b'advocacy Soroptimist international united nations representative - An overview 2020 was a historic year for the United NationsIn 2018, H.E. Maria Fernanda Espinosa, was (UN). Significant dates included the 5thselected to be the President of the 73rd General anniversary of the Sustainable DevelopmentAssembly, and after several meetings with her Goals (SDGs), the 10th anniversary of UN Women,and her staff, she agreed to appoint facilitators the 20th anniversary of resolution 1325, theto draft a modalities resolution that would 25th anniversaries of both the Copenhagenestablish a high-level session for the 75th Declaration on Social Development and theanniversary. Whilst we were disappointed by the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, andnarrow scope, we understood this to be a major of course, the 75th anniversary of the UN. victory, and had UN2020 core group not been In 2017, SI was invited to join a small groupaggressively pursuing this initiative, it probably (UN2020) that were on a mission to ensure thatwould not have happened. the 75th anniversary of the UN did not just go bySimultaneously, UN2020has expanded its unnoticed or just a party but instead would beoutreach to civil society, building the core group an opportunity to transform the UN to be fit forfrom seven to a coordination group of 13. and purpose for the current circumstances similarActivities have developed to include many to the 50th anniversary and formation of theprogrammatic events, including hosting a two-Human Rights Council. As the group was all male,day virtual Peoples Summit, creating a Peoples primarily think tanks,SI was needed to ensure aDeclaration for the UN We Want, an online 75th more grassroots and gender-based approach wasanniversary Thank You - UN electronic book, side included.events during various UN fora, and a Town Hall UN2020 core group, initially found Memberstyle meeting for civil society.States had no appetite to create a resolution.With 2020 winding down, Member States UN2020 found that the rise in populism, leftreconfirmed their commitments to the mission little interest in looking beyond the UNs 75thof the UN in a high-level meeting during the anniversary. This did not stop UN2020, and weGeneral Assembly. For UN2020, it was time to pushed forward, meeting with 45 Missions andre-address the role of UN2020 going forward, the EU, to encourage Member States to join ourbeyond that of a name change. The decision was cause, successfully finding several persons to actmade to continue as a coalition of organisations as champions.with an interest in the UN. The new Coalition for the UN We Need (C4UNWN), was established as a more formalised group. Whilst SI will not be on the new steering (executive) committee, we will remain a partner in the coalition going forward. SI UN Representative, Bette Levysoroptimistinternational.org 12'