The United Nations United States Council of Organizations supports the goals and mission of the United Nations Civil Society Conference being held in Nairobi, Kenya, May 9-10, 2024. The Council recognizes that this conference is the premier event on the civil society calendar at the United Nations.
The Conference offers civil society organizations an opportunity to put a global perspective on a specific issue and brings together senior UN System officials, prominent international civil society organizations, youth changemakers, academia, public opinion makers, and international media to discuss issues of global concern. This international forum will provide preliminary discussions and data ahead of the Summit of the Future in September 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The work that will be achieved at the Conference will offer valuable contributions as organizations, agencies and member States work together towards achieving an ambitious outcome for the Summit of the Future. The Council acknowledges the stated urgency of the Summit:” Multiple crises such as growing inequalities, conflicts, climate change and biodiversity loss are posing severe threats to the world. This is the context in which the Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow will take place on 22-23 September 2024.”
The Council commits to support promoting the goals of developing a UN “Pact for the Future” to build a multilateral system that delivers for everyone, everywhere. It also commits to concrete action in five broad areas, as follows: Sustainable development and financing for development; International peace and security; Science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation; Youth and future generations; and Transforming global governance.
The Council of Organizations recognizes its historical and continuous position as one of the supportive bodies of the United Nations. As stated in the United Nations “Our Common Agenda”: “Civil society organizations were present in San Francisco at the founding of the United Nations and have been an integral part of the United Nations ecosystem from the outset. As part of our consultations, civil society has called for better engagement with the United Nations system [….] it is essential for the United Nations to listen to, coordinate with, and engage with civil society.”
Since 1947, sixty-eight United Nations civil society conferences have resulted in successful outcomes due to previous interactions with civil society organizations. 2/2 Concurrently, since 1947, the Council of Organizations has contributed to these conferences and ongoing efforts to support the efforts of these outcomes.
The COO encourages civil society leadership to work constructively through the United Nations and encourages everyone to achieve the goals of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the 2030 Agenda.
The Council of Organizations of the United Nations Association (COO) joins the United Nations in celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the world's first pledge to protect human rights through its direct consultative status in 1945 in drawing up the global body - The United Nations. The COO members and its partners have not wavered in our commitment to the United Nations organization.
Prior to 1948, there had been no universal definition of human rights on the international level. The 18-member Human Rights Commission, chaired by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted on December 10, 1948, a milestone in protecting men and women. We express gratitude for the brilliant team that framed the debate and culminated revolutionary changes in international politics and the UN's greatest achievement was the emergence from colonialism - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights often featured in declarations of independence as new nations were created in Asia and Africa. The 1968 World Conference on Human Rights approved 20 resolutions to mark the 20th anniversary of the Universal Declaration.
Today, we are devoted to protecting the brotherhood of humanity and guarding human rights. That is ambitious and crucial today. With the UN demonstrating an ever-increasing interest in working with civil society and NGOs, the Council of Organizations plays a critical role in offering opportunities for leaders from the NGO community to develop partnerships with the UN and each other. The 17 UN Sustainable Goals address human rights issues directly and focus on Equality, Freedom and Justice for All. The genuinely supportive and collaborative environment in which we work to bring about change and Human Rights For All engages our members in action to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and combat human trafficking in our community, in every city and state and beyond. We pledge our partners to step up efforts to end human trafficking.