FAWCO is now a member of the Board of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN (CoNGO). CoNGO works to support civil society represented by a global community of informed, empowered and committed NGOs that fully participate with the UN in decision making. We are proud to be part of these efforts.
“UN Commission on the Status of Woman 2019 CSW63”
The sixty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place at UN Headquarters in New York from March 11 to 22, 2019.
- Priority theme: Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls;
- Review theme: Review theme: Women's empowerment and the link to sustainable development
If you're interested in global women's rights and want to learn about how FAWCO and the NGO community work at the UN, join our delegation. Registration will start in late fall, so mark your calendars and watch out for more information to come. To find out about the experiences of FAWCO delegations at CSW, read the CSW blogs. Note, you do not have to be in NY for the full two weeks of CSW.
“Migration and Refugees”
Worth watching: The NGO Committee on Migration co-sponsored the event "Countering Xenophobia and Discrimination: Voices from the Regions" at UN Headquarters. The event featured a series of short films highlighting good practices in social inclusion from around the world.
Worth reading:
5 Reasons Migration is a Feminist Issue
Good news:
The Human Rights Team welcomes the FAWCO Refugee Network, an outgrowth of a well-received session by Ann Birot-Salsbury and Clara Siverson of the AAWE Paris Community-Wide Refugee Task Force at the IM in The Hague: "Networking to Support Refugees: FAWCO Clubs Creating Connections Across Borders." Join us in our closed Facebook group to learn more and get involved.
“Universal Declaration of Human Rights 70th Anniversary”
This year marks 70 years since the UDHR was signed on December 10, 1948. Eleanor Roosevelt was the Chair of the UN Human Rights Commission and the driving force behind the charter which will always be her legacy. In 2008, for the 60th anniversary of the UDHR, FAWCO UN Reps Paula Daeppen and Pam Perraud were instrumental in organizing a memorial honoring Eleanor Roosevelt in Geneva. Again on the 70th anniversary of the UDHR, we encourage FAWCO Member Clubs to organize events such as teas, candlelight services, letter-writing campaigns and essay contests honoring Eleanor Roosevelt to call attention to the fact that, 70 years later, women are still waiting for their rights. You can find resources about Eleanor on our website here.
You and your club can also take part in the UN's Stand Up 4 Human Rights campaign to promote understanding of the Universal Declaration and reflect on how each of us can stand up for human rights.
“Women at the UN”
The UN General Assembly elected Ecuadorean Foreign Minister María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés as President of its upcoming 73rd session. She is the fourth woman to hold that position in the history of the world body, and the first since 2006. In her acceptance speech, Ms. Espinosa noted that she is the first woman from Latin America to preside over the Assembly. Her priorities during the upcoming General Assembly starting in mid-September include UN reforms, finalizing the global compact on migration, financing for development, climate action, employment, inequality, and peace in the Middle East. We wish her well!
“UN REPs Team”
- New York: Jane Politi
- Geneva: Anne Riz, Paula Daeppen
- Vienna: Laurie Richardson
- Athens: Grace Christovasilis
- Bonn: Stacy Kimmig, Ayuska Motha
- At Large: Erica Higbie, Pam Perraud, Tammy Sas-Mayaux, Tara Scott
- UN Youth Rep: Valia Mitsakis
- UN Youth Rep Coordinator: Paige Higbie
