The event is scheduled to take place on 21 January 2025 in New York City, with the possibility for participants to join and interact online.
The annual symposium has traditionally sought to speak into the agenda of key global themes and events of the year as a means of fostering faith-based engagement in key advocacy opportunities at that time.
In 2025, in addition to the annual reviews and processes, key global events include the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, and the 2nd World Summit for Social Development convened by the UN General Assembly.
“Over the past years, we have seen significant and systemic reduction of space for civil society, and often the complete absence of any mention of faith actors as vital contributors in national and multilateral solutions,” said Dr Ryan Smith, World Council of Churches (WCC) representative to the UN in New York.
“In addition to framing sessions to explore the issue broadly, the symposium will hopefully allow us to break into panels that look at more specific issues with a view to showcasing how faith actors are engaging and part of solutions in these areas,” added Smith.
In 2015, faith-based partners initiated this symposium, which coincided with Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday that aimed at fostering dialogue on the intricate interplay between religion and international affairs. With a deliberate inclusion of UN member states and entities, the symposium sought to create a platform for collaborative policymaking and constructive engagement.
The event is co-organized by the WCC, ACT Alliance, General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church, Islamic Relief, Religions for Peace, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Soka Gakkai International, United Religions Initiative.
Invitations will be sent to various constituencies and networks of the collaborating symposium partners. This includes faith-based and civil society organizations, member states and their permanent missions, and UN agencies through the Inter-Agency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development.
Learn more about the Ecumenical Office to the United Nations