2005
November
In commemoration of the 16th Anniversary of the adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly, WAGGGS co-sponsored the panel event entitled ’The Convention of the Rights of the Child as a policy framework for protecting children from violence: promising developments and remaining challenges’ with the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights. WAGGGS was a major organizer of this event.
Anita Thomas, team coordinator of UN team, New York secured the keynote speaker of the meeting, Mr. Allan Rock, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations.
Anita Thomas, team coordinator of UN team, New York secured the keynote speaker of the meeting, Mr. Allan Rock, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations.
From October onwards
The UN team, Paris continues to follow the Mix Programmatic Commission. The Youth Group, which was part of the commission, has now became a commission itself. It is fundamental for WAGGGS as an association for young people to be represented at this Commission and to ensure that WAGGGS’ voice is heard and WAGGGS’ best practice is demonstrated at meetings.October
On 16 October, World Food Day and the 60th anniversary of FAO, the UN team, Rome was one of 10 INGOs invited and participated in a special breakfast with the FAO Director General, Mr Diouff.The UN team was gratified by Mr Diouff’s appreciation of their long standing and quality contribution to the International Alliance Against Hunger. The UN team reminded Mr Diouff that 10 years before (50th anniversary of FAO) they launched the FAO/WAGGGS Nutrition Award, and that now they are about to launch the Right to Food book.
On the same day the UN team, Rome participated in the exhibition in the Caracalla Roma Baths, where they demonstrated both WAGGGS/FAO projects as well as projects that Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are running all over the world.
At the same time 400 members of the Italian National Association (CNGEI) joined in the World Fod Day celebrations, playing games on environment and sustainability.
September
The UN team, Rome participated in the Committee on Food Security and gave a presentation on the FAO/WAGGGS book.UN Department of Public Information (DPI)/NGO Annual Conference
The UN DPI/NGO conference was held in New York in September. Around 2,500 NGO representatives attended the conference. Anita Thomas, team coordinator of the UN team, New York represented WAGGGS at the planning committee of the conference.
WAGGGS was a member of the planning committeefor this event. Pat Scharlin, UN representative, and Anita Thomas represented WAGGGS at the conference. Nicola Grinstead from the Girlguiding UK represented WAGGGS at a workshop titled ’Care With Dignity: Good Practices in Approaches to HIV/AIDS’.
WAGGGS co-sponsored this event with the Conference of NGOs (CONGO) committee on HIV/AIDS and the CONGO committee on indigenous peoples. The workshop was very well received and Nicola Grinstead was quoted by the Chair of the NGO Committee on HIV/AIDS to be the “star of the panel’.
UN Summit
Leslie Wright, UN representative with the UN team, New York, attended meetings held in relation to the summit and followed its progress. The women’s agenda fared well with gender mainstreaming and issues affecting the status of women noted prominently in the text.
WAGGGS World Conference
UN representatives from all six teams met at WAGGGS’ World Conference in Jordan. The UN representatives ran a popular global café on WAGGGS work with the UN. The UN team, Rome ran two global cafés on the Right to Food project and UN representatives also networked and distributed information sheets about their work during coffee and lunch breaks.
High Level Dialogue on Youth Employment
WAGGGS’ representatives attended the High Level Dialogue on Youth Employment. The UN team, Geneva discussed the outcomes at the monthly meeting of the Conference of NGO’s Substantive Committee on Youth Organizations with ECOSOC status in Geneva.
High-level meeting on HIV/AIDS
July
ECOSOC
The UN team, New York attended part of the ECOSOC session held in New York. Reports from all the Commissions were reviewed, as was the Secretary General’s report on UN reform. This became the basis for further revision of the summit document, which continued to be negotiated during the summer months.
NGO Session for the Millennium +5
The UN team, New York attended part of the ECOSOC session held in New York. Reports from all the Commissions were reviewed, as was the Secretary General’s report on UN reform. This became the basis for further revision of the summit document, which continued to be negotiated during the summer months.
June
The General Assembly President Jean Ping held a special two-day session for NGO input into the document drafted for the summit of the General Assembly in September. WAGGGS was represented as an observer to that meeting.
WAGGGS World Conference
UN representatives from all six teams met at WAGGGS’ World Conference in Jordan. The UN representatives ran a popular global café on WAGGGS work with the UN. The UN team, Rome ran two global cafés on the Right to Food project and UN representatives also networked and distributed information sheets about their work during coffee and lunch breaks.
High Level Dialogue on Youth Employment
WAGGGS’ representatives attended the High Level Dialogue on Youth Employment. The UN team, Geneva discussed the outcomes at the monthly meeting of the Conference of NGO’s Substantive Committee on Youth Organizations with ECOSOC status in Geneva.
High-level meeting on HIV/AIDS
A high-level segment of the 59th Session of the UN General Assembly was held at the UN headquarters to conduct an interim technical review of the goals set out in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (adopted by the General Assembly during the special session on HIV/AIDS in 2001). The outcome document of this high-level segment contributed to the Millennium summit held in New York from 14 to 16 September 2005.
Anita Thomas, team coordinator of UN team, New York arranged for WAGGGS to be present at a roundtable discussion held during the high-level segment. The selection process for this was highly competitive as there were only five spots open for NGOs.
WAGGGS was part of the “HIV/AIDS and Human Rights with emphasis on gender” round table. Leslie Wright, UN representative, New York, prepared and delivered a paper at the round table, chaired by the Minister of Health for the Bahamas, Mr. Bethel.
Pat Scharlin, UN representative, New York, represented WAGGGS at the CSD 13.
WAGGGS and the UN seminar, Our Chalet
The seminar was an excellent opportunity for the UN teams Rome, Paris and Nairobi to meet each other, and also to meet young women from different Member Organizations; to hear about projects going on around the world, and what members of WAGGGS expect from the UN representatives. This was a helpful exercise for the teams.
She had the opportunity to showcase the work of WAGGGS especially ‘Our Rights Our Responsibilities’ to the rapporteurs and other officers of the UNHCHR office in Geneva. As a result of this, OHCHR has shown interest in working with trainers of eurolife.02 – to assist the trainers to deliver a strong rights–based education programme at each of the ten Centres in Europe during eurolife.02.
WAGGGS was part of the “HIV/AIDS and Human Rights with emphasis on gender” round table. Leslie Wright, UN representative, New York, prepared and delivered a paper at the round table, chaired by the Minister of Health for the Bahamas, Mr. Bethel.
April
Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 13)Pat Scharlin, UN representative, New York, represented WAGGGS at the CSD 13.
WAGGGS and the UN seminar, Our Chalet
The seminar was an excellent opportunity for the UN teams Rome, Paris and Nairobi to meet each other, and also to meet young women from different Member Organizations; to hear about projects going on around the world, and what members of WAGGGS expect from the UN representatives. This was a helpful exercise for the teams.
March to September
The UN team, Geneva attended the meetings of the subgroup for the Child Right to Health (Sbgr CRH) of the NGO group on the Convention of the Rights of the Child and the General Assembly of the NGO Group which reviews the work of the different subgroups of the NGO Group.March and April
Sue Lake from UN team, Geneva attended some of the meetings of the annual gathering of the Commission on Human Rights during March and April in Geneva, especially the meetings of the special rapporteur on Health, Paul Hunt, and the special rapporteur on Education, Verner Munoz.She had the opportunity to showcase the work of WAGGGS especially ‘Our Rights Our Responsibilities’ to the rapporteurs and other officers of the UNHCHR office in Geneva. As a result of this, OHCHR has shown interest in working with trainers of eurolife.02 – to assist the trainers to deliver a strong rights–based education programme at each of the ten Centres in Europe during eurolife.02.
March
49th Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission on the Status of Women took place in Winner of the Young Woman of the Region award for Europ, Nicola Grinstead, attended the 10 year review of the World Programme for Action on Youth held in
WAGGGS ran a workshop with two young women in conjunction with Soroptimist International on how empowerment through Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting can change girls’ and young women’s lives. One representative was given the opportunity of addressing the plenary session about equality for women.
January