By Charlotte Charlotte Vogel, Associate NGO Representative, Good Shepherd International Justice Peace (New York)
On October 24th, 2025, the United Nations celebrated its 80th birthday. The creation of a new international order amid the ashes of World War Two emphasized a common humanity and an overwhelming desire for peace; in the words of President Harry Truman, “If we do not want to die together in war, we must learn to live together in peace.''
This past year served as an opportunity to look back on the triumphs and tribulations of the past eight decades and reassess for the future. The UN started with the San Francisco Conference – constructing the UN Charter as the founding document – which heralded a new era of international agreements, aid and development, peacekeeping operations, and a framework to promote human rights across the world. Importantly, the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights solidified the realization of a shared humanity as well as a shared responsibility to one another.
The UN has also shepherded great advances for the protection and promotion of women’s leadership and rights, from the landmark First Conference on Women in Mexico in 1975 to the Fourth Conference in 1995 that produced the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The number of those living in extreme poverty has been cut in half, school attendance and retention skyrocketed, and maternal mortality fell. These and other achievements stand as a testament to the power of a coordinated, international push for greater prosperity and peace.
Looking forward, 2026 will be a special anniversary for Good Shepherd, as the Congregation celebrates thirty years of holding special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This also marks the establishment of the Congregación de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Buen Pastor - Justicia y Paz office in New York. Thirty years of this work has highlighted and celebrated the voices, leadership, and lived experiences of girls and women from around the world on the most pressing issues. Three decades have been spent advocating for the Congregation’s mission for a just, equitable, and inclusive future in front of other NGOs and international leaders, and vital progress has been made to improve the lives of those in the Good Shepherd network by strengthening local capacity and implementing the guidelines of international frameworks.
2025 was a meaningful and reflective year for the UN space, as member states, civil society, UN organizations, and other key stakeholders used the anniversary as an opportunity to reevaluate the state of multilateralism and efficiency of international resources to prepare for the next 80 years and more of the international organization. Facing a variety of political challenges and budget cuts, the UN80 initiative launched by Secretary General Antonio Guterres seeks to improve multilateralism and the direct impact of UN programs with strong self-evaluation and restructuring.
This was a resounding theme during the General Debate, held at the beginning of the Assembly, which is the annual meeting of heads of state and government. Under the theme “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,” world leaders had the opportunity to shape their priorities for the coming year, reflect on recent events, problems, and achievements, and call to action greater international cooperation on the issues they find to be the most pressing.
GSIJP approached the General Debate keeping in mind historical landmarks, the direction of the Congregation, and the progress that still has to be made. The Congregation’s Position Papers stood as a clear guideline for moving forward into a new decade for the United Nations, especially amid persistent attacks on peace and justice and shrinking civil society space in UN spaces. GSIJP viewed and assessed the speeches delivered by each of the sixty-seven countries with a Good Shepherd presence, and produced a report with a summary on the points made specifically addressing the position papers. In relation to these areas of Migration, Economic Justice, Girl Child, Trafficking, Prostitution, and Integral Ecology, countries largely focused on the globally increasing crisis of climate change and the issue of finance for developing countries, the pitfalls of the current migration system and its relation with economic inequality, and gender inequality in political and international leadership. Speeches varied from 15 to 45 minutes over the course of six days in September. We invite you to read the full report, “UN80 through the lens of the Good Shepherd International Justice and Peace''.
In his inauguration speech, Trygve Lie, the first Secretary-General, recognized “the harder the task, the higher the prize.” As GSIJP continues to advocate for Good Shepherd communities to influence international work, this message serves as an important reminder for the next thirty and more years.
