The Global People’s Assembly (GPA) 2023 convened in New York during the UN SDG Summit on September 17th and 18th, bringing together more than 2,000 activists from over 145 countries to craft a powerful declaration demanding comprehensive social, economic, financial, and climate justice, and the protection of civic space and human rights. In a pivotal moment halfway to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the GPA sent a resounding message to world leaders gathered at the UN SDG Summit and the UN General Assembly.
The GPA, a global platform for people’s representatives, aimed to influence the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and address the pressing challenges humanity faces. The GPA’s declaration outlined four key areas of concern and called on governments to match the determination of civil society in their pursuit of justice and equality.
- Economic and Financial Justice: The declaration urged a fundamental shift in global economic governance, including a multilateral legal framework to address debt issues, rejection of corporate influence in international institutions, and the development of policies focused on justice, human rights, and reparations.
- Climate and Environmental Justice: Environmental concerns took center stage, emphasizing human rights-based climate solutions, Indigenous Peoples’ land rights, climate finance commitments, and access to clean water and sanitation. It called for a just transition to renewable energy sources and the adoption of a fossil-fuel non-proliferation treaty.
- Social Justice and Gender Equality: The GPA declaration underlined the need to eliminate discrimination and exclusion, particularly related to gender, sexuality, and other marginalized identities. It advocated for comprehensive sexuality education, access to abortion as a human right, and the removal of gender bias and stereotypes.
- Civil Society, Human Rights, and the UN: Protecting and expanding civic space and human rights emerged as a central theme. The declaration demanded accountability for violations of international human rights standards, increased civil society participation within UN spaces, and safeguarding human rights defenders.
Lostisland as sovereign entity of international law and a cultural and social organization operating in the form of a nation-state firmly supports this declaration. The challenges highlighted in the declaration are global in nature and require a collective effort from nations and communities worldwide. Lostisland remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote a fair, just, and sustainable world for all.
Lostisland participated in the Global People’s Assembly (GPA) virtually, represented by Honorary Consul to Nigeria, Professor Aniebiet Inyang Ntui, who has been attending various events at the SDG Summit and the UN General Assembly High-level Week. More information on the GPA can be found at peoplesassembly.global.