- Jubilee USA petition to the International Monetary Fund: Protect vulnerable, prevent financial crisis as COVID-19 spreads
- New Humanity for a United World petition to the UN Secretary-General and European institutions to lift embargoes on medical care and financial transactions to allow for restocking of vital medical supplies in Syria
- Civil Society Action Committee (co-convened by NGO Committee on Migration, International Catholic Migration Commission, and International Council of Voluntary Agencies) COVID-19 Global Civil Society Statement, urgently calling on UN Member States and government authorities at all levels to protect migrants and refugees in this global COVID-19 pandemic crisis (ENG, ESP, FRA).
- Jubilee Debt Campaign UK has issued a petition for a joint call for a jubilee debt to tackle COVID-19 and the economic crisis which has been endorsed by over 100 organizations globally (ENG, ESP, FRA, POR).
- Several UN agencies are calling on donors globally to “fund the global emergency supply system to fight COVID-19”
- AVAAZ issued a petition to the president of Brazil and to leaders of the country’s legislative chambers and judiciary to protect indigenous people in the Amazon from COVID-19.
- “The Spotlight Initiative is a global, multi-year partnership between the European Union and the United Nations to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. Spotlight Initiative’s #WithHer campaign highlights the work of activists around the world who are helping to eliminate violence against women and girls in their communities” that was started right around COVID-19 at the beginning of March. “The campaign raises awareness about gender-based violence and global efforts to address the issue by engaging new audiences to show their support on social media using the hashtag #WithHer.”
- New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is calling for economic relief and support for the 44.7 million immigrants that are living in the US right now. Even though, for example, more than half of the essential workers in New York City are immigrants, more than half of the entire immigrant population in the US is excluded from COVID-19 relief packages.
- Verified is an initiative by the United Nations “to encourage us all to check the advice we share. Sign up to receive content you can trust: life-saving information, fact-based advice, and stories from the best of humanity.” “In this crisis, sharing trusted and verified information will help keep everyone safe, while misinformation can put lives in danger. If you want to make sure the content you’re sharing helps the world, sign up to receive Verified content, and always look out for the Verified tick.”
- UN Women has launched the Shadow Pandemic Campaign which “gives specific advice on domestic violence with a clear call to action to shine a light on the surge of domestic violence that has accompanied COVID-19 lockdowns around the world. The Shadow Pandemic campaign consists of a comp
rehensive suite of social assets, including advice from experts on the ground and a Public Service announcement (PSA) film, sitting at the heart of the campaign.” You are called upon to spread and make use of this tool kit to prevent domestic violence.
- “The UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund mobilizes the power and reach of UN Agencies to help countries respond to the pandemic in a way that safeguards their progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” “The Fund gives countries the resources and support they need to protect the poor and the vulnerable so that we can all rise up together from this global crisis.” Your donation will especially help to fight COVID-19 in three specific areas of action – Suppress the spread of COVID-19; Mitigate the pandemic’s socio-economic impacts; Help countries recover better!
- Global Solidarity with Communities, Indigenous Peoples and Workers at Risk from Mining Pandemic Profiteers is an advocacy document to sign onto in support of frontline communities, Indigenous peoples and workers most affected by the COVID-19 crisis and the mining industry’s response. “The mining industry is one of the most polluting, deadly, and destructive industries in the world. Yet to date, mining company responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have received little scrutiny compared to other industries seeking to profit from this crisis.”
- CoNGO (Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations) issued an advocacy statement called “COVID-19 Recovery Building Back Better” that more than 130 organizations have already signed onto. “We representatives of international NGOs in consultative relationship with the UN fear that while attention is focused on the global health crisis, efforts to address the ongoing climate crisis,
achieve sustainable development and gender equality, protect human rights and promote peace are being neglected.” “We are determined to emerge from this crisis and build a better world for all. We call on the 193 UN Member States to renew their commitment to the UN and to turn this international crisis into an opportunity, using it as a starting point to rebuild economies that are inclusive, and based on sustainable production and consumption.”
- “Call for an urgent Justice Mechanism for Repatriated Migrant Workers” is a call endorsed by several organizations to “impact the development trajectory of families for whom a single migrant worker is a source of hope for a better future for generations to come.” “Repatriation of migrant workers without due diligence by states in the time of the COVID 19 pandemic will only serve to leave unattended the injustices that migrant workers bear, exonerate employers and perpetrators of violence against migrant workers, and wipe away all records of legitimate claims and grievances.” “If unaddressed at this time, we run the risk of forever delinking the patterns that connect migration to development, as the stories of the lives of migrant workers will bear witness to this mass injustice for years to come. “
- Please take this “Quick Civil Society Survey on Misinformation about COVID-19” conducted by the UN system which is available in all UN languages (ENG, SPA, FRA, RUS, CHI, ARA) and Portuguese – it will only take about five minutes but will be of tremendous help to combat misinformation about COVID-19 effectively.
- The global statement of solidarity and action to #ProtectTheUnhoused from COVID-19 is an advocacy opportunity to end homelessness which “is within our grasp and is a public health imperative that is now necessary. Get involved by signing this petition already supported by more than 150 organizations around the world! We together call for groups such as the homeless, migrants, whether housed or not, and other groups who have to survive in precarious conditions to be priority groups for screening at Covid-19, given their high vulnerability. These men and women run a real risk of being contaminated by the virus and their precarious living environment is an aggravating risk factor. The lack of attention for this specific population can only aggravate the epidemiological situation.”
- The Civil Society Action Committee issued another appeal called “Urgent Justice Mechanism for Repatriated Migrant Workers Now” – “On June 1, 2020, Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), Cross Regional Center for
Refugees and Migrants (CCRM), Lawyers Beyond Borders (LBB), South Asian Regional Trade Union Council (SARTUC), and Solidarity Center launched a call upon countries of origin and destination to urgently put in place a transitional justice mechanism to address the issue of migrant workers being hastily repatriated without any means or access to proper redress mechanisms after having experienced job loss or non-payment of wages during the COVID-19 pandemic. A little over a month later, the situation has significantly worsened as large scale repatriations continue during the crisis with migrant workers returning empty handed and without the support and assistance that they require from both countries of origin and destination to address the alarming cases of wage theft that have resulted from these repatriation processes. Those numbers will continue to rise exponentially well beyond the availability of a vaccine even as markets struggle to stabilize. Faced with this grave crime, we renew our call and we urge governments and UN agencies to take immediate action.”
#GlobalCeasefire calls for a global ceasefire to confront Coronavirus effectively. “Instead of fighting each other, people all over the world must now join together to overcome coronavirus. But to confront this common threat to humanity and protect the world’s most vulnerable people, we need global leadership and cooperation. That’s why our movement are calling on all world leaders and warring parties to enact and respect a #GlobalCeasefire to: 1) Protect the invaluable humanitarian and healthcare workers risking their own health and safety, and to ensure communities are prepared to mount an effective response to coronavirus. 2) Allow life-saving humanitarian aid to meet escalating needs on the ground as the virus spreads to the most vulnerable communities. 3) Use this unprecedented moment in world history to take steps towards peace in all the world’s conflicts that have already taken such a huge toll on human life.”- “Now is the time for change – COVID-19 has upended our lives. The way we work, the way we interact, the way
we move about. This can be a turning point. Let’s seize the moment and change course — toward more sustainable lifestyles. ActNow is the United Nations campaign for individual action on climate change and sustainability. Every one of us can help limit global warming and take care of our planet. By changing our habits and making choices that have less harmful effects on the environment, we have the power to confront the climate challenge and build a more sustainable world. Take action, get daily tips and track your habits with the AWorld in support of ActNow app. Download and begin your sustainable journey: Download for iPhone or iPad iOS; Download for Android devices”
“How do you end a global pandemic? You start by equipping the doctors and nurses who care for the critically ill. At the same time, you support the scientists working on medicines to treat the disease and vaccines to prevent it. You also figure how to manufacture a massive number of vials, needles, and doses required to immunize the entire world, especially those hardest to reach. If the virus is new, you study how it spreads by compiling as much data as possible, from as many places as possible, as often as possible. Then you share your insights with the government and public, updating as new information is verified. Each of these complex tasks requires a global network of people with decades of experience and knowledge. And that’s why the World Health Organization (WHO) exists. It’s what the agency has been doing since its founding in 1948: providing global health information, supplies, and expertise where it’s most needed. And donating to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund is among the fastest and most effective ways to help WHO support those hit hardest by the pandemic. It’s one of the smartest investments you can make in the world’s future — and one of the most effective ways to contain the spread.”- UNDP shares its advocacy initiative #ForNature for a global change beyond COVID-19 “In the form of a Manifesto and Open Letter, we would like to mobilize world leaders to support youth priorities for 2020 and 2021 and the resolutions youth want to see being addressed and adopted in the next decade and beyond to achieve a vision of “living in harmony with nature”.
