde el ámbito de las políticas públicas. Para ello se reunirá a especialistas en Derecho, Psicología, Filosofía y Sociología, así como a representantes de las organizaciones sociales que trabajan en favor de la inclusión social, los derechos y el bienestar de las familias.
12 horas de formación especializada dirigida tanto a profesionales como a estudiantes que conocerán las últimas investigaciones e iniciativas en materia de familia.
Written by Rachel Aird, Chairperson of The Family Africa and Member of the Executive Board of the WFO.
The Family Africa celebrated the International Day of Families on Monday May 15th as well as the World Family Organization 70th Anniversary as it was formed by member nations of the United Nations in 1947. The Chairperson of the Family Africa, Mrs Rachel Aird is also on the Executive Board of the WFO and so we wanted to make the day very special.
This year’s observance of the International Day of Families focuses on the role of families and family-oriented policies in promoting education and overall well-being of their members. In particular, the Day was to raise awareness of the role of families in promoting early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth. We wanted to also raise awareness of the WFO’s work both now and over the last 70 years.
The event was attended by 6 different organizations and 120 people. Rachel shared a powerpoint on what the International day of families means and why WFO was started by the UN and 27 member countries and the importance of its work worldwide. There was a discussion about what makes up a family, different types of families and also how families can encourage early education and lifelong learning which was lively and extremely worthwhile. We had songs and poems from the adults and children and each organization made a speech about what their organisations do for families in the community.
The Family Africa then presented local families with recognition awards and “buckets of love” (buckets filled with toiletries, blankets or thermal clothing) to each of the winners. The stories from the individuals themselves and from Rachel about why these families had been chosen were extremely touching. One woman who won the award for families living with disability has cared for her severely mentally and physically handicapped child alone for 14 years unable to work and with virtually no income, carrying him on her back to fetch food from our centre. She has now found him a special school and pays the fees through selling solar lamps and clothes on the streets. Another award winner came to The Family Africa in a wheel chair crippled from TB of the spine, wheeling through the mud in the pouring rain, begging for adult nappies. The doctors said she would never walk again but now she is not only healthy and walking but also one of the leaders of our TB support group. Another winner was a grandmother who cares for 7 orphans and yet another was the head of a child headed household who is still managing to attend school. All of them are real “family heroes”.
The winners of the art competition on “My Family” were then announced and the children received their “black box surprise” prizes (full of chocolates, crisps and toys). The event ended with lunch served to all 130 people (somehow we had more people by the time came lunch came around J). A wonderful day, a successful event , a heart- warming coming together of families celebrating our differences and our desire for the warmth and comfort of a family and our desire to make the world a better place for all families “leaving no family behind”.
