Swords into plowshares
About this blog
Swords into Plowshares is the blog of the Peacemaking Program and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations of the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Seeking peace. Striving for justice. Together.
Recent posts
- Three Prayer Concerns - May 23
- Summer 2013 intern at the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations - Brendan Welsh
- Summer 2013 intern at the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations - Marissa Costello
- Hold Sudanese Human Rights Violators Accountable!
- US remarks at high-level talks on trafficking
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Archives
Posts with tag: general assembly
May 16, 2013US remarks at high-level talks on trafficking
Remarks by Luis CdeBaca, Ambassador-at-Large Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the high-level meeting on the Appraisal of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
AS DELIVERED
Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I’m pleased to join so many partners and stakeholders today to discuss progress and the path forward on our shared commitment to combat modern slavery, what we also call trafficking in persons. We’re here today because modern slavery is a crime that hurts our countries and communities. It rips families apart, undermines the rule of law, creates instability ...
April 2, 2013
UN Arms Trade Treaty passed
Today, the United Nations General Assembly passed the Arms Trade Treaty. The final text of the treaty and a UN News articale can be read here.
Below is a statement by US Secretary of State Kerry on today’s treaty.
STATEMENT BY SECRETARY KERRY
Historic Outcome of the Arms Trade Treaty Conference
The United States is pleased that the United Nations General Assembly has approved a strong, effective and implementable Arms Trade Treaty that can strengthen global security while protecting the sovereign right of states to conduct legitimate arms trade.
The Treaty adopted today will establish a common international standard ...
November 29, 2012
General Assembly grants Palestine non-member observer State status at UN
Today, the United Nations General Assembly grants Palestine non-member observer State status at UN. The vote passed with 138 members voting in favor, 9 against, and the remaining abstaining.
I had the unique opportunity to spend the day starting with the Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and then with the UN General Assembly for the vote.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was recognized as a leader on Israel-Palestine peace and justice issues.
Below is a story from UN News Service:
29 November 2012 – The General Assembly today voted to grant Palestine non-member observer State status ...
October 1, 2012
Presbyterian engagement at the United Nations General Assembly
Last week, New York City welcomed world leaders to the 67th United Nations General Assembly. The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations was active in raising the voice of Presbyterians from here in the United States as well as those of our partners in the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
- Worshiped with world leaders at the opening prayer service for the United Nations General Assembly.
- Empowering Youth dialogue with the President Lobo of Honduras and the Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations.
- Official NGO observer to the General Debate with heads of state or government.
- Met ...
September 25, 2012
President Obama addresses the UN General Assembly
President Obama and other world leaders are in town this week for the 67th United Nations General Assembly. I had the opportunity to join the President and others in the opening of the General Debate this morning. Below is President Obama's speech.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
Remarks by the President to the UN General Assembly
United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York
10:22 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentleman: I would like to begin today by telling you about an American named Chris Stevens.
Chris ...
September 13, 2012
UN visit from the National Evangelical Synod of Syria & Lebanon
Yesterday, the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations welcomed our partners from the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon to advocate with governments of the United Nations Security Council. Each representative we met received a package including letters from the Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, stories of what is happening to Christians in Syria, the PC(USA)’s history in the region as well as a copy of the PC(USA)’s policy adopted by the 220th General Assembly (2012). Presbyterian Disaster Assistance coordinates the PC(USA) response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
In each of ...
August 10, 2012
World Humanitarian Day
August 19 marks World Humanitarian Day. Today, I will join the United Nations General Assembly and Beyonce in celebrating and remembering the lives of those who lost theirs in humanitarian service and for those who continue to do humanitarian work. To read a description of World Humanitarian Day, read the UN statement below.
In December 2008, the sixty-third session of the UN General Assembly decided to designate 19 August as World Humanitarian Day.
19 August is the date on which a brutal terrorist attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003 killed 22 people, including UN envoy Sergio Vieira de ...
July 1, 2012
Equipping the Church for Ministry with God's Diverse Family
Saturday morning, 30 June, brought Riverside Conversations (beside the Allegheny just above its confluence with the Monongehala) at the 220 General Assembly (2012) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The Riverside Conversations is a pre-assembly experience for commissioners and advisory delegates. Commissioners and advisory delegates will begin engaging the key issues before the General Assembly, encountering each other and listening for God’s Spirit of discernment as a gathering body.
Irene Pak and I (the photo of us is by Bruce Reyes-Chow) led the conversation on Equipping the Church for Ministry with God's Diverse Family. The description of ...
July 1, 2012
220th General Assembly (2012)
The 220th General Assembly (2012) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) began yesterday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Find a variety of ways to follow the business of the General Assembly (the next few days are spent in committees - we are Presbyterian).
June 21, 2012
War and peace in Afghanistan
The 219th General Assembly (2010) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved an overture “On the War in Afghanistan.”
Through this overture, the General Assembly directed that “materials appropriate for studying the effects of the present war in Afghanistan and of non-combative actions the United States might take in pursuit of the region’s stability, prosperity, and peace” should be made available to presbyteries and congregations. Such materials and resources include:
- Afghanistan - Friends Committee on National Legislation
- Afghanistan – United States Institute for Peace
- Afghanistan & Pakistan Peace Process – 3P Security
- Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program – International Security Assistance Force ...
June 21, 2012
Seeking peace in Colombia
The 219th General Assembly (2010) approved an overture “On Assisting with a Process for Negotiation of a Peace Accord in Colombia.”
The action directed “the Stated Clerk of the PC(USA) to write the administration of President Barack Obama and the Congress of the United States of America seeking the permanent suspension of the U.S. military use of seven Colombian bases initiated in 2009.”
The General Assembly further directed “appropriate offices of the General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) to work with ecumenical partners to monitor and post periodic updates on the impact of United States military use of ...
October 31, 2011
Launch of the International Year of Cooperatives
Today, the United Nations General Assembly will launch the International Year of the Cooperatives. Mongolia has sponsored the resolution to designate 2012 as the International Year.
Today, I join colleagues from the world governments and non-governmental organizations at this launch. This afternoon, the former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP will join H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General , Dame Pauline Green, Cooperative Representative and member states will join for the launch.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will celebrate this year with the Presbyterian Ministry at the ...
September 20, 2011
United Nations General Assembly is underway
The United Nations General Assembly continued today. United States Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Suzan Johnson Cook met with religious leaders to dialouge about her work within the Obama administration. I had the pleasure to meet with Ambassador Johnson Cook today. The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations looks forward to working closely with Ambassador Johnson Cook's office to support religious freedom around the world.
President Obama made two statements today, one on partnerships and the other on the situation in Libya.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made a statement on the role of women in ...
September 19, 2011
UN General Assembly Begins
The 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly is underway. Today, delegates focused their attention on non-communicable diseases. The President of Kenya explained to the General Assembly actions being taken to address these diseases in his country. Over the next days, other heads of state including U.S. President Barack Obama will arrive in New York to address the General Assembly.
For more information, visit:
CNN: UN General Assembly: A Viewers Guide
Stay tuned to the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations Facebook and Twitter accounts for up-to-date information.
September 11, 2011
Remembering September 11
Ryan Smith- Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Christine Mangale- Lutheran World Federation, Joseph Donnelly- Caritas Internationalis. Photo By Alisha Rodriguez
On Friday, the President of the United Nations General Assembly welcomed distinguished guests from around the world to commemorate the attacks of September 11, 2001. Joining the President of the General Assembly were the Deputy Secretary General as well as the US Ambassador to the United Nations. I joined ecumenical colleagues in prayer and remembrance that day at the United Nations.
Today, I had the opportunity to worship with First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn. Moderator of the General Assembly of ...
June 6, 2011
UN and religious freedom
The United Nations Human Rights Council and the General Assembly have encouraged the continuing efforts in all parts of the world of the Special Rapporteur [for religious freedom and belief] to examine incidents and governmental actions that are incompatible with the provisions of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and to recommend remedial measures as appropriate (Human Rights Council resolution 6/37 and General Assembly resolution 61/161).
To expedite his work, the Special Rapporteur for religious freedom and belief has developed a model questionnaire that can be ...
August 9, 2010
Nonviolent Peaceforce at 30th Anniversary Celebration
Mel Duncan, founder and special projects director of the Nonviolent Peaceforce, speaks at the 30th Anniversary Celebration of Peacemaking: The Believers' Calling sponsored by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program during the 219th General Assembly (2010). The Nonviolent Peaceforce received a small...
July 11, 2010
Pastoral Letter from General Assembly
The 219th General Assembly (2010) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has ended. A number of posts will follow with information about the various actions of the assembly related to peace, peacemaking, justice, and justice seeking. For a start, here's information...
June 17, 2010
Prayer Partners for General Assembly
As in past years, the General Assembly Committee On Local Arrangements is recruiting Presbyterians to serve as prayer partners for each of the commissioners and advisory delegates. Several hundred more people are needed who will agree to pray each day...
July 10, 2008
Talk, Not War with Iran
The dangerous climate created by the current tensions between the United States and Iran could lead to war. Both governments need to commit to diplomatic talks to ease the tensions and reduce the likelihood of armed conflict. Seymour Hersh reports...
June 20, 2008
Many Knew the Way (to San Jose)
The Presbyterians are gathering. Many commissioners, advisory delegates, advocates, observers and others have arrived in San Jose. Meetings have begun. The exhibit hall looks ready to go. Registration begins in earnest in the morning (Friday 20 June). Friday afternoon will...