Updates on our presence at the UN…
Jun Mercado, OMI – JPIC Director
Beginning the first week of November 2004, we have operationalized our “OMI-JPIC Office at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. We have one lay volunteer (thanks to UNANIMA International – a group of about 10 women religious institutes at the UN) who attends UN meetings and the five UN working groups where we have registered as members.
Our volunteer is Markus Erik Frensch, a young German who speaks German, English and Spanish. He has a master degree in Sociology and with background studies both in Philosophy and Theology at the Universidad Centro Americana in El Salvador, CA. He presently works part time for the Homeless Organizations in New York and for many months also a volunteer for UNANIMA International whose main point person is Sr. Ana Maria Martinez de Luco (a Verdun Sister who was the Coordinator of the Campus Ministry at Notre Dame University during my other life as University President).
Markus (OMI “International”) is joining a UN NGO team of “supermen” and “superwoman” - Sr. Ana Maria of UNANIMA International and Fr. Daniel Leblanc, OMI of the Franciscan International. They participate as a team in the same UN working groups thus their presence, work and advocacy are very much felt.
We (Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate as accredited NGO at the UN Department of Public Information) have registered in the following UN Working Groups:
- The UN Working Group on HIV/AIDS;
- The UN Working Group on Indigenous Peoples;
- The UN Working Group on Social Development;
- The UN Working Group on the Millennium Development Goals;
- The UN Working Group on Human Rights.
The UN structures operate through the different committees and the “work horses” of these committees are called the “Working Groups”. In UN Bodies and Committees, the real participants are the state actors with a “token recognition” of the NGOs with ECOSOC (Economic Social Council) status.
On the other hand, in the UN Working Groups, the NGOs, both the accredited and those that enjoy ECOSOC status, participate in the debates and the shaping of the draft documents for the UN Committees and Bodies. It is actually in the working groups that the real actions happen. In the UN Bodies and Committees, the state actors vote or introduce amendments to the working drafts produced by the UN Working Groups.
Markus sends to me the “minutes” of the meetings as well as agenda for debates of the Working groups. Our formidable team at the UN also participates in the association of religious institutes that are accredited at the UN. They call themselves as Religious at the United Nations or RUN. I can send these minutes and agenda on request – simply send me an email request at [email protected] .
To date, we have three very important documents for discussion at the level of the UN Working Group. These are the following:
- The Talking Points on the Indigenous Peoples;
- The Talking Points on HIV/AIDS;
- The Talking Points on the MDGs.
If you work in these areas, you need to get hold of these documents… discuss them in your group or centers and send to us your input. I have at the moment the English versions. Markus will send me the Spanish and the French versions. All these documents, I will make available in our Justice and Peace Web page that is presently being updated.
If you happen to visit New York, you may contact our three very hard-working people who compose our “unofficial” working team for some discussion and sharing over a cup of coffee.