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Loreto at the UN

Australian Loreto Sister, Anne Kelly ibvm, is the international IBVM Loreto NGO representative at the United Nations, promoting awareness and communicating on issues such as social development, gender equity and human rights.

“Be seekers of truth and doers of justice.”
Mary Ward (1584-1645)

Loreto’s role at the UN

The Loreto Sisters' primary goal at the UN is to work for systemic change to redress the major inequities in our world with a particular focus on the eradication of poverty and the promotion of gender equity for women and girls.

In addition to promoting the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals our focus areas for 2011 are: UN flag

Women’s empowerment
Improved access to education and health for girls
Working to stop trafficking in human persons
Sustainable development
Innovative finance for development
Food and trade
Climate change

Our key responsibilities are:

Gathering information

To keep informed about current UN policies, resolutions, strategies, alliances and directions.
To determine which knowledge is useful and relevant to IBVM members and their colleagues.
To develop communication tools to convey this knowledge in appropriate ways.

Communication

To stimulate interaction between members of IBVM networks concerned with global justice.
To facilitate communication between members and UN agencies, - such as the DPI, UN Women, UNESCO and UNAIDS - and with NGOs concerned about similar issues.

Advocacy

To work collaboratively with members of civil society in keeping poverty eradication and gender equality central to discussions at the UN.
To create supportive events on relevant issues to parallel the activities of major UN commissions and meetings.
Presenting oral and written interventions at major commissions.
Lobbying UN country ambassadors.

Facilitating participation

To inform members of IBVM networks of relevant events and conferences.
To fund attendance at major UN events.
To work collaboratively with others with the same primary goal.

Global awareness

To raise awareness of global issues within our Loreto networks and prompt action.
To make the policies, conventions and resolutions of the UN known throughout Loreto international networks.
To promote an understanding of the interconnectedness of all parts of our planet.

Background

In December 2002, the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Loreto Branch) was granted Associative Status with the Department of Public Information at the United Nations (DPI) as an independent Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).UN flag

The DPI publicises UN activities around the world on issues such as peace and security, economic and social development, human rights and humanitarian affairs. It also promotes UN observances and international years established by the General Assembly to focus world attention on important issues facing humanity.

Associative Status gives the Loreto Sisters access to major UN conferences around the world and to a wealth of materials produced by the UN agencies. It grants the Loreto Sisters attendance at major meetings. This access means we can play an advocacy and communication role on important social issues.

NGOs perform a variety of services and humanitarian functions. They bring citizens' concerns to governments, monitor policies and encourage political participation at the community level. In taking this initiative, the Loreto Sisters, with their grassroots experiences across the world, speak with a collective voice at the United Nations. The words of Nelson Mandela spell out this message:

“In the political tradition that I come from a public speech is the end product of collective effort. The speeches should therefore be seen not as my voice only but that of the liberation movement and as a reflection of the times in which I lived.”

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Find out what you can do

We all have a role to play in issues that affect our world. Simply keeping informed and raising awareness in others is a fantastic first step to cultivating a shared understanding and the need for action. There are many ways that individuals, groups, families, schools and workplaces can do something to stand up for the inequalities and injustices that exist today. What can you do?

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