Seekers of truth and doers of justice in the 21st century

Adapted from a Report given by Anne Kelly ibvm.

April 2013

PART 1.

Background

Loreto has had a representative at the United Nations since 2003. Evanne Hunter from the Canadian Province was the first Representative. Doryne Kirby from the Canadian Province Marilla De Souza from Darjeeling Region Anne Kelly from Australia/South East Asian Province Cecilia O’Dwyer from Spanish Province

Focus areas of attention in the past have been: o Millennium Development Goalso Gender equityo Human traffickingo Climate Changeo HIV and AIDSo Innovative Financing for Development

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Why are we at the UN?

Primary Goals at the UN

Our primary goals at the UN are:

1. to work for systemic change to redress the major inequities in our world with a particular focus on the eradication of poverty and the promotion of gender equity for women and girls

2. To promote an understanding of the factors underlying systemic injustice

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Our main areas of focus:

o Human rights – underpins all issueso Empowerment of women and girlso Human traffickingo Poverty eradication (MDGs)

o Significant omission: care of the Earth and sustainability

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1. The NGO has developed over the years. During the last three years we

- have been commended for our Annual Reports to Department of Public Information (DPI)

- have conducted workshops at the last two DPI conferences

- have conducted a highly successful workshop on means to prevent human trafficking at the recent Commission on the Status of

women (CSW)

- have established good working relationships with a number of UN missions

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Committees and Commissions Working Groups and Task Force

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2a)

Working Group on Girls

In the advocacy task force

Research and writing ‘interventions’

Producing documents on violence against women and girls

an FGM fact sheet

an indigenous girls fact sheet

a child-headed households fact sheet

for advocacy visits to missions of Member States

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There is a direct correlation between girls’ school attendance and community development

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2b). Committee to Stop Trafficking in Humans

Labour trafficking (focus on children)

Advocacy visits to UN missions

Conducted workshop at the recent CSW

2c). Commission on Social DevelopmentResearch and writing of interventions

Breakfast advocacy meetings with UN ambassadors

2d). RUN (Religious at the UN)

Facilitating advocacy workshops for members of RUN

Planning a reflection day for RUN members

2e). Religious NGOs

Interfaith events, liturgies, presentations

2f). UN Meetings

General Assembly, ECOSOC, panel discussions, report launches, briefings, special events

2g). Commissions

Women, Indigenous, Social Development

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WHOLE GROUP DPI CONFERENCE MELBOURNE

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Alex Flores Rene Salazar, Mauricio Orellana presented a workshop on sustainable farming in Bonn. Canada USA have a long-term commitment to El Salvador

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Clare Condon - Australia

INTERNS

Anne Kelly – Cecilia O’Dwyer

Pat Hanvey - Zambia

Ana Stakaj – Albania – CSW 2012

This information gives an overview of our engagement with the UN in New York through the UN Representative.

The IBVM/Loreto world –wide network and the UN will be dealt with in Part 2 at a later date.

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