The Anglican Communion Representative to the United Nations works in Geneva and New York to bring Anglican voices to the global stage. The role is vital in building strong relationships so that work at the grass roots is more effective.
The aim is to bring Anglican expertise and perspectives from across the Communion to meetings at various levels at the United Nations.
One aspect of the team’s work is promoting a better understanding of the workings of UN within the Communion – and a better understanding of the complexities of the Anglican Communion at the UN. The vision is to work with UN agencies, partner agencies such as Anglican Mission agencies and other faith-based organisation to reach the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Priorities for Anglican Communion team at the UN:
Ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit, the Anglican Consultative Council has submitted a statement to the Summit which sets out the priorities and commitments of the Anglican Communion for the meeting. We hope to be able use this as an informational and advocacy tool in the upcoming Summit Week to raise the concerns of the Communion as well as the important work that is happening across the world. It’s our humble submission to the UN and Member States, as a member of broader civil society and also in order to show that faith communities are actively calling out for action by governments as well as urgently taking action themselves.
Ahead of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July, the Anglican Consultative Council has submitted a statement to the Forum, urging member states to do more to support populations and communities affected by, or at risk of, climate-related displacement.
You can read the written statement here, and learn more about climate-related displacement using the links below:
At the gathering of the Anglican Consultative Council in Hong Kong in April/May 2019, the ACC passed a resolution requesting the Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion to bring together a group to develop a 10-year strategy for Anglican Communion engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals. You can read the full text of the resolution below:
The Anglican Consultative Council:
The Anglican Communion is accredited with the United Nations, which means it has access to many UN gatherings, and is able to make written and oral statements at these meetings. We are one of a number of faith-based organisations which have maintained a strong presence at the UN. In recent years delegations of Anglicans and Episcopalians have participated in high-level events, for example, the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
For more information, please read our department factsheet which can be found here (also available in Spanish).
We want more Anglicans to get involved. The Anglican Communion office at the UN (ACOUN) wants to increase our engagement at these events because they are an opportunity to share Anglican expertise and experience. There is a wide range of events at the UN during 2019. See here for details.
If you are interested in representing the Anglican Communion at the UN on particular issues, please complete this Expression of Interest form. A member of the ACOUN team will contact you.
Jack Palmer-White oversees the Communion’s work at the UN, dividing his time between New York, Geneva and the Anglican Communion office in London. He was appointed in late 2017. Jack previously served for five years as Parliamentary Assistant and then Social and Public Affairs Adviser at Lambeth Palace in London.
Jack’s vision is to provide a range of support for Anglicans seeking to engage with the UN. This includes:
Jack Palmer-White:
Phone: +44 (0)20 7313 39838
Email: un.rep@anglicancommunion.org
Twitter: @AnglicanUN
Jillian Abballe - Advocacy Manager and Head of New York Office:
Phone: +1 212 716 6262
Email: jillian.abballe@anglicancommunion.org
Rachael Fraser - Research and Advocacy Officer:
Phone: +44 (0)20 7313 3926
Email: rachael.fraser@anglicancommunion.org
Marla Teixeira - Administrative and Research Assistant (New York):