Representing Mercy International Association at the United Nations.
In continuing to promote the vision of Catherine McAuley, the
Sisters of Mercy established Mercy Global concern (MGC) in 1998,
in order to bring the Mercy spirit to the United Nations (UN),
the one forum in the world where all nations have the potential
to meet as equals. MGC is the mechanism by which all those associated
with the Sisters of Mercy may interact with the UN system. At
the UN, Sisters of Mercy can advocate for the less privileged
and make explicit preferential options within a huge network
of international bodies.
Director: Deirdre Mullan rsm
777 United Nations Plaza 6th Floor
New York,
NY 10017
USA Ph: +1 646 227 1878 Fax: +1 646 227 1879 Email:mercyun@aol.com
Briefing Notes
Briefing Paper Number 4, June 2009
Risk and Poverty in a Changing World.
The working group on Poverty and Climate Change are using this document in preparation for the High Level Dialogue to be held at the UN in October 2009.
The Document has several key findings...
(pdf
Briefing Paper Number 4, June 2009
Mr. Paul Ladd, UNDP-New York Headquarters
The first phase of this e-discussion is considering the effectiveness of the international community’s response to the economic crisis. In this context I would like to raise the issue of how the crisis – and the response of the international community – may impact on indebtedness in developing countries.
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Briefing Paper Number 3, June 2009
The Carbon Footprint of War
Now that the United States Environmental Protection Agency finally has defined human-generated greenhouse gases as pollutants, harmful to health and safety, and deserving of regulation, President Barack Obama should order all departments of the federal government (most notably the Pentagon) to calculate their carbon footprints.
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Briefing Paper Number 2, June 2009
Climate Change Facts
Climate change is an established scientific fact. Humans contribute with our rising output of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and other products of fossil fuel consumption. Policies to halt climate change must address human impacts as well as technical aspects of the problem if they are to succeed. Women are essential to the solutions.
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Briefing Paper Number 1, June 2009
Earth Day 2009
A major UN conference on the climate will be held in Copenhagen in December of this year. The primary purpose of the conference is to design a treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol which will expire in 2012.
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Reports
Report Number 3, June 2009:
Letter to President Garcia of Peru
We represent our organisations with worldwide membership at the United Nations. We write to express our grave concern at the violence that caused the death of at least 30 indigenous people and police in the Amazon region in these past days. We deplore the use of violence by anyone to resolve differences. We call on all parties to address their differences in an open and transparent manner, to facilitate dialogue, avoid violence, and respect human rights.
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Report Number 2, June 2009:
Violence against Women - Causes and Consequences
This is my third thematic report to the Human Rights Council in my capacity as the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council decision 1/102, and resolution 7/24. Chapter I highlights my activities in 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, and Chapter II addresses the political economy of women’s human rights.
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Report Number 1, June 2009:
Commission on Sustainable Development - 17
The themes for this session of the Commission on Sustainable Development are agriculture, land, rural development, drought, desertification, and Africa.
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Special Reports
July 2009
Report 1: Wide-Ranging Proposals to Mitigate World Financial Crisis Adopted by Consensus at United Nations Conference in New York
With the world facing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, Government leaders and senior ministers meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York today agreed on a sweeping action plan to help blunt the impact of the economic downturn, especially for developing counties, but “in the interest of all nations [...] to achieve more inclusive, equitable, balanced, development-oriented and sustainable economic development to help overcome poverty and inequality”.
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Report 2: Top officials converge at UN to tackle global economic crisis
24 June 2009 – As high-level delegates from around the globe gathered in New York today to discuss how to address the economic meltdown while taking the interests of all nations into account, top United Nations officials issued urgent calls for action to ease the burden on the world’s poorest.
(pdf)
Announcements
Announcement Number 1, June 2009:
World Financial Crisis to be Address at the United Nations
The United Nations is convening a three-day summit of world leaders from 24 to 26 June 2009 at its New York Headquarters to address the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression.
(pdf)
Announcement Number 5, May 2009:
Statement on the negotiations about the outcome of the UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development
We are facing a global systemic crisis, which originated in the rich countries of the North, their unsustainable consumption and production patterns and the irresponsible economic behavior of their dominant social actors.
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Announcement Number 4, May 2009:
Poverty and the Climate Crisis on Friday May 8th
A side event organized by the Working Group on Poverty and Climate Change, NGO Subcommittee on Poverty Eradication.
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Announcement Number 3, May 2009:
Message on the Occasion of World Press Freedom Day
"When ideas can be expressed freely - we are honouring human rights. Good media is like a mirror - from us you can learn the state of your nation."
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Announcement Number 2, May 2009:
Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the relationship between climate change and human rights
This report discusses how observed and projected impacts of climate change have implications for the enjoyment of human rights and for the obligations of States under international human rights law.
(pdf)
Announcement Number 1, May 2009:
No Going Back - Letters to Pope Benedict XVI on the Holocaust, Jewish-Christian Relations & Israel
In May 2009 Pope Benedict XVI travels to Israel and the Holy Land, an event which will be will be of great significance for all people of good will in the region – indeed, in the world.
Gender inequality has long been acknowledged as a cause for discrimination and violence against women and girls. The Beijing Platform for Action in 1995, expressed a strong affirmation of the equal sharing of responsibilities for the family by men and women stating that a harmonious partnership between (women and men) is critical to their well-being and that of their families as well as to the consolidation of democracy.
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Submission Number 5, November 2008
Dear Mr President-Elect, The people of the United States have chosen you to lead them. We rejoice in their choice and we salute you. We ask God’s blessing on you as you prepare to assume the leadership of this nation and to work with the community of nations.
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Submission Number 4, November 2008
Poverty is more than inadequate income or human development. Poverty is also about lack of voice, power, and representation. One effective way to address these various dimensions of poverty is through the empowerment and participation of poor people in decision-making that affects their lives. …
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Submission Number 3, November 2008
The Beijing Platform for Action, Section L, pledges to eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls, specifically addressing violence, education, economic exploitation and harmful cultural attitudes and practices.
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Submission Number 2, November 2008
With Copenhagen we affirm that “the aim of social integration is to create ‘a society for all,’” in which every individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active role to play.
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Submission Number 1, November 2008
Social integration of migrants is one of the greatest challenges facing almost every government and society in the world today. Globalization increasingly requires international mobility as both developed and developing countries seek the exchange of skills and labour.
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Commissions
Commission for the Status of Women
The fifty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women will be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York from 2 to 13 March 2009.
Please click on the links below for further information and resources.
(web) (pdf: Opening Statement ) (pdf: NGO Statement for GSW) (pdf: Women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS) (pdf: Girls' right to education) (pdf: Sharing responsibilities in the context of HIV/AIDS 1) (pdf: Sharing responsibilities in the context of HIV/AIDS 2) (pdf: UNAIDS) (pdf: Agreed Conclusions for CSW53)
Mercy Global Concern, representing the Sisters of Mercy at the UN will endorse this letter as part of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty.
This letter will be sent to all UN Government Missions in advance of the UN High Level Event on MDGs on September 25.
The letter is the result of a consultation with a number of
organisations including GCAP working groups. We hope that you will be able to add the weight of your organisations voice to these important comments and demands by signing the attached letter.
(pdf)
Bridging The Gap between Policy and Practice
October 13-24, 2008
The 2008 Bridging the Gap Conference which began on October 13, 2008 ended on October 24. This year again we managed to attract Sisters of Mercy from throughout the Mercy World to this conference.
