After launching at Paris Peace Forum 2018, the Together First campaign has been strengthening its coalition and preparing an inclusive process to identify workable global governance solutions.
The UN’s 75th anniversary in autumn 2020 must be the starting point of a global governance transformation. In February, we were encouraged to see the President of the General Assembly appoint Iceland and Singapore as co-facilitators to prepare for the 75th anniversary and we are now pleased to see that the Secretary-General has appointed Fabrizio Hochschild as special envoy to support the process.
We have 18 months to shape the agenda. With your help, we will campaign hard and demand more from the international community to address global problems like climate change, weapons proliferation and cyber security. In the current political context it will be difficult. We need to be solutions-focused and willing to campaign together.
Moving Forward
Between now and May, UNA-UK (which provides the secretariat for Together First) is co-developing a plan for a consultation on reforming global governance with the Global Challenges Foundation. This consultation will prioritise and categorise the best existing ideas for helping our global system better manage catastrophic risks, as well as providing an opportunity for the public and civil society to feed in their ideas.
Together First will be supported by a new online platform and act as an organising platform, supporting campaign actions on the different proposals.
Last month, we were delighted that Together First contributed to a productive programme at the UN Conference on South-South Cooperation in Buenos Aires, represented by Adriana Abdenur, Coordinator of the Peace & Security Division at Instituto Igarapé. You can see the report here.
Last week we were present alongside our partners UN2020 at International Civil Society Week in Belgrade - a global gathering for civil society to connect, debate and create shared solutions. The week’s theme was “Power or Togetherness” – where Together First endorsed the “The Belgrade Call to Action,” which calls on UN member states to take concrete urgent action against the shrinking space for civil society and the increasing reprisals against human rights defenders. Blog post coming shortly - watch this space!
We will also be represented at the inaugural International Day for Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace in New York on 24 April. You will be able to follow the livestream of the event and put your questions to the experts via our social media channels. More information to come shortly, follow all the latest updates and watch out for live coverage at our Twitter page @TogetherFirst.
From June we will be running a solution-oriented consultation and, most importantly, developing our campaign reach in all regions.
Major events on the horizon with Together First participation include:
- International Day for Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, New York (24 April 2019)
- Kofi Annan: his life and legacy, London (3 June 2019)
- Global Policy Dialogue on Global Security, Justice, and Economic Institutions, Stimson Center, Washington DC (5-6 June 2019)
- High Level Political Forum, New York (July 2019)
- 68th United Nations Civil Society Conference, Salt Lake City (26-28 August)
- UN General Assembly week, New York (September 2019)
- Global Policy Dialogue on Climate Governance: Innovating the Paris Agreement & Beyond, Seoul (22 October 2019)
- Paris Peace Forum (11-13 November 2019)
