On the 23rd and 24th of November 2011, on the occasion of the 47th Session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), the report submitted by the Republic of Argentina was reviewed. The CESCR is a United Nations body of 18 experts that monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by State parties. During the two-day debate many issues were raised by the members of the committee, regarding especially child labor, right to education, right to water and sanitation. Special attention...

On the 5th of December, as the United Nations resolution 40/212 establishes, the International Volunteer Day is observed. On occasion of this upcoming event, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted the precious commitment of volunteers around the world and called on civil society and simple people to positively contribute to this solidarity campaign:"Beginning with the words “We the peoples”, the United Nations Charter reminds us that crafting solutions to global challenges is a job not only for Governments, but for people, communities and civil society. On International Volunteer Day, we recognize the...

The expert consultation held on November 1-2, titled “Promoting the rights of children working and/or living on the street: Bridging the gaps between policy and practice,” aimed to solidify the Global Research Paper on street children in order complete the document by the end of 2011. Gathered at the meeting were field experts, country missions, and civil society representatives working to contribute tangible results to the report. The meeting was sponsored by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner and co-sponsored by Aviva, Consortium for Street Children,...

On 31 October, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted for the Admission of Palestine as full member of the Paris-based agency. The decision was taken with 107 votes in favour, 14 against and 52 absentees, raising the current number of Member States to 195. Included among the black-balls votes were that of both the United States and Israel. In an interview the General-Director of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, expressed her concerns for the Organization’s future: in fact, one of the major UNESCO’s contributors is the United States...

On October 31, 2011 the world population reached 7 billion inhabitants as stated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) recently issued yearly State of the World Report outlining the trends that define our world. On one hand this exponentially increasing number represents the possibility for positive global advancements and development; while on the other, the reality of poverty, the economic crisis, human rights violations and volatile governments titter on the verge of collapse.    UNPA Executive Director Mr. Babatunde Osotimehin, recognized this pivotal state the world is approaching and called on...

A conference on the occasion of the 66th Anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter, dating back to 1945,  was organized on 21 October, 2011, by the NGO Liason Unit of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), and the Geneva International Model United Nations (GIMUN).  Also present to commemorate the anniversary was Ms.  Daniel Schender, FDFA, UN Coordination Unit Security Council and Political Affairs. Ms. Schender asserted that inspiration, values and commitment are three very important tools to incorporate into one’s life work, she explained...

On October 24th, 2011, the UN celebrated its anniversary since its foundation 66 years ago. The General-Secretary, Ban-Ki Moon stressed the need for unity to face the challenges of the new era, from the economic crisis to the climate change. “Global problems demand global solutions,” Mr. Ban said in a message to the United Nations. “They compel all nations to unite in action on an agenda for the world’s people. That is the very mission of the United Nations,” he added. This year is particularly dramatic as the role of UN...

From the 10th to the 14th of October 2011, Bice  BICE (Bureau International Catholic Child Bureau) along with the secretariat of the Lasallian educational mission, co-organized a training course on “Human Rights, the Right to education and education to human rights” addressed to the South American members of the religious congregations of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools of La Salle.Sr. MariaGrazia Caputo, Main Representative of IIMA and VIDES to the United Nations, showed her support of the course by giving a speech on “the religious congregations’...

In a resolution co-sponsored by the 193 Member States, the UN General Assembly called all nations to respect the Olympic Truce during the next summer’s Olympics in London. The objective of this initiative is to “use sport as a tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation” in areas of conflict during the weeks in which the Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place.  According to Mr. W. Lemke, Ban Ki-moon’s Special Advisor on Sport and Development, the peculiarity of the resolution is that all the UN Member States agreed to sponsor...

The 2011 Social Forum took place from 3 to 5 October 2011 in room XVIII, at Palais des Nations in Geneva. In the context of the commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, the Social Forum focused on three main issues:1) promotion and effective realization of the right to development; 2) measures and actions needed to make the right to development a reality for everyone at the local, national, regional and international level; 3) international assistance and...