On the sidelines of the U.N.: Hope, cocktails and efforts to be heard
Across New York City, civil society groups and large philanthropies meet on the sidelines of the United Nations while world leaders gather at the annual General Assembly
NEW YORK — Inside the U.N.'s gates, world leaders use the spotlight to talk — to each other and the entire planet. Outside, across New York City, civil society groups and large philanthropies take matters into their own hands at a swirl of cocktail parties, meetings and protests.
Nonprofit organizations send their senior leaders to the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly at significant expense to make sure their voices are heard in the right rooms. Activists come from around the world to try to influence the decisions of international politicians. Many staffers who keep NGOs running day-to-day gather to chart new paths forward.
“The week is an opportunity for a lot of people coming to town to get some good strategic work and collaboration done or ignited or advanced,” said Elizabeth Cousens, president and CEO of the UN Foundation.
A priority of this year's assembly is progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, which countries agreed in 2015 to try to meet by 2030. Halfway there, the outlook is bleak on most measures. The fifth goal — to achieve gender equity — is only 15% on track, according to the UN's own analysis.
Cousens, who was lead U.S. negotiator for the goals, said it was no secret the world was wildly off track, but that setting ambitious goals was the right thing to do.
“You wouldn’t want to set a goal that said, ‘Let’s end some of forms of violence and discrimination against some of the women some of the time,’” she said.
All this week behind the scenes, the largest donor countries for gender equality will be discussing their
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