News Archives » United Nations
JPIC Report Fall/Winter Issue Now Available October 21st, 2011
The Fall/Winter Issue of our bi-annual newsletter is now available. (Download the PDF…)
This issue includes articles on the “Books to Prisons” project, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Environmental Justice at Mary Immaculate, Faith and Values in Investing, ICCR’s 40th Anniversary, California legislation Against Slavery and Trafficking, a VIVAT International Workshop in India, Economic Growth vs a Steady State Economy, and the The Foreclosure Crisis.
Update from the United Nations September 26th, 2011
UN welcomes South Sudan as 193rd Member State
On July 14th the General Assembly admitted the Republic of South Sudan as the 193rd member of the United Nations, welcoming the newly independent country to the community of nations. South Sudan’s independence from the rest of Sudan is the result of the January 2011 referendum held under the terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the decades-long civil war between the North and the South. Learn more…
World Population Nearly 7 Billion!
As the world population approaches seven billion, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed in July that ending global poverty and inequality is the key to unleashing the great human potential for prosperity and peaceful coexistence, while protecting the planet and safeguarding the natural resources that sustain humanity. “Later this year, a seven-billionth baby will be born into our world of complexity and contradiction,” Mr. Ban said in a message to mark World Population Day, observed annually on 11 July. Learn more…
UN Reports Progress Toward Poverty Alleviation
Some of the world’s poorest countries have made impressive gains in the fight against poverty, but the least developed countries still lag in efforts to improve living standards, the United Nations said in a report by DESA, showing significant overall progress towards achieving the global targets against extreme poverty.
67 Million Children Deprived of Education
67 million school-aged children are deprived of education, mainly due to financial or social hardship, in many cases stemming from poverty or armed conflict. At the opening of the high-level segment of the ECOSOC Council’ Annual Ministerial Review on 4 July, Deputy Secretary-General Asha Rose Migiro warned that “getting kids into school is only half the battle.”
Statement on Nuclear Weapons
Papal Nuncio to the UN, Archbishop Francis Chullikatt made a significant statement on the Church’s rejection of nuclear war and nuclear weaponry at the 3rd Session of the Prepatory Committee for the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Go to: www.holyseemission.org and click on press releases.
U.S. Grassroots Effort to Ban Fracking Ramps Up September 14th, 2011
Environmental Justice and Health Groups Solicit the UN to Recognize Fracking as a Human Rights Issue; Over 5,000 Calls Made to the White House from Citizens Concerned About Fracking
Contamination from fracking in many areas sets water faucets on fire. Source: The film, "Gasland"
Concern about the impacts of hydrofracking for natural gas on the integrity of water supplies in affected areas has been strong for some time. Last year, the New York City Council voting unanimously to block fracking in the New York City watershed. Faith-based investors have been raising concerns at the corporate level about the pollution of local water supplies by this method now commonly used in natural gas drilling. But there has not been a national outcry at the grassroots level – until now.
Yesterday, over 5,000 Americans from all 50 states flooded White House phone lines yesterday to tell President Obama to ban the polluting, dangerous practice. Spearheaded by the national consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch, United for Action, and Center for Health, Environment and Justice, nearly 50 organizations across the country and individuals in every state called on Obama to ban fracking.
“President Obama has got an energy problem on his hands,” says Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch. “Citizens, many of whom helped to get him elected, are becoming increasingly worried about fracking and other dirty energy schemes the administration is assessing, like the Keystone XL pipeline. Our water resources should not be sacrificed for energy, and he’s hearing this in no uncertain terms from people all over the country.”
Click here to read more »
California Passes First-Ever State Bill on Congo Conflict Minerals September 14th, 2011
The State of California has passed SB 861, prohibiting California State contracts with companies that fail to comply with Federal reporting requirements on Congo’s conflict minerals. This is an important step, as it is the first state to pass legislation addressing the link between conflict minerals in consumer electronics products and the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo.
The California Congo Conflict bill gained momentum from the Dodd-Frank Act, Section 1502 on Conflict Minerals passed by the United States Congress in 2010. The bill goes to Governor Jerry Brown for final signature. The Enough Project’s Raise Hope for Congo campaign has launched a petition on Change.org calling on Governor Brown to hold a public signing ceremony as a way to amplify awareness of the bill. Please visit Raise Hope for Congo to sign the petition.
ConocoPhillips Improves Corporate Human Rights Position August 12th, 2011
ConocoPhillips has amended its corporate Human Rights policy to include recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples as articulated in UN declarations and conventions. This action, approved by ConocoPhillips Chair/CEO Jim Mulva as well as the Board of Directors, is one result of ICCR member shareholder dialogs with the company led by Steven Heim at Boston Common Asset Management. The Oblates have been engaged in this dialog for several years and remain deeply concerned about the impacts of corporate activity – particularly oil and gas exploration – on indigenous peoples.
The company’s position on the rights of indigenous peoples now reads:
“The Company’s approach to engagement with indigenous communities, in locations where they are an important stakeholder group for our operations, is consistent with the principles of the International Labour Organization Convention 169, concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
In May of this year, the company announced it was pulling out of a controversial project slated for northern Peru. The project threatened two uncontacted tribes in the area.
Read the company’s Human Rights Position statement…
