“The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges” was this year’s priority theme.
Rural women from around the world met this week to discuss the challenges and highlights of working to empower women in their countries and communities, at an event sponsored by UN Women, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the NGO Commission on the Status of Women Forum and other partners, including the Center for Women's Global Leadership, the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, and the Feminist Task Force.
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) Jan. 26 is honoring Nobel Peace Prize laureate and activist Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa, for his efforts in the battle against hunger and his advocacy on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people.
The commitment by Primates at the January meeting in Dublin to work to eliminate violence against women and girls has been warmly welcomed by the Communion’s International Anglican Women’s Network (IAWN).
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today issued a video message to mark the opening of the United Nations Summit on the Millennium Development Goals in New York.
Thursday, September 25, 6 p.m.
Press: Media welcome. Free, no advance reservations
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Dr Hellen Wangusa, Anglican Observer at the United Nations, cordially invite you to attend An Interfaith Service of Recommitment and Witness to the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
September 25th - A Day for Recommitment and Witness to the Achievement of the MDGs
"The Provinces of the Communion call for a day of prayer and fasting and witness on 25th September 2008 when there is a special session of the United Nations to discuss the Millennium Development Goals." (2008 Lambeth Conference Reflections Document)
At United Nations high-level event, 25 September
Business, Foundation and Activist Leaders to Announce Initiatives as Part of Mobilization to Reach Millennium Development Goals
Two topics followed closely by AUNO Geneva were high on the agenda of the concluding part of the UN Human Rights Council's 6th session in December; namely, the situation in Darfur and interreligious issues. As well as extending the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on Sudan and on the freedom of religion or belief, five other mandates were extended (health, internally displaced people, housing and terrorism). In terms of expert groups, the group on Darfur was terminated, while a new group on the rights of indigenous peoples was created.
For the first time in the UN Human Rights Council’s short existence, substantive issues took slight precedence over institutional issues during this September leg of its sixth session. Although the Council still had work to do to finalise the Universal Periodic Review process, the session involved lively discussions on several issues, including the defamation of religion. In this regard, AUNO Geneva signed a statement as part of its work on religion and spirituality at the UN. In the end, a successful bid for a ‘Special Session’ on Myanmar managed to re-focus the Council’s efforts on working together to protect human rights worldwide.
As part of their mandate to build relationships between the Anglican Community and UN bodies based in Geneva, representatives from AUNO Geneva were recently amongst the 300 or so participants to attend the 20th meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Co-ordinating Board (PCB).
Apart from a few notable substantive items – including an intervention from Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the situation in Beit Hanoun, and a report providing a roadmap for addressing human rights violations in Darfur - the fifth session of the UN Human Rights Council focussed on finalising its basic institutional infrastructure. This was achieved by way of a Presidential text, which was dramatically agreed upon just minutes before a midnight deadline on June 18th. The main implications of this text are as follows:
By launching a new project to map the Anglican response to HIV/AIDS in Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia, the Anglican-UN Office (AUNO) in Geneva aims to encourage more partnership between international and public health agencies and the Anglican Communion.
The opening of a Geneva office in April 2007 hails a new phase for Anglican representation at the United Nations. Funded through a grant from the Anglican Communion, the office is a physical sign of Anglican commitment to the international humanitarian issues that are central to UN work in Geneva.
Since the creation of the UN Human Rights Council in 2006, (to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights – see Geneva Digest Feb-July 2006,) attention has focussed more on procedural issues than on substantive issues. This fourth Session of the Council was no exception, and such discussions continued to dominate the proceedings – although the majority were held outside the main meeting in specific groups, each concentrating on a different aspect of the new Council. Of great interest and tension are the terms of reference for the annual review of each state’s human rights performance during the previous year, as well as the elections of new members. These discussions are ongoing and will be finalised at the 5th Session to be held from 11-18th June.
Trinity Church Wall Street New York to host celebration of this new ministry.
The new Anglican Observer at the United Nations, Mrs Hellen Grace Akwii-Wangusa of Uganda, will be installed during the 11 a.m. Eucharist at the historic New York Episcopal Church, Trinity and St Paul's, Wall Street on Sunday, February 4th 2007. The Bishop of Auckland, the Rt Revd John Paterson, chair of the world-wide Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), will preach at the service and the rector, the Revd Dr. James Cooper will preside at the Eucharist. This will be followed by a special “handing over” ceremony of Hellen Wangusa to her new position as Anglican Observer, by the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uganda, Mr. Adonia Ayebare.
A Call to Partnership- Communique from the Consultation of Religious Leaders on Global Poverty
September 13, 2005
Please note: Attending the consultation: the Secreary General of the Anglican Communion Canon Kenneth Kearon, Lord Carey of Clifton, Archbishop Ndungane of Cape Town, the Archbishop and Primate of Canada, Bishop John Chane, and some 30 other global Christian leaders. Ed.
International Church Leaders Unite to Insist Poverty Reduction Targets Be Met
More than 30 leaders of Christian denominations worldwide will gather at Washington National Cathedral on Sunday, Sept. 11, to affirm the UN plan to halve extreme poverty by 2015 and propose stepped up action to eradicate poverty throughout the world.
Participants will call for a recommitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals as laid out by UN members in 2000.
The Anglican Observer at the United Nations, Archdeacon Taimalelagi F. Tuatagaloa-Matalavea, was recently named a Member of the Order of Samoa, her native country.
