First UN civil society forum held in Africa heralds ‘inclusive’ Future Summit

Bringing together civil society actors, government representatives, senior United Nations officials, young changemakers, academics and other stakeholders, UN Civil Society Conference is the flagship event in the civil society calendar at the United Nations, ahead of the event Future Summitset for this upcoming September.

Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, in a video message to the event, began by expressing her profound condolences to the victims of the massacre. devastating floods in Kenya and reiterate the United Nations’ continued commitment to supporting the Government of Kenya during these challenging times.

The ‘strong voice’ of Civil Society

She emphasized that every day, civil society groups around the world are working tirelessly to advance the goals of the United Nations.

“You fight for global justice, social justice and climate justice. For peace, for gender equality, for human rights and for the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals],” Ms. Mohammed said, adding: “You stand in solidarity with the vulnerable and marginalized.”

“This conference is a testament to the strong voice of civil society, despite growing threats and shrinking space.”

Ms. Mohammed went on to explain that the Conference reaffirmed that the upcoming Future Summit must resonate with the priorities, concerns and expectations of civil society. The September Summit is a generational opportunity to update international institutions and build a more inclusive multilateralism that serves the interests of all peoples.

Organized by the United Nations Global Communications Department, the Civil Society Conference will take place on 9 and 10 May at the United Nations Office in Nairobi (ARE NOT).

‘We need you, civil society’

Opening the event, Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Department of the United Nations media agency, said that more than 3,600 civil society representatives from 2,750 units have registered to attend the Conference, along with about 400 other representatives. of 64 governments, 7 intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), 37 United Nations agencies and more than 100 media reporters.

Additionally, 70% of registrants are from Africa and 40% of all registrants are youth, between the ages of 18 and 34. Climate is the top issue for youth registrants. Before handing over to the Co-Chairs, Mr. Nasser called on the audience to remember that “today is yesterday’s tomorrow and last year’s future”.

Dennis Francis, President of the United Nations General Assembly, speaking via video message, said: “For the Summit to serve as a catalyst for impactful global action, we need cooperation robustness and engagement from those directly affected to drive its action-oriented results.” .”

Referring to the documents expected to come out of the Summit – Pact for the Future, Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations – the President of the National Assembly for know, “we need you, civil society, to play an important role in this. progress.”

Participants gather at the opening ceremony of the United Nations Civil Society Conference, held at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya, from 9 to 10 May 2024.

Guy Ryder, UN Under-Secretary-General for Policy, said the next two days are an important step in the journey towards the Future Summit. These insights, commitments and calls to action are indispensable to the processes ahead.

“We are all acutely aware that we need to work together if we are to have any chance of solving today’s global challenges; ongoing conflicts, escalating geopolitical tensions; increasing humanitarian crisis; Rising inequality…the climate emergency and more,” he said.

Furthermore, there is a need for cooperation and solidarity at all levels.

“And to do that, we need systems, institutions, and thinking that are appropriate to the task and reflect contemporary realities,” Mr. Ryder said, calling on everyone, especially young people, to , engage and encourage people to increase engagement with their governments in solving problems. leading until September.

‘We want real change’

The highlight of the opening session was the keynote speech by Karimot Odebode, SDG Young Leader, one of 17 young leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals, who leads a civil society organization in Nigeria .

She read a poem titled Journey ahead.

“My generation is tired,” she said, emphasizing, “we want real change. Are you willing to commit to peace? Are you ready? Because I’m committed. You have?”

Ms. Odebode said that civil society gathering today is an urgent matter, to build a roadmap towards a sustainable future. She emphasized that civil society leaders have a special responsibility in shaping the future of global progress and sustainability.

Florence Syevuo, another Young SDG Leader, said the Conference is a call from civil society to address global inequality once and for all, especially between the North and the South globally. bridge. About 70% of the participants were from Africa, which is significant; those excluded from the ‘New York bubble’ cannot participate meaningfully in conversations about sustainable development.

Ms Syevuo said: “No future UN civil society conference should be held where the UN sits only for administrative purposes…we hope to be able to reach many countries in the global South ”.

United Nations officials and civil society leaders chair the opening ceremony of the United Nations Civil Society Conference, held at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya, from 9 to 10 May 2024.

‘Raising standards of multilateralism’

Carole Agengo, co-chair of the Planning Committee of the 2024 Civil Society Conference and Africa Regional Representative at HelpAge International, said civil society in the Global South faces challenges in reaching out. previous conferences for various reasons, mainly visa reasons.

Reflecting on this, the current Conference has prioritized inclusion and participation. Ms. Agengo said it was important for organizations in the Global South to leverage their strength in numbers and collaborate as they move towards the Future Summit.

For her part, Nudhara Yusuf, Co-Chair of the Planning Committee of the 2024 Civil Society Conference, Global Governance Innovation Network and Youth Coordinator, United Nations We Need Coalition, said know the Conference aims to meaningfully support the Future Summit, which will be held at a critical time.

During that Summit, civil society will ask UN member states to raise the barriers to multilateralism. In turn, civil society needs to be ready to advance how it participates in multilateral and intergovernmental processes, he said.

Work of the Conference

Thursday’s conference also featured 37 on-site workshops, co-organized by stakeholders, including civil society and United Nations organizations, and attended by a wide range of participants including United Nations Member States.

This will be followed by a discussion of civil society recommendations on the Compact for the Future, the Declaration on Future Generations and the Global Digital Compact as well as an interactive dialogue on the proposed outcomes. output and related issues.

Friday is expected to begin with an interactive dialogue, Towards the Summit and beyond and a panel discussion, with responses from UN agencies, charity groups and United Nations Member States.

The closing session will take place in the afternoon and will be attended by the UN. Secretary General António Guterres and Kenyan President William Ruto.