A special year for the CIDSE family
Hi ??! Welcome to CIDSE's first Newsletter of 2025! Here you can find an overview of our work from January to February!
??Enjoy your reading!
HIGHLIGHTS
CIDSE TURNS 60!
Founded in 1965, CIDSE has been at the forefront of addressing global social injustices and advocating for systemic change. Over the past 60 years, our network has remained steadfast in its commitment to promoting dignity, equity, and sustainability for all, rooted in its mission to advance social and environmental justice.
?? As CIDSE turns 60, you can check a brief interview with Josianne Gauthier , CIDSE Secretary General, as she shares her reflections on what makes CIDSE special and her hopes for the future.
?? Celebrations kicked off on 21 January and will continue throughout the year!
?? Stay tuned for more here!
NOW MORE THAN EVER, LET'S ALL STAND TOGETHER FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE
On World Day of Social Justice, CIDSE Directors urge political and economic leaders to confront the harsh realities of our times and take immediate and bold action for a more just and sustainable world.
"As we celebrate CIDSE’s 60-year legacy, let us take bold steps to ensure justice, peace, and the care of our common home, for this generation and the next ones." CIDSE Directors' Statement, 20 February 2025.
OMNIBUS REGULATION: FAITH-BASED ORGANISATIONS URGE URSULA VON DER LEYEN AND THE EU COMMISSION TO SAFEGUARD THE CSDDD
In an open letter to Ursula von der Leyen, leaders of faith-based organisations raise concerns about the European Commission's plans to amend three key pillars of the European Green Deal through an Omnibus law—the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Taxonomy Regulation, echoing those of a wide range of civil society organisations.?
?? Read the joint letter here.
OTHER NEWS
As we enter the Jubilee Year 2025, CIDSE and many of its member organisations are supporting the promotion and dissemination of Caritas Internationalis campaign “Turn Debt into Hope”, amplifying the call for economic and social justice as part of the Jubilee celebrations.?
?? Check the resources available of CIDSE Members that embody the spirit of hope and renewal at the heart of the Jubilee.
In solidarity with many organisations around the world including our close ally Caritas Internationalis , that have condemned recent decisions to cut vital humanitarian and development aid funding, such as USAID, CIDSE calls for the protection of humanitarian and development aid. These cuts, whether in development, food security, education, health or humanitarian assistance, will have devastating consequences for millions of vulnerable communities around the world. Aid is not just financial support – it is a reflection of our shared humanity and responsibility for one another.?
?? Read the statement here.
Ahead of the upcoming EU-Israel Association Council Meeting, CIDSE, alongside a broad coalition of civil society and human rights organisations, is urging the European Union to ensure Israel’s violation of the human Rights clause of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is an essential element of the meeting.
?? Read the full letter here.
CIDSE joins 163 human rights organisations, trade unions, and civil society groups urging the European Commission to ban all trade and business between the EU and Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
The letter calls on the European Commission to:
?? Read the full letter here.
On 25th January 2025 was the anniversary of the Brumadinho disaster, where 272 people died in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil, due to a dam collapse. Every year since the tragedy six years ago, CIDSE remembers the victims of the dam collapse in Brazil and supports their demand for justice. The Brumadinho incident underscores the need for strong legislative measures that compel businesses to uphold human rights and protect the environment.
?? Read the full statement here.
The 10th session of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Respect to Human Rights (OEIGWG) was held from 16 to 20 December 2024, and CIDSE was present with a delegation, comprised of CCFD-Terre Solidaire , Misereor , Trócaire , Fastenaktion , and collaborated partners from Latin America and Africa, participated in the week of negotiations in Geneva. The delegation presented an opening statement, as well as statements on Articles 6 (prevention) and 8 (legal liability).
?? CIDSE's analysis of the outcomes of last December's 10th Session on a UN legally binding instrument on business and human rights is available here.
UPCOMING
5 March:
9 April:
RESOURCES
CIDSE welcomes the long-overdue ceasefire achieved between Israel and Hamas. The truce must now serve as a steppingstone toward long-term efforts for a just political solution. The EU and its member states, together with international and regional partners, must ensure this by committing to upholding international law and ensuring accountability. Only through a firm commitment to a long-term resolution can a new escalation of violence be prevented and a just, lasting peace be achieved.
This paper by the Geneva Academy, supported by Fastenaktion , CIDSE Swiss Member Organisation, and RAISE, explains how civil society can engage with the new UN Working Group on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas and the mechanisms available to promote UNDROP's collaboration with both governments, citizens and local communities.
Today, 54 countries are in debt crisis, with devastating impacts on people’s lives and livelihoods. In this report, CAFOD , SCIAF and Caritas Internationalis identify the structural causes of reoccurring debt crises and recommend a series of policies to advance a fair and functional debt system.
?? Read the full report here.
PS: Can you tell us what you think of this edition of the newsletter?