UN Special Consultative Status
Peace Boat is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (UN ECOSOC). Since 2002, this status has accorded the organisation access to not only ECOSOC, but also to its many subsidiary bodies, to the various human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, ad-hoc processes, as well as special events organised by the President of the General Assembly. Our special status allows us to take an active part in the crafting of the UN agenda and campaigns.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Making Cities Resilient Campaign
Peace Boat is a campaign partner supporting the goals of building the capacity of young leaders and strengthening regional cooperation on disaster risk reduction to reduce the impact of disasters and enhance community resilience.
Supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2009 Peace Boat became an official partner of the United Nations Millennium Campaign that was launched in 2002 to support citizen’s participation in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Through the logo of the campaign painted on the hull, Peace Boat not only intensified its existing local and global initiatives to eradicate poverty, but it also became a global awareness raising tool for the campaign.
On September 25th 2015, world leaders met again to give another dimension to the goals and launched the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the SDGs.
In 2016 Peace Boat’s shift from campaigning on the MDGs to the SDGs, with ‘The Global Goals’ logo being added on our ship’s hull. By doing so, Peace Boat hopes to inspire each country we visit for an active engagement into reaching the goals.
The SDGs are a set of detailed and specific targets that the UN deemed critical to reach in the next 15 years. They are a combination of a total of 17 goals on issues such as poverty and hunger, energy or climate change, which all need to be resolved in order to create a sustainable global society.
The Ecoship Project takes a holistic approach to addressing critical sustainability issues, as embodied in SDGs, believing that all global challenges are inter-connected.
SDG 1 – No Poverty
Wheelchairs collected by Peace Boat await transportation by the ship to communities devastated by war in Iraq. Through travel, experiential learning and face-to-face dialogue with people in affected communities, Peace Boat offers a deeper understanding into the roots of poverty and its link with conflict and war.
SDG 4 – Quality Education
Students of all ages and walks of life work together on an assignment onboard a Peace Boat voyage. Participants learn from renowned guest educators – including Nobel Peace Prize laureates, activists and academics – and also from each other and the people they meet around the world.
SDG 5 – Gender Equality
The simple joy of playing a sport is out of reach for many girls and women living in societies with gender disparity. In the photo, Peace Boat participants enjoy a game of football with new friends in Madagascar as part of the Peace Ball project, which empowers boys and girls, men and women to lead more active lives.
SDG 7 – Renewable Energy
Ecoship project maximises the use of renewable energy in a marine context, with its 10 retractable solar-panelled sails and retractable wind generators, and its 6,000m2 of solar panels. Ecoship will host Green technology exhibitions in over 100 ports annually, showcasing an inspiring vision for the possibilities of renewables.
SDG 8 – Good jobs and economic growth
In an increasingly fractured world, Ecoship promotes a culture of peace, understanding, and respect for the environment by conducting responsible tourism and advocacy activities, while promoting a unique business model for sustainability.
SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities
A Peace Boat staff member delivers second hand violins collected in Japan to young musicians in Venezuela. Working with local partners and using the ship to distribute needed materials, Peace Boat reduces wastage, diminishes inequality and also creates opportunities for young people in vulnerable communities.
SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
As a partner in the UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient campaign, Peace Boat creates opportunities for young people around the world to learn about disaster risk reduction. Our training programmes, like this one in the Philippines, rely on local expertise and empower the entire community to play a part in building resilience.
SDG 13 – Climate Action
Shipping is responsible for over 3% of global GHG emissions. With significant growth forecast (Asia’s cruise sector alone has 20% annual growth projected) it is imperative to reduce environmental impacts. Ecoship will serve as a transitional model, cutting CO2 emissions by 40%.
SDG 14 – Life below Water
Ecoship seeks solutions “restorative” to the natural environment, acting as a platform for collaborative research on green technologies. Its solutions can be applied to future new-builds in the growing Asia cruise industry.
SDG 15 – Life on Land
Peace Boat works with local communities to combat land degradation, desertification and the loss of biodiversity. Here, Peace Boat participants are seen learning about sustainable land use and planting trees with members of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, founded by Nobel Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai.
SDG 16 – Peace and Justice
Hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, pose in front of Peace Boat, their home for 3 months as they travel the planet sharing their testimonies and call for a nuclear-free world. The ship is as safe space for cross-border intergenerational dialogue on peace, security and justice.
SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals
Peace Boat serves as a network of networks, advocating for local issues at the international level. As the Northeast Asia Secretariat of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), Peace Boat works with civil society, governments and the UN in support of shared values, visions and goals.