The CONGO
e-Update is produced by staff in New York, Geneva and Vienna,
with contributions from members and affiliated partners.
In this
issue:
Human Rights Council
Development
Environment
63rd
Session of the General Assembly
CONGO Committees
Campaigns and Initiatives
NGO Resources
Human Rights Council – Social Forum 2008,
1 – 3 September 2008, Geneva
The Social Forum 2008 taking place 1 – 3
September 2008 in Geneva will provide a space for interactive dialogue between
the UN human rights machinery and various stakeholders, including grass-root
organisations. The Forum stresses the importance of coordinated efforts at
national, regional and international levels for the promotion of social
cohesion based on the principles of social justice, equity and solidarity and
is intended to address the social dimension and challenges of the ongoing
globalisation process.
The Forum is to provide a space for NGOs, States
and other relevant stakeholders to discuss and exchange experiences on issues
related to the fight against poverty and to human rights. More information on
the Social Forum can be found here.
The Rights of Others – Side Event of the DPI/NGO Annual
Conference, 4 September 2008
This side event will focus on the ‘Rights of
Others’ within the scope of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
beyond. It will seek to address ways to increase awareness of the process,
application of and learning about Human Rights. The International
Psychoanalytic Association, Committee on the United Nations (IPACUN), invites
interested persons to announce their participation by sending a message to afmahfouz@aol.com. The seminar will take place from 13:00 to 17:00 hours at Société
Psychoanalytique de Paris, 187 Rue St. Jacques, Paris. The event will be conducted
in both French and English.
Peoples’ Global Action on Migration, Development and
Human Rights (PGA), 22 – 30 October 2008, Manila
This civil society event will take place prior to
and during the ‘Global Forum on Migration and Development’ (GFMD)
in Manila, 27 – 30 October 2008. The event is intended to monitor and
influence GFMD deliberations and to provide space for civil society
organisations to gather, reflect and strategise on issues concerning migration,
human rights, globalisation and development.
Ideas for workshops or activities and any other
questions or comments may be directed to Migrants’ Rights
International. More information on the GFMD can be found here and more information on PGA is
available here.
Taking the Health of Women and Girl Migrants Forward: A 21st
Century Challenge, 25 October 2008, Manila
Immediately prior to the ‘Global Forum on
Migration and Development’ (GFMD), a one-day workshop is arranged for
formulating specific recommendations to the GFMD meeting on health issues
regarding women and girl migrants. The workshop will be organised to provide
space for speeches, panel and plenary discussions and working groups. For more
information, please contact Joyce Jett or Rebecca Elliott.
18th Annual Human Rights and People’s
Diplomacy Training Programme, 24 November – 12 December 2008, Sydney and Canberra
The Diplomacy
Training Programme (DTP) is now open for applications for its 18th
Annual Human Rights and People’s Diplomacy Training Programme for Human Rights
Defenders from the Asia-Pacific Region and Indigenous Australia. This
three-week course is to provide participants with a foundation of knowledge on
the international human rights framework and the UN system as well as equipping
participants with practical advocacy, media and internet skills. More
information, including application forms and the programme, can be found here.
2008 Annual Meetings of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) – Accreditation Now Open, 11
– 13 October 2008, Washington, D. C.
The Annual Meeting of the IMF and the WB will take
place from 11 to 13 October 2008, at their Headquarters in Washington, D. C.
The ‘Program of Seminars’ will be held on Friday, 10 October 2008.
As in the past, a ‘Civil Society Policy
Forum’ will be organised, taking place from 9 to 13 October 2008.
Civil society organisations interested in
participating in the Annual Meetings are encouraged to apply as soon as
possible to ensure adequate time for successful visa processing and travel
arrangements. The online accreditation system will be open for applications
from civil society organisations until 21 September 2008. More information on
the 2008 Annual Meeting, the accreditation procedure and the Civil Society
Policy Forum is available on the civil society section of the World Bank Website.
Open Consultation on the Cluster of WSIS-Related Events 2009,
15 September 2008, Geneva
The Consultation on the Cluster of WSIS-Related
Events 2009 is to follow up on the outcomes of the third meeting of WSIS Action
Line Facilitators, 23 May 2008. It is open to all stakeholders. Registration
and badge requests are possible online as of 30 August 2008. More information
and background documentation can be obtained here.
Briefing on the Outcome of the Ninth Meeting of
the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 8
September 2008, Geneva
This briefing will focus on the outcome of the
above-mentioned meeting as well as the preparation for the tenth meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which will
be held in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010. The programme and registration form can be
found here.
European Forest Week, 20 – 24 October 2008, Brussels, Rome and Various Other Places in Europe
The European Forest Week is arranged by a number of
intergovernmental bodies. These are calling for the organisation of national
events during this week throughout Europe. The EU Presidency and the European
Economic and Social Committee will host events in Brussels, 20 October 2008.
The Rome component, which follows a multi-stakeholder approach with the
participation of representatives from NGOs, governments, UN agencies and
research institutions, will feature discussions on forests, energy and climate
change, water and ‘working together for forests’. More information
is available here
63rd Session of the General Assembly – General
Debate, 23 September – 1 October 2008, New YorkThe
63rd General Assembly (GA) will open on 16 September
2008 with the General Debate taking place between 23 September
and 1 October 2008. For general information and background documentation
visit the GA website here
and for specific information on NGO/Civil Society resources visit
the sub-page here.
***
CONGO Committees: NGO Committee on the Status of Women – Open General Meeting,
16 September 2008, Geneva
The open General Meeting of the NGO Committee on
the Status of Women taking place 26 September 2008 will feature Ambassador
Erlinda Basilio who is one of the newly elected Vice-Presidents of the Human
Rights Council (HRC). Her presentation will focus on, inter alia, how the HRC
institutional mechanisms are ensuring that HRC Resolution L6/30 be implemented
and on how she sees NGO collaboration, especially in this context.
CONGO
Committees: NGO Committee on the Status of Women – Panel
Discussion on Human Rights of Displaced Women, 9 September 2008, Geneva
The CONGO Committee
on the Status of Women will hold a panel discussion on the issue of Human Rights
of Displaced Women, taking place on 9 September 2008, from 13:00 to 17:00 hours
at the Palais des Nations, Room tbc. For more information, please contact Joyce Jett.
CONGO
Committees: NGO Committee on Human Settlements – Monthly Meeting,
16 September 2008, New York
The monthly meeting
of the CONGO Committee on Human Settlements, in partnership with UN-HABITAT,
will take place on 16 September 2008, from 15:00 to 17:00 hours at the UN
Church Center. Henry J. Stern will speak from 15:00 to 15:30 hours, describing
his pioneering www.nycivic.org project.
More information on this meeting can be found here. For more information
on the CONGO Committee on Human Settlements please visit their website.
Campaigns and Initiatives
Campaign towards October
17th, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
www.oct17.org
Decent Work Decent Life
Campaign
www.decentwork.org
Global Campaign against
Poverty
www.whiteband.org
Interactive global online
conversation on the "Universality of Human Rights”,
by WFUNA
http://www.realtimedelphi.net
Campaign, global coalition, Call to action: 19
November- World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse
http://www.woman.ch/children/1-introduction.php
Campaign, global coalition, Call to action: 15 October – International Day
of Rural Women
http://www.woman.ch/women/2-introduction.php
NGO
Resources
UN-NGO-IRENE Best
Practices Network
http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo/irene
NGLS 2007 Yearly Review of Civil Society
http://www.un-ngls.org/site/article.php3?id_article=462
Other
events
24-26
August 2008: African Regional Preparatory Meeting to the Durban Review
Conference, Abuja
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/racism/DurbanReview/regional.htm
25
August 2008: Organisational meeting of the Human Rights Council, Geneva
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/
3-5
September: 61st DPI/NGO Conference, Paris
http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/conference/
8-26
September 2008: 9th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, Geneva
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/
16
September 2008: Open preparatory consultations to the 3rd Internet
Governance Forum (Hyderabad, India, 3-6 December 2008), Geneva
http://www.intgovforum.org/
08-17
October 2008: 4th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, Vienna
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CTOC/CTOC-COP-session4.html
Internet Governance
EuroDIG - European Dialogue on Internet Governance, 20-21 October, Strasbourg
http://www.eurodig.org/
29
November – 2 December 2008: International Conference to Review the
Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, Doha
http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/
15-16
December 2008: UN Forum on Minority Issues, Geneva
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/minority/forum.htm
