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CONGO E-Update • 18 February 2009 The CONGO E-Update is produced by staff in New York, Geneva and Vienna, with contributions from members and affiliated partners. - Watch out for new and exciting changes in future E-Updates!
In this issue: CONGO's Board Meeting and Launch of CONGO's Asia Regional Committee CONGO Co-Sponsors World Civic Forum Durban Review Process - Call for NGO Participation 74th
Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination United
Nations University Midday Forum: "Outsourcing Security, as
a New Tenth Special Session of the Human Rights Council Strengthening
the UN process on small arms: from the Third to the Fourth ASEAN People's Forum and ASEAN Civil Society Conference 4, Announcement The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) 10th
Session of the Human Rights Council - Call for written statements
- The 53rd Session of the Commission of the Status of Women International Women's Day Disarmament Seminar 87th
Session of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary "Changes:
Successful Partnerships for Africa's Growth Challenge" Refugee Studies Centre Public Seminar Series: "Pro-asylum Advocacy" Human Rights Committee 95th Session 3rd Annual African e-Gov Forum Fourth Western Balkans Regional Conference on HIV and AIDS ICPA
Africa Regional Conference: "Promoting Community Safety through 4th Southern African AIDS Conference 42nd Session of the Committee against Torture OHCHR Indigenous Fellowship Programme, call for applicants for 2010 programmes Universal
Periodic Review 5th Session 42nd Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 7th
International Workshop of Women in the 21st Century Eighth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) Pre-Sessional Working Group of the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 2009 Global Youth Enterprise Conference 5th Asia and Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights African Youth Foundation - call to NGOs for volunteers
CONGO Events and Announcements:
CONGO Board Meeting and Launch of CONGO's Asia Regional Committee, 23 - 25 February 2009 (originally scheduled for 14, 15 and 16 December 2008), Pathumthani, Thailand After
consultation with CONGO Board members, Liberato C. Bautista, CONGOPresident,
announced that CONGO's next Board meeting and the launch of
CONGO's Asia Regional Committee would take place from 23 to
25 February 2009 in Pathumthani, Thailand, on the premises of the
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). The meeting and the launch
had originally been scheduled to take place in mid-December 2008.
CONGO's Board agreed that its forthcoming meeting would encompass
the postponed second meeting of 2008 and the first meeting of 2009.A
board meeting schedule and an invitation to the launch of CONGO's
Asia.
nformation about the cosponsored CONGO and AIT colloquium is available here..
CONGO Co-Sponsors World Civic Forum, 5 - 8 May 2009, Seoul CONGO agreed to partner with Kyung Hee University - one of its associate members - in holding the World Civic Forum in Seoul, Korea, from 5 to 8 May 2009. The Forum, with the general theme "Building Our Humanitarian Planet," is a joint initiative of Kyung Hee University and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA). As a major sponsor, CONGO is encouraging its members worldwide to attend the Forum. The President of CONGO, Mr. Liberato Bautista, will be a keynote speaker. CONGO will be leading a panel on one of the three themes, particularly "Civic Engagement in Public and Global Governance." More information about the Forum, including a TV interview by Korea's Arirang TV with CONGO President Liberato Bautista and Dr. Euiyoung Kim, Chair of the WCF 2009 Steering Committee, can be found at www.wcf2009.org (interview available under "Latest News"). A flyer for the event, providing background information and the preliminary programme, is available here.
CONGO Civil Society Development Forum 2009 – Implementing the Internationally Agreed Goals and Commitments in regard to Global Public Health, 2 – 4 July 2009, Geneva CONGO’s Civil Society Development Forum (CSDF) 2009 is scheduled from 2 to 4 July 2009 in Geneva. It will be held back-to-back with ECOSOC’s High-Level Segment (6 – 10 July 2009), which will focus in 2009 on the theme “Implementing the Internationally Agreed Goals and Commitments in regard to Global Public Health.” More information about this event will soon be available on CONGO’s website. Information about ECOSOC and its Substantive Sessions is available here. Information on the UN-NGO-IRENE Best Practices Network on Global Public Health is available here.
Durban Review Process – Call for NGO Participation CONGO is calling for NGO participation during the drafting process of the Durban Review Conference. Information on how NGOs can become involved in the process is available here.
Events and Announcements:
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is convening its 74th session from 16 February to 6 March 2009 at the Palais Wilson, Geneva. To view the programme of the meetings, click here. For more information about CERD, visit the committee's website here.
The United Nations University will present a midday forum entitled "Outsourcing Security, as a New International Norm" on 19 February 2009.The event will commence at 13:15 hours and end at 14:45 hours at Conference Room 7 of the UN Headquarters in New York. The objective of the event is to probe into how and when new norms in security appear and the conditions for their emergence. This seminar will analyse the four conditions necessary in order for a new international norm to be identified as well as illuminate important questions that arise in terms of how to manage such.
Tenth Special Session of the Human Rights Council, 20 February 2009, Geneva There will be a Special Session of the Human Rights Council held on 20 February 2009 in Rooms XVII of the Palais des Nations at 10:00 hours to address "The Impart of the Global Economic and Financial Crises on the Universal Realization and Effective Enjoyment of Human Rights." The deadline for submission of NGO written statements for the special session is on 18 February 2009 at 18:00 hours.
The Geneva Forum will present a lunchtime seminar focusing on the ways in which the international community can build on the generally agreed positive outcome of the Third Biennial Meeting of States (BMS), particularly with a view to the next Biennial Meeting, scheduled for 2010. The seminar will include presentations analysing the process, outcome and lessons learnt from the Third BMS.outlining the 'roadmap' to the Fourth BMS and beyond; as well as offering reflections on what would be necessary for a successful Fourth BMS.The seminar will be held from 13:00 hours to 15:00 hours on 20 February 2009 in Room IX of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. A sandwich lunch will be served at 13:00 hours outside of the seminar room. To register, contact david.ahmed@graduateinstitute.ch mentioning if you need a pass to enter the UN building.
The ASEAN Peoples' Forum and ASEAN Civil Society Conference 4 has been postponed to 20 through 22 February 2009. The three-day APF/ACSC 4 will be held in the original location of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, during the weekend before the 14th ASEAN Summit. Due to the overwhelming interest in the upcoming ASEAN Peoples' Forum, online registration has now been closed. Those still interested in attending are welcome to attend the forum based on availability.Click here for the programme of the APF/ACSC 4.
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), 23 - 27 February 2009, Geneva The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will hold its first session from 23 to 27 February 2009 at Palais des Nations in Geneva. During the session the Committee will inter alia elect officers and start discussions on its draft provisional rules of procedure with a view to further strengthening and enhancing the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.NGOs are invited to attend a meeting with the Committee, which shall be held at Palais des Nations, Room VII, on 26 February 2009 from 10:00 hours to 13:00 hours. NGOs and others wishing to attend the session should contact OHCHR at crpd@ohchr.org and request accreditation. A provisional agenda of the meeting is available here.
The Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford will present "Camping the Border: The Exceptional Politics of Internal Displacement in Acholiland, Northern Uganda" as a part of its public seminar series.Simon Addison of the Refugee Studies Centre will convene the presentation.The seminar will take place on 25 February 2009 at 17:00 hours in Seminar Room One, 3 Mansfield Road in Oxford. Please note that seminars are subject to change at the last minute. Visit the Refugee Studies Centre website http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/ for updates or contact rsc@qeh.ox.ac.uk
NGO written statements: NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC may submit written statements relevant to the work of the Human Rights Council (in accordance with paragraphs 36 and 37 of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31). The HRC Secretariat wishes to draw the attention of NGOs to that resolution, which authorizes written statements of: a) 2,000 words for NGOs in general consultative status. b) 1,500 words for NGOs in special consultative status and on the roster.
GO written statements are to be submitted in accordance with the "guidelines for the submission of NGO written statements".NGOs may submit their written statements to the Council Secretariat electronically to hrcngo@ohchr.org. Please note that the deadline for the submission of written statements is 13 February 2009. The Council Secretariat will not be able to ensure the timely circulation of written statements submitted later than the deadline.
Accreditation: NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC wishing to accredit representatives to the 10th session of the Human Rights Council are invited to fax their letter of accreditation request(s) to the Secretariat of the Council as of 16 February 2009, to the attention of Ms. Françoise Kenfack, Accreditation Officer, who can be reached at: Phone: +41 22 917 96 41 Fax: +41 22 917 90 08 E-mail: fkenfack@ohchr.org Please note that the Accreditation Officer will be located at Pregny Gate of the Palais des Nations during the duration of the session.
The letter requesting accreditation should: · Be submitted on the official letterhead of the organization; · Clearly state the title and duration of the session the organization wishes to attend, e.g. "Name of NGO, in consultative status with ECOSOC, wishes to send the following members to attend the [insert relevant session number] session of the HRC ([insert dates of session])..."; · Be signed by the President or the Main Representative of the organization; · Also indicate the name(s) (first name and family name) of the person(s) who will represent the organization at the HRC session. Names of persons must appear exactly as they appear in the ID document and family name(s) must be capitalised.
Once in Geneva, participants may then proceed to the accreditation office at the “Pregny Gate” security entrance (avenue de la Paix 8-14). Upon presentation of personal identification and a copy of the accreditation request from the concerned NGO, the accreditation officer will issue a photo-badge granting access to the Palais des Nations. This badge will remain valid for the duration of the session and will permit the badge-holder unrestricted access to the conference rooms. Annual or temporary NGO representatives in possession of an identity badge issued by the UNOG Security and Safety Section, and valid for the duration of the session, will have unrestricted access to the conference rooms. Assistance for requesting travel visas Upon request, the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) NGO Liaison Office (not the Council Secretariat) may issue relevant 'attestation of accreditation' for visa application purposes. In order to obtain such an attestation, NGOs enjoying consultative status with ECOSOC should explicitly indicate their need in the accreditation request faxed to the HRC Secretariat. The latter will accordingly transmit the request to the UNOG NGO Liaison Office which will issue the attestation and transmit it to the concerned NGO headquarters. The UNOG NGO Liaison Office may be contacted at the following address: United Nations Office at Geneva NGO Liaison Office Office of the Director-General Room 153 Palais des Nations 1211 Geneva 10 Tel: + 41 (0)22 917 21 27 Fax: +41 (0)22 917 05 83 Email: ungeneva.ngoliaison@unog.ch
The 53rd Session of the Commission of the Status of Women, 2-13 March 2009, New York The fifty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 2 to 13 March 2009. The priority theme of the Commission will be “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS.” The emerging issue of “the gender perspectives of the financial crisis” will be considered as well through an interactive expert panel.
NGOs wishing to speak during the general discussion or during the interactive panels should submit a request to the official CSW e-mail address at csw53@un.org no later than 27 February 2009. Click here to find details about submitting a request and other important information for NGO participants.
International Women's Day Disarmament Seminar, 4 March 2009, Geneva The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) will hold an International Women's Day disarmament seminar beginning at 13:15 hours on 4 March 2009 in room IX of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The seminar's theme is "Getting to Peace in the Middle East: The Role of Women in Changing Threat Perceptions". The seminar will concentrate on the security challenges in the Middle East, specifically on the threat perceptions that create a professed need for a reliance on military means, including weapons of mass destruction, to provide security.For more information, visit the WILPF's website http://www.wilpf.int.ch/events/2009/IWD.html for more information and to register for the event. The deadline for registration is on 25 February
25 February 2009.
Papers should be submitted to: Ms.
Simonetta Zarrilli fax
+41 (0) 22 917 0044
The Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford will present "The Ethos and Politics of Immigration and Its Implications for the Education of Citizen and Non-Citizen Children" as a part of its public seminar series. Madeleine Arnot of Cambridge University and Halleli Pinson of Ben Gurion University will convene the presentation.The seminar will take place on 4 March 2009 at 17:00 hours in Seminar Room One, 3 Mansfield Road in Oxford. Please note that seminars are subject to change at the last minute. Visit the Refugee Studies Centre website http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/ for updates or contact rsc@qeh.ox.ac.uk.
The 87th session of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) will be held from 9 to 13 March 2009 on the first floor of the Palais Wilson in Geneva. Appointments with the Working Group may be requested up to 20 February 2009.The WGEID recommends NGOs to create awareness of the WGEID, to assist relatives of disappeared people by submitting cases to the WGEID or in sending prompt intervention letters and to present general allegations and to support relatives during country visits, organizing meetings with the WGEID.More information is available here
The United Republic of Tanzania and the International Monetary Fund will host the "Changes: Successful Partnerships for Africa's Growth Challenge" conference from 10 to 11 March 2009 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The conference, which will feature a keynote address from former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, aims to address key policy questions with the common goal of forging a renewed partnership for growth in Africa in the 21st century. For more information, visit the conference's website http://www.changes-challenges.org/.
UNCTAD Expert Meeting, 10 - 11 March 2009, Geneva The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will be holding an Expert Meeting on mainstreaming gender in trade policy from 10 to 11 March 2009 in room XXVI of the Palais des Nations, Geneva. The meeting will convene at 10:00 hours on 10 March 2009.The Expert Meeting will firstly analyze the extent to which trade policies affect women's empowerment and well-being, and the impact of trade policies on the level of inequality between men and women. Secondly, it will provide the opportunity for discussing relevant strategies to make trade policies more responsive to the specific needs of women.Participants with proven expertise in the subject will come from governments, international and regional organizations, NGOs, the private sector and academia. Member States of UNCTAD are requested to nominate experts no later than 25 February 2009. Experts nominated by member states are encouraged to submit brief papers (approximately five pages) as contributions to the work of the meeting. The papers should be submitted by 27 February 2009. The papers will be made available at the meeting in the form and language in which they are received.
Papers should be submitted to: Ms. Simonetta Zarrilli Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Refugee Studies Centre Public Seminar Series: "Pro-asylum Advocacy", 11 March 2009, Oxford, UK The Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford will present "Pro-asylum Advocacy" as a part of its public seminar series. Helen Hintjens of the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague will convene the presentation. The seminar will take place on 11 March 2009 at 17:00 hours in Seminar Room One, 3 Mansfield Road in Oxford. Please note that seminars are subject to change at the last minute. Visit the Refugee Studies Centre website http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/ for updates or contact rsc@qeh.ox.ac.uk.
Human Rights Committee 95th Session, 16 March to 3 April 2009, New York The
ninety-fifth session of the Human Rights Committee will be held
at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 16 March to
3 April 2009. The first meeting will be convened on Monday, 16 March
2009, at 10:00 hours in conference room 1,Here you can find the
programme of work
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/docs/ProgramOfWork_95.doc
and
The
Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP) has announced
the schedule for its training courses on "Making Governance
Gender Responsive" (MGGR). MGGR is a generic course focusing
on the identification and resolution of gender biases in governance
on both institutional and individual levels.MGGR courses will be
held from 20 to 27 March 2009, from 23 to 30 July 2009 and from
20 to 27 November 2009 at the Asian Institute of Management Conference
Center (ACCM) in Manila, Philippines. For more information
3rd Annual African e-Gov Forum, 24 - 26 March 2009, Kigali, Rwanda The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation together with the Ministry in the Office of the President in charge of Science and Technology will host the 3rd Annual African e-Gov Forum from 24 to 26 March 2009 in Kigali, Rwanda.The three-day forum will give delegates the opportunity to discuss issues such as government policy, regulatory challenges, infrastructure development, Public Private Partnerships, broadband access, different technologies for e-gov services, open source and standards, gender sensitive e-gov initiatives, ICTs for youth empowerment, capacity building, e-readiness, e-schools, e-health, e-learning, e-citizens, etc.Check out the CTO's website http://www.events.cto.int/egov09africa more information, or click here to view the programme agenda.
Fourth Western Balkans Regional Conference on HIV and AIDS, 26 - 27 March 2009, Durres, Albania The
Fourth Western Balkans Regional Conference on HIV and AIDS will
be held from 26 to 27 March 2009 in Durres, Albania. The Conference
is organized by Partnerships in Health in collaboration with the
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and
local entities. This annual regional conference is an integral component
of the Western Balkans HIV and AIDS Programme - Building Regional
HIV Resilience. The Conference goal is to foster healthy mobility
through increased understanding of the challenges in reducing HIV
and other vulnerabilities and taking into consideration the mobility
issues affecting communities around the region.The deadline for
registration is 25 February 2009. Visit the conference website http://www.balkans-fight-hiv.org/documents/conference/Third%20conference/ConferenceIII.htm to
obtain more information and to download a registration form.
The International Corrections and Prisons Association for the Advancement of Professional Corrections will hold its first Africa Regional Conference entitled "Promoting Community Safety through Corrections" from 31 March to 1 April 2009 at the Nicon Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria. For more information on the conference, visit the ICPA website http://www.icpa.ca/
4th Southern African AIDS Conference, 31 March - 3 April 2009, Durban, South Africa The 4th Southern African AIDS Conference will take place in Durban, South Africa, from 31 March to 3 April 2009. The theme for this year's conference is "Scaling up for success." There will be six tracks at the Conference ranging from basic science to human rights and ethics. Pre-conference registration ends on 13 March 2009. Delegates may only register at the conference from this date onwards. Further information about the conference, its programme and registration is available on the conference website
UNESCO's
International Institute for Education Planning (IIEP) and UNESCO's
Regional Bureau for Education in Africa (BREDA) are organizing a
workshop on "Educational planning and management in a world
with AIDS" that will be held in Accra, Ghana, from 20 to 24
April 2009. The workshop aims at heightening awareness of educational
planning and management issues that the epidemic raises for the
education sector and to impart planning skills. Topics will be tailored
to the West African context and HIV training needs. Check out the
workshop's website for
more information.
42nd Session of the Committee against Torture, 27 April - 15 May 2009, Geneva The 42nd session of the Committee against Torture (CAT) will meet from 27 April to 15 May 2009 in the Palais Wilson in Geneva.All States parties are obliged to submit regular reports to the Committee on how the rights are being implemented. Under review this session are Chad, Chile, Honduras, Israel, New Zealand, Nicaragua and Philippines. Visit the committee's website for the provisional agenda and programme of work which are forthcoming.
OHCHR Indigenous Fellowship Programme, call for applicants for 2010 programmes
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Indigenous
Fellowship Programme is currently accepting applicants for its 2010
programmes in English, Spanish and Russian. The aim of the program
is to give indigenous peoples the opportunity to gain knowledge
on the UN system and mechanisms dealing with human rights in general
and indigenous issues in particular so they can assist their organizations
and communities in protecting and\
promoting the rights of their people.Further information and applications
on the programmes in English, French, The
deadlines for consideration for 2010 programmes are as follows:
Universal Periodic Review 5th Session, 4 - 15 May 2009, Geneva
The fifth session of the Universal Periodic Review will take place
from 4 to 15 May 2009 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Here
you can find a list of countries
,timetable
and
list of troika
expected to be at the May session. NGOs and NHRIs can submit information
to be added to the "other stakeholders" report which is
considered during the review. Information they provide can be referred
to by any of the states taking part in the interactive discussion
during the review at the Working Group meeting. NGOs can attend
the UPR Working Group sessions and can make statements at
The
Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties
to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons will hold
its 3rd session from 4 to 15 May 2009 in New York. An opening plenary
meeting will be held on 4 May 2009 at 10:00 hours in Conference
Room #1 of the United Nations Headquarters in New York. For complete
information concerning NGO participation and attendance,refer to
the committee's Aide Memoire for Non-Govermental Organizations
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom09/aidememoire09.pdf
The Reaching Critical Will project of the Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom will be providing daily reports during
the session.
42nd Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 4 - 22 May 2009, Geneva The
forty-second Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
will be held from 4 to 22 May 2009 at the ground conference room
of the Palais Wilson, rue de Paquis 52, Geneva.Click
here for the committee's Tentative Programme of Work.
In order to ensure the accreditation of participants, all requests
for accreditation should reach OHCHR by 20 April 2009, at the latest.
Organizations wishing to submit information for the committee with
respect
Social and Cultural Rights 7th International Workshop of Women in the 21st Century, 18 - 22 May 2009, Havana, Cuba The
7th International Workshop of Women in the 21st Century has been
convened by the chair of the Women's Department of the University
of Havana and the Cuban Women's Federation. Registration will
close on 22 February
2009.For more information, contact Dr. Norma Vasallo, president
of the organizational
committee via her email address: cmujer@psico.uh.co postal
mail: Universidad de La Habana, San Rafael y Mazón, Plaza, C. Habana, Cuba or click here for additional information (in Spanish language only).
Eighth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), 18 - 29 May 2009, New York The Eighth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues will be held from 18 to 29 May 2009 at the UN Headquarters in New York. Information concerning accreditation, NGO participation, side events and submission of written statements can be found here as well as a copy of the provisional agenda.
The
Pre-Sessional Working Group of the Committee on Economic, Social,
and Cultural Rights (CESCR) will take place from 25 to 29 May 2009
at the Palais Wilson in Geneva. The meetings of the pre-sessional
working group take place in private and are thus not open to NGO
participation or observation. However, a meeting is reserved on
the afternoon of 25 May for exchanges with partners, including UN
agencies and NGOs, in relation to the States parties to be reviewed
by the working group. Visit the CESCR website
to see the states being reviewed in May. Accreditation procedures
apply to those who wish to participate in the meeting.Organizations
wishing to submit information for the Committee with respect to
these countries are welcome to do so. Submissions will be treated
as
Social and Cultural Rights
2009 Global Youth Enterprise Conference, 29 - 30 September 2009, Washington, D.C. Making Cents International will hold its 2009 Global Youth Enterprise Conference from 29 to 30 September 2009 in Washington, D.C., Making Cents International's Global Yuth Enterprise Conference provides a demand-driven and participatory learning space where members of all sectors can share information on programmes, methodologies, strategies and tools; network to build partnerships; gain new technical capacity and help build the youth enterprise, employment and livelihoods development field. For more information, visit the conference website.
The 5th Asia and Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights will take place from 17 to 20 October 2009 in Beijing, China. The conference will provide a common platform for all stakeholders to exchange experience and to discuss strategies in the reproductive health fields in Asian and Pacific countries.For more information, visit the conference website.
African Youth Foundation - call to NGOs for volunteers In partnership with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the African Youth Foundation (AYF) is entitled to send volunteers to some of its partners in some African countries. The volunteer service is intended to make an effective contribution to development policy information and education in terms of "global learning" and towards nurturing a new generation of development workers. Partner organizations in Africa, who are interested in receiving volunteers, may sign in here . Approved organizations and projects are published on the AYF <website
Durban Review Conference Information: Please refer to this section for subsequent updates on this ongoing process.
Durban Review Conference, 20 – 24 April 2009, Geneva The Durban Review Conference will be held at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, from 20 to 24 April 2009. The process of preparatory meetings, also conducted at the United Nations in Geneva, started in November 2008. The first formal meeting was held on 27 November 2008, during which the working group elected its first Chair, Yury Boichenko, First Counsellor at the Russian Permanent Mission. Other meetings were/will be convened prior to the main conference at the UN in Geneva as follows: a) 19
to 23 January 2009 NGO ParticipationAt this stage, governments are already negotiating text that resulted from the compilation of various proposals submitted by regional and other interest groups. If your organization wishes to contribute specific amendments or additions, or propose deletions, you still have the opportunity to do so. CONGO suggests the following: 1. You may present the proposed changes to the text to the government officials following this particular UN process in your respective countries. 2. CONGO will collect contributions, compile them by region, country and organization and circulate them among the Member Governments' Permanent Missions to the United Nations and to UN officials associated with the Durban Review Process. Please send contributions to Beatriz Schulthess, Senior Associate at CONGO/Geneva, beatriz.schulthess@ngocongo.org. Such contributions should reach CONGO prior to 27 February 2009. The most effective way to contribute to the drafting process and negotiations is by working with the text under review. To help ensure that government officials take into consideration the proposed amendments, it is recommended to follow the same structure of paragraphs and sentences used in the draft document. 3. If you are planning to attend any of the meetings, please be aware that NGOs have a total of 45 minutes for interventions. These need to focus on the sections under negotiation. The chair may interrupt all interventions deemed to lack such focus.
The document being negotiated is called “technically reviewed version of the compilation of proposals” (CRP.2) and can be found on the following webpage: http://www.un.org/durbanreview2009/sessions.shtml
Durban Review Process – Informal Open-Ended Consultations, 16 – 19 February 2009, Geneva The Chairperson-Rapporteur of the intersessional open-ended intergovernmental working group that is negotiating and drafting the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference will convene informal open-ended consultations that will be held in conference room XVIII of the Palais des Nations in Geneva, as follows:
16 February 2009 from 15:00 hours to 18:00 hours 17 – 19 February 2009 from 10:00 hours to 13:00 hours; and from 15:00 hours to 18:00 hours.
The revised text reflecting the status of negotiations in the working group as of 18:00 hours on 23 January 2009 can be found here.
All those NGOs that are accredited to the Durban Review process are invited to attend the above mentioned meetings.
Durban Review process – OHCHR Guidance for Organizers of Side Events during the Durban Review Conference, 20 – 24 April 2009, Geneva In order to facilitate broad participation of governments, United Nations entities, inter-governmental organisations, national human rights institutions, civil society and other organisations accredited with the Durban Review Conference, the OHCHR has announced that meeting rooms will be made available for side events during the conference to be held daily from 09:00 hours to 18:00 hours from 20 to 24 April 2009.
Side events should focus on the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. They should provide an opportunity to review progress made in the combat against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the actual implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at the national, regional and international levels since 2001, as well as the sharing of best practices.
Organizers of side events are invited to submit their request to the Conference Secretariat through the appropriate inscription (registration) form with all the relevant information no later than 14 April 2009. The inscription form for side events will be posted on the Durban Review Conference Web Site.
The Conference Secretariat will review all requests for side events to ensure the broadest participation of stakeholders and a diverse range of themes and issues relating to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. Should the request be confirmed, the Conference Secretariat shall be in contact with the organizers concerning the next steps to take including possible time slots, rooms and services available.
CONGO Committees: NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, General Meeting, 26 February 2009, New York The NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns in New York (CSVGC-NY) will hold a general meeting on 26 February 2009 from 12:00 hours to 14:00 hours in the 14th floor conference room at 1, UN Plaza, in New York.
Speaker Hugh Locke, President of Yéle Haiti, will share practical suggestions and ideas on how to effectively scale up outreach and engagement with local community-building projects that create positive social and cultural transformation.
Decent Work Decent Life Campaign
Global Campaign against Poverty
Appeal and Petition for a Nuclear Weapon-Free World www10.plala.or.jp/antiatom/en/WC/e07wc/e-20070902_dec_riso.html
Launch of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Prize – Call for Nominations assembly.coe.int/Committee/JUR/HumanRightsPrize
Gender Training Community of Practice (GT CoP) – UN-INSTRAW www.un-instraw.org/en/community-of-practice/general/gender-training-community-of-practice-gt.html
International NGO Journal – Call for Papers www.academicjournals.org/INGOJ
Integrated Civil Society Organization System – UN/DESA Civil Society Participation Database
UN-NGO-IRENE Best Practices Network www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo/irene
First Committee Monitor – Resource on the General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament and International Security www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/FCM.html
Globethics.net Library – A Global Digital Library on Ethics
Resources and Calendar for Peace Issues – International Peace Bureau www.ipb.org and www.ipb.org/i/newsletters-and-publications/VI-A-ipb-newsletters-and-calendars.html
Internet Governance Caucus Website
2009 UNDP Procurement Training Calendar www.undp.org/procurement/training.shtml
International NGO Journal www.academicjournals.org/INGOJ
African Journal of Political Science and International Relations www.academicjournals.org/ajpsir
2-13 February 2009: 4th Session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group, Geneva http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx
15 February 2009: Be-Free International Award Entry Deadline http://befreecenter.org/news/award.aspx
16-17 February 2009: Seminar on Gender-Sensitive Labour Migration Policies, Brdo, Slovenia http://www.osce.org/item/32399.html
24-25 February 2009: Citizens’ Advice Services on the Exercise of European Citizenship Rights - 6th European Forum, Brussels www.ecas-citizens.eu/content/view/146/1
25-26 February 2009: 2nd European Brain Policy Forum, Brussels http://www.europeanbraincouncil.org/
2-13 March 2009: 53rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, New York www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/53sess.htm
12-13 March 2009: First International Conference on eGovernment and eGovernance – Call for Papers, Ankara www.icegov.info (Abstracts and general enquiries may be forwarded to icegov@sobiad.org)
11-13 March 2009: OECD-Committee for Information, Computer and Communications Policy (OECD-ICCP) meeting, Paris http://csisac.thepublicvoice.org/
20-22 March 2009: Empowering Women for Global Wellness – World Wellness Women’s Congress, Chennai
17-19 April 2009: Cultural Days 2009, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
18-19 April 2009: Unite for Sight – 6th Annual Global Health and Development Conference, Yale University, New Haven www.uniteforsight.org/conference
4-15 May 2009: 17th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, New York www.un.org/esa/sustdev/mgroups/registration.htm
13-15 May 2009: 15th UICC Reach to Recovery International Breast Cancer Support Conference – Registration Open, Brisbane, Australia http://www.qldcancer.com.au/reachtorecovery2009/home.html
17-20 June 2009: Building Community Centred Economies – Conference, Brisbane
7-9 and 9-10 July 2009: InterAction Forum 2009 – 2009 International Aid+Trade, Arlington, VA, and Washington, D.C. www.aidandtrade.org/view.overview
10-13 July 2009: 2nd International Symposium on Academic Globalization: AG 2009, Orlando www.iiis2009.org/wmsci/website/default.asp?vc=22
16-22 August 2009: World Water Week, Stockholm www.worldwaterweek.org/Downloads/1st_Announcement_09.pdf
2-6 September 2009: 2009 World Congress of the World Federation for Mental Health, Athens, Greece http://www.wmhc2009.com/static/index.html
7-10 September 2009: Children and the Law: International Approaches to Children and their Vulnerability – International Conference, Prato, Tuscany www.med.monash.edu.au/socialwork/conference09
17-21 October 2009: SIGNIS World Congress 2009 – Registration Open, Chiang Mai, Thailand http://www.signisworldcongress.net/2009/spip.php?rubrique2
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