28. Jun delegations made their first official visits to the United Nations in New York, Geneva and Vienna since the organization was granted Special Consultative Status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council. The accreditation allows 28. Jun to send up to 30 representatives to attend international conferences where they can make written and oral statements, organize parallel events, network and lobby, participate in debates and panel discussions and meet official government delegations.

In New York, 28. Jun had the honor of being invited to a high-level side event at the United Nations General Assembly 73rd session which was attended by Secretary-General António Guterres, incoming President of the General Assembly and H.E. Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés. In Geneva, 28. Jun members attended the 39th session of the Human Rights Council where high-level discussions were held on various human rights related issues, such as the right to privacy, rights of persons with disabilities, rights of minorities, and rights of children. In Vienna, the 28. Jun delegation attended the 62nd IAEA General Conference where important resolutions were adopted to further strengthen the International Atomic Energy Agency’s work in nuclear science and technology, safety, security, safeguards and technical cooperation.

Consultative Status with the ECOSOC also means 28. Jun has the opportunity to express its views and influence the work of the Council by providing expert analysis, helping monitor and implement international agreements, helping raise public awareness of relevant issues and by playing a major role in advancing United Nations goals and objectives.

This past Easter 28. Jun began our ‘Right To Play’ project to help overcome financial obstacles preventing some Serbian children from participating in organized sport. We are happy to announce that we have successfully concluded the project for 2018 with 3 successful deliveries to Dubica, Gracanica and Bor. In May we delivered new training equipment to Karate Club ‘Knespolje’ in Kozarska Dubica. In June our volunteers delivered 40 Nike Jerseys to the ‘FK 28. Jun’ youth soccer team from Gracanica. Finally, in August we delivered new uniforms and water bottles to the girls’ Handball Club ‘Bor-RTB’ in Bor. In the last 20 years Serbia’s athletes have been its most visible ambassadors to the world. What if our next generation of stars is too poor to even begin playing? Thank you to our supporters for helping us give ALL children the opportunity to play.

After being recommended by the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) NGO Committee’s 19 member states, 28. Jun has officially been granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations. 28. Jun is the first humanitarian organization from the Western Balkans to be granted the honor, with an estimated 10 million NGOs in the world, less than .0005%, or 4500, have achieved Consultative Status.

To celebrate this achievement 28. Jun will send a container with approximately $1 mil worth of medical equipment from the US to be distributed to hospitals throughout the Western Balkans. Some of the equipment will include anesthesia machines, portable X-ray units, ultrasound machines, EKG/ECG machines and several tons of medical supplies.

Founded in 2012, to date 28. Jun delivered 184 tons of humanitarian, medical and disaster relief aid worth over $6.1 mil to the Western Balkans.

28. Jun is the first humanitarian organization from the Western Balkans to be granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations. With an estimated 10 million NGOs in the world, less than .0005%, or 4500, have achieved Consultative Status.

After an 18-month long application process, 28. Jun was formally granted the status by the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) NGO Committee’s 19 member states during its May 25, 2018 Coordination and Management meeting in New York.

The ECOSOC serves as the central platform of the UN for addressing global economic, social and related issues. The selection of 28. Jun comes as an acknowledgement of its outstanding humanitarian, social and philanthropic work in the Western Balkans.

The designation will allow 28. Jun to deliver oral statements and submit written statements on areas of expertise to the United Nations to be circulated by the Secretary-General. Other privileges include:

• Provide expert analysis on issues directly from experience in the field;
• Attend international conferences and events;
• Organise and attend parallel events that take place during the session;
• Meet official government delegations and other NGO representatives;
• Participate in debates, interactive dialogues, panel discussions and official meetings;
• Play a major role in advancing United Nations goals and objectives;
• Serve as an early warning agent;
• Help monitor and implement international agreements;
• Help raise public awareness of relevant issues;
• Have opportunities to network and lobby.

Representatives from 28. Jun will hold up to seven United Nations grounds passes; at the New York headquarters as well as in Geneva for the Human Rights Council.

The application process was lengthy and vigorous as noted by 28. Jun President Filip Filipi Jankovic, “The NGO Committee’s UN member state representatives have been thoroughly vetting our application which contains detailed reports of our work in the field, governance and financial regime, since early 2016.”

28. Jun Executive Director for Balkans, Aleksandra Trifunovic, who also attended the session noted that “28. Jun members are doing a tremendous amount of valuable work and our new UN-accredited status will allow us to be involved in UN processes and share our expertise on the regions we operate in.”

The UN Charter established the ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations. It is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for implementation of internationally agreed development goals.

The 28. Jun Team in Australia met with Ambassador Miroljub Petrovic on two occasions in Canberra and in Perth as our activities broaden on the continent. Several events were successfully held in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne with events scheduled in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane. Please contact our Australia Coordinator nikolinamilosevic@28jun.org

28. Jun Vice President Milo Dubak & 28. Jun Treasurer – LP Corbett were honored to represent our organization at the United Nations in New York to attend the ‘ECOSOC; Committee on NGO’s, Regular Session 2018.’ We look forward to continuing to work with the UN on humanitarian initatitives in the Western Balkans.

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With your support we successfully delivered Christmas presents to every Serbian child living in the enclaves of Kosovo & Metohija! Our members along with our partners, humanitarian organization 038, made deliveries to Gracanica, Badovac, Susica, Velika Hoca, Orahovac, Osojane, Brestovik, Gorazdevac, Staro Gracko, Suvi Do, Rabovce, Novo Naselje, Kuzmin, Ugljare, Kosovo Polje, Livadje, Laplje Selo, Preoce, Caglavica, Donja Gusterica, Gornja Gusterica, Dobrotin, Partes, Pasjane and Budriga.

Around 2000 children received the gift packages, which were handed out by volunteers dressed as Santa and various cartoon characters. We are extremely satisfied with the results considering the short amount of time we had to realize our ambitious goal. The reaction to the project was so positive that we pledge to make it an annual event. All photos and video of the children receiving the gifts can be viewed on our Facebook page.

If you are happy with our work and wish to continue your support please consider becoming a monthly donor.