By Abby McCrary, Dominican Volunteer Olivier de Schutter recently concluded his second and final term as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. Special rapporteur positions are given their mandate by the UN Council on Human Rights as impartial observers who “examine, monitor, advise, and publicly report” on the human rights dimensions of […]
By Abby McCrary, Dominican Volunteer The 13th Session of the Indigenous Peoples Forum took place at the UN Headquarters in New York last month with discussions and negotiations between stakeholders, governments, and indigenous representatives from all over the world. Distinct challenges faced by these marginalized communities were highlighted, including unemployment, poor education, low access to […]
One of my greatest joys in this position as the Dominican NGO representative at the United Nations is the opportunity to mentor some wonderful young people. Over the past several years, these have included Alex Sajben, Kati Garrison and Abby McCrary—our Dominican Volunteers—and all Notre Dame graduates; Justin Goldberg from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; […]
By Abby McCrary, Dominican Volunteer Last month, on International Women’s Day, UN Women released a campaign entitled “He for She.” The premise of the campaign is men speaking out against the violence and discrimination faced by women. As Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon states, “Violence against women is a global problem. It harms women, families, communities, […]
The Commission on the Status of Women is probably the busiest time here at the UN. Women from all over the world converge upon New York to explore the critical issues facing women and girls worldwide. And, that includes Dominican Women! Dominican Sisters International (DSI) is once again very present. Sisters representing each of the […]
I would like to begin this briefing by repeating once again what I wrote at the conclusion of the previous one: “Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of preaching the Gospel…” —“Justice in the World,” World Synod of Bishops, 1971 […]
Feb. 20 has been designated as the World Day of Social Justice. In establishing this commemoration in 2007, the UN General Assembly recognized that social development and social justice are indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security within and among nations and that, in turn, social development and social justice cannot be […]
By Abby McCrary, Dominican Volunteer On Nov. 25, 2013, the United Nations observed International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. In recognition of this day, an event took place at the UN under the umbrella of the Secretary General’s UNITE Campaign. A performance entitled “Wounded to Death” by Italian playwright Serena Dandini showcased […]
“I am deeply concerned that the scale of our actions is still insufficient to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels. People now face and fear the wrath of a warming planet.” There was reason for alarm in Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s words to the UN Climate Conference in Warsaw, Poland. […]
By Abby McCrary, Dominican Volunteer According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately one of every eight people go to bed without enough food to eat. Hunger in the world is not attributable to a lack of food, but to a lack of access to food, because of insufficient purchasing power […]
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