From 25 to 27 March 2015, Permanent Forum member Joan Carling attended the intergovernmental negotiations on sustainable development goals and targets.

On 18 March 2015, Permanent Forum expert member Oliver Loode participated in a roundtable event entitled “Preservation and Promotion of Cultural and Linguistic Heritage of Sakhalin Indigenous People (the Nivkh)” at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.

At the invitation of the Government of the Russian Federation, the expert members of the Permanent Forum met on 25, 26 and 27 February 2015 in Salekhard – the administrative center of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug – Russia.

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From 2 to 4 March 2015, in Lima, Peru, Permanent Forum expert member Ms. Maria Eugenia Choque Quispe participated in a meeting of organizations of Indigenous women in Latin America.

The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002, adopted by the Second World Assembly on Ageing, states that systematic review of its implementation by Member States is essential for achieving improved quality of life of older persons and that the Commission for Social Development should be responsible for the follow-up and appraisal of its implementation.

4 January: World Braille Day

4 to 13 February: 53rd Commission for Social Development

25 to 27 February: 4th Zero Project Conference, Vienna

This Global status report on violence prevention 2014 takes stock of how governments are making a difference, by assessing the measures countries are taking to prevent and respond to interpersonal violence. The report – the first of its kind – finds that considerable violence prevention activity is underway around the world.

This year, the International Human Solidarity Day (IHSD) is celebrated under the theme “Moving together as one: Solidarity as the foundation of the UN development agenda beyond 2015”. IHSD serves to remind us about the importance of solidarity for the achievement of the international agreements on social development, including programmes of action of international conferences and multilateral accords.

Cooperatives have been contributing to sustainable development and have accumulated tremendous experience in this regard. They have strengthened the push for economic diversification and inclusive development. Cooperatives empower people while protecting the planet, and are an effective vehicle in delivering inclusive and sustainable development. They have demonstrated their power to provide livelihoods for people at the grassroots or local levels while showing concern for the community and its resources. There are 2.6 million cooperatives worldwide which employ 12.6 million people.