To mark the 20th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York held its monthly meeting virtually on 22 October titled “SCR1325 turns 20: Time to accelerate action.” The first part of the program was a panel discussion with Anton Wislocki, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Austria …
Virtual Book Launch on the Culture of Peace
On 13 December 2020, a global virtual book launch of Creating the Culture of Peace: A Clarion Call for Individual and Collective Transformation was hosted by Soka Gakkai International (SGI)-USA which gathered over 600 participants. The book is a dialogue between Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the UN and Founder of the Global Movement for …
Faiths Unite: Visions for Transformative Climate Action
From late October to early November, SGI co-organized a 3-part interactive online event series “Faiths Unite: Visions for Transformative Climate Action,” together with several faith-based organizations active in the Interfaith Liaison Committee (ILC) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The events gathered hundreds of participants from various backgrounds, including faith leaders, scientists, and policymakers. At the first …
Taking an Intersectional Approach to Fully Autonomous Weapons
In August 2020, the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots’ Working Group on Intersectionality (WGI), which was established by the Campaign’s Steering Committee, conducted its first official meeting. The group was formed earlier this year, in recognition of the consequences and challenges posed by systemic and structural inequalities that exist within civil society. The primary objective of the group is to …
Oral Statement on Human Rights Education and COVID-19 at the HRC45
The 45th Session of the Human Rights Council was held from 14 September to 6 October. On 24 September, on behalf of 21 organizations of the NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning, Elisa Gazzotti of SGI delivered an oral statement titled “The implementation of the Plan of Action and COVID-19”. The statement reminded States to submit their …
Interview with UN Under-Secretary-General Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
UN Under-Secretary-General Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs was interviewed by the Seikyo Shimbun as part of its monthly Culture of Peace series. Ms. Nakamitsu covered topics such as the United Nation’s 75th anniversary, the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the role of civil society in supporting the UN, how to accelerate actions for nuclear disarmament …
Seminar on Human Rights Engagement at the Global Protection Forum
In September, the Global Protection Forum brought together 3,000 experts to discuss real-time protection challenges, share experiences and provide strategic direction for protection actors and the Global Protection Cluster (GPC). GPC is a network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations and UN agencies engaged in protection work in humanitarian crises including armed conflict, climate change and natural disasters. As part …
Global Call for the Recognition of the Right to a Healthy Environment
On 11 September, more than 950 civil society organizations, social movements, local communities and Indigenous Peoples worldwide issued a Global Call for the UN Human Rights Council to recognize without delay the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The Call states, in part: “A healthy environment is essential for human life and dignity. The air we …
Call for a Special Procedures Mandate on Human Rights and Climate Change
During the 45th Session of the Human Rights Council, SGI, together with other members of the Geneva Interfaith Forum on Climate Change, the Environment and Human Rights, issued a written and an oral statement calling for the establishment of such a special procedures mandate on human rights and climate change. While acknowledging the ongoing efforts of the Council in responding to the …
Written Statement on COVID-19 and Climate Change at the 44th Session of the Human Rights Council
On 17 June, during the 44th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Geneva Interfaith Forum on Climate Change, the Environment and Human Rights, of which SGI is a member, issued a written statement on COVID-19 and climate change. The statement recalls that the COVID-19 pandemic and human-induced climate change are rooted in an unjust and ecologically unsustainable economic system …