UN Civil Society Conference Yields Woke Outcome Document
2024 UN Civil Society Town Hall
Several weeks ago, the UN hosted a two-day conference in Nairobi welcoming over 2,000 civil society representatives to engage with UN stakeholders and share their thoughts on the future of multilateralism, and the role of the UN in safeguarding a “better tomorrow.” The outcome of the conference came in the form of a 40-page document, the ImPact of the Future Outcome Package, sharing key takeaways from workshops and plenary meetings, as well as a post hoc reflection from the organizers.
The lack of diversity of thought is reflected in the overly progressive outcome package asking for mainstreaming of sexual and reproductive rights (a euphemism often used to promote abortion access as a human right), recognition of “gender diverse people” as a special category worthy of protection, as well the several Critical Theory-inspired talking points such as dismantling entranced patriarchal norms and encouraging a “speaking truth to power” ethos. Someone should remind these people that they are, in fact, the power! The political and economic establishments of the world’s richest countries are in strong support of the progressive, globalist agenda.
Photo taken at the Rockefeller Center, New York City, June 4th
Below you can find some of the Civil Society Recommendations on the 5 Chapters of the Pact for the Future, Declaration on Future Generations, and Global Digital Compact, along with my “translation” cutting through diplomatic verbiage to what each provision could reasonably be interpreted to actually mean.
Chapter 1: Sustainable development and financing for development
Provision: “The chapter must strongly highlight the need to strengthen the linkage between development and the implementation of human rights obligations.”
Translation: We want to make sure that all countries comply with our expansive understanding of the International Declaration of Human Rights that adds new rights that have no consensus or basis in international law, such as the right to abortion.
Chapter 2: International peace and security
Provision: “Military expenditures should be redirected towards gender-transformative sustainable development and feminist peace based on social justice.”
Translation: To prevent wars, stop investing in your military and let women negotiate! Perhaps thinking this provision completely overlooks the current world order and the prima face right and necessity of sovereign nations to build the necessary military capability to defend themselves against external attacks is just another example of patriarchal reasoning.
Chapter 3: Science, technology, and innovation, and digital cooperation & the Global Digital Compact
Provision: “It should be acknowledged the lack of civil societies’ voices, compared to the private sector’s, in negotiations and development thus far in digital technological regulatory and legal policies worldwide, especially the voices of marginalized and underrepresented communities with intersectional identities.”
Translation: We will continue to call for the inclusion of any given subcategory of people as long as they are not conservative!
Chapter 4: Youth and future generations & the Declaration on Future Generations
Provision: “Sexual health and reproductive rights should be mainstreamed in the Pact.”
Translation: We want to make sure abortion access is widespread and referred to as an international human right.
Chapter 5: Transforming global governance
Provision 1: “A UN Civil Society Envoy should be appointed to proactively improve the UN's involvement in civil society and other stakeholders…A UN Parliamentary Assembly should be set up to include citizen-elected representatives in the work of the UN…A Global Citizens Assembly should be created to provide a deliberative space to ordinary people.”
Translation: We want more progressive civil society input to affirm the agenda we already set in place.
Provision 2:“Civil society voiced the need for greater inclusion, including gender equality, the rights of people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ backgrounds to be further incorporated in the outcomes of the Summit of the Future.”
Translation: The Summit of the Future is not sexually progressive enough.
Workshops
Here are some other “takeaways” from the package, coming out of a workshop entitled Connecting National and Global Visions for Gender and Reproductive Justice, co-hosted by Fòs Feminista Alliance and UN Women, among other groups:
“#WeCommit to diverse and intersectional feminist Global South analysis on lessons learned from past global commitments and how multilateral solutions can create equitable futures that achieve gender justice for future generations and advance the rights of all women, girls, and gender-diverse people on the ground.”
“Since the Pact does not have a standalone chapter on gender equality, using an intersectional justice lens to discuss gender equality, land & natural resources rights, SRHR and bodily autonomy as intersecting and cross-cutting priorities for the Pact, SOTF, and an agenda beyond 2030.”
