On the occasion of International Women's Day, the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations, with the sponsorship of the British Embassy to the Holy See and the Embassy of Peru to the Holy See, held a conference entitled "The women promoters of hope" on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at the auditorium of the International Union of Superiors General, located in Lungotevere Tor di Nona 7 in Rome.

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO-UMOFC), under the patronage of the Embassy of Britain to the Holy See and the Embassy of Peru to the Holy See, has the honour of presenting the conference “Women as Promoters of Hope.”

WUCWO has sponsored a Declaration of the Civil Society on the Occasion of the XXth Anniversary of the International year of the Family (IYF) which will take place in 2014. The aim is that its contents become a part of a resolution adopted by the United Nations on the occasion of this anniversary. Politicians, academics, representatives of NGOs as well as individual citizens the world over are invited to sign it.

More information about the declaration and an online form to sign it can be found at http://www.family2014.org/declaration.php.

As a contribution to the discussion of the post-2015 development framework, we, Catholic inspired organizations, re-affirm that the most effective route out of poverty and the ongoing global economic crisis is closely linked to the promotion of decent work and support for adequate social protection… 

Maribeth Stewart's presentation during Board Meeting 2012

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Click here to read the document

click here to read Pope Francis' message

April 2016

The speakers were: Mgr. Vincenzo Paglia, President of the PCF, Mgr. Ivan Jurkovic, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva and Maria Giovanna Ruggeri, WUCWO President General. Ambassadors or representatives of more than 70 Embassies to the Holy See attended as well as about 20 directors of Catholic NGOs, special guests and journalists. 

Click here to read Msgr. Paglia

From 27-30 August 2016, 15 cardinals, 120 bishops, rectors of religious orders and Marian shrines, and lay leaders of Catholic associations of all the Americas gathered in Bogotá Colombia for a Celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of the Year of Mercy in the American Continent -and our WUCWO was there.

On November 9, 2016, the Declaration on the Right to Peace was officially presented to the UNGA III Committee of the on-going 71th General Assembly (New York).

Some days before, WUCWO, together with 47 NGOs cosignatories, sent an open letter to all diplomatic missions in New York recommending to vote favourably on the Human Rights Declaration on Right to Peace.

Education and unaccompanied migrant children.

In a joyous gathering, the New York Forum for Catholic NGO's celebrated its first meeting on May 31^st.  Organized by Maribeth Stewart Blogoslawski, WUCWO’s representative to the United Nation’s Headquarters in New York, it was attended by 42 individuals from 34 organisations. The event marks a promising beginning for this collaborative initiative.

June 4, 2018 - Role of Faith Based Organizations in Protecting Migrants and Refugees

November 12, 2018 - Relief and Works for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East

November 12, 2018 - Mozart Requiem to Mark the Anniversary of the End of World War I

This report on the work of WUCWO at the United Nations in New York (ECOSOC) must necessarily give you just a brief overview of the discussions concerning the challenges and opportunities that face our world addressed at the UN in New York. The opportunity to participate in discussion groups, present formal written statements, and to attend many sessions is a responsibility and a privilege that we appreciate every time we walk onto the main plaza and see the long line of flags from the 193 Member States. Founded in the ashes of World War II, the UN remains a powerful global forum seeking to prevent further man-made disasters and to enable all citizens of our Earth to achieve a standard that provides dignity and basic human rights to all people. How could we fail to be moved when we report to attend meetings at such a forum of hope? In addition to our presence at many sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women meetings, we also attend other sessions throughout the year, many organized by the Permanent Observer of the Holy See. What follows is just a small sampling of the many topics presented and debated over the course of this WUCWO mandate.

June 1, 2017 - Parenting and Optimal Child Development

July 12, 2017 - SDG 2 and ASDG 14: Caring for the Most Vulnerable to End Hunger and Care for the Oceans

July 14, 2018 - Importance of Nuclear Disarmament: A Discussion

UN New York (3 representatives)

61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61)  

Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls

Pope Francis met  with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon along with his wife and members of his entourage at the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican. Secretary-General Ban also met with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, along with Archbishop Antoine Camilleri, under-Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States.

The President General travelled to Geneva where she had a meeting with Nuncio Mons. Ivan Jurkovič on the collaborative work of WUCWO with the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the UN Human Rights Council, in particular for the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The last meeting of experts of the International Forum, which is preparing the World Assembly to be held in December 2019, took place in Rome (17-18 June).

UN Geneva (3 representatives)

The UN human rights office has launched a media campaign promoting homosexual and transgender rights. The yearlong initiative, funded by outside sources, raises questions over the use of UN offices for what some governments will consider propaganda.

Statement at the 27th Regular Session ok the UN Human Rights Council (September 2014)

Our possibilities of action have been written and oral statements before the Human Rights Council.

At the Human Rights Session at the UN Geneva in March 2012, WUCWO co-signed:

An oral statement on the role of Faith-Inspired Organizations in the promotion and protection of the Right to Health. 

An oral statement on The Promotion and Protection of the Right to Health of People Living with HIV: the Engagement of Faith-Inspired Organizations

A written statement: Appeal for Urgent Attention to the Situation of Children Living with HIV or with HIV/TB co-Infection

5 (five) oral statements focusing on children's rights and the right to education in the following countries: Venezuela,Thailand,Haiti,Togo and Timor Leste.

Oral statement: Right to Development: from rhetoric to action of which the main point was that the implementation of the right to development is successful only if centered on the human person.

Very important was the General Debate at the Regular Session of the Human Rights Council Panel Discussion on “Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity”. We submitted an oral statement: “Toward Preserving the Universality of Human Rights”.  The Human Rights Commission’s report met with strong opposition and during this debate  and on March 7th the delegates of UN member states in the Organization of Islamic Conference, representing 57 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, walked out of the Palais des Nations in protest. The United States and European countries welcomed the report…

Intervention of Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič to the United Nations International Conference in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace

The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva has recently adopted an important resolution with regards to the Protection of the Family (A/HRC/29/L.25).

WUCWO, which currently coordinates the Working Group for the Family in the Forum for Catholic Inspired NGOs, in working together with Caritas Internationalis, Fondazione Giovanni XXIII, Point Coeur and the Justice and Peace Dominicans, played a supportive role throughout the drafting and adoption of this resolution by ensuring that the views of our organisations were expressed clearly to the Egyptian representative who led the process.

Some key points of the Resolution:

-Recognizes the family as the ‘natural and fundamental’ cell of society and as an ally against poverty, saying that it should therefore be supported in sustainable development programs.

-Encourages States to consider fiscal policies, investment plans and employment opportunities with respect to their impact on the well-being of families. And even encourages them, where necessary, to create observatory bodies to monitor family policies.

-Takes into account in particular the families composed of only mothers and children, highlighting the need for policies that protect against domestic violence and discrimination against women.

-Recognizes the work done by the associations of civil society to value the role of the family.

-Encourages the United Nations to incorporate the family perspective into the work of the Objectives of Post-2015 Development (SDG).

-Requests the High Commissioner to prepare a report on the impact of the implementation by States of their obligations regarding the protection of the family.

See the Resolution in: 

March 2016

WUCWO co-signed an oral statement prepared and presented by APG23 at the 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva which condemns the sale of children.

March 2016

WUCWO co-signed the oral statement prepared and presented by APG23 at the 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. 

March 2016

WUCWO Secretary General, Maria Lia Zervino, pronounced a joint oral statement on the protection of the family at the 31st session of theUN Human Rights Council in Geneva. 

Click here to watch the video. The statement is made at Chapter 31 (1h 03)

June 2016

WUCWO, as coordinator of Geneva's Forum of Catholic Inspired NGOs, co-organizes a parallel event on Amoris Laetitia.

Virginie Rotheÿ

WUCWO International Representative to UNESCO

During these four years, there were two UNESCO General Conferences in 2015 (38th) and 2017 (39th). I was able to meet with many delegations (Canada, Cameroon, Morocco, Egypt and some European countries), to introduce WUCWO and inform them of the existence of an NGO affiliated to WUCWO in their country.

Address by WUCWO's International Representative, Maryvonne Kayser, at UNESCO at the 39th session of the General Conference.

This speech was delivered on Monday, 6 November, 2017, in a plenary session of general policy, presenting the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations.

Read de address below (in French).

UNESCO (3 representatives)

In the framework of capacity building for science education, UNESCO is organizing the workshop on the global Microscience Experiments in Gabon from 16 to 19 September 2013.

During the whole week, more than 50 teachers in science will be trained as trainers and will have to do several experiments in chemistry.

In addition to this workshop, a dedicated exhibition will be held to celebrate the International Year of Water Cooperation. This exhibition is organized by "Deyrolles pour l’avenir" under the new framework agreement between UNESCO and Deyrolle. Teachers who attend this event will go back to their school with posters on water cycle to make aware students of primary and secondary level on the importance of water, its rarity, and its value.

See more at: http://en.unesco.org/events/promoting-girls-scientific-excellence-gabon#...

For the first time in its 12-year history, the outcomes of the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum (29-31 October 2013) to be presented to the UNESCO General Conference (5-20 November 2013) will include, besides strategic recommendations, 15 youth-led action projects (3 projects per each of the 5 UNESCO regions). The deliberations of the independent international jury are over, and the short-list of 45 Action Projects that will be discussed at the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum is now available!

Click here to read the news in French only

To read more click here

To read more click here

For NGOs in partnership with UNESCO, click here to sign the declaration

For organisations who do not hold official partnership with UNESCO click here to sign as a supporting organisation

On October 10 2024, the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to FAO, IFAD, and WFP together with the Forum Roma of Catholic Inspired NGOs held a seminar to celebrate World Food Day 2024, entitled: The right to food, between deprivation and waste. It's time to act.

We live in an era rife with contradictions: while there are multiple ongoing food crises in various regions of the planet, we are also witnessing excessive food waste, and the use of food for other purposes. Wars, economic shocks, and extreme weather events have continued to force millions of people to grapple with hunger and malnutrition. The fact that there is enough food for everyone in today’s world, yet not everyone can access it, is paradoxical. The data we have available is far from encouraging. Therefore, the purpose of this meeting was to reflect on the importance of adopting a holistic approach that will allow us to produce appropriate solutions to tackle the imbalances present in the current food system.

The organisers of the event aim to support this process through an approach based on integral ecology, which is crucial for tackling global challenges in a systemic manner: viewing food injustice not only as a problem of food scarcity, but also as an issue of justice. It is extremely important to ensure that food systems are sustainable, resilient, and inclusive.

“It is a matter of adopting innovative solutions that can transform the way we produce and consume food for the well-being of our communities and of our planet, thus strengthening the capacity to recover and long-term sustainability” (Pope Francis, Message for World Food Day, 16 October 2020). 

On this occasion, WUCWO, who holds consultative status at FAO, presented its commitment to end world hunger. Through our resolution "GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS. CARE OF OUR COMMON HOME. CALL TO ECOLOGICAL CONVERSION" we are encouraging actions to solve the current global food crisis and restore equity in distribution and to promote ecological conversion. 

This event included the presentation of a Manifesto signed by all the member organisations of the Forum Roma, including WUCWO, through which we committed ourselves to continue to work to eradicate hunger and misery in the world with concrete and incisive measures.

Our President General attending FAO's 41st Session Conference on "The State of Food and Agriculture: Migration, Agriculture and Rural Development" in Rome, 22-29 June 2019.

Our presence at FAO has developed on two different levels:

1. By participating to the life of FORUM on Catholic inspired NGOs
2. As member of Ad Hoc Group (AhG)which gathers most of the NGOs  acknowledged by the FAO.

The work in AhG is mostly related to the main themes which are dealt at FAO and the possible contribution we can offer.

FAO (2 representatives)

The migration monitoring unit

Migration: this unit is an alternative between retention and migration. A manual of good practices will be applied. NGO participation through human rights proposals.

Council of Europe (2 representatives)

STRASBOURG, August 2, 2013 (C-FAM) European ministers disappointed abortion groups last month when they failed to say that abortion is a human right. They cited lack of consensus in Europe.

Part one: Activities of the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe)

Part two: A Selection of Documents

Part three: COING (Conference of international NGO)  Activities - WUCWO Activities

The second 2014 session of the Council of Europe took place from 7th to 11th of April in Strasbourg, France.

Part one : Activities of the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe)

Part two : A Selection of Documents

Part Three : COING (Conference of international NGO) Activities

The third 2014 session of the Council of Europe took place from 22nd to 26th of June in Strasbourg, France.

Part one : Activities of the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe)

Part two : A Selection of Documents

Part Three : COING (Conference of international NGO) Activities

Click here to read an update on the European Parliament's stance on surrogacy (only available in French)