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.
by Brendan Welsh
Today, the High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda met to discuss their report, and answer questions from representatives of various countries, NGOs, and various government agencies. Michael Anderson, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on the UN Development Goals began by introducing the five Transformative Shifts laid out in the report:
1. Leave no one behind
2. Sustainable Development at the Core
3. Transform Economies for Jobs and Inclusive Growth
4. Build Peace and Effective, Open, and Accountable Public Institutions
5. Forge a New Global Partnership
Anderson added that the report, “isn’t a set of legally-binding ...
Today is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. We give thanks for the work all those who work for peace everywhere. We pray for the day that peace does not need to be kept but rather prevails.
Below is a statement by US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice:
Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, On the International Day of UN Peacekeepers
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
May 29, 2013
On International Day of UN Peacekeepers, the United States honors the brave men and women who serve ...
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 ...
An estimated 1.2 million children all over the world are annually exploited through prostitution, pornography, and trafficking. Some travelers use tours and hotels as venues to exploit children. Without clear policies and training, staff are not equipped to identify and react to such behavior. You can take a stand against the sexual exploitation of children by informing companies about their vulnerability in the tourism industry.
The Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct is the only internationally accepted framework that sets a standard of responsible business practices to effectively crack down on the sexual exploitation of children. To date, over 1 ...
Below is a message from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on World Malaria Day.
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
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MESSAGE ON WORLD MALARIA DAY
25 April 2013
Since world leaders adopted the Millennium Development Goals in 2000, a broad partnership of governments, United Nations entities, philanthropies and businesses has combined to protect hundreds of millions of people from malaria. Increased international funding, matched by growing political commitment in endemic countries, triggered a massive increase in preventive interventions and expanded access to diagnostic testing and life-saving medicines, averting more than a million deaths.
The MDG target of halting and reversing the incidence of malaria is ...