Women’s Federation for World Peace International UN Office Geneva Annual Report 2023 — Carolyn Handschin

UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (52nd session) Venue : Geneva Output : Contributed official written and oral statements at the HRC, focusing on obstacles faced by women, especially for the biennial session on the Right to Development

UN HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNSHIP (5th Edition) Venue : Online Output : Published online Journal with extensive research on the issues of women’s rights abuse and constructive recommendations. Also conducted advocacy at the UNHRC along with an online Youth Forum Participants : 5 young professionals from 4 countries.

UN Commission on the Status of Women 67 Venue : Online Output : Hosted side events and conducted Consultation Day as the President (Mrs. Handschin) of NGO CSW Geneva engaged with actors; UN Women, High Commissioner for Human Rights, on CSW67 theme; ”Education in digital age for achieivng gender equality”. Cohosted CSW Advocacy Training for youth and grassroots with the WFWPI UN office New York for 50 int’l participants. Parallel event on Women’s DMZ Peace Zone. Participants : Youth, Grassroots activists, UN Human Rights Advocates, Ambassadors, Government Officials, etc.

UN Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development (7th session) Venue : New York, Output : Contributed through official written and oral statements at the formal sessions, to the debates and process for the UN Summit of the Future preparations. WFWPI UN GE Srruthi Lehka invited by OHCHR as speaker.

May - August 2023

UN INTERGOVERNMENTAL MEETING ON THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT (24th session) Venue : UN Geneva Output : Contributed through official written and oral statements at the formal sessions, to the debates and process of building the International Convention on the Right to Development, developed to being a binding milestone human rights instrument, and serving as a mediator between governments of the global north and global south.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNSHIP (6th Edition) Venue : Online Output : Published online Journal with extensive research on the issues of women’s rights abuse and constructive recommendations. Also conducted advocacy at the UNHRC along with an online Youth Forum Participants : 3 young professionals from 4 countries.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (53rd Session) Venue : Geneva Output : Contributed official written and oral statements at the HRC, focusing on obstacles faced by women, especially the importance of Women’s Leadership in Peace-building

September 2023 - December 2023

YOUTH PEACE CONFERENCE SERIES (3rd Edition) Venue : Geneva Output : WFWPI UN Office Geneva organized the WFWP Youth Peace Conference - the role of technology to promote peace and protect human rights, with various special sessions during the conference. This included interactive sessions with experts on the issues of concern, diplomacy, Peace building measures, etc. A Peace accord was achieved with written resolutions for peace and reconciliation. Participants : Youth from 10 countries

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UN HUMAN RIGHTS Council Side event Venue : UN Headquarters Geneva Output : hosted a side event at the UN Human Rights Council on the need for reforms in development cooperation through the Right to Development Approach moderated by the UN Office of the High Commissioner, with a panelist including the Ambassador of Azerbaijan and the Director of South Centre.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (54th session) Venue : Geneva Output : Contributed official written and oral statements at the HRC, focusing on obstacles faced by women, especially focusing the impact of women’s inclusive policies on protecting the environment and to promote sustainability

UN EXPERT MECHANISM ON THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT (8th session) : Venue : UN Headquarters Geneva Output : Contributed official written and oral statements at the EMRTD, focusing on the role of Women and CSO in promoting Women’s rights as a panelist by Mrs. Carolyn Handschin at a panel with the UN Independent Expert on the Right to Development and Ambassador of Costa Rica.

UN ADVOCACY WORKSHOP AND UN SOCIAL FORUM Venue : Geneva Output : The workshop was organised parallel to the UN Social Forum 2023. The venue for the workshop was the WFWPI UN Office Geneva. The workshop covered topics such as : Introduction to Advocacy at the UN, The role of youth and their leadership at the UN, Obstacles for Youth leadership, Global Citizenship, Public Speaking, Negotiation/ Mediation and Strategy building. The agenda involved the participation of the youth in the Social Forum at the UNOG who delivered statements as delegates of WFWPI, meeting with officials from UN Women, OHCHR, etc. Participants : 12 young professionals from 10 countries, 4 regions.

UN SOCIAL FORUM SIDE EVENT Venue : UN Headquarters Geneva Output : The side event was held in partnership with the Equal Opportunities office of the city of Kleve, Germany on the topic of localising SDGs for protecting and promoting human rights. With young leaders from Albania, Moldova, Ghana, Germany, India and the United States of America, this was a youth led panel. The event also launched the “Localising SDGs report” and the “2023 Youth Peace Conference” Resolution.

Accomplishments In 2023, we made a substantial impact by connecting with over 200 young individuals through diverse programs aimed at empowering youth. These initiatives encompassed comprehensive training sessions such as the Youth Training on UN Advocacy, Curriculum Training, Human Rights Internship Program, Youth Peace Conference, and the Youth Conference for UN CSW.

The WFWPI UN Office in Geneva orchestrated the highly successful WFWP Youth Peace Conference, which centered on leveraging technology to foster peace and safeguard human rights. The conference featured specialized sessions with experts covering pertinent topics like diplomacy, peace-building measures, and interactive discussions on pressing concerns. Notably, the conference culminated in a Peace accord with documented resolutions for peace and reconciliation.

The participants of our UN Advocacy training program held at the UN in Geneva reported that it was their inaugural experience in such a professional setting. This program not only provided skill development but also offered them a platform to represent WFWPI as delegates at the UN Social Forum 2023, enabling them to voice their aspirations for a better world at the UN.

Our involvement in UN Advocacy, specifically at the UN Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development and the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, resulted in valuable contributions being consistently included in the formal reports of the UN. These contributions significantly focused on protecting both development and human rights.

Additionally, we hosted a compelling side event at the UN Human Rights Council that highlighted the imperative need for reforms in development cooperation through the Right to Development Approach. This event was moderated by the UN Office of the High Commissioner and featured distinguished panelists, including the Ambassador of Azerbaijan and the Director of the South Centre.

NGO CSW Geneva 2024 Under the leadership of WFWPI President Carolyn Handschin, the UN NGO Committee on the Status of Women Geneva organized impactful programs, including three Ambassadors Breakfast Briefingsand 50th Anniversary event with dignitaries hosted by thecity of Geneva.

The breakfast discussions addressed crucial themes such as “Access to Technology for Women and Girls,” “Ending the Cycle of Poverty,” and “Ensuring the Right to Food and Clean Water.” These sessions provided a platform for open dialogue with Ambassadors and Heads of UN entities.

Additionally, the 50th Anniversary Event on the International Day of Peace featured a keynote by Ms. Handschin, interviews with women pioneers, a panel with CEDAW & UNWOMEN and messages from member organizations, (Moriko Hori)of WFWPI, and a reflecting on the committee’s legacy, in advocating for women / girls.

Carolyn Handschin International Vice President Director, Offices for United Nations Relations

Srruthi Lekha Raaja Elango Assistant to the Director, Human Rights and Development Programme Coordinator