No images? Click here
CCI Newsletter - September 2026
Dear sir, madam,
Voicing a Christian perspective
We look back on the past quarter with gratitude. Despite staff changes, our work continued unabated. We submitted 8 responses to European Commission proposals and 7 country evaluations to the UN, and we had the opportunity to speak in the plenary hall in Geneva no fewer than 18 (!) times. For Universal Periodic Review country evaluations, we usually aim to have individuals from the country in question speak on behalf of CCI. For instance, Laurentine van Landeghem agreed to speak regarding Belgium; see the video of her personal statement below. Recent trips to Strasbourg, New York, Washington D.C., Southern Ontario, and Ottawa were also productive; please see my brief reports on X and elsewhere in this newsletter. We enjoyed fruitful meetings with American and Canadian CCI board members and entrepreneurs.
Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD)
As world leaders gathered in New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly, more than 40 countries—collectively representing some 2 billion people worldwide—pledged their support for the Geneva Consensus Declaration, forming a bloc to protect women, life, the family, and national sovereignty. As a specially invited co-sponsor and speaker, CCI participated in events related to this initiative opposite the UN Headquarters in New York and on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.
Planting Freedom Tree Ottawa
We also had the pleasure of a final, wonderful meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, and his Dutch counterpart, Margriet Vonno. Together, we planted a "Freedom Tree" in the garden of his residence in Ottawa to commemorate 250 years of Dutch-U.S. relations and U.S. independence.
Staff update
We have mostly said goodbye to our highly valued colleague Wilmer Hak. He is moving into the legal profession but will continue to serve as a mentor to our team on a voluntary basis. We would like to take this opportunity to thank him warmly for the tireless dedication he has shown over the past two and a half years and to congratulate him on his marriage on September 29. Further on, you will find several contributions he has written regarding global health and people with disabilities. Just last week, he hosted an international webinar on the World Health Organization (WHO), which attracted no fewer than 141 registrants.
We were pleased to welcome Hanna van Garderen from the Netherlands, who has joined our team for 10 hours a week as a Europe Policy Officer. Sylvia Mesesi from Kenya (see her article ‘Who is a mother?’) is currently studying in France, so she has shifted to a part-time schedule. Njeri Thuo, also from Kenya, is taking over part of her policy work. Hanna and Njeri introduce themselves elsewhere in this newsletter.
In the US, Luke Sempsrott and Mark den Hollander have been actively working on fundraising, including for the UN Fellowship. Read their appeal titled: ‘The left is watching us’. Jesse Groenendyk from Canada contributed to the UPR country reports.
Caribbean
A highlight is the formal partnership established with a Christian organization in the Caribbean. Read more about the importance of this later in the newsletter.
A request for your support
CCI has been able to make its voice heard on various platforms in support of life, family, freedom, and sovereignty. We hope you, too, believe it is important for this voice to continue being heard. Will you help us ensure we can keep paying the staff members who carry out this important work?
On behalf of the CCI team,
Henk Jan van Schothorst
Director Christian Council International
Save the Date: 27-08-2027 – Kick-off of CCI’s 15th anniversary (Netherlands)
High Level Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD) event
September 23. CCI participated—by personal invitation and alongside eleven other organizations—as a co-sponsor of a US-hosted side event during the week when heads of state gathered at the UN in New York. The event focused on the 'Geneva Consensus Declaration,' which champions women, life, the family, and national sovereignty. Launched in 2018 by the US and six other nations, the initiative now includes more than forty participating
countries.
Our board member George Roller participated in the celebration of the sixth annual commemoration of the Geneva Consensus Declaration in Washington.
CCI Strengthens Cooperation in the Caribbean Through New MoU
Great news! On 28 July 2026, Christian Council International entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Caribbean-based Christian organization to strengthen cooperation in promoting and defending life, family and other Christian values across the Caribbean.
Who is a mother?
There was a fierce debate during the presentation of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, over the question: ‘How do you define a mother?’ While the report itself was very clear about the biological reality of womenhood, Western countries questioned the science. Mothers, in all their diversity, should receive more attention, not necessarily biological women. The Special Rapporteur, Reem Alsalem, observed at the conclusion of the debate that mothers worldwide would be distressed to hear their governments minimizing and dismissing their realities and needs.
Ensuring genuine commitment to global health
The need for genuine commitment to local capacity building and technical cooperation in the field of health is urgent. The world’s deadliest diseases continue to take away thousands of lives, including those of young people. While most of these diseases can be treated quite easily, basic health needs for addressing these diseases are under increased pressure due to a lack of funding. To raise awareness on this issue, CCI delivered an oral statement during the Biennial thematic panel discussion.
Disability-based violence and discrimination?
In July 2026, Christian Council International delivered two written inputs to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Committee, which oversees the binding international convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, published two draft guidelines on disability-based violence and discrimination. After consultations, these guidelines will provide an internationally authoritative framework for countries on how to deal with disability-based violence and ableism (disability-based discrimination).
Planting Freedom Tree
September 24, 2026, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
To mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence and the bond between the U.S. and the Netherlands, CCI—together with U.S. Ambassador Hoekstra, Dutch Ambassador Vonno, and Canadian entrepreneur Van Hierden—planted a Freedom Tree today in the garden of the U.S. Residence in Ottawa.
From the speech by Henk Jan van Schothorst:
The Bible often uses the image of a tree to describe a life that is deeply rooted and well nourished. Psalm 1 speaks of a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
The left is watching us – UN Fellowship
Outside of Christian Council International's work at the UN, EU, and Africa, our UN Fellowship is one of our most impactful programs. This program trains top students on the inner workings of international law and culminates in a week-long trip to New York, where fellows attend the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations and meet with ambassadors and other high-level officials shaping global policy.
Despite not having launched applications or conducted any advertising, interest in the program has already exceeded our maximum capacity. Our applications open in November, and we need $18,000 to fund this year’s cohort.
Fellows leave with a profound understanding of the negative influence the UN exerts on issues of life, family, and freedom (see student reports). Some of our fellows go on to research topics related to the UN like Marcus Washington, who found that the UN is working toward a global universal identification system that erodes national sovereignty and personal privacy.
Since our first fellowship in 2024, our program has made enough of an impact internationally to earn a mention in The Next Wave, a left wing outlet that tracks conservative funding — proof that our fellows are having exactly the kind of effect we set out to achieve. Already, the very institutions and groups we are fighting against recognize the value and threat this fellowship poses to them.
Here's where your support would come in. A gift of $30 a month helps us reach this year's $18,000 goal and whatever you're able to give moves us closer.
Best,
Luke Sempsrott - North America Fundraising Coordinator
Mark den Hollander - US Representative
Let's introduce: Hanna van Garderen
My name is Hanna van Garderen and from September onwards, I work as a Policy and Advocacy Officer for Christian Council International.
In that role, I focus on expanding the CCI-voice within Europe and I try to influence the policies of the European Union and the United Nations (UN). For instance, I write reports when the European Commission calls for feedback on their policies and I analyse the status and development concerning life, family and freedom as well as human rights more general in UN Member States. Together with my colleague, I demand for speaking slots for the sessions of the UN’s Human Rights Council and I try -if speaking time is allocated- to fill it with contributions, mostly from guest speakers representing different countries.
Meet Njeri Thuo
Njeri is an International Relations professional with a background in diplomacy, and human rights frameworks, building a career at the intersection of policy, advocacy, and youth leadership.
Her professional journey has been shaped as much by faith as by policy. A Catholic whose advocacy draws on Catholic Social Teaching’s grounding in human dignity and justice. Njeri has been active in National youth leadership at Kenya Ni Mimi (KNM), and with the Kenya National Interface Team (KNIT), contributing youth and women’s perspectives to national interest and sovereignty policy, a defining contribution to her career. Peace and security remain a career interest she continues to nurture. Outside her work, Njeri loses herself in African Literature, drawn to what it teaches her about her people’s past.
September 15. Had a productive meeting with MEP @hjaruissen from @SGPnieuws in his office in @Europarl_EN in #Strasbourg, to update each other and to see how we can improve cooperation, such as on making use of our feedbacks to European Commission legislative proposals.
Each 4.5 years, all countries in the world go through a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva. In this mechanism, a country gets feedback from other countries to improve its human rights situation.
Find our UPR oral statements in the UPR playlist on YouTube:
Click on the image above for an overview of CCI's work
Financial support needed for CCI
In order for CCI's work to continue and expand, a steady flow of funds is necessary. To get an idea of what the project plan looks like for 2024-2026, click on the button below. It is an ambitious plan, but every contribution helps us!
CCI is a non-profit organisation. It develops an international network of Christians and conservatives involved in public policy and influences policy from a Christian perspective. CCI speaks at international organisations such as the UN, EU and the Human Rights Council to stand up for a Christian voice with an extra focus on themes such as life, family and freedom.
For donations in USD you can go to: https://www.christiancouncilinternational.org/what-you-can-do/donate/
Checks (USD) can be sent to:
Mr. John Van Der Brink, 243 Garside Ave Wayne, NJ 07470, USACCI office US is a Section 501 (c)(3) organization under the IRS code, so contributions are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers.
Donation option in CAD, see:
https://www.christiancouncilinternational.org/en-ca/what-you-can-do-ca/donate-ca/
Email - E-Transfer: canada@christiancouncilinternational.org
Cheque – mailed to: PO Box 200, Rosedale, BC, V0X 1X0Christian Council International Canada is incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.
