As the New Year of 2024 dawns so does the Agenda of the United Nations continue in its 78th session of the General Assembly. Amid almost insurmountable obstacles – wars and rumours of war, the contentious fossil fuel debate, alarming climate change, (COP 28 in Dubai) gross inequality, mass movements of peoples, and increasing poverty levels – the United Nations holds hope that a more inclusive world is possible, one based on dignity and human rights for all, gender equality and a sustainable planet. Annually, the United Nations through its annual commissions gathers the nations of the world to keep alive this hope, review, and determine implementable ways, leaving no one behind and reaching the furthest behind first.
The overarching theme this year is poverty eradication. This is within the 78th Session of the General Assembly’s theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” The High Level Political Forum in July of 2024 with focus specifically on SDG 1 No Poverty; SDG 2 Zero Hunger; SDG 13 Climate Change; SDG 16 Peaceful Societies and SDG 17 Partnership. Girls and women are impacted by poverty, hunger, climate change, and war. So solutions must bring girls and women to the table.
The first of the UN ECOSOC Functional Commission is the Commission for Social Development 62nd Session from February 5 – 14, 2024 The theme is “Fostering social development and social justice through social policies to accelerate progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to achieve the overarching goal of poverty eradication”. The emerging issue “The Influence of Digital Transformation on Inclusive Growth and Development: A Path to Achieving Social Justice.” These themes are juxtaposed – the reality of much of the world in poverty and excluded, the huge advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies with the potential to deliver inclusive growth and development for all, if not usurped by the few, and favouring the elites.
The NGO Committee for Social Development has prepared an excellent civil society declaration in English, Spanish, and French. It contains four overarching calls, concluding with eight implementable action points – Include people; provide services; establish national floors of social protection, priortize people and planet, deliver debt relief, mainstream gender, recognize the care economy, and advance Indigenous Peoples’ rights. We are encouraging individuals and organizations to support the declaration which will be delivered on the opening day of the Commission. Add your support by SIGNING HERE
The declaration promotes four types of justice – social justice, economic justice, environmental justice, and political justice.
- Social justice: Invest in human capital and ensure the dignity and the wellbeing of
individuals and families through transformative social policies and programs. - Economic Justice: Reform existing global financial structures and reaffirm existing
commitments to address global economic inequalities based on solidarity. - Environmental Justice: Ensure that all people have equal access to a healthy, safe, and
sustainable environment, as well as fair protection from environmental hazards and
risks. - Political justice: Ensure the protection of all human rights, including the right to
participate in civil and political life, without discrimination, as well as to equal
protection under the law to eradicate poverty.
Ensuring the wellness of people and the planet demands a holistic approach to social policy formulation and implementation. Join us in our advocacy by supporting the declaration. Make connections between your ministry and what advocacy work is about. The change will not happen at the United Nations. Change happens at the national and local levels to the extent that what is discussed is implemented and lived at the community level. We are obliged to engage in the processes for a more equitable world but it does not stop there. Local action must follow with advocacy and action. The goal this year is to accelerate progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to achieve the overarching goal of poverty eradication through social policy.
Terms like a ‘new social contract’ or ‘eco-social contract’ are emerging and have been in use. Read this UN RISD brief to understand something of the origins of the idea. The seven points showing the difference between the social contract of previous times and the proposed new eco-social contract for today provide a holistic picture – human rights for all, a progressive fiscal contract, transforming economies and societies, a contract with nature, addressing historical injustices, a contract for gender justice and new forms of solidarity.
There are two parts to the Civil Society Forum – an orientation on Sunday, February 4 from 10.00 – 11.30 EST and a full day on February 9. Register HERE for the Zoom link for the Orientation on Sunday and to attend the full day in person on Friday 9th. If you are unable to attend in person the session will be livestreamed on UN Web TV.
The Commission will formally open on February 5 and continue until February 14th. See the schedule All will be livestremed on UN Web TV and you can select your language of preference. This year the Commission celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the Year of the Family. More information is available at the Website. Some good background reading on the theme of the Commission can be accessed HERE following the Expert Group Meeting in August 2023. See NGO Statements to the Commission under NGO Written Statements
We (Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd) are co-sponsoring a side event (in person only) on February 7th February from 1.15 – 2.30 EST entitled ‘Decommodifying People & Planet: Transformative Policies Towards Unconditional Inclusion and Belonging (UNANIMA International, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, ATD Fourth World) (Conference Room A, UNHQ, New York) Winifred Doherty will be among the panelists. CLICK for more details.
The Justice Coalition of Religious (JCOR) has prepared a comprehensive guild to help you engage with the Commission, It will be available in four languages. English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Check HERE for links.
