An important part of AIC’s work is the advocacy of our representatives within international organizations. AIC representatives carry the voice of people living in poverty to the attention of these organizations’ Member States, by talking about the people and needs that AIC volunteers meet at local level. One of the organizations in which AIC is present is the United Nations in New York, where MaryAnn Dantuono currently serves as vice-chair of the NGO Committee for Social Development.
The Commission for Social Development, which meets every year, will hold its 62nd Session in February 2024. The priority theme for this session is: “Fostering social development and social justice through social policies to accelerate progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to achieve the overarching goal of poverty eradication”.
In view of this meeting, the NGO Committee on Social Development has prepared a 2024 Civil Society Declaration, which calls for placing people and justice at the center of social policies. The Declaration demands transformative change by:
- Establishing nationally owned, human rights-based, social protection systems and floors for all.
- Ensuring equal access to healthcare, education, digital technology, affordable housing and food for all.
- Extending debt relief for the least developed countries based on solidarity.
- Ensuring equal access to a healthy and safe environment for all.
- Ensuring that all persons are equal before the law without discrimination.
As the Declaration states, it is time to rethink our whole approach to society, to accept and implement social change and transformation. Peoples’ needs are changing in response to a quickly evolving context. For this reason, people want more responsive action to address the key challenges. We need leadership to establish a renewed social contract integrating social, economic, environmental and political justice at both national and international levels.
This Declaration is a unique opportunity for us, as members of civil society, to make our voices heard! The Declaration is open to public signatures and we invite you to show your support by signing it through the link below:
The Declaration will be open for signatures until February 2nd, 2024. All signatures received by NGOs and individuals will be shared with Bureau members of this Commission, UN Member States and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the opening of the 62nd session of the Commission on February 5th, 2024.
I highly support this declaration..