IFCW

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:

Human Rights Information and Documentation Systems (HURIDOCS) Conference, 25 – 27 February 2009, Geneva

HURIDOCS Conference will be held from 25 to 27 February 2009, at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) in rooms 5 and 6. The theme for the conference is, “Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court: The New Challenges for Human Rights Communications”. The purpose of this conference is to reflect upon how information about human rights can be communicated more effectively by civil society to institutions such as the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) and its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Participation is open to all human rights organisations: international organisations, non-governmental organisations, national human rights institutions and academic institutions. However, due to the great interest in this conference, registration is now closed. Please visit the conference website for more details.

Also, there will be a HURIDOCS General Assembly the morning after the conference, on 28 February 2009. The main items at the General Assembly will be a report of past activities, a discussion on the direction of HURIDOCS until 2012 and the elections of a Continuation Committee (Board) and International Advisory Council. All conference participants are welcome to attend the General Assembly meeting.

The 53^rd 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 (CSW) will be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York from 2 to 13 March 2009. The priority theme will be “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS”. Also, the emerging issue of “The gender perspectives of the financial crisis” will be considered through an interactive expert panel. The session will be attended by representatives of Member States, UN entities and of ECOSOC-accredited NGOs from all regions of the world.

Please visit the following links for more information about NGO participation, draft agreed conclusions proposed by the Bureau of CSW, and official documentation and NGO statements. Also, a large programme of parallel events is being organized by Member States, UN entities, other international and regional organizations and NGOs. Visit the CSW website for a calendar of parallel events and documentation for the event (available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

10^th Session of the Human Rights Council – Call for written statements – delegate accreditation, 2 – 27 March 2009, Geneva

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.

NGO 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 was 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 10^th 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

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 for more information and to register for the event. The deadline for registration is on 25 February 2009.

International Solar Energy Society meeting, 5 March 2009, New York

The International Solar Energy Society (ISES) will hold a meeting on 5 March 2009 from 13:15 hours to 14:45 hours in Conference Room E of the United Nations in New York. Speaker and editor Cary Krosinsky will address the theme, “Sustainable Investing, the art of long-term performance”. Visit the website for more details.

For further information contact Roma Stibravy - Chairperson, UN NGO Sustainability, at isesny@gmail.com. To obtain a UN day pass, please request by 3 March at noon.

“Changes: Successful Partnerships for Africa’s Growth Challenge” conference, 10 – 11 March 2009, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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 21^st century.

For more information, visit the conference's website.

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

fax +41 (0) 22 917 0044
e-mail: simonetta.zarrilli@unctad.org

“Managing and supporting relief staff after a critical event” Centre for Humanitarian Psychology workshop, 12 – 13 March 2009, Geneva

The Centre for Humanitarian Psychology will be offering a workshop themed “Managing and supporting relief staff after a critical event”, from 12 to 13 March 2009, in Geneva. This one-and-a-half day workshop will introduce participants to the basic actions necessary immediately after a critical incident has occurred, and what rules to follow to support the team within the first 48 hours.

Visit the CHP website for more information and to register for the workshop.

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 and the provisional agenda for the 95th session.

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 3^rd 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 for 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 to obtain more information and to download a registration form.

The 22^nd Session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), 30 March - 3 April 2009, Nairobi, Kenya

The 22^nd Session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) will be held from 30 March to 3 April 2009 at the UN-HABITAT headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The council is a high-level forum during which policy guidelines and the organisation’s budget are established for the next two-year period.

Check out the UN-HABITAT website for more details.

ICPA Africa Regional Conference: “Promoting Community Safety through Corrections”, 31 March – 1 April 2009, Abuja, Nigeria

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.

IIEP-BREDA “Educational planning and management in a world with AIDS” workshop – call for applications, 20 – 24 April 2009, Accra, Ghana

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.

Applications to be a trainer at the workshop are due on 2 March 2009. Applicants must have extensive experience as planners, or trainers of educational planners. The training is conducted in English and applicants must have sufficient English-language skills in order to participate fully in the training. Click here to download a trainer application.

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, Spanish and Russian can be found here. The deadlines for consideration for 2010 programmes are as follows: English – 30 April 2009, Spanish – 15 July 2009 and Russian – 30 September 2009.

Universal Periodic Review 5^th 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 troikas 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 regular session of the Human Rights Council, when the outcomes of the state reviews are considered.

OHCHR has released “Technical guidelines for the submission of stakeholders”, which can be found here.

3^rd Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 4 – 15 May 2009, New York

The Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons will hold its 3^rd 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.

The Reaching Critical Will project of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom will be providing daily reports during the session. These reports can be subscribed to or found on their website as well as additional information for NGOs.

42^nd 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 to the states parties listed on the CESCR website are welcome to do so.

Submissions will be treated as public documents unless specifically marked “Confidential.” They should be sent electronically to smathews@ohchr.org, as well as 25 hard copies by 6 April 2009 to:

Secretary, Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
UNOG-OHCHR
1211 Geneva
Switzerland

Organizations intending to submit information are kindly requested to inform the CESCR secretariat in advance.

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.

Pre-Sessional Working Group of the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, 25 – 29 May 2009, Geneva

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 public documents unless specifically marked “Confidential.” They should be sent electronically to the Committee secretariat at smathews@ohchr.org , as well as in 10 hard copies by 4 May 2009 to:

Secretary, Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
UNOG-OHCHR
1211 Geneva
Switzerland

Organizations intending to submit information are requested to inform the CESCR secretariat in advance.

2009 Parliament of the World’s Relgions – call for programme proposals, 3 - 9 December 2009, Melbourne, Australia

The largest interfaith event in the world, the Parliament of the World’s Relgions, will hold its 2009 assembly from 3 to 9 December 2009, in Melbourne, Australia. The gathering will bring together more than 8,000 people of faith, spirit and goodwill from around the world.

Programme proposals are currently being accepted until 28 February 2009. Click here for more information or how to submit a proposal.

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.

Further updates are available on the Durban Review Conference website.

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
First intercessional open-ended intergovernmental working group meeting
b) 10 to 16 April 2009
Next formal session of the intercessional open-ended intergovernmental working group
c) 15 to 17 April 2009
Final session of the Preparatory Committee
d) 20 to 24 April 2009
Durban Review Conference.

NGO Participation

At 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.

For more information on the Durban Review Conference please visit the following webpage: http://www.un.org/durbanreview2009/

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 – 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 the United Nations International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, 26 February 2009, New York

The NGO Committee on the United Nations International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples will hold its next committee meeting on 26 February 2009 from 13:00 hours to 15:00 hours on the 8^th floor of the Church Center in New York.

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 14^th 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.

CONGO Committees: NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning – facilitation of NGO panel discussions on human rights education, 3, 12, 13, 16 and 23 March 2009, Geneva

The NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning will facilitate a series of NGO panel discussions on human rights education. Each of the five panels, organised by different organizations, focuses on a specific area/issue of human rights. All panels will be held from 13:00 hours to 15:00 hours on the dates listed below. However, rooms and times for the panels will be confirmed later and flyers will be circulated. The discussions are scheduled as follows:

3 March 2009 – The Role of Human Rights Defenders in Human Rights Education
12 March 2009 – Safe School Environment for the Girl Child through a Human Rights Education Perspective
13 March 2009 – Intercultural and Interfaith Education: An Imperative for Achieving Freedom of Religion and Mutual Understanding
16 March 2009 – The UN Framework for Human Rights Education and Civil Society Participation: Draft UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training and the World Programme for Human Rights Education.
23 March 2009 – The Role of Human Rights Education in Combating Racism and Discrimination

CONGO Committees: NGO Committee on the Status of Women International Women’s Day Celebration: “The Economics of the Financial Crisis: Gender Equality and the Role of Women”, 6 March 2009, Geneva

The NGO Committee on the Status of Women (Geneva), partnered with the Non-Governmental Liaison Office of the United Nations Office at Geneva and CONGO, will host an International Women’s Celebration on 6 March 2009 from 15:00 hours to 18:00 hours in Room XVI of the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The theme for the event will be “The Economics of the Financial Crisis: Gender Equality and the Role of Women. Visit the CONGO website for a provisional programme (English, French) and an invitation to NGOs (English, French).

CONGO Committees: NGO Committee on Sustainable Development, Reconstitution Meeting, 17 March 2009, New York

The NGO Committee on Sustainable Development in New York will convene a meeting concerning the reconstitution of the committee. The meeting will be held from 13:15 hours to 15:30 hours in the Hardin Room on the 11^th floor of Church Center, 777 UN Plaza, New York.

For more information about the meeting, visit the CONGO website for the meeting’s agenda and announcement letter.

CONGO Committees: Working Group Spirituality, Values and Business of the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, 17 – 18 March 2009, New York

The Working Group Spirituality, Values and Business of the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns – New York will be holding a two day conference entitled, “Empowering Women in the Light of Education and Self Reliance Through Entrepreneurship”, from 17 to 18 March 2009 on the 2^nd floor of United Nations Church Center, 777 UN Plaza in New York.

On day one of the conference, there will be a discussion on models of success. On day two, there will be an analysis of the largest concerns NGOs face in achieving their goals of empowering women in entrepreneurship, as well as the initiative of women at the peace-table leading the way of building the Culture of Peace.

NGOs wishing to participate can register via e-mail to svbusinesscsvgc@gmail.com no later than 27 February 2009.

CONGO Committees: NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, General Meeting, 27 March 2009, Geneva

The NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief (Geneva) will convene its next general meeting on 27 March 2009 at 13:30 hours in the NGO Resources and Services Centre at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Campaigns and Initiatives

Decent Work Decent Life Campaign

www.decentwork.org

Global Campaign against Poverty

www.whiteband.org

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

NGO Resources

Integrated Civil Society Organization System – UN/DESA Civil Society Participation Database

esango.un.org/civilsociety

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

www.globethics.net

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

www.igcaucus.org

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

Previously Published Events

16 February–6 March 2009: 74^th Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Geneva

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/

23–27 February 2009: The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Geneva

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crpd/docs/ProvisionalAgendaCRPDC11.pdf

25-26 February 2009: 2^nd European Brain Policy Forum, Brussels

http://www.europeanbraincouncil.org/

4 March 2009: Refugee Studies Centre Public Seminar Series: “The Ethos and Politics of Immigration and Its Implications for the Education of Citizen and Non-Citizen Children”, Oxford, UK

http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/

11-13 March 2009: OECD-Committee for Information, Computer and Communications Policy (OECD-ICCP) meeting, Paris

http://csisac.thepublicvoice.org/

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)

20-22 March 2009: Empowering Women for Global Wellness – World Wellness Women’s Congress, Chennai

www.wwwcon.org

20–27 March, 23-30 July, 20-27 November 2009: Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP) training courses on “Making Governance Gender Responsive,” Manila, Philippines

http://www.capwip.org/training/mggr.htm

31 March-3 April 2009: 4th Southern African AIDS Conference, Durban, South Africa

http://www.saaids.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

17-19 April 2009: Cultural Days 2009, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

www.cads.ch/4529/index.html

18-19 April 2009: Unite for Sight – 6^th Annual Global Health and Development Conference, Yale University, New Haven

www.uniteforsight.org/conference

27 April-15 May 2009: 42nd Session of the Committee against Torture, Geneva

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/

4-15 May 2009: 17^th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, New York

www.un.org/esa/sustdev/mgroups/registration.htm

13-15 May 2009: 15^th UICC Reach to Recovery International Breast Cancer Support Conference – Registration Open, Brisbane, Australia

http://www.qldcancer.com.au/reachtorecovery2009/home.html

18-22 May 2009: 7^th International Workshop of Women in the 21^st Century, Havana, Cuba

http://www.mujeres.cubaweb.cu/articulo.asp?a=2009&num=421&art=44 (in Spanish language only)

17-20 June 2009: Building Community Centred Economies – Conference, Brisbane

www.cdconference.com.au

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: 2^nd 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

29-30 September 2009: 2009 Global Youth Enterprise Conference, Washington, D.C.

http://www.youthenterpriseconference.org/

17-20 October 2009: 5^th Asia and Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights,

Beijing, China

http://www.5apcrshr.org/yc.html

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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