CIDSE Highlights September

More Efforts Needed to Achieve the MDGs
29 October 2013

Millennium Development Goals and Post-2015 Framework

CIDSE Delegation wants answers as UN evaluates MDGs.

2 years remain for the Millennium Development Goals, and as the UN evaluated them in September, CIDSE was present with a large delegation calling for an ambitious negotiation agenda to formulate the MDG successor framework that addresses the crisis in the current development paradigm and the climate change emergency.

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IPCC Report Confirms Climate Change Cannot be Denied

Leaders of Catholic development agencies call for climate justice.

The 17 members of CIDSE demand urgent actions to shift fossil fuel-based economies into low-carbon societies, or vulnerable communities and the human family as a whole will be at risk. UN climate talks must lead to an ambitious and fair climate deal, with developed countries leading the way.

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New Briefing on Agribusiness and Human Rights

As investors move in on agriculture, who will protect the right to food?

Most agricultural investment is done by smallholders, but as agribusiness eyes the untapped potential of developing markets, risks of land grabs and deterioration of local food systems increase. More than ever governments are being called to protect the right to food.

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Ensuring Corporations Respect Human Rights

EU moves ahead on Human Rights Due Diligence.

The EU has a plan: demand corporations report on their effects on human rights and the environment. UN Guiding Principles already tell governments and companies to act to improve human rights. A CIDSE briefing shows how this should be done.

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UPCOMING

A CIDSE delegation will attend the UN Climate Change Summit (COP19) in Warsaw (11-22/11/ 2013). On this occasion CIDSE will organise a conference with Caritas Poland and the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw (18/19 November) as well as an official side event with the World Council of Churches (21/11).
CIDSE will take part in the 2nd UN Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights (Geneva, 2-4 December).
CIDSE is planning a side event on financing sustainable development during the 6th Session of the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (New York, 9-13/12/2013).

OTHER NEWS

A SECAM (Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar) delegation visited the CIDSE office (12-13/09/2013).
CIDSE participated in the FAO Civil Society Mechanism Western European regional consultation (Brussels, 12-13/09) and the African regional consultation (Monrovia, 15-17/09).
Together with CAN Europe, Oxfam, GCCA and RAC France, CIDSE launched a video "Fund what counts" on climate finance (16/09/2013).
As part of a coalition of 58 NGOs, CIDSE co-signed a position paper on conflict minerals and the case for EU regulation (EN-FR) (09/2013).
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Oslo Accords, CIDSE published an article in Euractiv (27/09/2013).
Simone Filippini officially took up her new functions as Cordaid Chief Executive Officer in replacement of René Grotenhuis (15/10/2013) and visited CIDSE on 14/10/2013.
Eamonn Meehan succeeded Justin Kilcullen as Director of Trócaire (10/2013).
Together with FIAN, IUF and Via Campesina, CIDSE published a manual for social movements entitled "Using the Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition to Promote and Defend the People's Right to Adequate Food" (EN-FR-ES) (07/10/2013). CIDSE also co-signed an open letter on biofuels to the UN Committee on World Food Security (08/10/ 2013).
As part of the EC dialogue with churches and non-confessional organisations, CIDSE was invited to speak at a dialogue seminar “Environmental protection and climate change as a challenge for EU policies – the role of ethics, lifestyles, solidarity and global justice” (Brussels, 17/10/2013). CIDSE also took part in the FABC (Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences) seminar on climate change (Bangkok, 23-24/10/2013).

STAFF NEWS

Markus Vennewald started a five-month internship to support CIDSE work on post-2015 (07/08/ 2013).
Weronika Piestrzyńska, a Climate consultant based in Warsaw, is supporting preparations for CIDSE activities at the UN Climate Change Summit (COP19) in Poland for a period of three months (as of 02/09/2013).
Mid-November, Gisele Henriques (Food, Agriculture and Sustainable Trade Officer) will move on to join CAFOD. We thank her for her great work, including the important role she played in Rome in the Civil Society Mechanism of the Committee on World Food Security. We wish her success and all the best for the future.