Flawed though it is, I think that we have to support the UN, the only place where all countries of the world can have a voice.
The 3 years I spent in New York as the first IBVM United Nations (UN) NGO Representative were both challenging and exciting. As an NGO affiliated with the Department of Public Information, our responsibility was to promote the United Nations and as the representative, my responsibility was to bring the grassroots voices and experience of our Sisters to the table at the UN.
A big challenge was learning to navigate the complexity of the UN system and dispelling the myth that the UN was ineffective. It was important to educate people about the disjoint between the political dimension of the UN and the vitally important role played by UN staff and agencies in the field. It was fascinating to see how hard Secretary General Kofi Anan and fellow Canadian, Louise Arbour (Human Rights Commissioner) worked at reforming certain aspects of the UN with varying degrees of success.
The support of General Leadership, including annual meetings with both IBVM and Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) Councils in Rome, invitations to the annual Extended Leadership Meetings, and close liaison with Pat Murray ibvm was vey helpful. Largely due to Pat and Monica Affonso, many IBVMs from all Regions and Provinces came to New York for a hands-on experience at the UN. The most significant was the gathering of JPIC reps for the annual UN Department of Public Information (now Department of Global Communications) Conference. We also had the opportunity to discuss and plan on how to move forward and involve Sisters and colleagues at the local level to support the UN NGO Office, and help in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
For me, outreach to Provinces and Regions was facilitated by invitations to visit and meet with Sisters, speak to Alumnae, and make presentations in Loreto Schools in the United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland, South Africa and attend the World Social Forum in Kenya. Several individual Sisters “en route” through the US also came to spend a couple of days. A very helpful contact was Judith Mbuka, a past pupil of Msongari, who was Ambassador to the UN from Kenya. Another was Maria Pablo Romero from Spain who had multiple contacts at the UN.
The annual UN DPI Conference provided opportunities to co-sponsor “side events” and bring grass roots voices to the attention of the UN. The first for us was a Panel Discussion on “Education of the Girl Child: Key to Keeping Millennium Promises”. Two of the three panelists were Cyril Mooney ibvm (grass roots), and the Honorable Jean Augustine, first black woman member of Parliament and Minister of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women. Cyril was one of three out of hundreds of participants who was invited to make a statement to the Assembly at the end of the Conference. Subsequently, we brought grassroots experts in our network to the UN DPI Conferences in Australia and Germany.
During one of the Commission on the Status of Women we hosted a presentation on the Eradication of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by Ephigenia Gachiri ibvm. For the first time ever, FGM was mentioned in the Statement at the end of the Session. Ephigenia was invited to return the next year by the representative of the World Council of Churches and did so.
Weekly briefings offered by the UN NGO Committee were enlightening and disturbing. Watching the NGO presenters “walking on ice” while trying to give accurate reporting without treading on the toes of Government Representatives was entertaining but very sad. How Governments can be proud of themselves while multitudes of their citizens live in fear and destitution was mystifying and listening to them defend themselves was painful. Only the NGOs who had been expelled could afford to be blunt; the others would have put their people at risk.
Flawed though it is, I think that we have to support the UN, the only place where all countries of the world can have a voice. We need to nag at our Governments to stand for the “common good” at the UN and not just promote their own interests. We need to demand that our Governments keep the promises they make at the UN and provide UN Agencies with the funding they need to do the job of caring for and protecting the most vulnerable people in the world.
After leaving the UN, I was able to accompany many student groups who went to New York for a visit to the UN and for a three day workshop. These young people came home to become champions of the UN for its work in human development. To me this is a powerful tool for promoting Catholic Social Thought and educating young leaders who will make the world a better place for all and not just for a privileged few.
Should IBVM be at the United Nations? In my opinion, YES!
Author: Evanne Hunter IBVM (First IBVM UNNGO Representative to the UN)
