The United Nations turns 75 this year.
But rather than holding a diamond jubilee bash, the UN is instead embarking on a listening tour, the results of which will be presented to world leaders at the official commemoration of the United Nations anniversary in September.
To mark its 75th anniversary the United Nations have decided to solicit input, advice and recommendations about what matters most to people around the world. The UN is casting a wide net — seeking feedback from as many people in as many communities as possible, all around three overarching questions: What kind of world do we want to create? Are we on track? And what is needed to bridge the gap?
The format in which the UN is seeking feedback varies country-to-country and community to community. There is an online survey available in every language and also in-person consultations, called “Global Dialogues” that are being organized by civil society groups around the world.
The United Nations hosts a global conversation about gender equality
Here in the United States, the United Nations Association of the United States of America, UNA-USA, has organized a series of these global dialogues, including around specific themes important to its members. On April 28th, I served as a moderator for a global dialogue around the theme of gender equality. This gave me an inside look at a global dialogue, and by extension how the United Nations is marking its 75th year. I share this experience in an episode of the Global Dispatches podcast.
To set the stage for a consultation focused on gender equality, I kick off with an interview with Michelle Milford Morse, who is the UN Foundation’s Vice President for Girls and Women Strategy. She explains the significance of a 1995 UN meeting on women and gender equality which resulted in a key document called the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. We discuss progress and the lack there of on gender equality since that meeting, including how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting gender equality.
Then, after speaking with her for about 15 minutes, the consultation begins. This involved the audience answering a series of about 10 questions on the future of gender equality. I have included a sample of the questions and audience answers in this special episode of the podcast. These answers are then reported back to the United Nations, and will inform a report presented at the official commemoration of UN75.
If you want an inside look at how the United Nations is commemorating its 75th anniversary, have a listen.
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