Where We Work
Where We Work
Events
Financial Development Strategies Post COVID-19 (21 September 2021)
During the 76rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76), Africa Consulting Group International (ACGI) hosted an event via zoom regarding financial development strategies for a post COVID-19 society.
UNGA 2019 First Annual Global Climate Restoration Forum (17 September 2019)
The 74rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 74) opened on 17 September 2019. One of the very first events held this year was the First Annual Global Climate Restoration Forum. The forum was hosted by the Foundation for Climate Restoration (FCR), received support from the United Nations Office for Partnerships, and was in partnership with Earth Day Network and Future Coalition. Leading practitioners from diverse sectors gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to discuss the urgency of climate restoration and examine ways in which we can establish a healthier climate within a single generation.
“Climate Restoration is an important component of any comprehensive strategy for ensuring a sustainable environment.”
- Rick Parnell • CEO, Foundation for Climate Restoration
According to the FCR, "Climate Restoration is the global movement to return the Earth’s climate systems to the safe and healthy state in which humanity and our natural world evolved. This requires returning atmospheric CO2 to safe levels of less than 300 parts per million (ppm) and restoring sufficient Arctic ice to prevent permafrost melt and the resulting disastrous methane emissions." The FCR hopes to catalyze the commitment to Climate Restoration by raising awareness, calling for action, and growing the movement.
The forum opened with remarks from Robert Skinner (Executive Director, UN Office for Partnerships) and Rick Parnell (CEO, Foundation for Climate Restoration), and was emceed by Lana Wong (Former Creative Director for Connect4Climate at the World Bank). There were a variety of speakers that ranged from activists to educators, inventors, and venture capitalists. Representatives from different fields and backgrounds came together to inspire people and present solutions to combat climate change. It has been officially determined that 2020-2030 is the decade for climate restoration.
Quotes from the forum:
"To harm the environment is to harm human beings" - His Excellency, The Most Reverend Bernardito C. Auza
"... creation of a planet that is a positive one, and not a less bad one" - Greg Kats (Director, Blue Planet)
"There are solutions, but lets focus on nature" - Satya Tripathi (UNEP Assistant Secretary-General)
"We want the minimal intervention with the maximum impact" - Dr. Leslie Field (Founder, CEO, Ice911)
Mandela Peace Summit (24 September 2018)
2018 highlighted the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela. To celebrate and honor Mandela values and dedication to the service of humanity, The United Nations
convened a high-level plenary meeting at the start of the General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly.
The Nelson Mandela Peace Summit was held on 24 September,2018 at the General Assembly Hall in New York, UN Headquarter.
Member States participated at the highest possible level with Heads of State or Government, Vice Presidents and Crown Princes or Princesses.
Were also represented at the highest possible level the intergovernmental organizations, the UN and its related entities, non-governmental organizations that
are in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, stakeholders, civil society organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, diaspora
communities, migrant organizations, and members of the accredited media. African Hope Committee in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council
attended this high – level meeting.
The meeting consisted of an opening plenary meeting from 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. and a plenary meeting till 6.00pm.
The opening segment of the plenary meeting of the summit offered the opportunity to the following world leaders to make statements and revisit Nelson Mandela values and commitments: H.E. Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly • H.E. Mr. António Guterres, UN Secretary-General • H.E. Mr. Moussa Faki, Chairperson of the African Union • H.E. Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa • H.E. Mr. Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister of Ireland • H.E. Ms. Graça Machel, member of The Elders • Mr. Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
Following the opening segment, the plenary meetings heard statements by Member States, stakeholders and various speakers of the General Assembly. The peace summit concluded with a political declaration highlighting the values of Nelson Mandela which stand for promotion and protection of human rights, reconciliation, peace building, world sustaining peace, conflict prevention and resolution and long -term development initiatives.
UN General Assembly 2018 (18 September – 5 October 2018)
"Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies"
The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 73) opened on 18 September 2018. The President-elect of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly(UNGA), María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, announced in July 2018 that the theme of the general debate will be, ‘Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies.’
Numerous side events took place in marge to the opening of the 73rd session of the UNGA under the banners of Global Goals Week 2018 and AHC members and delegated guests attended these event in consultative status with the United Nations /ECOSOC. A summary of some relevant side events.
On Thursday September 20 was held at the African Union House a meeting themed: "SDGs in the Lake Chad Region; an opportunity for leadership in social and technological innovation" followed by a networking reception at the Nigeria House near the UN.
On Sunday, September 23, AHC delegate attended the PMNCH Annual Accountability Breakfast Organized by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) at the Westin Grand Central Ballroom, 212 East 42nd Street, New York, NY, USA. This Join partners from civil society, the private sector, government, the UN, academia, and others gathered together to share evidence, ideas and highlight key findings and recent trends in progress for improving women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health. The breakfast and dialogue event had a stronger focus on effective national/regional political and social accountability, performance accountability, and financial accountability to achieve the SDGs. It was chaired by doctor Michelle Bachelet, PMNCH Board Chair and former President of Chile, the 2018.
On September 23 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT at the 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY, USA we attended the TB Innovation Summit: Modernizing the fight Against TB. The Summit was Co-hosted by the Stop TB Partnership (STBP), Johnson and Johnson (J&J), the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the UN Foundation (UNF), The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In attendance was an affluent mix of leaders from the private, public and civil society sectors, as well as TB survivors, academics, donors. Panelists reported about the importance and potential of innovation – from research and development (R&D) to deliver and to modernize our approach to this deadly and preventable disease.
On Sun, September 23 some members of AHC attended Reimagining Antenatal Care: How to increase women’s attendance and save lives organized by Jhpiego at 237 Park Avenue, New York, NY. The session included partners, experts and advocates in maternal and child health Dr. Lale Say, the Honorable Professor Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health, Nigeria on how to improve the antenatal care experience for women and providers and fix the health system by using a low cost solution. The World Health Organization guidelines advised eight antenatal contacts by pregnancy and evidence based medicine show how attending antenatal care helps women have healthier pregnancies and happier deliveries. It reduce maternal death, improve the health of women and their babies. But only 64% of women have been receiving four antenatal care contacts in 2016.
At the UNGA 73 President María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés outlined seven priority themes for the session, to: promote gender equality; promote and implement new global compacts on migration and refugees; highlight innovative thinking around the future of work; effort to protect the environment, particularly plastics pollution; raise awareness on persons with disabilities; implement the reform of the UN system; and promote peace.
On Monday, 24 September, the UNGA held a High Level Plenary Meeting on global peace in honor of the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela, known as the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit. The plenary adopted a political declaration negotiated by Member States.
On Wednesday, 26 September, the UNGA held a high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis, as agreed by Member States in February 2018.
On Thursday, 27 September, the UN held a one-day comprehensive review of the progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) following the preparatory meeting held on July 5, 2018.
High-Level Political Forum (9-18 July 2018)
Executive Summary of the 2018 High-Level Political Forum
Under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council the High-level Political Forum 2018 on Sustainable Development (HLPF) took place from 9 to18 July 2018, at the UN Headquarters in New York. ECOSOC President Marie Chatardová opened HLPF 2018 on Monday, 9 July, and invited Member States to adopt the provisional agenda (E/HLPF/2018/1). In her opening remarks, Chatardová said the participation of over 80 ministers and vice ministers and 2500 non-state actors in the HLPF exemplifies the rallying power of the SDGs.
Keynote speaker Jeffrey Sachs, Columbia University, said greed and the vested interests of coal, oil, and gas companies are the biggest obstacle to the achievement of the SDGs. He called out the global food industry’s unsustainable supply chains and unhealthy products. Citing overlapping rankings at the top of sustainable development and happiness tables, he noted that sustainable development promotes well-being and happiness, while tax cuts for the rich undermine essential dimensions of the SDGs. He called on rich countries and individuals to address the US$200 billion shortfall in funding required to achieve the SDGs, by: increasing ODA; using 1% of the
wealth of the world’s 2208 billionaires; closing down off-shore tax havens; taxing the five big global technology monopoly companies; taxing financial transactions; a global carbon tax; and measures to tackle wholesale tax evasion. The theme was “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies.” The thematic reviews were:
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Goals (SDGs)Advancing science, technology and innovation (STI) for the Sustainable Development Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies – Building resilience
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Small Island developing states (SIDS) perspective
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(LLDCs), and middle-income countries (MICs)Perspectives of least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries
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Implementing the SDGs: lessons from the regions
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Perspectives of society
The following SDGs were reviewed in detail during the Forum:
The Ministerial Sessions took place from 16-18 July.
Opening the joint ECOSOC and HLPF Ministerial Segment on Monday, 16 July, ECOSOC President Chatardová noted insufficient progress on the 2030 Agenda, and pointed to the importance of science, technology, research, engagement with the private sector, and policy coherence.
UN General Assembly President Miroslav Lajčák said there are causes for celebration but more causes for concern, citing worsening global inequalities and climate change impacts. He called for non-traditional sources of financing and more inclusive processes.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said momentum is being lost in tackling areas such as undernourishment and urban poverty. She warned against an “SDG-light” approach, while underlining the need for increased coherence, transparency, and accountability as key elements for reform of the UN development system.
Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, encouraged
countries to involve young people in the HLPF process, either as co-writers of VNRs or
as youth delegates.
In summary Multiple panel discussions and side events took place. 46 countries presented their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) providing a review of accomplishment on the ground and the numerous challenges they encountered on the national, regional and local levels. Numerous speakers including ministers and other high level representatives of Member States emphasized that the global community is not on track to fulfill the 2030 Agenda and pushed on accelerating the process. Many challenges are at multiple levels and scales, from the global, to the national, the regional to the local level.
Governance, capacity building, and financial resources predominantly in the developing countries were a recurring challenge.
Many participants and speakers emphasized about the role and participation of the civil societies: how they should be more involved and about the challenges they face in being incorporated in the conversation and dealing with the implementation of the SDGs.
Financing for SDGs (11 June 2018)
The President of the General Assembly's High-level Meeting on Financing for SDGs took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm on 11 June 2018.The meeting themed “Financing for SDGs Breaking the bottlenecks of Investment from Policy to Impact” brought together world leaders, representatives from World Bank, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), regional development banks, businesses, academia, and observers. It was a platform for resilient public-private partnerships. It also intended to understand and explore what the United Nations can do better to align itself with the rapidly-changing world of international finance and to support the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. African Hope Committee in consultative status with ECOSOC was in attendance as observer to educate self and be part of this impactful and tremendous movement in financing the SDGs. A side event was held from 1:15 to 2:30 P.M. covering the topic:” Unlocking SDG Financing Findings from Early Adopters”. This best practice collection examines the experience of UN Country Teams in Kenya, Indonesia, and Armenia as they support governments and national partners to unlock broader, non – traditional financing flows for development and achieve the SDGs agenda 2030.
To learn more about the event click the link https://www.un.org/pga/72/event-latest/financing-the-sustainable-development-goals/
CSW 62 (12-23 March 2018)
From March 12 to 23, 2018 The sixty- second session of the Commission on the Status of Women CSW62 (2018) was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Commission on the Status of Women is the UN’s largest gathering on gender equality issues.
The priority theme of the session focused on: “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls” and the Review theme was: Participation in and access of women to the media, and information and communications technologies and their impact on and use as an instrument for the advancement and empowerment of women.
The annual session was attended by world leaders, UN entities, Member States representatives , private sector entities, ECOSOC-accredited non- governmental organizations and their guests. Indeed NGOs that are accredited to and in good standing with the Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC) sent numerous representatives and activists from all over the world.
In addition to the formal commissions and activities, side events were held on the UN premises by permanent Missions, UN entities and accredited NGOs and
parallel events were also held outside the UN premises in the nearby Church Center and other locations where participants convene to discuss on the various themes of gender equality and women empowerment.
Excerpt of the statement presented by Marceline Tawembi at the March 16, 2008 Mesdames et Monsieurs, très chers hôtes
En ce quatrième jour de la commission de la femme sur le thème défis et opportunités relatifs à l’égalité des sexes et à l’autonomisation des femmes et des jeunes filles en milieu rural je vous remercie de votre honorable présence.
Entrons dans le vif du sujet car le temps impartis est très court pour discourir d’un sujet d’une telle importance.
À l'aube du 18e anniversaire de la résolution 1325 du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies, permettez-moi de remercier aux noms de toutes jeunes filles et femmes vulnérables des atrocités sexuelles, mentales et physiques de la RDC notre profonde gratitude, à nos partenaires locaux, régionaux, internationaux et particulièrement aux systèmes de Nations Unies pour leur engagement en RDC.
Bien avant les indépendances les droits de la femme au Congo n’ont jamais été respectés et cette situation n’a fait que s’empirer après les indépendances, se détériorer durant les guerres et perdurer encore après les conflits armés.
La résolution 1325 a permis d’accomplir d’énormes progrès mais beaucoup reste encore à faire. Je me permets de quotter l’article suivant qui dit : ” il est important d'évaluer les progrès accomplis par les femmes avant et après les conflits et d'évaluer les progrès et les obstacles à la mise en œuvre de la résolution 1325. Il est impossible de préserver et de renforcer la paix et la sécurité sans comprendre que l'impact des conflits armés sur les femmes et la participation des femmes au
processus de paix et l'égalité des droits sont des conditions préalables à l'instauration d'une paix durable. »
Faisons l’Etat des lieux de la situation en 2018 : Des milliers de jeunes filles et femmes congolaises sont encore sauvagement violées chaque année, des milliers de jeunes filles et femmes congolaises accouchent de grossesses non désirées et mettent au monde des enfants portant les stigmates de leur détresse et le rappel haineux de leurs vils agresseurs. Des milliers d’enfants congolais deviennent orphelins chaque année suite au décès traumatiques de leurs mères par faits
de guerre ou par suicide due au désespoir. Bref, Les conséquences émotionnelles et physiques que subissent, qu’endurent quotidiennement les femmes congolaises et leur progéniture sont indéchiffrables et hors de tout entendement.
Certes tout n’est pas que désolation en RDC et des progrès significatifs ont été réalisés par les différents partenaires, que ce soit les femmes, les agents de la
société civile, les CAUCUS des femmes locales et rurales, les partenaires régionaux et internationaux. La paix et la sécurité sont en phase de restauration et de
consolidation dans certaines régions.
Cette expérience de 18 ans nous a appris que les femmes congolaises restent les acteurs privilégiés de leur destinée dès qu’elles sont pourvues des capacités de transcender les multiples adversités.
Plutôt que de revenir sur ces adversités, quelles sont certaines de ces capacités et les mécanismes à mettre en place pour le maintien de la paix et de la sécurité en RDC : Continuer d’encourager les femmes congolaises qu’elles soient de la société civile, vendeuses au marché, prostitues, femme au foyer, activistes des droits de l’homme, chercheures, journalistes, ingénieures et j’en passe de s’informer et œuvrer à la construction du maintien de la paix et de la sécurité pour assurer leur propre destinée.
Amener les femmes congolaises a des positions de décideurs et négociateurs au sein des instances administratives locales, régionales, nationales et internationales. Accroître la visibilité et la participation des femmes congolaises à la prise de décisions en matière non seulement de la paix et de la sécurité mais également de l’éducation, la sante, la gestion de leur finance, de leur droit à acquérir des terres arables entre autres.
Continuer d’intégrer les femmes congolaises au niveau de la prise des décisions, de la faisabilité, la planification, l’exécution, la budgétisation et l’après évaluation des programmes mis en place par la résolution 1325.
Encourager les femmes congolaises à échanger les stratégies de prévention, réalisation et résolution des conflits et de maintien de la paix avec les femmes qui vivent ou ont vécu des conflits armes de par le monde.
Continuer de travailler en harmonie avec les chefs coutumiers en respect des us et coutumes et des traditions de chaque région.
Continuer de respecter les sensibilités culturelles tout en introduisant les notions du genre, du droit à l’égalité et au respect de la condition féminine au sein de la gente masculine.
Continuer donc d’Informer, de former, de renforcer les capacités au sein des femmes congolaises et de leurs partenaires masculins de la petite enfance à l’âge adulte afin qu’ils grandissent dans le respect de la condition de la femme et traitent avec égard les femmes qui leur ont donné vie. Continuer à légiférer sur des politiques qui tiennent compte du statut de la femme, amender les textes de lois obsolètes et assurer une application effective et équitable des lois qui répondent aux
besoins de la femme du 21ème siècle.
Continuer de rechercher et solliciter les financements essentiels et nécessaires au maintien de la résolution 1325 pour mettre fin aux graves exactions sexuelles commises sur les jeunes filles et les femmes congolaises.
En effet l’intervention de l’ONU est centrale quant au rôle que la femme ou la jeune fille congolaise doit jouer dans son engagement sur la sensibilisation, la prévention, la gestion des conflits et la restauration de la paix tant en milieu rural qu’urbain. Même si les femmes représentent un pourcentage bien plus important dans les milieux ruraux, elles jouent toutes un rôle inestimable lors des conflits et subissent de plein fouet les effets néfastes des violences et de l’insécurité.
En conclusion, concédons que tout n’est pas qu’obscure dans ce pays béni des Dieux et que les chemins parcourus depuis 2000 commencent à porter leurs fruits sur le terrain grâces a l’intervention de nombreux acteurs tant locaux qu’internationaux. Les rapports d’évaluations déterminent que les objectifs généraux et spécifiques sont en phase d’être « respectes « partiellement pour promouvoir une société congolaise juste, pacifique et inclusive en rappel à l’objectif 16 du développement durable.
Hereby attached the link to the CSW 62 conclusions and report of the commission
http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/csw/62/csw-conclusions-
62-en.pdf?la=en&vs=4713