Committee Updates:
SPSSI UN Update

David Livert, Penn State Lehigh Valley

For those engaged at the United Nations, September marks the beginning of the new year. Most notably, the General Assembly will convene in New York. Also, many UN groups and committees take an August break, so September is back to work month. As the SPSSI UN reconvenes, several noteworthy accomplishments from the spring and summer of 2023.

Joining the UN committee as Representatives are Beth Zick and Rachel Buxbaum. We are also pleased to announce three new graduate interns: Meroona Gopany, Hanh Vu, and Yuanruo, Xu. They will join current team members: Harold Cook, Joseph Demeyer, Sheri Levy, David Livert, Corann Okorodudu, and Laurel Peterson. Welcome aboard!

During the spring and early summer of 2023 accomplishments included:

• Participation in the first Global Advocacy Month. SPSSI UN committee members met with missions to the UN to advocate support of the General Assembly Resolution on Mental Health and Wellbeing. We had fruitful conversations with the missions of Hungary, Ireland, Nepal, and the Philippines.
• The SPSSI UN Anti-Racism subcommittee conducted Best Data Disaggregation Practices for a Whole-of-Society Ecological Systems Approach to the Elimination of Systemic Racism and Progress on Implementation of the SDGs for the 2023 High Level Political Forum. Missions from Costa Rica and Mexico participated in putting on the side event.
• The SPSSI UN Climate Justice subcommittee submitted a statement to the 2023 meeting of the High Level Political Forum regarding the combined impact of Covid-19 and climate change.
• The team co-sponsored the following side-event as part of the Second Meeting of the Permanent Forum for People of African Descent entitled: Leaving no-one behind: Advancing the health and wellbeing of people of African descent.
• The committee completed a round of strategic planning for the 2023-2024 year in separate sessions led by Mat Osicki of SIOP and Liz Cole of SPSSI. Thank you Mat and Liz!

We look forward to reporting our fall 2023 activities in the next issue of the The Forward.

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