UN

Holmes Stoner Address at Holistic Approach to Ending Homelessness：Dignifying the Needy

AICC Business, Home, Membership, News and Press, UN, Video

New York 14 Feb, Holmes Stoner, Chairman of the American International Chamber of Commerce attended and spoke at a Dignifying the Needy (CSocD58 Side Event) of United Nations conference in New York on 14 February.

The government interventions approach to ending homelessness mainly centers on quick-fix solutions of moving people experiencing homelessness into independent and permanent housing shelters, but it is important to address these complexities together when considering methods of addressing homelessness, as one strategy does not apply for every community. Affordable housing and social protection can have a tremendous impact in addressing homelessness.

For this purpose, the Side Event will Review the inter-connectedness between homelessness and poverty and health and well-being of homeless individuals or people at risk of it as well as explore options for reducing youth that is at risk of human trafficking, drug abuse, or broken homes; Elaborate on the importance of focusing on the various ways to contribute to ending homelessness, with a focus on individual roles because every contribution to supporting the cause counts; Highlight the critical importance on the preventative framework.

Holmes Stoner, Chairman of the American International Chamber of Commerce (AICC), has joined  the AICC executive team, where he will serve as senior advisor to Chief of Ecodomika Steel Structures, On behalf of the entire organization, He is grateful to Jason Quin for his years of service to the American enterprise and business people and congratulate them on this global business opportunity to continue in that calling.

Jason Quin, AICC’s Executive Chairman, will now perform the duties of the American export, economic development and membership services with Holmes Stoner and the AICC team.

Stoner said, that we were long supported and participated in UN economic cooperation and development projects, including the development and investment of steel composite housing, and implemented and carried out investment cooperation in a wider range of fields around the world to support the innovation, development and growth of member enterprises project.

The fifty-eighth session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD58) will take place from 10 to 19 February 2020. The Commission is the advisory body responsible for the social development pillar of global development.

In 2020, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Commission and the 25th anniversary of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development. 2020 is a crucial year for the accelerated realization of inclusive societies and reducing inequalities everywhere for people of all ages.

The Dignifying the Needy (CSocD58 Side Event) priority theme on Affordable housing and social protection systems for all to address homelessness this year.

  •  Opening of the session
  •  Election of officers
  • Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters – Item 2 – E/CN.5/2020/1
  • Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly – Item 3
  • Priority theme: affordable housing and social protection systems for all to address homelessness – Item 3 (a) – E/CN.5/2020/2, E/CN.5/2020/3
  • Review of relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of social groups – Item 3 (b) – A/75/61-E/2020/4, E/CN.5/2020/4
  • Emerging issues: twenty-five years of the World Summit for Social Development: addressing emerging societal challenges to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – Item 3 (c) – E/CN.5/2020/5
  • Introductory statements
  • General discussion on item 3 (a) and (b)

United Nations Private Sector Forum 2017

AICC Event, Financial, Home, UN

The United Nations Private Sector Forum 2017 will focus on the theme of Financing the 2030 Agenda. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires unlocking new forms of financing at an unprecedented scale, and ensuring the UN and its partners makes a strategic pivot to facilitating financial innovation, catalyzing responsible business growth, and increasing private and public investment in the Global Goals.

Each year, the UN Private Sector Forum convenes to bring the voice of business to major inter-governmental debates. CEOs, Heads of State and Government, and leaders from the UN and civil society come together at the Forum to explore partnerships which address global challenges that no single organization or sector can tackle alone.

This event is by invitation only.

“Future of Education and Skills” meeting discusses conceptual learning framework and competencies

AICC Education, News and Press, UN

UNESCO presented its frameworks for competencies and learning objectives for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) at the 4th meeting of the informal working groups of the “Future of Education and Skills: Education 2030” programme by OECD. It was held in Beijing from 9 to 10 November 2016.

The meeting brought together more than 100 policy makers, experts, school networks and social partners. It was held back to back with a special symposium with systems and global thought leaders. The events were hosted by the National Institute of Educational Sciences (NIES) in Beijing, China, in cooperation with Tsinghua University from 9 to 11 November 2016. Participants welcomed the OECD’s new conceptual learning framework “Learning Compass 2030” with which students should be able to navigate in time and social space and shape the future for their own and others’ well-being.

Policy makers supported some common design principles. Some of the conclusions were that even where education remains true to the disciplines, it needs to aim at interdisciplinary learning and the capacity of students to see problems through multiple lenses. In an uncertain and volatile world, learning should focus on what has the highest transfer value, and on knowledge of disciplines with deep understanding about the disciplines, according to the meeting outcomes.

To date, 19 countries are taking part in the policy analysis on curriculum, with an aim to facilitate peer-learning as well as to build a knowledge base and develop tools for countries to draw on when re-designing their curriculum. The project welcomes interested countries and stakeholders to contribute to the project.

UN Benefit Concert – November 20, 2016

AICC Culture, Event, Home, News and Press, UN

November 20th, 2016
3:00-4:30PM

New York Library for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium
Lincoln Center, NY
New York City Department of Homeless Services

NYC Dept. of Homeless Services, is pleased to announce a concert to benefit Families & Children via the Homeless Trust Fund. The concert will feature The UN Chamber Music Society and be held at Lincoln Center – New York Library for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium, Lincoln Center, NY, November 20th from 3:00-4:30PM.

Special Guests will include City of New York DSS Commissioner, Steven Banks, and special remarks by Mr. Andrew Gilmour, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights.

Making Global Goals Local Business – Dubai

AICC Business, Event, Membership, UN

The UN Global Compact will bring together leaders across sectors to explore the transformative platforms and partnerships needed to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the ground. In Dubai, over 600 participants from business, civil society, government, the UN and Global Compact Local Networks will focus on moving from awareness to action, showing that companies that do business responsibly and find opportunities to innovate around the SDGs will be the market leaders of tomorrow.

24-25 Oct, 2016
Annual Local Network Forum
Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Madinat Jumeirah
Al Sufouh Rd
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

24-25 Oct, 2016
UN Private Sector Focal Points Network Annual Meeting
Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Madinat Jumeirah
Al Sufouh Rd
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

25 Oct, 2016
PRME Business for Peace Forum 2016
American University of Sharjah
United Arab Emirates

26 Oct, 2016
Business for Peace Annual Event
Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Madinat Jumeirah
Al Sufouh Rd
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

27 Oct, 2016
Pearl Initiative & United Nations Global Compact 2nd Regional Forum
Conrad Hotel
Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

While in Dubai participants may also be interested in the UNEP-FI Global Roundtable 2016 which will be held on 25-26 October. Learn more.

Making Global Goals Local Business – Dubai

AICC Business, Economic, Education, Event, Investment, Membership, News and Press, Programs, Services, Trade, Training, UN

Oct 24 – 27, 2016
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The UN Global Compact invites you to Dubai for a series of events as part of our Making Global Goals Local Business campaign, where we will bring together leaders across sectors to explore the transformative platforms and partnerships needed to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the ground. In Dubai, over 600 participants from business, civil society, government, the UN and Global Compact Local Networks will focus on moving from awareness to action, showing that companies that do business responsibly and find opportunities to innovate around the SDGs will be the market leaders of tomorrow.

Oct 24-25, 2016
Annual Local Network Forum
Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Madinat Jumeirah | Al Sufouh Rd
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Oct 24-25, 2016
UN Private Sector Focal Points Network Annual Meeting
Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Madinat Jumeirah | Al Sufouh Rd
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Oct 25, 2016
PRME Business for Peace Forum 2016
American University of Sharjah | United Arab Emirates

Oct 26, 2016
Business for Peace Annual Event
Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Madinat Jumeirah | Al Sufouh Rd
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Oct 27,2016
Pearl Initiative & United Nations Global Compact 2nd Regional Forum
Conrad Hotel
Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Contact
AICC UN Global Compact Office: ungc@aiccus.org

US donates $37 million to UNHCR to support education gaps forrefugees

AICC Culture, Education, Event, Information, News and Press, Training, UN

The United States is pleased to announce a contribution of nearly $37 million of humanitarian assistance toward the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to support critical education gaps for refugees in 16 countries.

On September 20, 2016, Jordanian King Abdullah II, Mexican President Peña Nieto, German Chancellor Merkel, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam, Swedish Prime Minister Löfven, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, and Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon will join President Obama in hosting the President’s Leaders’ Summit on Refugees.

This Summit will bring together government leaders who are prepared to make new and significant pledges that address the most urgent needs of refugees. As part of the Summit, the United States and co-hosts aim to increase refugee self-reliance by encouraging major refugee-hosting member states to focus on new policies that will facilitate refugee access to education and increase the number of refugee children enrolled in school by one million. In order to reach that goal, additional resources are needed to close significant funding gaps of leading humanitarian organizations.

This funding will both further the United States’ financial contributions to refugee education and support the implementation of the commitments made for the Summit by refugee-hosting countries through the provision of additional resources to UNHCR to increase the number of children accessing quality education.

UNHCR is the largest provider of education for refugees globally, but remains underfunded. The UNHCR fundraising document “Education for Refugees: Priority activities and requirements supporting enrollment and retention in 2016” highlights unfunded or underfunded education activities for schools and students at all levels of education.

The document appeals for nearly $60 million to support refugee education in sixteen countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East – which collectively host 2.1 million refugee children of school-age (5-17 years), an estimated 57 percent of whom are out of school. With full funding, UNHCR could support tens of thousands of refugee children to enroll in school during the upcoming academic year. The United States government strongly encourages other donors to close the remaining $23 million funding shortfall.

Today: Join in CR4 or watch online – UN General Assembly Hearingsfor UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants at UNHQ

AICC Event, News and Press, UN

Join or watch online today:
UN General Assembly informal multistakeholder hearings for UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants
UN Headquarters, New York
Conference Room 4
10:00am-1:00pm and 3:00-6:00pm

On 18 July 2016, the President of the UN General Assembly will host informal multi-stakeholder hearings at UN Headquarters in New York in preparation for the 19 September UN Summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and coordinated approach.UN Member State consultations are underway on the outcome document for this Summit, and these hearings provide a significant opportunity for stakeholders to contribute their recommendations for the draft Declaration and draft Global Compact on Responsibility Sharing for Refugees. During the opening of the hearings, remarks will be delivered by:

H.E. Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the UN General Assembly
H.E. Ms. Dina Kawar, Ambassador of Jordan to the United States/Co-facilitator for the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants (TBC)
H.E. Mr. David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations/Co-facilitator for the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants
Ms. Karen AbuZayd, UN Special Adviser on the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants
Ms. Nadia Murad Basee Taha, Advocate for refugees rights and victims of trafficking, Yazda
Ms. Michele LeVoy, Director, Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants
The concept note for the hearings is available here.

The programme for the hearings is available here.
Guiding questions for the 4 interactive panels are at bottom of this message.
You may watch the hearings online at http://webtv.un.org

STI Forum

AICC Event, UN

Jun 6th-7th, 2016
UN Headquarters
760 United Nations Plaza
Manhattan, New York City 10017

Join online discussions on science, technology and innovation

First annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) On 6-7 June, the first annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) will take place at UN Headquarters in New York.

As an integral part of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism mandated by the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the STI Forum is expected to provide a venue for facilitating interaction, matchmaking and the establishment of networks between relevant stakeholders and multi-stakeholder partnerships, within and beyond the United Nations.

Online discussions are currently being organized prior to the STI Forum to ensure inclusiveness, transparency and multi-stakeholder engagement. Syntheses of the online discussion, which will run from 8 April – 10 May, will inform the Forum in June.

Join the discussion online and share your views on the following questions:

Why are science, technology and innovation essential for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals? Please provide one or more concrete examples that, in your experience, best exemplify this.

What are the main opportunities and challenges – at policy, organisational and individual levels – for maximizing the contribution of science, technology and innovation to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals?

What are the key elements that countries and international organizations may need to take into account in formulating action plans and/or roadmaps for science, technology and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals?

How can we deploy existing knowledge and new, innovative solutions and technologies and make them more readily available to those who need them?

What would be success criteria for the STI Forum in the coming years? What questions should the STI Forum focus on?

UN Public Diplomacy Symposium

AICC Event, UN

“70 years of the UN’s communication: A Public Diplomacy Perspective”
Time and Date:
9:30am-1:00pm
Tuesday 12 April 2016
Venue:
Conference Room 2
UN Headquarters in New York

Attendees should arrive at the UN visitors centre check-in at the UNITAR building at 801 United Nations Plaza located at the northwest corner of 45th Street and First Avenue between 9:00am and 9:30am and allow at least 30 minutes for the security procedure. This event is free and open to the public. Please register no later than Wednesday, April 6, 2016.

1. Introduction of the event

Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the UN’s foundation, a symposium titled “70 years of the UN’s communication: A Public Diplomacy Perspective” will be hosted by the Ewha PDC (Public Diplomacy Center of Ewha Womans University) at the Conference Room 2 of the UN Headquarters in New York on 12 April 2016 in cooperation with the United Nations Academic Impact and under the auspices of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations to look back on the policies and activities of the UN DPI (Department of Public Information) for the past 70 years and suggest its future strategy from the perspective of public diplomacy for the first time.

2. Program and Participants

(1) 09:30am – 10:00am: Registration
(2) 10:00am – 10:30am: Opening Session

– Ms. Cristina Gallach
(Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information of the United Nations)
– Ambassador Oh Joon
(Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations)
– Ambassador Kaha Imnadze
(Chairman of the Committee on Information of the UN General Assembly
Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations)
– Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin
(Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations)

(3) 10:30am – 10:40am: Break
(4) 10:40am – 12:30pm: Main Session (Panel Presentations and Discussion)

“70 years of the UN’s communication: A Public Diplomacy Perspective”
* Moderator: Director Maher Nasser (Department of Public Information of the United Nations)

– Professor Kisuk Cho (Director of the Public Diplomacy Center, Ewha Womans University) – Dr. Allan E. Goodman (President of the Institute of International Education)
– Professor Monroe E. Price (Director of the Center for Global Communication Studies (CGCS) at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania)
– Linda Lopez (Program Director of International Business Network / ibnMobilité)
– Ambassador Hahn Choonghee (Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea  to the United Nations)

(5) 12:30pm – 13:00pm: Dialogue with audiences (Q&A Session)

3. Expected Outcome and Contribution

Considering enhanced power and participation of global citizens in international society, it is essential to strengthen the role of the UN DPI for communicating with the citizens of member states, and ultimately making the UN stronger. Therefore, this symposium aims at creating more efficient PR strategies for the UN. It will contribute to promoting ownership and participation of global citizens in the UN’s programs and activities by actively utilizing cutting-edge IT technologies and public diplomacy strategies which enable two-way communications between the UN and global citizens.