24 and 25 September 2019
parallel to the SDG Summit
in the Church Center – opposite the UN, New York
Register here! English | Français | Español
Download the People’s Assembly Announcement
As Heads of State will meet on 24 and 25 September 2019 for the SDG Summit to review the progress of Agenda 2030, we are organizing a parallel People’s Assembly.
The People’s Assembly will bring together people’s representatives and civil society from around the world to give grassroots and marginalised people a voice. Most importantly, it will be a space for all to jointly analyse the structural reasons for the injustices, act and plan for common future actions to create systemic change to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Civil society plays a key role in advocating and implementing much needed change and to work on the structural causes of poverty and inequalities. However, we are being threatened and civic space to work is dwindling. Civil Society must fight back together and reclaim our space.
We are at the crossroads, as inequality has risen to unsustainable levels and climate change is causing incalculable damage. We can implement change or continue with the status quo. We are determined to act to save the planet and humanity, particularly ensure that no one is left behind.
To galvanise people’s voice across the world, we are organising a Global Week of Action from 20 – 27 September together with partners, with joint mobilizations and mass actions across movements & borders for Voice – Equality – Climate and Environmental Justice – #StandTogetherNow. 
The main themes of the People’s Assembly are:
- Civic Space (voices)
- Inequalities
- Climate and Environmental Justice
The objectives of the People’s Assembly are to:
- Bring the “People’s Voices” to the fore at the SDG Summit
- Strategize to reclaim civil society space
- Discuss the implementation of Agenda 2030 and make recommendations for a stronger accountability mechanism
- Strengthen the cooperation with various CSO networks and INGOs for civil society actions and people’s movement
The Political Declaration will be approved by the Heads of State on 24 September. The People’s Assembly will take the opportunity to make an alternative declaration.
Programme
| Date and time | Church Centre Room 1 | Church Centre Room 2 | Church Centre Room 1 | Church Centre (smaller room) |
| 24 Sept 2019 | Tuesday | |||
| 9:00 | Opening Plenary | |||
| 11:00 | Leave No One Behind: Discrimination based on work and descent (DWD) | Climate and environmental justice | Trade, Investments and Science | Peace and Conflict, Transparency & Accountability |
| 13:30 | Gender Equality Leave No Woman Behind | Civic Space, democracy & political participation | Tax Justice & Social Protection | Drafting Committee |
| 15:30 – 16:30 | Plenary analysis and work on the declaration & messages for CSO Forum | |||
| 17:00 | Inside the UN: Civil Society Forum (separate registration needed) | |||
| 25 Sept 2019 | Wednesday | |||
| 09:00 | Inequalities Campaign – Faces of Inequality and others | HLPF Reform including role of private sector in the UN | Indigenous peoples and land rights including agriculture policies | |
| 11:00 | Discussion & finalization of Declaration | |||
| 14:00 | Public Action – #StandTogetherNow | |||
| 15:00 | Planning: How to StandTogether 2020, Planning for 2020 – strategy, tactics and actions | |||
| 17:00 | Final Plenary with People’s Representatives and representatives from Member States and UN | |||
Partners:
- Asia Dalits Rights Forum
- FEMNET
- PACJA – Pan African Climate Justice Alliance
- LATINDADD
- Women’s Major Group
- NGO Major Group
- Action for Sustainable Development (A4SD)
- ActionAid
- Bread for the World, Germany
- Gray Panthers
- CPDE – CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness
- CIVICUS
- Forus
- Global Policy Forum
- TAP Network
- Centre for Economic and Social Rights (CESR)
- SDG Watch Europe
- Heinrich Boell Foundation Washington, DC
- Climate, Land, Ambition and Rights Alliance (CLARA)
- Trust Africa
Organizer:
Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP)
Financial contributions:
ActionAid, Bread for the World, Heinrich Boell Foundation Washington, DC, VOICE, EU and contributions from several other of the partners.
Contact
To get in contact with us, please email PeoplesAssembly@gcap.global.