Welcome

Welcome to the World Council of Churches Fifth Annual United Nations Advocacy Week! The United Nations Advocacy Week (UNAW) is an evolving model of ecumenical collaboration; it is a particularly significant moment to express concerns and address questions of power and structural injustice through a concerted and coordinated ecumenical approach to international advocacy. Organized by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, the week includes capacity building and formation on advocacy within the UN system, theological reflection and analysis, panels and discussions on advocacy focus areas.

The Thematic Priorities for UNAW 2009

• Climate Displaced Peoples
• Indigenous Peoples' Rights
• Colombia

The common advocacy priority was Climate Displaced Peoples.

United Nations Advocacy Week gathered over 80 members of the international ecumenical community together to analyze the opportunities for ecumenical advocacy within the United Nations system from social, political and theological perspectives; to discuss and deepen strategies for a common global strategic ecumenical advocacy impact; to explore selected advocacy themes and issues; as well as to engage in direct advocacy with United Nations Member States.
 

History

The UNAW began in November 2003, when the WCC brought together about 60 people for a week of mutual sharing and common strategizing. At the end of the week, there was a clear and unanimous recommendation from the participants to meet again in November 2004.

Following the 2005-2006 preparations for the WCC Assembly, the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) of the World Council of Churches featured 90 participants from 45 countries, representing diverse constituencies of churches, church agencies and regional ecumenical organizations for the Third Annual United Nations Advocacy Week in 2007.
 

The goals of the week were to learn from the experiences of churches and NGO representatives working daily with advocacy at the United Nations; to provide opportunities to dialogue about the issues; and to create opportunities for advocacy with Permanent Missions of Member States of the United Nations. Compared with previous advocacy weeks, this emphasis on advocacy with Member States was a new initiative.
 

In 2007, the WCC chose to emphasize four themes, with particular attention on one of those themes as a primary focus for conducting advocacy. With this in mind, the primary advocacy focus of UNAW 2007 was the Greater Horn of Africa; the week also addressed the additional themes of water, nuclear disarmament and the Middle East, with an emphasis on Palestine and Israel.

UNAW 2008 was marked by an overarching framework of "Human Rights at 60 Years" and focused on three advocacy areas: Climate Change, Sri Lanka and Migration. The primary advocacy focus was seeking the signing, ratification and implementation of the International Convention on Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families.