Please click there to find an invitation from the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative
INVITATION – HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Please click there to find an invitation from the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Hydrology training in Africa in partnership with UNESCO
Nine official NGO partners of UNESCO (FMTS, AIF, OMEP, AMGE, CCIC-Uniapac, FMOI, Soroptimist, MMM and AIC) renewed the challenge of the Forum “access to water for all in Africa” in Yamoussoukro in 2014, a Forum that will then be used to move on to achievements. Because we are NGOs, we have a special contact with the realities on the ground. Above all, this makes it possible to learn more about needs and to carry out community projects in conjunction with local populations and NGOs.
NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee communication for reference to Education in HLPF 2019 Declaration
The NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee, member of the Collective Consultation of NGOs (CCNGOEducation2030) and on behalf of the official NGO partners of UNESCO expresses its concern about the lack of reference to education in the Zero Draft of the Political Declaration for the High Level Political Forum (HLPF 2019) ; the Liaison Committee calls for the recognition of the key role of quality education in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in line with the SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee submission to the HLPF 2019.
Noting that education is a major vector of human, social and economic development processes, we reaffirm point 5 of the declaration regarding the indivisibility of the SDGs and propose to include education as a sustainable development goal in point 6.
We call for the commitment of Member States to education as as a catalytic force across the 2030 Agenda, in point 23 of the déclaration.
The NGO partners of UNESCO, key actors of civil society, recall the permanence of their actions on the ground and their advocacy in favor of inclusive and equitable quality education for all, for the sake of sustainable development and peace.
Minutes of the meeting – March 15
Liaison Committee Meeting (15 March 2019)
Present
- Marie-Claude Machon Honoré – President
- Philippe Beaussant – Vice President
- Richard Francis APEH – Executive Secretary
- Marie-Christine GRIES – Treasurer
- Cyril Noirtin -Responsible for Communication
- Diego Gradis – NGO collective Action
- Fathima Lahnait – Forums and International days
Participating virtually
- Andrey Cheschev -
- Daves Guzna – Regional Focal Point Africa
- Ratna Wagh- Regional Focal Point Asia
- Abdel-Basset Ben Hassan – Regional Focal Point MENA region
In attendance
Sabina Colombo – UNESCO Secretariat
A point of Order on the question of inviting UNESCO to the Liaison Committee meeting;
Since the Liaison committee works in close collaboration with the UNESCO Secretariat, it is agreed that the secretariat is always welcome to Liaison committee meetings.
Forums
The working modalities for the forums need to be formalised with a charter or guiding principles for reference and good governance.
The steering Committee for each forum will be composed of 4 NGO Focal point ( 2 of which are preferably from the regions) in addition to the Co-leaders.
Forum on Inequalities
Forum Liaison Committee Focal points are Abdel Basset and Richard
Richard and Abdel-Basset are to come up with an initial draft of the concept note by Monday 18th March 2019 to be circulated for further inputs from NGOs
The tentative dates will be in July 2019
Forum on Cultural heritage
Forum Liaison Committee focal points are Philippe and Ratna
Ratna is organizing a forum in May/June in corporation with UNESCO NatCOM in India
Forum on Education and Global Citizenship
Liaison Committee Focal points are Marie-Christine and Fatima
The work that has been done by the group of NGOs on education can be acknowledged as initial draft upon which Forum working group can build upon
A larger working group will be constituted to incorporate the current NGO groups as well as the bigger NGO communities within and outside Paris
Forum on GCE and Peace Festival
The Committee took note of the letter received from Gorain Gipuzkoa Province in Spain inviting the Liaison Committee to host a forum on peace including a music choirFestival sponsored by the regional government in the Basque Country in Spain. A consultation is planned with relevant stakeholders to make a final decision.
May/June 2020
Forum on Science, technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Liaison Committee Focal Points are Daves, Diego and Cyril
Proposed title: Science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship supporting SDGs
Proposed date is November 2020
Collective work/working groups
Focal point: Diego
At first meeting on 14.03.2109 it was decided to organize one meeting per topic
- Link between forums and the general work of the NGO conference, and discussing the points on Forums raised at the CIONG – meeting on this take place on May 21 2019
- How NGOs can accommodate and facilitate support for New NGOs that are accredited to UNESCO – meeting on June 7th 2019
- How to collect and use the intellectual production that has been developed in the past years by the NGO communities – date to be announced
One meeting per topic to brainstorm and come up with concrete proposals. Possibly, other topics to be defined and addressed at a later stage.
Working Group on Climate
Liaison Committee Focal point Andrew and Richard
Communication Strategy
Digital strategy
3 communication objectives/targets will be on
- Institutional communication
- Internal communication
- Communication with NGO partners
The committee will work on
- Blog
- Revamping the site
Communication from Secretariat
- UNESCO will re-launch and put online the questionnaire regarding NGOs relation.
- UNESCO is in a process of general restructuring which might have some implication for the desk for Intergovernmental and non-governmental partners which might be moved to the office for Strategic planning.
- The letter written by the NGO group for the organisation of forums is on the desk for NGO relation and now awaiting confirmation of date from the DG’s cabinet office to fix the appointment
Youth
Youth will remain a cross cutting issue within the entire processes and action of the Liaison Committee leveraging on the UN SG Strategy on Youth.
A youth advisory team will be created with an initial meeting held virtually to brainstorm to optimize youth engagement and participation in the Liaison Committee action as well as UNESCO’s.
A bilateral meeting will be arranged with the Youth Desk to discuss preparatory process for the UNESCO Youth Forum which might be held in November 8 and 9, 2019.
Internship
The committee is to study the different expression of interests for internship
Next Liaison Committee meeting to be planned in MAY
Meeting with UNESCO Director General
Pictures taken before the appointment granted by UNESCO Director General, Ms Audrey Azoulay, Monday 30th April at 11am to the President of the ICNGO and NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee, Ms Marie-Claude Machon-Honoré, and with the Vice-President of the Liaison Committee, Mr Philippe Beaussant and Ms Sabina Colombo, Desk officer ERI, for a very fruitful and positive one hour’s exchange on the strategy of the current NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee and the key role of NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO.
Intervention during the Executive Board meeting of UNESCO
Marie-Claude Machon Honoré, President of the International NGO conference and of the liaison committee has addressed, during its meeting of April 12th, the Executive board of UNESCO.
Notre Dame de Paris
The International Conference of NGOs that I represent wishes to stand by UNESCO Director General who sent a strong message on the tragic fire that devastated Notre Dame,World Heritage of Humanity, of outstanding universal value.
The planetary suffering entailed is on a par with the symbol and the universal beneficent vocation of this unique heritage in the world.
Testimonies from around the world and from NGOs show the attachment to the work of art and to the spiritual dimension of this heritage of the human community and its cultural diversities.
This global momentum is in keeping with the dimension of UNESCO and its universal values.
Marie-Claude Machon-Honoré,
President of the ICNGO and NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee
The President’s message
Welcome to the NGO-UNESCO Laison Committee website.
I am honored to have been elected at the last International NGO Conference (December 2018) on the themes of valuing the commitment and contribution of NGOs, communication and dialogue, and the collective strength of NGOs.
The role of the Liaison Committee is to represent the interests of all NGOs and our goal will be to strengthen a partnership culture through projects that are based on the expertise of NGOs on the ground and aligned with UNESCO Priorities, and in compliance with the basic texts.
We will speak as one voice because education, the eradication of poverty, peace in the hearts of men and women and intercultural dialogue, the defense of human rights, gender equality, the freedom of expression, science as a common good of humanity and for sustainable development, the fight against climate change, the key role of youth and the development of Africa are our common priorities in the implementation of UNESCO programs.
With UNESCO, whose values we share, we will build bridges to facilitate cooperation and solidarity among generations, peoples, communities, academia and Member States.
Wishing to value the actions of NGOs across the regions , the Liaison Committee will be listening to them and to the suggestions of civil society at large so as to improve our collective contribution for the common good.
We also invite you to join us on Facebook and twitter @NgoUnesco to follow our news and thematic forums.
Thank you for your support !
Marie-Claude Machon-Honoré
Chair of the ICNGO and President of the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee
The ICNGO 2018 Recommendations
Please find below the ICNGO 2018 Recommandations:
