Watch the discussion on the High Level Report which took place this morning at the UN
Listen to Tawakkol Karman by moving to 1.04 and then continue and hear Marta Benavides from El Salvador, on behalf of the Feminist Task Force and GCAP. Some pictures from the event.
Tawakkol Karman
Post 2015 Agenda” to be held 10am-‐12pm EDT 31 May at UNHQ
If you use Twitter Contribute to the event in real time on Twitter using #Post2015HLP
The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) is pleased to share its new e-magazine, The 2015 Post. The aim of the e-magazine is to provide a range of different voices and views on key issues as momentum builds on the post-2015 and post-Rio+20 processes. It also offers a selection of opinion pieces, interviews and thought-provoking articles on some of the main issues at hand, as well as reports and resources from the UN system and civil society.
If you have been following my posts on this blog you will be familiar with some of the information – See April 22, April 10 and March 22. Read more bu Accessing the first edition here
See page 4 on where national consultations are being held? Have you heard, read about or participated in these national consultations. If so why not share your comments and reflections. See page 28 and the case of El Salvador.
Do you live in one of the Least Developed Countries? See the list below and page 39 of ‘The 2015′ Post’
 List of Least Developed Countries |
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One of the main outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), held in Rio de Janeiro in June 
2012, was the agreement by Member States to launch a process to develop a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Marta Iris and her team attended that meeting. The Open Working Group was established on 22nd of January 2013. The first meeting in February was organizational, the second in March considered Poverty Eradication. Winifred Doherty delivered the NGO Sub-Committee for Poverty Eradication statement to the Open Working Group. The third session is now in process May 22 – 24, 2013. The topic is “Food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, desertification, land degradation and drought.” At this session the Co-Chairs meet with the NGO community from 9.00 – 10.00 am each morning. Fatima Rodrigo, a Presentation Sister made a statement on Wednesday morning on behalf of the NGO Subcommittee for Poverty Eradication. You can hear Fatima – click here and move to 42.50
Continue to listen to the summary of the co-chair. It will give you a flavor of the sort of thinking that is going on. The Co-chair noted the depth, breath and complexity of the issues being addressed in attempting to come up with a set of sustainable goals. The Open Working Group is tasked with devising a small set of goals that people can relate to and understand. He noted the call from NGO’s for a transformative agenda: the nexus between consumption and production – how get that balance right? Earth rights vs human rights – how balance these? Issues of business and market on the one hand and communities and individuals on the other. How balance technology issues, seed issues , indigenous issue? Government has to take a lead, some issues cannot be delegated, especially food security for all. Must get a good sense of the entire food chain from seed to table and from birth all the way just before death. The importance of land tenure has been heard…
If you want to learn more go to the Sustainable Development Platform
Webcast of the Opening of the High Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons
The list of Speakers
H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremić , President of the General Assembly. Read the Statement
H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General Read a summary of Secretary General’s remarks
Mr. Yury Fedotov, Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director of UNODC
Ms. Mira Sorvino, UN Goodwill Ambassador against Human Trafficking Listen to Mira …. 23.30 – 34.16 of the recording
Ms. Alyse Nelson, President of Vital Voices Global Partnership … Alyse follows after Mira on the recording. Read more about Vital Voices http://www.vitalvoices.org/ an ECOSCO accredited organization.
The rest of the webcast are member states delivering their statements.
Some documents that you may or may not know about.
The Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons Resolution was passed by the General Assembly in June 2010 – Click here to access the Resolution. The plan of action has four parts: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Partnership.
Do you know about the UN Trust Fund for victims of human trafficking ? Access information about the trust fund
The International law is embodied in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. Copy of the text is here 154 Member States are party to the protocol.
Panel Discussion: The Global Plan of Action, relevant legal instruments, and Effective Partnerships to Protect and Assist Victims of Human Trafficking. Chair: H.E. Mr. Martin Sajdik, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations. Mr. Jim Clancy, Anchor, CNN International; Ms.Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Dr. Saisuree Chutikul, Member of the Board of Directors, UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons; Ms. Kay Buck, Executive Director of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) and Ms. Rani Hong,Founder, Tronie Foundation and trafficking survivor.
Various perspectives are presented – Human rights measures; The role of civil society; Partnership with the media; UN Trust Fund it achievement sand perspectives. Here is the link for the webcast
Read more about Simone Campbell here and about the Partnership for Global Justice and it’s new Executive Director Deirdre Mullen, a Sister of Mercy from Northern Ireland. The theme ‘Together We Can Build a Sustainable Future for All” Following a welcome from Deirdre, Simone delivered her address. She reflected that this is a wilderness time – striving for justice – and the surprising gift is ‘Manna’ for a hungry world. Simone referenced Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones. Ezekiel is told to ‘Breath on them’ letting them know they can have life. Manna is nourishment given for the moment – if stored it rots, is destroyed.
We are called to touch the pain of the world as real and to let our hearts be broken by the experience … hope is released into the darkness. We are called to look at the issues – lift them up and pose questions. How move forward to build a sustainable future for all.
Simone listed 4 global issues for today – Climate Change, Employment, Development and Migration. Climate change is an issue that requires a global response – it cannot be addressed at the local level. Climate Change need us to come together in new ways advocating for a healthy world. Simone quoted Pope Francis with regard to employment saying that it is the right of all to live in dignity, earning a living wage. Employment is both a global issue and a domestic issue. The horrific fire in Bangledesh is a wake up call – these workers were supporting first world expectations. This bring up the issue of corporate responsibility. Simone invited us to find new ways of advocating with corporate entities. In Development we need to be conscious of diverse cultures. Let development be defined in ways that meet the host culture and be changed by that culture. We need to find new ways to work together in diverse cultures. Migration is greatly influenced by ‘global television’ where hunger and hope come together resulting in movement of peoples. People go to where the jobs are. Employers benefit from this exploitation. Amid all the international policies that exist an international migration policy is lacking.
