|
On behalf of the UN2020 Coordination Group we would like to welcome the many colleagues who have recently joined the campaign following the UN75 People’s Forum for the UN We Need, which took place online May 14-15.
The UN2020 Campaign is designed to provide a platform for civil society engagement around the idea of using the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in 2020 to generate support for a process of stocktaking and strengthening of the UN system.
Civil society representatives from 75 countries around the world joined the May 14-15 People’s Forum, which launched the UN75 People’s Declaration and Plan for Global Action, entitled “Humanity at a Crossroads: Global Solutions for Global Challenges.”
His Excellency Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly formally received the Declaration and Plan for Global Action, and provided a statement at the online forum.
He said, "I am heartened to see how strong the support is for multilateralism and how committed you are in the spirit of the UN Charter. Civil society has played indispensable roles in the creation of public awareness and political change in the past. You lay the groundwork for a better future for all." His office subsequently circulated the People’s Declaration to all UN Member States, an unusual step for a civil society document.
The reforms called for in the People’s Declaration will not happen without a strong push from civil society. We encourage you to consider adding your endorsement of the UN75 People’s Declaration and Plan for Global Action. You can endorse the declaration as an individual or we invite your organization to do so.
Endorse the Declaration here.
And about that other UN75 declaration . . . . .
Despite the coronavirus pandemic shutting down the UN campus in New York, Member States have sustained discussions online in recent months regarding a “Declaration for the Commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations” that is to be formally adopted at the UN75 high-level meeting September 21. As reported in previous UN2020 Updates, the ambassadors from Qatar and Sweden have facilitated these discussions, which appear to be nearing a conclusion this month.
Throughout the UN75 negotiations the UN2020 Campaign has been meeting bilaterally with member states, the Co-Facilitators and their staff, holding online meeting forums in partnership with the Baha’i International Community and Together First that have engaged civil society and officials from UN missions, as well as publishing documents that offer suggestions and improved language for the draft UN75 political declaration. Most recently, UN2020 has circulated a “Submission” that offered amendments for the “Zero Draft Rev 1” of the declaration. All UN2020 advocacy materials related to the UN75 declaration may be found here.
The next revised version of the declaration is expected to be distributed to governments during the week of June 15 and put under “silence procedure” (meaning that if no state breaks the silence within the designated time period, the proposed declaration text is considered to have been agreed by consensus).
Latest from Together First
Many UN2020 campaign activities are undertaken in partnership with the Together First network.
Together First has just launched a new campaign toolkit on Trello. The toolkit contains a range of suggested activities as well as descriptive materials regarding proposed UN reforms, including their recent report released upon the occasion of the UN75 People’s Forum, "Stepping stones for a better future - 10 recommendations to world leaders for building back better in the wake of COVID-19.”
|
