CIDSE Highlights November

Best wishes for a blessed Christmas
15 December 2014

UN COP 20 Climate Conference ends in Lima

Church leaders demand end to fossil fuels, governments headed for 4-degree warming
Bishops from all continents called for an end to fossil fuels, Pope Francis sent a message to the President of the COP, people in the streets demanded change. But negotiations at the Climate Conference failed to move as needed to reach a fair and legally binding agreement at the COP21 in Paris next year.
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Mgr. Gomes gives Bishops' Statement to EC Commissioner Cañete

More action required to stop HR abuses by business

Towards an international, legally binding instrument
A UN framework sets out that business effects on human rights require a "smart mix" of responses that includes regulation. CIDSE members join national debates on Business & Human Rights Action Plans, and a new process towards an international legally binding instrument that could help ensure that businesses respect human rights.
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CSOs' meeting on business & human rights in Geneva

Pope Francis speaks out on issues important to CIDSE

Human rights, social justice, climate and sustainable development...
In the past months, Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken out on issues important to CIDSE, in his speech to the European Parliament, when giving an audience to volunteers of CIDSE member, Focsiv, in a message to the COP20 Climate Conference and when addressing participants in the World Meeting of Popular Movements.
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Pope Francis (Photo by: Tomaz Silva)

UPCOMING

CIDSE’s response to the UN Secretary General’s synthesis report on the Post-2015 agenda.
Report of CIDSE's workshop “Acting for transformation towards a just and sustainable world”.
CIDSE Board of Directors’ meeting & tri-annual Bishops’ Forum. (Soesterberg, 21-23/01/2015)
As part of preparations for the third UN Financing for Development conference (Addis Ababa, July 2015), CIDSE will be in New York for the first drafting session of the outcome document and is planning a side-event on common but differentiated responsibility. (27-29/01/2015)
Representatives from the CIDSE Secretariat and member organizations will attend the World Social Forum in Tunis where a series of activities will be organized with partner organizations. (24-28/03/2015)

OTHER NEWS

The 41^st Session of the Committee on World Food Security adjourned on 17^th October. See overview of CIDSE’s reflections from Rome. CIDSE also participated in the International Food Security and Nutrition Civil Society Mechanism (CSM) workshop which discussed the design of a monitoring mechanism for the Committee on World Food Security. (Rome, 24-25/11)
The report of the European Bishops' tour to Guatemala is ready. (ES–EN/ recommendations only) (October)
CIDSE Secretary General attended Pope Francis' visit to the European Parliament. (17/11/2014)
Ahead of the international day for volunteers, Pope Francis met with more than 2000 volunteers from Focsiv, CIDSE’s Italian member. (4/12/2014)
In an open letter to EC President, Jean-Claude Juncker and First Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, CIDSE, together with 19 other civil society organizations, responded to the statement issued by BusinessEurope on 25th November under the heading ‘Business input to the screening exercise by vice-president Timmermans’. See background information. (04/12/2014)
The preliminary report of the second international fact-finding mission on the right to food in Guatemala by APRODEV, CIFCA, CIDSE, TRUST, VIA FARMER and REL-UITA was presented at a Public Forum in Guatemala City on 4 December. (ES)
A CIDSE delegation with southern partner organizations attended the 3^rd UN annual Forum on Business and Human Rights. On this occasion, CIDSE co-organized two side events, on access to justice in the extractives industries and land & environment defenders. The delegation also participated in the strategy meeting of the Treaty Alliance, a coalition of civil society, NGOs and movements working towards an international legally-binding instrument on business & human rights. (Geneva, 01-03/12/2014)
On the occasion of the UN COP20 Climate Conference in Lima/Peru, CIDSE and Caritas Internationalis issued a joint paper “Catholic international organizations facing up to climate change” calling for a firm commitment from governments to put the poor at the center of climate change policy (EN/ES/FR). See press release. Together with CAN-Europe, CIDSE also released a policy paper “Missing pieces: Steps to phasing out dirty fossil fuel subsidies in Europe” which calls on the EU and other developed countries to spearhead the elimination of the use of fossil fuels as soon as possible, and no later than 2050. See press release. Following the high level meeting on “authentic human development and care for creation” called by the Peruvian Bishops’ conference together with CEAS and Caritas Peru and with support from Caritas Internationalis and CIDSE (Lima, 5/12/2014), bishops from all continents issued a joint statement on climate change “From COP 20 to COP21”, calling to keep the global temperature increase below 1.5° C, to protect vulnerable communities, and to build new models of development and lifestyles that are climate compatible and bring people out of poverty.
CIDSE attended the 2^nd round of UN Financing for Development Substantive Informal Sessions. (New York, 9-12/12)

STAFF CHANGES

Kate Durbin, Advocacy Assistant, left the Secretariat on 20 November for Panama. On 2^nd December, Emmanuel (Manny) Yap joined the CIDSE Food and Agriculture team where he will work as a Project Officer. Emmanuel brings with him a lot of experience from the Philippines where he worked as national coordinator of MASIPAG, a small scale farmers’ network and then from his work on participatory approaches to sustainable agriculture and people-led development as a consultant for CIDSE’s German member, MISEREOR.
Cayetana Carrión, Programme Cooperation Officer, is leaving the Secretariat on 19 December for a carrier change. CIDSE’s Senior Policy Advisor, Denise Auclair will accompany the Heads of Programme during the CIDSE strategic planning process together with Edurne Portillo, Programme Assistant. The latter becomes the focal point for the Programme Coordination Project and the Latin America Continental Platform (COPLA), while Stefan Reinhold is taking over EU-Latin America advocacy work and becomes the focal point for the Central America Working Group and CIDSE’s work on an enabling environment.
Markus Drake, CIDSE’s Media and Communications Officer, is leaving the CIDSE Secretariat early January 2015 and will continue in a consultant role. His successor, Valentina Pavarotti, will take up her new functions on 5 January. Valentina has worked previously with ICG Mostra in Brussels and also has experience as a freelance journalist.

The CIDSE team thanks Kate, Cayetana and Markus for their contributions to CIDSE’s work and wishes them all the best for their new personal and professional endeavours. Welcome to Manny and Valentina! The list of all CIDSE staff members with their contact details can be found here.