UNGA Update - 9 November 2012 Member States mandated 12 intergovernmental processes to implement Rio+20 outcomes to be established this fall by the 67th session of the UN General Assembly where NGOs and Major Groups have no official means to interact with Member States.

Global Environmental Health and Sustainable Development Innovation Collaboration Webinar Series IOM webinar series organized with support from:The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and The Pan American Health Organization PAHO/WHO Webinar #2"INTEGRATING THE MDGS WITH THE PILLARS AND PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT" November 15, 2012 – Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm EDT ( Washington DC USA) To check local time in WDC against your time zone, see the World ClockThis Webinar will be delivered in English with simultaneous translation to Spanish and close-captioned for the hearing impaired Webinar Goals and Objectives:• Discuss how the global development framework may evolve to include environmental, economic, and social goals of sustainable development.

We are pleased to share with you the Beyond 2015's paper for the UN thematic consultation on inequalities (see English version here- French and Spanish versions will be available soon).

Climate Action Network (CAN) International will be the lead agency for the new UN thematic consultation on Energy.

As many of you know, Beyond 2015 is coordinating campaign input into the consultations in order to influence the official UN process and to help us build our own civil society position on the content of a post-2015 framework.

Beyond 2015 is providing a platform for civil society to contribute to the nine thematic consultations being organized by the UN on the post-2015 framework.

Watch out for a live chat on DESA's Facebook page on the post-2015 development agenda on 20 November from 9:00 to 11:00am.

The World Bank's Global Monitoring Report (GMR) Team recently announced the launch of MDGs and Beyond, a monthly newsletter focused on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and what comes after.

 The Stakeholder Forum has announced the launch of a new project in partnership with the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) to develop a Global Network of National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs).

As the UN General Assembly's Third Committee opened its session on 8 October; voices and concerns of young people from across the globe were conveyed.

Inequality in developing countries is twice as high among children as among the general population, as this report reveals, with new quantitative analysis of 32 countries.

The International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) and the International Disability Alliance (IDA) have recently drafted a position paper on the post-MDG framework.

The panel tasked with advising on the global development agenda beyond 2015, the target date for achieving the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), reaffirmed its commitment to work together on a framework to combat poverty in a High Level Panel Meeting in London.

Through this summary report, the Education Caucus provides a detailed account of their many successes at the conference, lessons learned, and partnerships made.

In this 2 day highly interactive conference, the EU Sustainable Lifestyles Roadmap and Action Plan to 2050 will be presented for the first time.

Dr.

This note provides a brief overview of the first meeting of the Secretary General's High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, on 25 October 2012.

The UK hosted the first high-level panel last week on what comes after the millennium development goals (MDGs).

Civil Society Organizations and social movements from the Global South have banded together and pledged to Campaign for Peoples Goals for Sustainable Development (CPGSD).

What are the lessons of the Millennium Development Goals process? What has been their impact on aid and on decision making by national governments? This discussion paper seeks to inform the post-2015 debate by examining these questions.

This call for inputs opens the opportunity for all participating organizations in the Beyond 2015 Campaign to collaborate in the framing and content of our joint position paper on Governance and Accountability.

At the meeting, titled "Post-Rio to Post-2015: Planning International Stakeholder Engagement," representatives of the Major Groups, including CIVICUS, and global stakeholders discussed the inclusiveness of Member States' negotiations to determine the post-2015 development agenda and create the new High Level Political Forum to replace the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD).

To:Margaret SekaggyaSpecial Rapporteur on Human Rights Defendersc/o Office of the High Commissioner for Human RightsUnited Nations Office 17 October 2012 Dear Ms.

Friday 2 November 201216:00 – 17:45London The UN Secretary General  has appointed a High Level Panel (HLP) of Eminent Persons that will provide recommendations on the post-2015 development framework that will succeed the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

by Jeffery Huffines, UN Representative for CIVICUS & Rio+20 NGO Organizing Partner Introduction In 1992 at Rio the leaders of the world agreed that the major cause of the deterioration of the global environment is the unsustainable path of consumption and production, particularly in industrialized countries, that aggravates poverty, inequalities and imbalances not just between countries but also within countries.

CIVICUS together with ANPED and Consumers International have been asked by the United Nations to continue to serve as Rio+20 NGO Partners through the end of May 2013 when the 20th and final session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) is scheduled to take place.

Joint letter requesting Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to remove arbitrary restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and association in Ethiopia Read the letter.

French | Spanish We're pleased to share our short summary report on the 2012 CIVICUS World Assembly, which contains 15 key commitments for further civil society action towards a new social contract.

When Commonwealth countries announced at the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Australia that Sri Lanka could host CHOGM 2013, they agreed to actively promote and uphold the fundamental values and principles of the Commonwealth, including human rights and the rule of law.

¡Firma nuestra petición! Nosotros, ciudadanos y ciudadanas de distintas partes del mundo, estamos profundamente preocupados por la reciente denuncia, por parte del Gobierno de Venezuela, de la Convención Americana de Derechos Humanos (CADH), y por su futuro retiro de la jurisdicción de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos.

SPANISH Venezuela’s government has recently denounced the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR).

Global civil society network CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is delighted to announce that it has appointed Dhananjayan (Danny) Sriskandarajah as its new Secretary General.

Prominent Bahraini Human Rights Defender, Nabeel Rajab, is facing extreme danger.

Today, please join your colleagues at the CIVICUS World Assembly in showing your solidarity for journalist, civil society activist and blogger Eskinder Nega, who is currently in jail in Ethiopia simply for expressing his fundamental rights of free speech.

Appeal to the leadership of the United Arab Emirates We respectfully appeal for the immediate release of human rights defenders Dr Mohamed al-Mansoori, Dr Mohamed Abdullah al-Roken and Salem al-Shehhi, arrested between 16 and 18 July.

Today, please join your colleagues at the CIVICUS World Assembly in showing your solidarity for Palestinan civil society activist Ameer Makhoil.

Today, please join your colleagues at the CIVICUS World Assembly in showing your solidarity for human rights lawyer and civil society activist Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is currently in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran simply for doing her work as a human rights activist.

Plan each day in advance, read speaker bios, find meeting rooms and side events easily, exchange contact details on the go, share pictures on flickr, tweets on twitter and posts to facebook and find cool spots in Montreal at the push of a button - all with the CIVICUS World Assembly Ap  Click on the logo below for more information.

Final countdown to CIVICUS World Assembly A new low in Bahrain as Nabeel Rajab is sentenced Cambodia: CIVICUS calls for unconditional release of detained activists Debate sobre un Nuevo Contrato Social en Buenos Aires Guest blog: towards global health justice at the CIVICUS World Assembly? Thoughts on Rio+20 from NGO co-organising partner ANPED Upcoming post-Rio+20 workshop in Argentina Egypt: veil falls over media Greece: UN body rules government failed to protect Roma people Human Rights Day - 10 December Read Online now | Subscribe to the e-CIVICUS here

Global civil society network CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is pleased to announce the winners of its latest round of Nelson Mandela – Graça Machel Innovation Awards.

Global civil society network CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is shocked at the two year sentence handed out to members of Russian band Pussy Riot by a Moscow Court.

A series of three virtual consultations hosted by CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation Changing nations through citizens, Monday 20 August at 11am UTC/GMT Building partnerships for social innovation, Wednesday 22 August at 2pm UTC/GMT Redefining global governance, Friday 24 August at 2pm UTC/GMT The three webinars aim to strengthen the role of young people in the development of cooperative, inclusive societies, by looking at how the good governance of cultural and religious diversity can be enhanced through: active young citizens’ participation; the development of innovative and alternative models of social partnership; and the reform of institutions of global governance.

3 August 2012 Article 19, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Committee to Protect Journalists, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Legal and Human Rights Centre, Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition and the Media Institute of Southern Africa-Tanzania, are concerned about reports that, on Monday 30 July, the government of Tanzania indefinitely banned MwanaHalisi, a weekly Kiswahili newspaper.

On 9 July 2012, Nabeel was sentenced to three months imprisonment after he was accused of libel and using social networking site twitter to "insult the citizens of Muharraq.

Johannesburg, South Africa, 31 July 2012: Global civil society network CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is pleased to announce the appointment of three new Board members: Antonella Valmorbida, from Italy, is the Director of the Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA), which has promoted local governance and citizens’ participation in Europe and neighbouring countries since 1999.

CIVICUS is a member and signatory to the INGO Accountability Charter.

Pakistan: government must protect civil society CIVICUS launches youth video contest Guest blog: caste based discrimination in Nepal The post-Rio climate - reflections from the Vitae Civilis Executive Director, Marcelo Cardoso The UN and the 21st Century Unilever's CEO strongly advocates for sustainable growth in government and business policies No arms for atrocities Read Online now | Subscribe to the e-CIVICUS here

English | French | Spanish ENGLISH -  CIVICUS is launching a video contest for youth aged 18-30 attending the CIVICUS Youth Assembly or the 2012 United Nations Alliance of Civilisations Summer School answering the following question: How would you like the CIVICUS World Assembly to help foster a new social contract that integrates intercultural and interfaith dialogue? The winner will receive a US$500 cash prize as well as having your video featured at the closing session of the Youth Assembly.

CIVICUS is deeply dismayed by the actions of the upper house of the Russian Parliament, the Federation Council, to pass a bill that stigmatises civil society groups which receive foreign funding.