United Nations - Events

UN OSAA Academic Conference on Africa 2024

unai.inbox.1@gmail.com — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The UN OSAA 2024 Academic Conference on Africa took place from 3 to 5 December, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. New York Local Time

Under the theme "Power, Justice, and the People: Human Rights and the Rule of Law for Africa’s Transformation", the hybrid event was held at the United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 2. It was broadcast on UN WebTV with live interpretation and streamed on the OSAA YouTube channel, with the possibility of engaging in real-time through the YouTube chat.  

Each day was focused on a different sub-theme as follows:

3 December - Rights and Realities: Integrating Diverse Dimensions of Human Rights in Africa 
4 December - Historical Contexts and Contemporary Challenges: The Evolution of Rule of Law in Africa 
5 December - From Theory to Action: Leveraging African Scholarship in Policy Development

��Ϲ�� Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) organized the conference in collaboration with the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), with generous financial contributions from the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund. Each year, the conference provides an important opportunity for Member States, UN practitioners and policymakers to engage with distinguished African academics and share knowledge and perspectives on pressing issues facing the continent and the world. Touching on themes such as the diverse dimensions of human rights in Africa, the evolution of the rule of law on the continent, and the importance of leveraging African scholarship in policy development, the 2024 conference aimed to drive tangible change, drawing on the experiences and insights of African thought leaders.

The conference was open to all participants, including UN Member State representatives and members of African regional institutions and Pan-African organizations at all levels, as well as UN and external stakeholders, including representatives from civil society organizations, the private sector, academia and the media.

Watch the recordings:

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Human Rights

UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue: Preparing the Most Vulnerable for Future Shocks

unai.inbox.1@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 15:19:40 +0000

��Ϲ�� Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and UN Academic Impact (UNAI) held a special Global Policy Dialogues for the Classroom on 25 November, featuring the authors of the latest “World Social Report.” UN experts presented in-depth the major findings of this flagship report that examines the impact of converging crises on social development and calls for global action. The information was presented to highlight its relevancy for people working or studying in colleges and universities.

Taking place on Zoom, the event was also streamed live on UN DESA’s Facebook page. The event was held in English with captions available in other languages on Zoom.

This virtual event was made possible by the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund.

Topic: Preparing the Most Vulnerable for Future Shocks

Session: A UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue for the Classroom

How to watch: UN WebTV Recording

Date: Monday, 25 November 2024

Time: 10:00 – 11:15 am EDT

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Social Development

UN Summit of The Future Action Day Side Event: Peace not War

unai.inbox.1@gmail.com — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 12:58:00 +0000

At this side-event during the UN Summit of the Future, under the theme "A Peaceful Future for All," distinguished speakers explored how concrete actions in peace, justice, and inclusion can advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Presenting case studies of successful peace processes in Colombia and Ireland, the event emphasized the need for integrating collaborative approaches into the broader framework of international cooperation, as outlined in the Pact for the Future.

Additionally, the discussion included a multi stakeholder perspective, focusing on the crucial role of women, children, information integrity, and education in achieving a peaceful future.

Organizers:

Speakers:

Ambassador David Donoghue, Distinguished Fellow of ODI, former Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations in New York
Ambassador Juan José Quintana, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations
Maher Nasser, Director of Outreach Division, Department of Global Communications, United Nations
Professor Patrick Paul Walsh, Vice President of Education and Director, SDG Academy, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
Asmita Satyarthi, Chief Executive Officer, Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion
Gisselle Wolozny, Focal Point in Honduras, United Network of Young PeaceBuilders
Thanos Giannakopoulos, Chief of Dag Hammarskjöld Library, Department of Global Communications, United Nations
Ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations

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SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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Building Bridges through Science Diplomacy: Accelerating progress toward sustainable development.

EHAHN — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 16:57:12 +0000

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Event title: “Building Bridges through Science Diplomacy: Accelerating progress toward sustainable development”

Date: Friday, 20 September, 16:45 – 18:00 EDT

Location: United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 7; This event will be broadcast live through this direct link on UN Web TV

Participation: Eligibility criteria for in-person participation are listed on the dedicated Summit of the Future website

Note to Correspondents: UN Department of Global Communications to Host Building Bridges through Science Diplomacy Event at Headquarters

Organizers:

This side event is a joint effort by numerous organizing partners, each of which brings important expertise, experience, and support. The co-organizers are:

International Science Council
German Center for Research and Innovation New York
UN Department of Global Communications Academic Impact initiative
Global Young Academy
Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nation s
ImPACT Coalition Science and Policy Solutions for the Planet: United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, Igarapé Institute, Club of Rome, Council on Energy Environment and Water (CEEW), Stockholm Environment Institute (Nairobi)

Description:

The Summit of the Future (September 2024) is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address the knowledge-action gap in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments including to the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Charter, and foster a reinvigorated multilateral system that is better positioned to positively impact people’s lives. At the same time, there is growing awareness among Member States and across the UN system of the vital role of science as a critical, cross-cutting tool to support multilevel, multisectoral action across the entire multilateral agenda.

Science, including both natural and social sciences, is an invaluable tool for enhancing evidence-informed decision-making and collective action, and is essential to accelerating progress on shared global challenges, including to advance human rights and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Science also has long been a global enterprise underpinned by universal principles and plays a valuable role in strengthening international relations in support of international peace and security.

Cross-national scientific collaborations support track two diplomacy to help build relationships across borders, achieve common understanding around shared questions, and identify cooperative approaches to global challenges. Science in support of diplomacy and multilateral decision-making is all the more urgent in order to catalyze effective, accelerated, and sustained action on the 2030 Agenda during this time of rapid change, instability, and polycrisis.

This side event therefore highlights and facilitates productive, action-oriented exchange on the vital role of science diplomacy in order to:

Showcase best practices through case studies where science has strengthened multilateralism to a) respond to global challenges, including as related to human rights and sustainable development; and b) strengthen relations between countries, with examples from diverse geographical perspectives and focused on a variety of relevant issues;
Position the central role of scientific research, education, and communication in multilateralism;
Identify and promote concrete opportunities for science to advance diplomatic relations and multilateral decision-making in the UN System, with a particular focus on sustainable development;
Highlight emerging leadership, recent investments, and groundbreaking support for science diplomacy to address global challenges;
Galvanize support for deeper engagement between the global science community and multilateral decision-makers to ensure a sustainable future.

The event will be guided by three primary questions:

How can science serve as a force for diplomacy by catalyzing accelerated progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals and facilitating solutions to multifaceted, interconnected problems that transcend national boundaries?
How can science support international relations, policy formulation, and societal engagement at all levels, amidst unprecedented challenges?
What options are available for strengthening the relationship between science and diplomacy? What gaps, priorities, best practices, and actionable strategies should be engaged by decision-makers, scientists, and other stakeholders to advance the Sustainable Development Goals through cross-border cooperation and partnership?

The event aims to target an audience of primarily decision-makers from UN Member States, as well as scientists, science outreach and communication professionals, and other stakeholders.

Run of Event

Section 1: The role of science diplomacy in building bridges and advancing sustainable development
Moderator: USG Melissa Fleming, UN Department of Global Communications

Welcome: Ms. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General UN Department of Global Communications
Opening Remarks: H.E. Ambassador Maritza Chan Valverde, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the UN
Opening Remarks: H.E. Ambassador Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingsom of Morocco to the UN
Keynote Address: Mr. Sir Peter Gluckman, President, International Science Council

Section 2: Science Diplomacy in Action
Moderator: Ms. María Estelí Jarquín, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and ISC

Lightning presentations - Case studies of science diplomacy in action

Dr. Gihan Kamel, SESAME: Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East
Mr. Jose Julio Casas, Secretary, Eastern Tropical Marine Corridor
Ms. Evelina Santa-Kahle, Science Counselor, German Embassy Washington DC Women in Science Diplomacy Association
Dr. Tara Stoinski, President, CEO, and Chief Scientific Officer for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

Moderated panel discussion - Implementing science diplomacy for sustainable development, enhanced international relations, and future generations

Ms. Sandrine Dixson-Declève, President, Club of Rome
Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough, Senior Scholar and Special Adviser on Arctic Indigenous Peoples, University of Alaska Anchorage
Dr. Mohammad Hosseini, Global Young Academy

Audience Q&A

Section 3: Close

Closing Reflections: Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala, Under-Secretary-General, Rector of the United Nations University
Closing Remarks: Dr. Emran Mian, Director General, Digital Technologies and Telecoms, UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Featured Speakers

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Ms. Melissa Fleming

UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications

Ms. Melissa Fleming leads the UN’s Department of Global Communications, which informs global audiences about the state of the world and engages them to build support for the work and goals of the UN. In this role, Ms. Fleming oversees the Department’s strategic and crisis communications operations, including its multilingual news and digital media services, public outreach programmes, and global campaigns.

Link to biography

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H.E. Ambassador Maritza Chan Valverde

Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations

Ms. Maritza Chan Valverde is the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations in New York. In June 2024, she was elected as Chair of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security). Prior to this appointment, Ms. Chan was her country’s Deputy Permanent Representative at its Mission to the United Nations, beginning in 2020. From 2018 to 2020, she served as Head, Political Section, at her country’s Embassy in Washington, D.C. Between 2015 and 2017, she was Coordinator to the Organization of the United States, in San Jose, Costa Rica. Ambassador Chan is an expert on international peace and an advocate for the Women, Peace, and Security agenda.

Link to biography

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Sir Peter Gluckman

President, International Science Council

Mr. Peter Gluckman is President of the International Science Council. He is an internationally recognized biomedical scientist, and heads Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, University of Auckland. From 2009-2018 he was first Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Ministers of New Zealand. He also was foundation chair of the International Network of Government Science Advice (INGSA).

Link to biography

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Dr. Gihan Kamel

The Principal Infrared Beamline Scientist and Team Supervisor, Synchroton-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME)

Dr. Gihan Kamel is the Principal Infrared Beamline Scientist and Team Supervisor at SESAME Light Source, on leave from the Physics Department in the Faculty of Science at Helwan University, Egypt, where she is an Associate Professor in biophysics. Her responsibilities at SESAME involved the Infrared Beamline construction, and currently its operation and development, in addition to assisting the beamline users to run their experiments. Dr. Kamel is participating in the establishment of the first African light source which represents another example of science diplomacy in the African continent.

Link to biography

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Dr. Tara Stoinski

President, CEO, and Chief Scientific Officer for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

Tara Stoinski, PhD is the President and CEO and Chief Scientific Officer for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Prior to taking on the CEO role in 2014, she worked with the Fossey Fund for 12 years in a scientific capacity. Tara has studied gorillas for more than three decades and is the author of over 150 scientific publications and books. She holds degrees from Tufts University, University of Oxford and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Link to biography

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Mr. Jose Julio Casas

Secretary, Eastern Tropical Marine Corridor

Mr. Jose Julio Casas is a marine biologist, and former Director of Coasts and Seas for the Ministry of Environment of Panama. He is the current Technical Secretary of the Eastern Tropical Marine Corridor (CMAR) and professor and researcher at the Maritime University of Panama.

Link to biography

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Ms. Evelina Santa-Kahle

Science Counselor, German Embassy Washington, D.C. Women in Science Diplomacy Association (WiSDA)

Ms. Evelina Santa-Kahle currently serves as the Science Counselor at the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. She holds a degree in Neurosciences and a postgraduate degree in Western Balkan studies. Previously, she worked for the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, focusing on EU research, sustainability, and climate change policies.

Link to biography

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Ms. Sandrine Dixson-Declève

President, Club of Rome

Ms. Sandrine Dixson-Declève is co-president of The Club of Rome and divides her time between leading The Club of Rome, advising, lecturing, and facilitating difficult conversations. She is the Executive Chair of Earth4All. Until recently, Sandrine was Chair for the European Commission Expert Group on Economic and Societal Impact of Research & Innovation (ESIR). She has also sat on the European Commission’s Mission on Climate Change & Adaptation.

Link to biography

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Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough

Senior Scholar and Special Adviser on Arctic Indigenous Peoples, University of Alaska Anchorage

Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough is an influential Alaskan Iñupiaq leader specializing in human rights law, Indigenous empowerment, and Arctic governance. Dr. Dorough’s career spans numerous leadership roles, including voluntary positions within international organizations such as the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Currently, she is a Senior Scholar and Special Advisor on Arctic Indigenous Peoples at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Link to biography

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Dr. Mohammad Hosseini

Member, Global Young Academy, Assistant Professor, Northwest University

Dr. Mohammad Hosseini is an assistant professor of ethics in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, Chicago. He collaborates with the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS) and the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (I.AIM) on research projects about technology ethics, particularly focusing on artificial intelligence. He is a member of the board of directors at the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) and leads the Trust in Science workgroup at the Global Young Academy.

Link to biography

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Dr. Emran Mian

Director General for Digital Technologies and Telecoms, UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Emran Mian is the Director General for Digital Technologies and Telecoms at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Emran was Director General for Regeneration at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, from September 2021 to July 2023. Prior to this he was the Director of Strategy and then a Director General at the Department for Education.
Before returning to the Civil Service in 2017, Emran ran the Social Market Foundation, an independent public policy think tank that works across a range of economic and social policy issues. Earlier in his career Emran held senior roles at BEIS and Cabinet Office.

Link to biography

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Ms. María Estelí Jarquín

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and International Science Council

Ms. María Estelí Jarquín works at the intersection of science and diplomacy, with experience leading the design and implementation of international strategies, negotiating high level agreements, and acting as an intermediary for policy engagement. In 2022, she was appointed as special advisor to the International Science Council and member of their standing committee of Outreach and Engagement. She currently coordinates the international relations of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Previously, she served as Deputy Director of International Affairs at the University of Costa Rica, and consultant in Science Diplomacy to UNESCO. In 2024, she was appointed as one of the experts to contribute to the European Union Science Diplomacy Working Groups to develop a future European framework for science diplomacy.

Link to biography

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H.E. Ambassador Omar Hilale

Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations

H.E. Hilale has been Morocco's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York since April 2014. He previously served as the Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva from 2008 and held various diplomatic posts worldwide. He has also served as the General Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Ambassador Hilale graduated from Mohammed V University in Rabat in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in political science.

Link to biography

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Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala

Under-Secretary-General, Rector of the United Nations University

Prior to becoming UNU Rector in 2023, Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg (2018–2023), and previously as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalization (2013–2017). He was also Executive Dean of Engineering (2009–2013). He has extensive academic, policy, management, and international experience. His research involves the theory and applications of artificial intelligence to engineering, social science, economics, politics, finance, and medicine.

Link to biography

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Engaging Youth and Academia with Data for the Future Session 2

DRAMSTHA — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 16:08:46 +0000

Ahead of the once-in-a-generation Summit of the Future, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs continues to build on its interdisciplinary strength to evaluate the continuing social and economic impacts of the pandemic, global conflicts and climate change, providing UN Member States and key stakeholder groups with policy recommendations and support for a transformative, sustainable and inclusive recovery that delivers progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This month, UN DESA partnered with UN Academic Impact for a two-part series that bringing two new, data-driven reports to an academic and youth audience: the "World Population Prospects 2024" and "Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024." These Global Policy Dialogues for the Classroom featured the report authors presenting, in-depth, the major findings of these critical reports, highlighting their relevancy for people working or studying in colleges and universities. These events featured extended time for questions from the audience.

Topic: Engaging Youth and Academia with Data for the Future

Session: "2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report"

Date: Wednesday, 28 August 2024

Time: 10:00 – 11:15 am EDT
Presenter: Heather Page, Statistician, Statistics Division, UN DESA

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Youth

Engaging Youth and Academia with Data for the Future Session 1

DRAMSTHA — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 16:04:04 +0000

In August 2024, UN DESA partnered with UN Academic Impact for a two-part series that brought two new, data-driven reports to an academic and youth audience: the "World Population Prospects 2024" and "Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024." These Global Policy Dialogues for the Classroom featured the report authors presenting, in-depth, the major findings of these critical reports, highlighting their relevancy for people working or studying in colleges and universities. These events featured extended time for questions from the audience.

Topic: Engaging Youth and Academia with Data for the Future

Session: "World Population Prospects 2024"

Date: Tuesday, 27 August 2024

Time: 10:00 – 11:15 am EDT

Presenter: Lina Bassarsky, Population Affairs Officer, Population Division, UN DESA

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HESI Global Forum 2024: The Future of Higher Education for Sustainable Development

DSINOBAD — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 18:59:59 +0000

Date: Monday, 15 July 2024

Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm EDT (New York)

On-site: UNHQ, New York, Conference Room 1

The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) is a partnership between several United Nations entities, including the United Nations Academic Impact, and the higher education community. For 2024-2025, the Initiative is chaired by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN University, UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education, and the Sulitest Association.

Each year, HESI organizes a global forum as a special event to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) – the UN’s main platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The forum highlights the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development.

The 2024 HESI Global Forum, under the theme "The Future of Higher Education for Sustainable Development" featured:

Multi-stakeholder discussion on the intersection of education, innovation, and sustainability, considering the impact of AI and other emerging technologies amid the concerns about stagnant progress towards the SDGs.
Inspiring initiatives from the UN system, HESI action groups, and beyond.

The Forum also served as a preparatory platform for upcoming initiatives to be advocated or launched at the 2024 Summit of the Future. Recommendations and strategies from the Forum inform policy and practice, shaping advocacy efforts and action plans for sustainable development in higher education.

Outcomes

Recognition of the imperative to transform higher education to address the dynamic global landscape and unpredictable futures, while valuing local knowledge and partnerships, seizing global opportunities for innovation, and promoting sustainable and equitable development worldwide.
Identification of areas where higher education can advance SDGs through inclusive emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, while managing related social changes.
Expansion of the network and membership through active engagement of diverse HESI Action Groups.

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Éducation

Launch of SET4HEI: Sustainability Evaluation Tool for Higher Education Institutions

DSINOBAD — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 17:22:47 +0000

Date: Monday, 15 July 2024

Time: 10:00am – 11:30 am (EDT / New York) / 4:00 pm – 5:30 (CET / Paris)

The SDGs call for all societal actors to accept their share of responsibility and to take direct action. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have a very high potential, as their research, innovation, engagement and development of human capital are essential steppingstones for the contribution of the SDGs, so they are in a privileged position to lead these collective efforts.

However, most HEI practices towards the SDGs are scattered and uncoordinated. To move towards structural, institutional and actionable commitments, HEIs need to embrace measuring and monitoring mechanisms. Similar to governmental Voluntary National Reviews, we suggest HEIs to undertake University Voluntary Reviews to be more systematic and accountable in their contributions to the SDGs.

In this hybrid event organized by UNESCO IESALC, UN Academic Impact (UNAI), and the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) with the support of the German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New York, higher education stakeholders from different world regions will discuss the need for University Voluntary Reviews and the challenges in translating the SDGs into actionable institutional practices.

This event also served as the official launch of the Sustainability Evaluation Tool for Higher Education Institutions (SET4HEI), created by UNESCO IESALC in partnership with UNAI and several UN agencies. SET4HEI is a free comprehensive resource that supports HEIs to measure and increase their contribution to the SDGs.

This was an official side event within the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development organized by the UN Economic and Social Council. It is also associated to the HESI Global Forum 2024.

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Panel discussion on "Strengthening Gender Equality in Generative AI"

DRAMSTHA — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 16:34:35 +0000

Topic: Strengthening Gender Equality in Generative AI (online side-event of the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women)

Date: Friday, 22 March from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. EST

Modality: Online / Virtual via Microsoft Teams

Objective: This event aimed to facilitate a discourse on academic research related to generative AI with a specific focus on advancing, promoting, and safeguarding gender equality. It will delve into the incorporation of human flaws, such as gender bias, into generative AI systems and emphasize the responsibility of academia and users in ensuring gender equality within these applications.

Featured Speakers

Moderated by Jayashri Wyatt, Chief, Education Outreach, UN Department of Global Communications

Revi Sterling

Senior Technical Director, Digital Inclusion, CARE and Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in the U.S.

Dr. Revi Sterling has worked to advance digital inclusion for over 25 years, starting with algorithmic and pedagogical gender biases in computer science before moving deeply into addressing the gender digital divide. She is the Technical Director for the Women in the Digital Ecosystem Fund (WiDEF), a new 5-year White House initiative to close the gender and technology gap. She also serves on leading gender and technology boards, has testified before the U.S. Congress about the need for more women in the technical workforce, and consults extensively for foundations, development agencies, and high technology companies on using information and communications technology to empower women and marginalized populations.

Kutoma Wakunuma

Associate Professor and Interim Co-Director at the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility, De Montfort University in the UK

Dr. Kutoma Wakunuma is currently Associate Professor at De Montfort University, United Kingdom where she is also Interim Co-Director of the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility. Her research interests and expertise primarily focus on current and emerging digital technologies and their ethical implications on modern society in both the Global South and the Global North. She examines issues around Responsible AI; AI and digital policy governance; digital inclusion and development; responsible innovation; and gender-related issues in digital technologies. She has been invited to convene panels and speak at high level international forums, including the UNs Science Summit of the General Assembly and the UNs Internet Governance Forum where her insights contribute to global discussions on technology and society. She serves as a European Commission Ethics Advisor and Evaluator.

Jaimee Stuart

Senior Researcher, Team Lead at the United Nations University Institute in Macau

Dr Jaimee Stuart is a Senior Researcher and Team Lead at United Nations University Institute in Macau (UNU Macau). Jaimee Stuart is an applied cultural and developmental psychologist who specialises in computer-human interaction and digital health and wellbeing. Jaimee’s recent research projects have examined a broad range of issues related to social justice, peace, and development, such as gendered influences on cybersecurity and AI, tech anxieties, cyberbullying, social media literacies, digital competencies, parenting and technology, online disinhibition and the impact of emerging technologies on mental health. Her work aims to support the creation of safe, secure, and empowering online spaces for everyone, particularly women and children.

Constanza Gómez Mont

Founder & Principal, C Minds; Member of UNESCO Women4 Ethical AI Steering Committee, including the High Level Group to draft the first Global Recommendation of Ethical AI

Ms. Constanza Gomez Mont is founder of C Minds, who works in the field of emerging technologies for social and environmental good with partners such as IDB, UK Gov, IUCN, GIZ, among others. She is also the founder of the global initiative AI for Climate and head of NaturaTech LAC, a 2024-born initiative to accelerate the use of new technologies for biodiversity conservation in LAC. Moreover, she is a member of the steering committee for UNESCO’s Women for Ethical AI global platform, including the High Level Group to draft the first Global Recommendation of Ethical AI; and former chair of WEF´s GFC AI for Humanity and named Yale Climate Fellow 2024.

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SDG 5: Gender Equality

Making the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a Reality: The Role of Higher Education

OHERNAND — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:35:43 +0000

��Ϲ�� was born in the aftermath of World War II in 1945. An essential component of the Organization’s work from the start was the promotion and protection of human rights, as enshrined in its Charter. Three years later, in 1948 this element was further strengthened with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Now, as we mark the 75th anniversary of the UDHR, this groundbreaking Declaration is not only a set of rights, but also a guiding instrument that serves as the basis of International Human Rights Law and of all the mechanisms at the global, regional, national, and local levels created to protect those rights. It is also a document that inspires generations and people worldwide. The role of higher education is critical to advance the ideals embedded in the Declaration now and in the future. Academics have engaged in significant teaching and research on the UDHR and its impact, with many contributing as experts in treaty bodies and commissions of inquiry. Students too, have been activists promoting human rights with many volunteering to help the most vulnerable.

Topic: MAKING THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS A REALITY: THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Date: Monday, 4 December 2023

Time: 3pm - 5:30pm (EDT/New York time)

Format: In-person at UN Headquarters (Conference Room 6), with broadcast via UN Web TV

RSVP/Registration form: REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED * If you already have a UN badge or ground pass, you do not need to register

For those wishing to attend in person, please note UNAI does and will not provide that stipends or any other kind of financial assistance or support. Moreover, due to limited capacity, space for attending in person might be restricted, and persons signaling their wish to participate in person might not be able to do so. We will send a confirmation e-mail accordingly. Also, as per established practice, UNAI does not issue certificates or letters of attendance or participation for those joining either in person or online.

Guiding question: In the face of new challenges in an ever-changing world, how can the Universal Declaration continue to protect peoples’ human rights?

Objective: This event aims to underline the critical imperative of human rights in the work of the United Nations, and to highlight what universities and colleges worldwide are doing to promote and implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, via their teaching, research and community engagement activities; through the commitment and involvement of their faculty, staff and students; while addressing ongoing crises and pressing challenges, and connecting the spirit of the Declaration with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Welcome remarks:

Ilze Brands Kehris, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights
Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division, United Nations Department of Global Communications

First panel:
The Universal Declaration at 75 from the perspective of universities: How the Declaration still resonates today in the face of new global challenges?

Jackie Dugard, Senior Lecturer at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University, and Visiting Professor in the School of Law at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. She works for the project Pluriland about the impact on human security of enacting plural land rights, co-edited the Research Handbook on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as Human Rights (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020) and co-founded the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa.
Penny M. Venetis, Director of the International Human Rights Clinic and Distinguished Clinical Professor of Law at Rutgers University. Expert in International Human Rights law pioneering efforts to integrate International Law into U.S. law. She was the Executive Vice President and Legal Director of Legal Momentum, and worked for the United Nations Special Rapporteur Investigating War Crimes in the Former Yugoslavia, focused on the use of rape as a war crime.
Susan Kang, Associate Professor of Political Science at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. Her research and teaching interests include International Relations, Labor and Human Rights, and International Law. She authored Human Rights and Labor Solidarity (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012) and co-edited Human Rights: Institutions and Practices (University of Toronto Press, 2019). She is also the Editor of Global Constitutionalism.
Zoë Burkholder, Professor of Educational Foundations and Founding Director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Education Project in the College for Education and Engaged Learning at Montclair State University. She is an historian of education with expertise in antiracist education, school integration, the social construction of race in schools, and educational activism among Black, Native American, Latinx, and Asian American communities.

Second panel:
Aligning student actions and teaching and research methodologies, outputs and strategies with pressing human rights challenges

Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum, Professor of Law, Director of the Benjamin B. Ferencz Human Rights and Atrocity Prevention Clinic and the Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Her scholarship focuses on human rights, public health, and atrocity prevention. She is the Co-Editor of Public Health, Mental Health, and Mass Atrocity Prevention (Routledge, 2021).
Kathryn Libal, Director of the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute and Associate Professor of Social Work and Human Rights at the University of Connecticut. She specializes in refugee resettlement and social welfare, serves on the Executive Committee of the Consortium of Higher Education Centers for Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies, and co-edited Human Rights in the United States: Beyond Exceptionalism (Cambridge University Press 2011).
Rita Verma, Director of Critical Peace, Justice and Human Rights Studies, and Full Professor in the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences at Adelphi University. She is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Critical Debates in Humanities, Science and Global Justice, and worked as the Director of the UN Conference on Teaching for Peace and Human Rights. She is also the Co-Editor of Disrupting Hate in Education (Routledge, 2021).
Abigail Kerensky, Student at Long Island University.
Anneliese Preske, Student at Seton Hall University.
Mateo Mortellaro, Student at the State University of New York – New Paltz.
Rhema Hooper, Student at Lehigh University.

Moderator:

Omar Hernández, Program Manager and Public Information Officer, United Nations Academic Impact

Groups audience:

Academic Impact

Local category:

Events

Global category:

Human Rights