Call for Communications: Allegations of human rights violations affecting the status of women

Worldwide, 26 June - 1 August 2012
Host / Sponsor: CSW

Individuals, non-governmental organizations, groups and networks are invited to submit written communications—including, but not limited to, complaints, appeals and petitions—to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) with information on alleged injustices and human rights violations against women in any country. Examples of claims include arbitrary arrests of women, domestic violence, unfair employment practices and discrimination against women under immigration and nationality laws.

The deadline to submit such communications is 1 August 2012.

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Findings from these inputs will be used by UN Women to inform two UN Secretary-General's reports for the 57th Commission on the Status of Women and guide the discussion of CSW members. They will also be published online in a report on the key themes of the discussion.

UN Women encourages and welcomes all those who work in this field to take part in the consultation, contribute your views and experiences, and help to enrich the discussion that will feed into CSW 57.

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World Breastfeeding Week

Worldwide, 1-7 August 2012
Host / Sponsor: WHO, UNICEF

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 170 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by WHO and UNICEF policy-makers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

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International Youth Day 2012 Google+ Hangouts

Worldwide, 8-10 August 2012
Host / Sponsor: UN Desa

As a means to celebrating International Youth Day 2012, which officially falls on Sunday 12 August, UN DESA will hold a series of six Google+ Hangouts leading up to the Day on 8, 9 and 10 August on themes related to the priority areas of the Secretary-General's Five-year Action Agenda and the development of a UN System Wide Action Plan on Youth, namely:

• Employment;
• Entrepreneurship;
• Education, including on sexual and reproductive health;
• Political Inclusion;
• Citizenship;
• and Protection of rights.

Using the interactive forum Google+ Hangout, each Hangout will host 5-6 participants ranging from United Nations experts, Member States, the private sector, academia and of course young people themselves. To learn more about the participants and how you can join, click read more below.

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International Day of the World's Indigenous People

Worldwide, 9 August 2012
Host / Sponsor: United Nations

The International Day of the World's Indigenous People (9 August) was first proclaimed by the General Assembly in December 1994, to be celebrated every year during the first International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995 – 2004).

The focus of this year's International Day is "Indigenous Media, Empowering Indigenous Voices".

The theme aims to highlight the importance of indigenous media in challenging stereotypes, forging indigenous peoples' identities, communicating with the outside world, and influencing the social and political agenda.

A special event at UN Headquarters in New York on 9 August will feature speakers and videos of indigenous media organizations, with a live webcast. On Twitter, use #UNIndigenousDay for regular updates and for sending questions to panel members in the days leading up to and during the event.

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> Press Release
> UN Secretary-General's Message

World Humanitarian Day

Worldwide, 19 August 2012
Host / Sponsor: United Nations

In an effort to raise public awareness of humanitarian assistance worldwide and the people who risk their lives in order to provide it, the General Assembly has designated 19 August as World Humanitarian Day. Every day humanitarian aid workers help millions of people around the world, regardless of who they are and where they are. World Humanitarian Day is a global celebration of people helping people. The 2012 Theme: "I Was Here"

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> World Humanitarian Day 2012 video message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
> Beyoncé joins global aid organizations to highlight World Humanitarian Day, 19 August 2012

First Regional Forum on Gender Equality in Private and Public Companies

Mexico City, Mexico, 28-29 August 2012
Host / Sponsor: UNDP, National Women´s Institute (INMUJERES)

Since 2003 more than 1400 companies have been certified with a Gender Equality Seal in five countries in Latin America. This is the result of the efforts of a number of organizations - Public and private companies, Gender Equality Machineries, Ministries of Labor and Corporate Social Responsibility organizations - aimed at reducing gender inequalities at the workplace through the implementation of Certification Programmes for Gender Equality Management Systems, known as Gender Equality Seals.

The "Gender Equality Seal" Community of Practice, composed of 12 governmental Institutions in the region and facilitated by the Gender Practice Area of UNDP-RSCLAC, will convene the First Regional Forum on Gender Equality in Private and Public Companies, on August 28-29, 2012 in Mexico City. It is convened in partnership with the National Women´s Institute (INMUJERES) from Mexico and with the support of the Spain-UNDP Fund, AECID.

The Forum aims to contribute to regional dialogue and exchanges for gender equality analysis and action in public and private companies in the region.

The Forum will focus its keynote lectures and discussions on:

• The impact of gender equality on corporate productivity and competitiveness.
• Reconciliation among personal, family and work life and corporate social responsibility. Progress, challenges and new initiatives.
• Women in decision-making positions in the corporate sector. Gender equality in career development.
• Strategies to end sexual harassment and mobbing in the workplace.

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The aim of the project is to identify opportunities through innovative tools that promote intercultural dialogue, drawing on unique cultural resources and experiences of developers around the world. Five finalist apps and games will be selected by an international jury, awarded funds for producers to refine their creations and played by delegates of the 5th Annual UNAOC Forum in Vienna, Austria, 27-28 February 2013. The global competition will accept submissions through the end of November 2012.

The UNAOC and its organizing partners want to encourage developers to think of ways that new apps and games can be used to support such pursuits as gender equality, youth development, migrant integration, religious pluralism, better understanding among individuals of different cultural and religious backgrounds, biased media representation of cultures and religions, and education.

Developers may register to participate in the competition between 27 July and 30 November 2012 at http://www.CreateUNAOC.org.

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