ANNUAL PLAN 2024
AWARDS CEREMONY 2023
WILL BE HELD ON 2ND MARCH 2024 AT DININDU BANQUET HALL, SEEDUWA, COMMENCING AT 4.00 PM.
Additional Director Generals to make their year planner which should include the
details of the projects, meetings to be held, Annual get together, Annual fund raiser and annual Provincial Awards ceremony.
Each Division to recruit at least 15 members and the Divisional Club to conduct their
Board Meeting and Monthly Meeting. Every month, more Clubs has to be extended.
Each Region to conduct at least one project ( Tree Planting, Book donation,
Diabetes Awareness or Cancer Awareness ) per month.
Region Chairpersons to arrange a meeting with their Zone Chairpersons and Divisional
Club Officers and plan their activities of 2024 and follow up every three months.
Additional Director Generals to make sure that they have submitted their monthly
reports to the Head before the 5th day of the following month
FEBRUARY 2024
Sun 4 World Cancer Day
encouraging individuals from all backgrounds to participate in activities such
as running, cycling, swimming, hiking or walking
On 5th Feb (Mon) distribute leaflets to the Children of Bandaranayake School
Sat 10 Seeduwa Bandaranayake School Tree planting
Sat 17 Lions Club of Colombo Golden City Charter
MARCH 2024
Sun 3 World Wild life day (Project in Sammanthurai)
Explain more about animals — especially endangered species, Distribute
books about wildlife, Show a documentary about wildlife, Spend for a wildlife
conservation project, Take part in a World Wildlife Day event.
Fri 8 Int’l Women’s Day
It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements , to
celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have
played an extraordinary role in their communities.
Wed 20 Int’l Day of Happiness
Boycott negative news for the day and consume only positive news, smile
at whoever you see and greet them hello genuinely
When others are engaging in negative talk around you, find a way to spin
it positively
Only consume mediums that bring you joy. Books, music, movies,
podcasts, shows, etc that make you happy. Skip anything dark, heavy,
or sad
Spend time with people who lift you up and make you feel filled up,
rather than people who drain you
Thu 21 World Down Syndrome Day
People with Down syndrome and those who live and work with them
throughout the world organize and participate in activities and events to raise
awareness.
Int’l Day of Forests
organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting
campaigns.
Fri 22 World Water Day
2 billion people are living without access to safe water. Focus on the
Importance of fresh water.. Don’t drop water
APRIL 2024
Tue 2 World Autism Awareness Day
Autism (ASD) constitutes a diverse group of conditions related to development
of the brain. ASD is characterized by some degree of difficulty with social
interaction & communication.
Any act of kindness, big or small, can make an impact and is a powerful way
to show others you care. A family member, friend, or person in your
community will feel appreciated, loved, valued, and important.
Sat 6 Int’l Day Sports Development and Peace
recognize the positive role sport and physical activity play in communities and in
people’s lives across the globe. Sport has the power to change the world; it is a
fundamental right and a powerful tool to strengthen social ties and promote
sustainable development and peace, as well as solidarity and respect for all.
From empowering women and girls, young people, persons with disabilities, and
other marginalized groups to advancing health, sustainability, and education
objectives, sport offers tremendous potential for promoting peace and human
rights.
Sun 7 UN World Health Day
focus attention on a health problem or issue that deserves special attention.
Mon 22 World Earth Day
Plant a tree, plan an environment project, recycle, buy reusable bags, make
feeders for birds.
MAY 2024
Wed 15 Int’l Day of Families
Begin a new tradition in your own family. This could mean participating in the
day by skipping school and work and just spending the day together or going
on an outing.
Mon 20 World Bee Day
Visit beekeepers to become acquainted with the work, Make and set up a farm
for bees and other pollinators in your home garden, yard, terrace, etc.
Have a bee breakfast that contains honey and other hive products, Plant
nectar-bearing flowers for decorative purposes on balconies, terraces, and
gardens.
Wed 22 Int’l Day of Biological Diversity
to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity, visit a nature center,
an aquarium, or a museum, learn more and gain experience on biodiversity,
raise awareness of the vital importance of preserving biodiversity.
JUNE 2024
Sat 1 Global Day of Parents
For those who have parents who are still part of their lives, the Global Day of
Parents is an ideal time to say thank you to them for the investment they
have made in your life. Or, this also might be a good time to be an
encouragement to the parents of a young family who are trying hard to raise
their kids well.
Wed 5 World Environment Day
planting trees, cleaning up local beaches, organizing meetings.
Fri 7 World Food Safety Day
Ensure safe and nutritious food for all.
Grow it safe. Agricultural and food producers need to adopt good practices.
Keep it safe. Business operators must ensure that food is safe.
Know what’s safe. Consumers should learn about safe and healthy food.
Team up for food safety.
Fri 14 World Blood Donor Day
Be a voluntary blood donor and an inspiration to others. Commit to being a
regular donor and give blood throughout the year. Encourage your friends and
family to become regular blood donors.
Mon 17 World day to combat desertification and draught
Protecting the ecosystems and improving the bare and dry lands.
Alleviating and adapting to the effects of climate change on ecosystems
affected by desertification.
Enhancing awareness and education, and building capacities to combat
desertification at the national level.
Sun 23 International Widows Day
You can make donations to charities or sponsor a widow or her children, and
help them go to school.
Wed 26 International Day against drug abuse
Drug awareness
Thu 27 Micro – Small / Medium Enterprises day
Establish Social Enterprises, conduct Financial Literacy awareness
JULY 2024
Thu 11 World Population Day
Awareness on Family Planning
Mon 15 World Youth Skills Day
Youth skills development projects, workshops, etc.
Sun 28 World Hepatitis day
Hepatitis awareness
Tue 30 Int’l Day of Friendship
Make a friendship bracelet · Write a list of what you love about your friends
and share it with, let them know how much you care. Let them reminisce
some of the best memories you had together. The main aim of
the International Day of Friendship is to show your friends that you care
about them and that you value their friendship.
AUGUST 2024
Mon 12 Int’l Youth Day
Organize youth activities, Youth mentorship program, Youth-inspired
innovation challenge, Interactive diversity workshop, Skills swap session,
Community outreach project, Storytelling circle, Youth art exhibition, Lunch
and learn series.
SEPTEMBER 2024
Sat 7 Int’l Day of Clean air for blue skies
Inspiring action, Tackling climate pollutants, Improving fuel efficiency,
Minimizing emissions from waste, Monitoring air quality, Reducing vehicle
Emissions, Supporting electric mobility.
Sun 8 Int’l Literacy Day
raise awareness about the importance of literacy.
Tue 10 World suicide prevention day
By creating hope through action, we can signal to people experiencing suicidal
thoughts that there is hope and that we care and want to support them. It
also suggests that our actions, no matter how big or small, may provide hope
to those who are struggling.
Mon16 Int’l Day for the preservation of ozone layer
Awareness programs
Mon 23 Int’l Day of Sign language
Support the deaf & blind
Fri 27 World Tourism Day
Organize Eco villages, keep environment clean, promote safe food
Sun29 Int’l Day of Awareness of food loss and waste
Awareness on food safety, consumption, avoiding waste & loss of food
World Heart Day
Awareness on Stroke and other heart diseases. Prevention & care.
OCTOBER 2024
Tue 1 Int’l Day of Older Persons
Respect and take care of the Elders. Appreciate their past service to the
community.
Sat 5 World Teachers Day
Respect and Recognize Teachers who build up professionals
Wed 9 World day of Natural disaster reduction
Conduct awareness programs as to how disasters could be avoided
Thu10 World Mental Health Day
Conduct awareness programs and be kind to Mental patients
Wed16 World Food Day
Educate community to produce their own vegetables, do not waste food,
distribute dry rations to the poorest of the poor.
Thu 17 Int’l Day for the eradication of Poverty
Establish Social Enterprises, educate the community on family planning,
Educate the community on Financial Literacy
NOVEMBER 2024
Thu 14 World Diabetes Day
Conduct diabetes awareness programs, diabetes health clinic and
Diabetes Walk
Sun 17 World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims
Educate the community on Road Safety, precautions to take while on the
roads.
Tue 19 World Toilet Day
Awareness on Water & Sanitation, assist with toilet facilities, awareness on
hygiene, assistance to young girls.
Wed 20 Universal Children’s Day
A day with the poor children, parentless children, disabled children.
DECEMBER 2024
Tue 3 World Day of Patients with disabilities
Assist the disabled. Awareness on Safe pregnancy
Thu 5 World Soil Day
Tree Planting, avoid polluting the earth with chemicals and other waste.
Tue 10 Human Rights Day
Public awareness programs on Human Rights and Fundamental Rights.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Solution for Human – Elephant Conflict
Manufacturing Shopping Bags and Sanitary Pads from Banana Trees
Diabetes Awareness Programs
Conducting Medical Camps
Conducting Educational Camps
Assisting in adoption of Children instead of sending them to Orphanages
Suggestion of Insurance for Parents to cover at their old age
Establishing Elders Homes
Conducting Dental Camps
Conducting Eye Camps
Establishing an Eye Hospital for Children
Establishing Skills Development Centers
Awareness on Childhood Cancer
Establishing Wild Fruit Forests
Promoting Ayurveda with hospitals & labs
Cleaning Steams, Lakes and Beaches
Promoting Guppies for the control of Dengue
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UN GROUND PASSES
ACCESS TO THE UN HEADQUARTERS COMPLEX IN 2024
Access is granted to all the public areas in the General Assembly Building as well as to conference rooms in the Conference Building, for meetings open to civil society. Please note that it may be necessary to register online and obtain a Special Event Ticket (SET) for most UN meetings, which are separate from the UN grounds pass. It is also necessary to abide by requirements that may be established to enable in-person participation at some events.
The NGO Branch, DESA will approve requests for UN grounds passes from NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC that have been submitted through our online system on a ‘first-come first-served basis.’
- HOW TO OBTAIN GROUNDS PASSES AT THE UN HEADQUARTERS
- To obtain grounds passes at the United Nations in Geneva, and for all queries related to grounds passes for Geneva, please click here: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/practical-information/civil-society
- To obtain grounds passes at the United Nations in Vienna, and for all queries related to grounds passes for Vienna, please click here: https://www.unov.org/unov/en/ngo_liaison_service.html
- REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING UN GROUNDS PASSES IN NEW YORK
Organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC may choose to request annual and/or temporary passes for a maximum of 16 representatives of the organization. The minimum age for requesting passes is 18 years.
A breakdown of the annual passes means:
- A total of 7 annual passes can be requested in any given year;
- The first pass(es) must be designated for either the head/President/CEO of the organization and/or the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Please note that unless at least one of these two designations are first approved in our system, no other designations will be approved;
- After the CEO or the CAO or both are designated in the system, they can request annual passes for 5 other representatives of the NGO as additional or main representatives of the organization;
- Annual passes will be valid from 3 January until 31 December 2024.
A breakdown of the temporary passes means:
- No more than 9 temporary passes can be requested at any given time within a calendar year;
- The duration of temporary passes must be at least for 1 month, up to a maximum of 3 months, and valid only during the 2024 calendar year.
All requests for passes must be made online as explained below. Fax, emails to UN staff members and/or requests by mail will not be considered.
Please also note that if a grounds pass request is denied by the NGO Branch due to incomplete, incorrect or inconsistent information, it is the responsibility of the NGO to re-submit a corrected request online for our approval.
C. TO APPLY FOR EITHER AN ANNUAL OR TEMPORARY UN GROUNDS PASS, NGO REPRESENTATIVES WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:
- For all NGOs that have been granted consultative status by ECOSOC in 2023, or have never requested grounds passes in New York before, a signed official letter (click here for the new sample) from the President/CEO must be submitted on the official letterhead of the organization, requesting a UN grounds pass for himself/herself. Please note that the President/CEO signing this letter must also be the same person designated as the President/CEO in our system.
- To send the letter, please follow the steps below:
- First, login into the database at: https://esango.un.org/civilsociety/newLogin.do
- Second, click on the link to “Contact us” (on the left side of the screen);
- Third, select “Grounds Pass” as the category of your message; and
- Fourth, draft your message and include the letter as an attachment and then click “Send”.
After you have submitted the letter from the President/CEO (for a maximum of 15 representatives, in addition to himself or herself, for any combination of annual and temporary passes), please follow up by submitting the online requests through our system for the selected NGO representatives mentioned in the letter for approval by following the steps explained in section D below.
Please also note that the duration of the annual passes must be for the 2024 calendar year only, i.e., between January and December 2024. The duration of temporary passes can range from 1 month to 3 months maximum within the 2024 calendar year only. Requests that include dates beyond 2024 will not be approved.
- It is important for any change in the leadership of the NGO (the head or President/CEO) to be communicated to the NGO Branch. Please note that transitions in leadership of an organization need to be properly documented in our system to ensure that we take evidence-based action.
- For all other NGOs that were either granted consultative status with ECOSOC prior to 2023, or had grounds passes approved before 2023, requests should be submitted online by following the 4 steps in section D
Please note the following restrictions:
For official meetings and UN events that require prior registration online, NGOs will be issued separate tickets/passes for the specific events by the event organizers. Please review participation guidelines for each event carefully on their respective registration websites.
- APPLYING FOR UN GROUNDS PASSES IN THE SYSTEM IN NEW YORK – 4 STEPS
- Log in and Review.
Login here to access your profile in our system, using the username and password assigned to your organization. On your profile page, click on the tab for “Consultative Status.” From the drop-down menu, select “Designations” and then select “New York”. This page will list all your existing representatives, if you have any. - Request new passes or renew or add representatives.
The process to renew passes or to request new passes is the same. Select “New Designation”, insert the information in all the required fields of the online form, and then press “Submit” at the bottom of the page. If the information is not complete, incorrect or missing in any of the required fields, your request will not be approved. Please be sure to specify the duration of the new pass (annual passes through 31 December of 2024, and temporary passes for at least 1 month, but no more than 3 months). - Wait for confirmation email.
Due to the high volume of requests, applications for passes will be reviewed with due care to ensure compliance with the new guidelines. As such, requests will only be endorsed after a thorough check, which will require a longer than usual wait period. As soon as the requirements have been verified, an email notification will be sent to the email address of your organization on your profile which will provide instructions to print a security form. - Collect your pass:
- Once you receive the email confirmation that will be sent to the contact address provided by your organization on your profile in our system, please read the detailed instructions in the email carefully.
- To collect your pass, you must first print the security form by clicking on the “print” icon next to your name.
- Bring both the security form and a valid photo ID issued by a governmental authority, such as a passport or a driver’s license, to the UN Pass and ID Office located at 320 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017, Ground Floor, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
- Please note that passes will NOT be issued if representatives present themselves at the UN Pass & ID Office without the printed security form and a valid photo ID. The form and the Photo ID should only be presented at the Pass & ID Office. Each representative is responsible for collecting his or her own grounds pass.
Please note that the organizational arrangements for collecting ground passes are subject to change depending on the health situation in New York and related arrangements at the United Nations.
NOTE: NGOs ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING AND UPDATING THEIR CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS ON THEIR PROFILES IN OUR SYSTEM AT ALL TIMES TO ENABLE US TO COMMUNICATE CRITICAL INFORMATION AS AND WHEN NECESSARY.
NGOs in consultative status with the ECOSOC are invited to submit their request for their 2024 accreditation at UNOG as of Tuesday, 2 January 2024, by designating their representatives both online and in writing, as per established procedure at UNOG. Requests should be submitted at least one week before the desired date of entrance to the Palais des Nations, using a formal designation letter containing all the mandatory elements as per the established template. The NGO Liaison Unit will continue to do its utmost to process the accreditation requests within 3 working days, provided they comply with the established procedure, but delays can be expected during peak periods and holidays. NGOs are therefore kindly requested to plan accordingly.
While holding a UNOG Grounds pass, NGO representatives can enter the Palais des Nations premises. However, some official meetings and UN events may require additional online registration through the online registration platform Indico. As different UN entities may have different modalities for NGO participation, for more specific and detailed information on how to engage with various UN mechanisms, please refer to the respective organizing Secretariat (e.g. WHO for the World Health Assembly, OHCHR for the sessions of the Human Rights Council).
Please be reminded that NGO representatives in possession of UNOG grounds passes represent the NGO in full by participating in UN meetings as well as engaging with UN staff, Member States, and other entities on behalf of the NGO. In addition, holders of UNOG grounds passes are subject to relevant UN rules and regulations and must fully comply with the General guidelines for NGO representatives accredited at UNOG, as well as directions set forth by the Security and Safety Service. UNOG reserves the right to deny or withdraw accreditation of NGO representatives whose activities run counter to the principles of the UN Charter or who act in a way inconsistent with the principles of the Organization, who abuse their privileges or put their accreditation to improper use.
For any further information concerning accreditation and grounds passes at UNOG, please visit the UN Geneva Civil Society web page where you can find the following documents:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the ongoing collaboration as we navigated together through 2023 and its multiple complex and interlocking crises. On behalf of the entire NGO Liaison Unit team, let me take this opportunity to wish you and your relatives a happy holiday season and all the best for 2024.
At the request of the AHTEG, in order to support this work, the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) has prepared an online capacity needs assessment survey on the needs of Parties to use the Headline indicators of the monitoring framework. Parties are invited to participate in the online survey.
The online survey will be open from 9 February to 31 March 2024. However, kindly note that it would be preferable to submit responses before 1 March 2024 so that comments can be available to the AHTEG at its sixth meeting, to be held in Cambridge, United Kingdom, from 12 to 15 March 2024.
2nd Multi-stakeholder Webinar on the
4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4): Updates and Views on the Zero Draft Outcome Document
ECOSOC and HLPF review pursuant to resolutions 75/290A and 75/290B
Virtual Briefing of the Co-Facilitators with stakeholders
SUBMISSION OF EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR NGOS IN CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECOSOC ONLY
Venue: Zoom Webinar
Date: 20 February 2024, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. EST
Major Group and other Stakeholders (MGoS) and Civil Society representatives are invited to a virtual consultation on 21 February 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST.
This consultation aims to give Major Groups and other Stakeholders (MGoS) and civil society representatives the opportunity to share their feedback on the zero draft of the Pact for the Future.
The deadline for registration is 6:00 p.m. EST on 19 February 2024.
CSO Engagement Forum (virtual) hosted by the WHO Emergencies Programme on ‘Advancing Timely and Equitable Access to Medical Countermeasures (MCM) Against Pandemic Threats.’ The virtual meeting is scheduled to take place on 22 February 2024 (Thursday) 14:00 – 17:00 CET.
registration by 19 February 2025, 3pm CET
Dearest SEM members,
We wish to invite you to a briefing to non-state stakeholders on the Early Warning for All Initiative (EW4All). We will first hear from some stakeholders about their actions on building early warning systems for all, followed by a briefing from UNDRR on the initiative. UNDRR together with WMO co-lead this initiative, announced by the UN Secretary General in 2022, with the aim to ensure everyone on Earth is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027
This webinar, stakeholder briefing, is hosted by the UNDRR Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM), together with the regional mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in UNDRR.
Date and time: Thursday the 15th of February 2024 at 13:30 – 14:30 CET
We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming series of member-led webinars. Join us on Zoom to learn more about DRR topics, interact with your peers and share your experiences.
9 February 2024 – 10am CST/4pm UTC: Escazu Agreements and its implications into Climate Change actions in LAC
13 February 2024 -8:00 UTC: Loss and Damage
14 February – 12:30pm EAT/09:30 am UTC: Mainstreaming Gender and Social Inclusion(GESI)in DRR: Strategies for ensuring equitable and inclusive disaster resilience
Please join UN Women and UN DESA for a side event to the 55th UN Statistical Commission on the 13th of February at 9am EST: Urgent Action for Gender Equality in the SDGs: Accelerating Progress for Women and Girls by 2030.
Responses to this peer review may be submitted through the Clearing-House Mechanism of the Convention ( https://chm.cbd.int/submit/submission/new?notification=2024-010 ) as soon as possible, but no later than 29 February 2024, using the attached review template. This template and relevant documents are also available for your convenience at the following link: https://www.cbd.int/notifications/2024-010 . Please note that only comments submitted using the peer-review template will be considered and that submissions received will be posted at this same location.
The text of this notification is also available on the CBD website at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2024/ntf-2024-010-km-en.docx .
To non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions and other stakeholders
Please find attached a self-explanatory questionnaire addressed to States in relation to the implementation of General Assembly resolutions A/RES/68/268 and A/RES/77/210.
OHCHR invites replies and comments to the Questionnaire by non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions and other stakeholders by 26 February 2024 to ohchr-tbs@un.org in digital or electronic formats, which are accessible to persons with disabilities, for example, Word or text formats.
The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) today opened nominations for the 7th Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award, an honour granted to individuals who have made extraordinary efforts to improve the world’s forests and the lives of people who depend on them.
The Call for Nominations for the 2024 Forest Champion is open until 10 February 2024.
The jury will select a winner based on outstanding contributions to conserve, restore and sustainably manage forests. This year, particular emphasis will be placed on achievements in:
- reducing forest loss
- increasing forest area
- increasing the use of sustainably grown wood and non-wood products
- building resilient forest communities, and
- improving livelihoods and youth engagement.
Nominations related to grassroots and youth-led initiatives are especially encouraged.
Along with international recognition, the winner will receive a cash prize of USD 20 000 and will be invited to attend an award ceremony at the 27th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO) which will take place 22-26 July 2024 in Rome.