The UN Civil Society Conference took place in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 9th and 10th, 2024. The event brought together representatives from civil society, government officials, senior United Nations figures, youth activists, academia, other stakeholders, and media. The focus of the United Nations Civil Society Conference was on the upcoming Summit of the Future and efforts to involve civil society and gather their input into the process.
CIVICUS’ UN office in New York has closely monitored the Summit of the Future process since its inception, following the initial call through the Secretary General’s ‘Our Common Agenda’ report in 2021. Since then, CIVICUS has actively inputted into the process and the related Pact, particularly regarding language pertaining to the commitment to protect civic space and ensuring meaningful engagement of civil society throughout the process.
8th May 2024
Offsite workshop
A Summit Towards a Future For All: Filling the Gaps of the Pact For the Future
CIVICUS's role: Participant
Through a critical reflection of the process surrounding the Summit of the Future, this event aimed to produce a collective strategy to influence relevant stakeholders and fora to shape the Pact for the Future and strategise together towards all the milestones in the buildup to the World Summit for Social Development in 2025.
Jesselina Rana, UN Advisor at CIVICUS’ New York hub, provided insights into the ongoing processes and engagements in New York. Jesselina recommended language committing to protecting civic space and appointing an envoy to enhance influence in shaping civil society engagements in future processes and events.
9th May 2024
On-site Workshops
1. #SDG16Now – Mobilising for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies
Organiser: TAP NETWORK
CIVICUS' role: Breakout group co-facilitator
The interactive workshop introduced the #SDG16Now campaign, engaging participants in guided discussions on the campaign's five core themes: Peace, Justice, Inclusion, Institutions, and Interlinkages and Financing. Jesselina Rana, UN Advisor at CIVICUS’ New York hub, co-facilitated the subgroup focusing on Inclusion, Civic Space, and Human Rights. The conversation assembled activists from diverse regions to address current challenges and obstacles to progress in these areas, seeking to identify solutions and policy priorities that can foster unity across the SDG16 landscape.
This workshop contributes to CIVICUS' ongoing involvement in the #SDG16Now campaign, with CIVICUS co-leading the Inclusion Cluster of the campaign.
2. UNMute Civil Society: from Recommendations to Actions
Organiser: Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations
CIVICUS' role: Co-lead and part of UNMUTE core group
The UNMUTE workshop is part of the ongoing activities of the UNMUTE civil society initiative, co-led by the Permanent missions of Denmark and Costa Rica and civil society in New York. CIVICUS, as one of the core members of the initiative, has been actively involved in researching, campaigning, and creating advocacy materials aimed at enhancing meaningful access and participation of civil society within the UN system.
The workshop's objective was to engage on the existing recommendations and to disseminate widely the questionnaire that will be incorporated into the UNMUTE Manual on best practices for engaging with civil society at the UN Headquarters for member states. The workshop focused on comprehending the challenges and current engagement levels of civil society with the UNHQ in New York and to assess their overall level of involvement with the UN.
Additionally, the workshop included breakout sessions designed to address existing prompts related to the UNMUTE recommendations. These sessions facilitated discussions among a diverse group of civil society actors on the topics being advanced by the initiative: UN Envoy for civil society, Civil Society Day, and contributors to the UNMUTE manual on best practices for engaging with civil society. Workshop included representatives of Denmark and Costa Rica, who made strong commitments for meaningful civil society engagement at the UN Head Quarters and beyond.
3. Inclusive Global Governance: From Ideas to Action
Organisers: Democracy Without Borders (DWB) & Plataforma CIPÓ
CIVICUS's role: Presenter and co-organiser
The Inclusive Global Governance workshop convened civil society actors dedicated to advancing initiatives that prioritise people in global governance. These encompassed campaigns advocating for a World Citizens’ Initiative, a UN Parliamentary Assembly, a permanent Global Citizens’ Assembly, and a UN Civil Society Envoy. The UN Civil Society, World Citizens’ Initiative, and UN Parliamentary Assembly are integral components of the 'We the Peoples' campaign for inclusive global governance—a collaborative effort led by CIVICUS, Democracy International, and Democracy Without Borders.
Jesselina Rana, UN Advisor at CIVICUS’ New York hub, provided a concise overview of the history of the UN Envoy for Civil Society, ongoing efforts in New York through the UNMUTE initiative, and continued support from member states. This support includes Costa Rican missions' recent incorporation of the idea into the draft of the Pact for the Future as part of the Summit of the Future process.
10th May 2024
ImPact Coalition
Inclusive Global Governance
Organisers: Iswe Foundation and Democracy without borders
CIVICUS' role: Presenter
The multistakeholder ImPACT Coalition on Inclusive Global Governance aimed to unite civil society-led initiatives at the forefront of global governance. This encompasses various campaigns, such as those advocating for a World Citizens’ Initiative, a UN Parliamentary Assembly, a permanent Global Citizens’ Assembly, and a UN Civil Society Envoy.
The session was attended by the Ambassador of Germany, one of the co-facilitators of the Pact for the Future.
CIVICUS presented the UN Civil Society Envoy Initiative and recommended the inclusion of commitments to protect civic space in the Pact for the Future. These recommendations were previously submitted by CIVICUS through written suggestions during the Zero Draft process and verbally conveyed to the European Union (EU) delegation during an in-person consultation. The EU which has proposed language committing to protecting civic space within the negotiated text of Pact. The Ambassador of Germany acknowledged the proposal on commitment to protect civic space as an important recommendation and actively noted it for consideration in the upcoming Revision 1 of the draft.
11th May 2024
Economic Justice Campaign Strategy and Planning Meeting
Organisers: Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) and Action for sustainable development (A4SD)
CIVICUS' role: Participant
CIVICUS' Contribution on Economic Justice Reform Campaign Ideas:
During the discussions, we noted that proposals for reforming the International Financial Architecture, along with discussions on aid and development cooperation that do not explicitly commit to strengthening civic space, are worrisome. Such proposals are likely to ensure that funds continue to flow to repressive state apparatuses and networks of patronage, which undermine the 2030 Agenda process.
Any economic reform campaign initiative must be carefully developed through an intersectional feminist approach that considers the existing economic costs of devaluing women’s unpaid care work, especially in global south countries.
Informal get-together with CIVICUS' partners and Nairobi based team members
