UN Program Director News and Updates 2022
2022 is clearly going to be another highly challenging year at the UN. (Not that all years aren’t challenging.) Like all institutions of responsibility and integrity, the UN is grappling with the pandemic, the climate crisis, and the threats to democracy and human rights around the world. Many of the once vibrant and stable programs are pared down or suspended in order to consolidate and work on the most crucial issues. And the NGO leadership is shifting, with the civil society programs being increased and revised significantly. As a result of all of this re-focusing, the activities available to NGO’s are mostly curtailed at present. The Commission on the Status of Women will again this year be virtual. After participating in the online conference last year, it was evident that the power of the CSW lies in the coming together of thousands of wildly enthusiastic women activists from around the world who share their experiences with each other. The virtual was flat and dull. I do not anticipate a large turnout from WCA. Looking forward to in-person events in the future. Also,because of all the uncertainty this year, I have decided that the WCA/Youth Representative activities will be suspended again in 2022. There will be fewer offerings for the young students and putting their health at risk is not worth it. So I see this year as a quiet time for the UN Program. It is very likely that in 2023 there will be a thunderous return of NGO’s, ready to take on the tasks ahead. All of us involved in the UN are so grateful for the strong, dynamic, unwavering and visionary leadership of Antonio Guterres.
I encourage WCA artists to share with us their ongoing exhibitions and projects which support UN platforms. Work will be posted here.
Maureen Burns-Bowie
Update #1
The activities of the UN Program are firmly rooted in two significant platforms -- the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's.) Anyone who is an activist can find their areas of concern clearly articulated in these documents. It is educating and highly inspiring to periodically review them.
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
Update #2
Photo: Albert Dros
Countries worldwide are exploring the possibility of enacting new legislation affirming the rights of Nature. Ecuador was the first. In 2008 they ruled that Pachamama (Mother Earth) had the right to "maintain and regenerate its cycles, structure, functions and evolutionary processes."
New Zealand, Columbia, India, the United States, Canada, Argentina, Peru, and Pakistan have passed laws affirming legal personhood to nature. It will take time for this sort of defense to gain traction, but it is encouraging.
Update #3
WOMEN'S EARTH AND CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK
"Kayapo women have always been fighting...from us resistance is born. From us come men, children life. The woman completes herself with nature, and we have always been part of the resistance along with the men."
In Brazil, Indigenous women are leading frontline efforts to protect the Amazon and Indigenous rights and sovereignty. Despite mounting threats and risk, across the Amazon Indigenous women leaders are banding together for the communities and our global climate -- stand with Indigenous Women Environmental and Rights Defenders!
"Kayapo women have always been fighting...from us resistance is born. From us come men, children life. The woman completes herself with nature, and we have always been part of the resistance along with the men."
In Brazil, Indigenous women are leading frontline efforts to protect the Amazon and Indigenous rights and sovereignty. Despite mounting threats and risk, across the Amazon Indigenous women leaders are banding together for the communities and our global climate -- stand with Indigenous Women Environmental and Rights Defenders!
Update #4
