Ahead of United Nations (UN) Civil Society Conference in Niarobi, Kenya, and Summit of the Future, in May and September, 2024, respectively, the Nigerian Core Group has made a six-point demand for global action to ensure affordable education, end to hunger and unhindered movement of persons and goods in Africa, among others.
The demands were the resolutions of a meeting of the Nigerian Civil Society, which was held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Nigerian Civil Society consisting of the Co-chair, Budget and Fundraising of the Conference and the International President of the Global NGO Executive Committee in partnership with Chair of the Exhibit Subcommittee of the Conference and President, Women Against Violence and Exploitation (WAVE) Foundation, met with other NGOs and groups comprising the Global Harmony Envoy International Initiative, the Amina Agbo Foundation, the African Scholars Case Initiative, the Magdala Unity Foundation, the Ahmad Uthman Foundation, amongst others, on Wednesday, April 1, 2024 at GHEII Secretariat in Abuja and resolved to pursue the listed demands or agenda in Nairobi towards the empowerment of Nigerians and Africans at large.
The 2024 United Nations Civil Society Conference will hold between May 9-10, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, while the Summit of the Future will take place between September 22-23, 2024, at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The Summit of the Future is seen as an important moment to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively tackle current challenges as well as those that have emerged in recent years or may be yet over the horizon.
According to a statement jointly signed by Uwem Otu, International President, Global NGO Executive Committee; Arc. Lola Ibrahim, President, Women Against Violence and Exploitation (WAVE) Foundation; Rita Oyoku, CEO, Global Harmony Envoy International Initiative; Dr Sarah Ogah-Aduwari, CEO, The Amina Agbo Foundation; Joy Osomtamhe, Founding Partner, The African Scholars Case Initiative, and DCNS Eunice Ogunsakim, Director, Magdala Unity Foundation, for and on behalf of the Nigerian Stakeholders Group for the 2024 United Nations Civil Society Conference, they said the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference in Support of the Summit of the Future to be held in Nairobi on 9-10 May under the title “Shaping a Future of Global and Sustainable Progress”, is the premier event in the civil society calendar at the United Nations ahead of the Summit of the Future later in 2024.
“Drawing on the history of the civil society’s presence in San Francisco at the founding of the United Nations, the Civil Society Conference in Nairobi is an opportunity to showcase civil society as an essential partner in this global endeavor to safeguard the future of people and planet.
“This global civil-society convened, multistakeholder conference previously called the DPINGO conference had been held under the auspices of the Global NGO Executive Committee (GNEC) then called DPINGO and the UN Department of Global Communications then called Department of Public Information.
“This conference now welcomes other NGOs Stakeholders, academia, think tanks, Member States, media, private sector, change makers and leaders from diverse groups to increase awareness, ambition and accountability for the Summit of the Future, act on and push forward big-ticket reforms proposed in consensus language of the Pact , and to innovate the way civil society and other stakeholders interact with intergovernmental processes.
“We call for immediate global action to:
“1) Ensure that education is affordable, qualitative and impactful across board.
“2) Enforce freedom of movement for people and goods in Africa (ONE VISA).
“3) Catalytic action to harmonise currency disparities in Africa and to come up with a unified currency and monetary system with checks and balances against money laundering and illicit financial flows.
“4) Migration should be a human right. We demand action to stem illegal migration and the perils of sea expeditions. We call for a collective global action to treat all human beings (migrants or not) in fairness.
“5) Call to action for strong enforceable irrevocable action against Financial Exports and looting of public funds to overseas countries and accounts.
“6) We remind us all that there is severe hunger and desperation across Africa and globally thus there is an urgent need for Agricultural Investments for all people’s towards food production and security.”