Issues

Theme “Indigenous peoples, business, autonomy and the human rights principles of due diligence including free, prior and informed consent” Dates April 26-May 1, 2022 Co-Charing the Amazon subcommittee of the Mining Working Group is one of the privileges I have here in New York.  I became part of this committee upon my arrival in the […]

The Commission for Social Development is still ongoing. It will be completed February 18th. In preparation for the annual Commission for  Social Development, the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres submits a report on the progress of the SDG’s in light of the priority theme identified by the commission.  The priority theme is: Inclusive and resilient recovery […]

CSOCD 60 theme is: “Inclusive and resilient recovery from COVID-19 for sustainable livelihoods, well-being and dignity for all:  eradicating poverty and hunger in all its forms and dimensions to achieve the 2030 Agenda.” be held from February 7-16, 2022.   This week at the UN, the Commission on Social Development begins. The Civil Society Forum […]

Wishing you a wonderful 2022.  The U.N. is hopefully opening its doors to Civil Society. We have applied for a badge but have not received word yet if they will be granted.  There are many commission meetings/forums planned for the first half of the year. Here are a few: February: CSOCD 60:  The theme is Inclusive […]

On November 17, 2021, the new President of the 76th General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, sent an invitation to Civil Society NGO’s to come into the UN building for a conversation and dialogue about his vision and our concerns.  It was the first time we entered the UN since March 12, 2020.  Here are a few pictures […]

It has been a robust time in Glasgow.  So many conferences and line ups of presentations. Here is a playlist of several videos to help fill in the gap of knowledge around the various topics surfaced at the UN Glasgow conference so far. Our Lay Dominican brother Duncan McLaren has represented the Dominicans at the […]

Since 1987, the General Assembly has opened with a Prayer Service offered by the Holy See at the Church of the Holy Family, sometimes referred to as the UN Church.  This year is no exception. Click here to listen to a recording of the Secretary Antonio Gutteres at the prayer service. Last week in preparation […]

The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) was established in 1981 by a unanimous United Nations resolution to be observed around the world each year on September 21st. It is frequently referred to as Peace Day and is a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above our differences and to inspire […]

Over the past few months, Dusty Farnan, OP, raised our collective awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in preparation for the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). To further this education, it is imperative to understand that part of the significance of the SDGs lies in their intentionally interconnected design. Instead of a group of siloed […]

The two-week High Level Political Forum was sponsored by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and was filled with a variety of events addressing the eight Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) that were the focus of this year’s review. Some of the topics that were explored are: Stumbling blocks to 2030 agenda Expanded view of […]