Update: Access to the UN Headquarters complex in New York for 2022

In pursuance of its objective of welcoming back the civil society community to UN premises at an appropriate date in 2022, the United Nations Secretariat has been continuously monitoring the health situation in New York City to assess the necessary conditions for providing access to the UN Headquarters building while ensuring the safety of all those present in the building.

At this time, due to the emergence and spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, and in keeping with the current guidance from local authorities, almost all meetings and events at UN Headquarters are being held virtually or have been postponed at least until the end of January 2022 when these arrangements will be reviewed.

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UN 2023 Water Conference 22-24 March 2023 - Information Newsletter

Background

On 20 December 2018 the General Assembly adopted the resolution on the “Midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ 2018-2028”. (A/RES/73/226).

The resolution calls for a Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action to be convened in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023. The Conference shall be preceded by regional and global preparatory meetings, as appropriate, and informed by existing water-related meetings at the regional and global level.

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Preparations for High-level Political Forum 2022

UN DESA Division for Sustainable Development Goals will organize a series of Expert Group Meetings (EGMs) on the SDGs 5 (gender equality), 14 (life below water) and 15 (life on land) to be held virtually in late April. Representatives of the Major Groups and Other Stakeholders (MGoS) have been invited to participate.

SDG 5 is tentatively scheduled for 26 - 27 April and SDGs 14 and 15 are tentatively scheduled at later dates in April. They will only be held in English, with no interpretation.

Gorilla gazette - Issue 5

We are pleased to announce that there is a new member of the Mukiza family. Twijukye gave birth to a baby on 23 January, who is two days old in the photo. We gather that mother and baby are both doing well and we will keep you informed of their progress in future Gorilla gazettes.

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Access to the UN Headquarters complex in 2022

This message is to inform all NGOs that are currently in consultative status with ECOSOC about the new requirements for obtaining UN grounds passes in New York in 2022, following our earlier message regarding access to the United Nations Headquarters complex this year.  

We urge you to please read the instructions carefully before submitting requests for passes since the requirements have been modified to align with the mandatory requirements/guidance of the host state due to the prevalence of the Covid-19 virus. 

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Update on the Civil Society Access to the UNHQ in New York in 2022

Dear Civil Society Colleagues,

We wish to follow-up on the message of 16 November 2021 addressed to all organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC, and those associated with the Department of Global Communications (DGC).

As we indicated in our previous message, beginning in February 2022, the Department of Global Communications will resume its process of issuing grounds passes for UNHQ in New York.

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Enjoy reading the Gorilla gazette…

The Commonwealth Medical Trust (Commat) in its work makes linkages among the different SDGs. It is doing so in its activities in the remote far west of Uganda where women in the village of Nkuringo are among the poorest and most deprived.

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Shaping Europe’s Demographic Future - Ministerial Conference

High-level government representatives, thought leaders and experts from across Europe and Central Asia will gather in Sofia, and online, on 1-2 December 2021 to discuss pathways for societies to thrive in a world of rapid demographic change.

The Ministerial Conference “Shaping Europe’s Demographic Future” is organized by the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria. 

Register now to join the event in our virtual conference space!

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Message from UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

After careful review, the temporary restrictions limiting civil society access to the United Nations Headquarters Complex (UNHQ) due to the COVID-19 pandemic are being gradually lifted.

Effective immediately, civil society representatives are invited to participate in ad-hoc meetings and events in-person with the issuance of Special Events Tickets. Access to such meetings and events, and the issuance of the Special Event Tickets, will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the event organizers and the relevant intergovernmental bodies. Details of participation and the processes necessary to gain access to each meeting and event will be communicated upon registration.

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Today is the SDG Moment! (8am - 5pm EDT)

Today is the SDG Moment for 2021. Many world leaders, international institutions and civil society will be sharing their hopes and demands for reaching Agenda 2030, and recovering from the effects of the pandemic. 

The SDG Moment was mandated by the General Assembly resolution 74/4, calling on the Secretary-General “to organize an annual moment in the context of the General Debate of the General Assembly to highlight inspiring SDG Action”. The first SDG Moment took place last year, on 18 September 2020. 

For more information, and the programme, please visit the official website of the SDG Moment 2021: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-moment/

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