IFCW

Call for Submission of Action Points - CoNGO Civil Society Development Forum (CSDF) 2009 – New York Component – “Implementing the Internationally Agreed Goals and Commitments in regard to Global Public Health”, 15 – 16 October 2009

Deadline for submissions by CoNGO members: 8 October 2009

In preparation for CoNGO’s Civil Society Development Forum (CSDF) 2009-New York Component, CoNGO has launched an online form to facilitate the submission of action points to be considered at that event.

The form is available here.

The format of that online submission form was designed with a view to capturing the diversity of opinions of civil society organisations and other entities on subjects to be discussed during the New York Component. It is intended to provide an opportunity for both CoNGO members and non-members based in the regions to participate in shaping the debates of CSDF 2009.

The pulse of the CoNGO membership and its networks is important to us. Your suggestions are desired and most welcome.

For further information about the online submission form and CSDF 2009-New York Component, please visit www.ngocongo.org or contact us:

CSDF2009@ngocongo.org

T: +1.212.986.8557

F: +1.212.986.0821

Background information:

CoNGO is organising a follow-up Civil Society Development Forum (CSDF) 2009 – the New York Component – on 15 and 16 October 2009. Registration for this event is open online.

This event is to review the Outcome Document of CSDF 2009–Geneva Component, seen in conjunction with the Ministerial Declaration of the ECOSOC 2009 High-Level Segment, which focused on “Implementing the Internationally Agreed Goals and Commitments in regard to Global Public Health”.

The expected product of this review is a set of succinct action points for governments, the United Nations System and civil society. These action points will result from further in-depth debates of workshops focusing on the following six substantive themes:

· Responding to health inequities at local and international levels

· Dealing with the shortage of health care workers

· Addressing the increase in non-communicable/chronic disease

· Financing global access to health, including health technologies

· Ensuring the right to health for women throughout the life-cycle

· Promoting prevention and treatment of HIV-AIDS.

The event is being held in collaboration with the Office for Economic and Social Council Support and Coordination (OESC), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA), and with the assistance of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

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CoNGO Committees: NGO Committee on Ageing, “Commemorating the 10^th Anniversary of the International Year of Older Persons: Toward a Society for all Ages” – 19^th International Celebration of the International Day of Older Persons, 8 October 2009, New York

At the margins of the International Day of Older Persons, the NGO Committee on Ageing (New York) is organising an event entitled “Commemorating the 10^th Anniversary of the International Year of Older Persons” on 8 October 2009 from 9:30 to 16:30 hours at the Economic and Social Council Chamber at UN Headquarters in New York.

Interested organisations may register online.

The flyer is available here.

More information about this event is available on the Committee’s comprehensive new website: www.ngocoa-ny.org.

CoNGO Committees: NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, General Meeting, 8 October 2009, Geneva

The NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns (CSVGC-Geneva) will hold its monthly meeting on 8 October 2009 from 13:00 to 15:00 hours at CoNGO’s conference room.

For more information, please contact Ms Vita de Waal.

CoNGO Committees: NGO Committee on the Status of Women, Meeting of the Women’s Right to Health Working Group, 15 October 2009, Geneva

The Women’s Right to Health Working Group of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women (Geneva) has scheduled its next meeting on 15 October 2009 from 16:30 to 18:00 hours at CoNGO’s conference room in Geneva.

This meeting will feature a presentation by Ms Farah Khan from India on her venture “Kashmir Krafts”.

For more information, please contact Ms Afton Beutler or Ms Manjit Dosanjh.

CoNGO Committees: NGO Committee on the Status of Women, NGO Interactive Roundtables on the UN-ECE Beijing +15 Regional Review Meeting, 30 – 31 October 2009, Geneva

The NGO Committee on the Status of Women (Geneva) is organising an event entitled “NGO Interactive Roundtables on the UN-ECE Beijing +15 Regional Review Meeting” on 30 and 31 October 2009 at the Maison des Associations, Rue des Savoises 15, in Geneva.

The invitation letter for this event is available here.

The provisional agenda is available for download here.

To register for the event, please follow these guidelines.

For more information, please send a message to ngocswgeneva@gmail.com.

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UN Events and Announcements:

UN Survey on the Impact of the Global Crises on Civil Society Organizations and their Constituencies

The Civil Society and Outreach Unit of the UN Secretariat’s Division for Social Policy and Development is inviting organisations to take part in a survey on the current situation that local, national and international civil society organisations are facing as a result of the global economic and environmental crises.

The results of the study are to be published for advocacy use by civil society organisations and will be made available at the 48^th Session of the UN Commission for Social Development.

For more information and guidance for participation in the survey, please visit its website.

“AIDS2031” – Civil Society Online Survey

AIDS2031 is a think-tank project initiated by Mr Peter Piot while serving as Executive Director of UNAIDS. It aims at formulating a long-term strategic AIDS response, as opposed to continued crisis management.

To reflect in this strategy the voice of civil society, an online survey has been created, which is available at the UN-NGLS website.

The letter by Mr Peter Piot requesting civil society to participate in this online survey is available here.

“Linking Human Rights and Migrant Empowerment for Development”, OHCHR Expert Seminar, 8 October 2009, Geneva

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is holding an seminar on “Linking Human Rights and Migration Empowerment for Development”. This expert seminar is to “facilitate a dialogue on the relationship between the protection of migrants’ human rights, the integration and inclusion of migrants in host societies, and the contribution of migrants to development in both host and origin countries”. The objective of this event is to support the preparation for roundtable 2.1 “Inclusion, protection and acceptance of migrants in society – linking human rights and migrant empowerment for development” at the Global Forum on Migration and Development (4 – 5 November 2009).

The seminar is scheduled on 8 October 2009 from 10:00 to 13:00 hours and 15:00 to 18:00 hours in Room XII at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, 8 – 9 October 2009, Geneva

To mark the 20^th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) are organising a celebration.

The event will focus on the theme “Dignity, Development and Dialogue” and will provide an important opportunity to bring together stakeholders and other individuals interested in the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

The event will take place on 8 and 9 October 2009 at the Centre International de Conférences de Genève (CICG).

More information, including the programme, guidelines and a listing of working groups, is available here.

7^th Session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, 5 – 16 October 2009, Geneva

The Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action has scheduled its 7^th Session from 5 to 16 October 2009. The first meeting of this 7^th Session will take place at 10:00 hours in Room XXI at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Open Consultation on the Financial Mechanisms: Meeting the Challenges of ICT for Development, 8 – 9 October 2009, Geneva

The UN Group on the Information Society (UNGIS) is organising the event “Open Consultation on the Financial Mechanisms: Meeting the Challenges of ICT for Development” to be held from 8 to 9 October 2009 at Palexpo in Geneva.

The registration form is available here.

“Watchdog or Lapdog? Maximizing the Value of Internal Oversight for a Better United Nations”, UN University (UNU) Midday Forum, 15 October 2009, New York

To commemorate its fifteenth anniversary, the Office of Internal Oversights Services (OIOS) and UNU-ONY are organising a high-level panel discussion. Entitled “Watchdog or Lapdog? Maximizing the Value of Internal Oversight for a Better United Nations”, the event is scheduled on 15 October 2009 from 10:00 to 12:00 hours in Conference Room 8 at UN Headquarters in New York.

The event will commence with an opening address by Mr Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General.

More information, including bios of speakers and registration modalities, is available here.

2^nd Session of the Ad-hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards, 19 – 30 October 2009, Geneva

The Secretariat of the Ad-hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards announced that it will hold its 2^nd Session from 19 to 30 October 2009. The event will begin at 10:00 hours in Room XXI at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

For more information about this event, please contact the OHCHR Civil Society Unit.

Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) Inter-sessional Panel Meeting, 9 – 11 November 2009, Geneva

CSTD has scheduled an inter-sessional panel meeting from 9 to 11 November 2009 in Room XXVI at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The meeting is to address two themes: (i) improvements and innovations in existing financial mechanisms, and (ii) new and emerging technologies.

More information and the registration form are available here.

5^th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the UN-ECE Water Convention, 10 – 12 November 2009, Geneva

The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) has scheduled its 5^th session of the meeting of the parties to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) from 10 to 12 November 2009 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

More information, including on the organisation of work, registration modalities and side-events, is available here.

UNRISD Conference on Social and Political Dimensions of the Global Crisis: Implications for Developing Countries, 12 – 13 November 2009

The UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is organising an international conference in Geneva to promote a better understanding of the social and political dimensions of the current crisis and policy and institutional reforms, and their implications for developing countries.

For more information and to register online, please visit the UNRISD website.

“Minorities and Effective Political Participation”, 2^nd Session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12 – 13 November 2009, Geneva

The 2^nd Session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues has now been scheduled for 12 and 13 November 2009 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The thematic focus of this Forum is on “Minorities and Effective Political Participation”. NGOs in consultative relationship with ECOSOC may participate, as well as other NGOs and organisations representing minorities “whose aims and purposes are in conformity with the spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations”. More information about accreditation procedures is available here.

The concept note for this event may be downloaded here.

More information about this event is available on the Forum’s website.

Civil Society Events and Announcements:

“Nanotechnology, Synthetic Biology, Genomics, Geo-engineering… Where is this all going?”, Emerging Technologies Strategy Discussion, 9 October 2009, New York

Friends of the Earth, the ETC Group and the International Center for Technology Assessment are hosting an emerging technologies strategy discussion entitled “Nanotechnology, Synthetic Biology, Genomics, Geo-engineering… Where is this all going?”. The event will take place on 9 October 2009 from 9:00 to 16:00 hours at the Salvation Army, International Justice Commission, 221 East 52^nd Street, in New York and include a hosted lunch.

Short presentations on nanotechnology, synthetic biology, genomics and geo-engineering will take place in the morning. These will be followed by an open discussion in the afternoon to develop a strategy to engage civil society in the shaping of these technologies on local, national, regional and global policy levels.

To confirm participation or for more information, please contact Ms Gillian Madill.

“Right to Food and Nutrition Watch 2009. Wer steuert das Welternährungssystem?”, Presentation and Discussion, 12 October 2009, Vienna

FIAN Austria, in cooperation with the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC), Aktion Brot für Hungernde and Grüne BildungsWerkstatt, is organising a presentation and discussion entitled “Right to Food and Nutrition Watch 2009. Wer steuert das Weltnährungssystem?” (Who steers the world food system?). The event will take place on 12 October 2009 at 18:00 hours at AAI, Grosser Saal, Türkenstrasse 3, in Vienna.

More information is available here.

“mundtot. sprachlos. auftreten gegen den frauenhandel”, Podium Discussion, 21 October 2009, Vienna

Justitia et pax is organising a podium discussion entitled “mundtot. sprachlos. auftreten gegen den frauenhandel” (Gagged. Voiceless. Standing up against trafficking of women).

The event will take place on 21 October 2009 from 18:30 to 20:30 hours at Club 4, Stephansplatz 4, in Vienna.

More information about this event is available here.

HREA Webinar: Civil Society and the UPR, 22 October 2009, Online

The Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) are organising a web-based lecture and discussion – webinar – focussing on the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process and the role of civil society therein.

The webinar will take place on 22 October 2009 at 12:00 noon GMT/UTC.

For more information and to sign on, please visit the HREA website.

Conference on Development and Information Technologies, 23 – 24 October 2009, Castelldefels, Barcelona

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) will be holding a Conference on Development and Information Technologies on 23 and 24 October 2009 at the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) in Castelldefels, Barcelona. The Conference, organised by the UOC and co-financed by the Agència Catalana de Cooperació al Desenvolupament, will be on “Mobile Phones and Internet in Latin America and Africa: What benefits for the most disadvantaged?”

If interested in submitting a paper for this event, please visit the UOC website.

International Coalition of Cities against Racism, International Conference, 29 – 31 October 2009, Bandung, Indonesia

As follow-up to its international conference held in Nuremberg, Germany (5 – 6 October 2009), the International Coalition of Cities against Racism is organising the second event, which is scheduled from 29 to 31 October 2009 in Bandung, Indonesia.

The main objective of this event is to create a forum for local decision-makers from around the world to share experiences and successful practices to help develop and strengthen their policies.

More information is available here.

“The Public Voice: Global Privacy Standards in a Global World”, Conference, 3 November 2009, Madrid

The Public Voice is organising a conference on “global privacy standards in a global world” on 3 November 2009 at the Melia Castilla Hotel in Madrid.

The main goals of this conference are to:

(i) “review the privacy developments of the past year and release the current edition of the Privacy and Human Rights Report;

(ii) promote civil society participation in decisions concerning the protection of privacy as both a fundamental human right and an essential facilitator for a global economy;

(iii) develop global privacy standards in a global world;

(iv) review and coordinate civil society involvement in privacy discussions in regional and other global arenas: CoE, EU, APEC, IGF, OECD, ITU, ICANN.”

More information about this event is available here.

International Peace Bureau Annual Conference, 13 – 15 November 2009, Washington D.C.

The International Peace Bureau Annual Conference will be held from 13 to 15 November 2009, in Washington D.C. The provisional title for the conference is “Rolling back militarism: a task for the global movement”.

The programme will include a central event (the weekend conference) and additional activities before and after, depending on the wishes of partners and participants. Suggestions are welcome. This is intended to be a participatory event, including a top-class range of speakers, cultural presentations and opportunities to interact with key people in Washington D.C. and beyond. Check out the IPB initial announcement for more information.

World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse, Call for Registration, 19 November 2009

The Women’s World Summit Foundation is campaigning to prioritize the prevention of abuse and violence against children. Launched in 2000, the World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse (19 November) is intended to create a global culture towards the worldwide prevention of child abuse.

For more information on the campaign and how to register, visit the campaign’s website.

“The Forgotten Children: A major European Conference addressing the subject of Children of Parents with a Mental Illness”, 26 – 27 November 2009, Vilnius, Lithuania

The European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI), in association with Lietuvos Sutrikusios Psichikos Žmoniu Globos Bendrija (LSPŽGB), its Lithuanian family member association, will host “The Forgotten Children: A major European Conference addressing the subject of Children of Parents with a Mental Illness” from 26 to 27 November 2009 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Details on the conference programme, registration and accommodation arrangements can be found on the conference website.

2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions, 3 - 9 December 2009, Assembly Meeting, Melbourne, Australia

The Parliament of the World’s Religions will hold its 2009 assembly from 3 to 9 December 2009 in Melbourne, Australia. The gathering is expected to bring together more than 8,000 people of faith, spirit and goodwill from around the world. For more information about the upcoming 2009 assembly, visit the Parliament of the World’s Religions website.

Information on the Council for the Parliament of the World’s Religions event held in Labouisse Hall, UNICEF House, on 8 January 2009 in New York, as well as photos, can be viewed here.