The CSDF 2009 Briefing on the CSDF-Geneva and New York Components is to be held at the Vienna International Centre on 11 November 2009 from 13:00 to 17:00 hours.

For information about the Geneva and New York Components of CSDF 2009, please visit www.ngocongo.org.

Registration details are available here.

For more information about the Briefing, please contact CoNGO’s Vienna Office (+43-1-260-60-4422).

***

CoNGO Committees: NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, “2009 Week of Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns – The Spirit of the UN: Global Peace through Reconciliation”, 26 – 30 October 2009, New York

Honouring the 2009 International Year of Reconciliation, the 2009 International Year of Human Rights Learning and the Decade of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010), the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns (New York) is organising its “2009 Week of Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns – The Spirit of the UN: Global Peace through Reconciliation”. The event will take place from 26 to 30 October 2009 in New York.

More information, including the programme, the event flyer and background details, is available at www.csvgc-ny.org.

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.

CoNGO Committees: NGO Committee on the Status of Women, “The Global Economic Crisis and the Empowerment of Women”, Presentation by Mayra Buvinic, 4 November 2009, Geneva

The NGO Committee on the Status of Women (Geneva) is organising a presentation by Mayra Buvinic, Director, Gender and Development, Poverty Reduction Economic Management (PREM), World Bank, entitled “The Global Economic Crisis and the Empowerment of Women”. The event will take place on 4 November 2009 from 14:30 to 16:30 hours in Room XXI at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The flyer, which includes contact details, is available here.

CoNGO Committees: NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, Meeting, 17 November 2009, Geneva

The NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns (Geneva) has scheduled its next meeting on 17 November 2009 from 13:00 to 15:00 hours at CoNGO’s Conference Room in Geneva.

More information about this committee, including contact details, is available via its new website.

CoNGO Committees: NGO Committee on the Status of Women, NGO Global Women’s Forum – Early Registration Now Open, 27 – 28 February 2010, New York

The NGO Committee on the Status of Women (New York) has opened an early registration opportunity for participants at its NGO Global Women’s Forum, which is scheduled for 27 and 28 February 2009 in New York. Taking place during the 15^th anniversary of the Beijing World Conference on Women, the Forum is to contribute to the preparation of NGO representatives expecting to participate at the 54^th UN Commission on the Status of Women.

More information is available here.

***

UN/IO Events and Announcements:

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 is currently conducting its 2^nd Session (19 to 30 October 2009) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

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

43^rd Session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 2 – 20 November 2009, Geneva

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has announced the 43^rd Session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to take place from 2 to 20 November 2009 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Information on NGO participation is available here.

General information about this event, including the provisional agenda and annotations and a copy of the “note by the Secretary-General on the states parties to the covenant and the status of submission of reports”, is available here.

43^rd Session of the Committee against Torture, 2 – 20 November 2009, Geneva

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has announced the 43^rd Session of the Committee against Torture, to take place from 2 to 20 November 2009 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Information about NGO reporting is available here.

General information, including the provisional agenda, is available here.

3^rd Global Forum on Migration and Development – Civil Society Days, 2 – 3 November 2009, Athens

At the margins of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, the Civil Society Days are being organised by the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation on 2 and 3 November 2009 in Athens.

More information is available on the event website: www.gfmd2009.org.

“New Challenges and Opportunities for Gender Equality in the ECE Region: Key Issues and Policy Responses”, Beijing +15 Regional Review Meeting, 2 – 3 November 2009, Geneva

At the 62^nd Session of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE), its member states decided to convene a “regional meeting in preparation for the 15-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action”. This meeting is scheduled for 2 and 3 November 2009 in Geneva.

For more information, please visit the UN-ECE Beijing +15 page, which includes background documentation, registration details and national answers to the “Beijing +15 questionnaire”.

“Women and Migration in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Including in the Context of the Financial Crisis”, CEDAW Panel Discussion, 4 November 2009, Geneva

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) and the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), is organising a half-day panel discussion on “Women and Migration in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, including in the context of the financial crisis”. The discussion is to take place on 4 November 2009 from 10:00 to 13:00 hours in Room XX at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

For more information, please send an e-mail to cedaw@ohchr.org.

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 open to NGOs, is available here.

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

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 been scheduled for 12 and 13 November 2009 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The thematic focus of this Forum is “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.

“ICT 4 All Forum”, Tunis +4, 24 – 25 November 2009, Hammamet, Tunisia

To celebrate the 4^th anniversary of the Second Phase of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the African Development Bank, among others, are partnering in organising the event “ICT 4 All Forum”. The Forum is scheduled on 24 and 25 November 2009 in Hammamet, Tunisia.

More information is offered at the event’s website: www.ict4allforum.tn.

“The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System and the Current Global Economic Environment”, 7^th WTO Ministerial Conference, 30 November – 2 December 2009, Geneva

NGO Registration Deadline: 30 October 2009 (midnight, GMT)

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has scheduled its 7^th WTO Ministerial Conference, with the general theme “The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System and the Current Global Economic Environment”, from 30 November to 2 December 2009 in Geneva.

Information about NGO participation and access to online registration for NGOs is available here.

General information about this event is available here.

UN Climate Change Conference – COP15, 7 – 18 December 2009, Copenhagen

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has scheduled its UN Climate Change Conference – COP15 – from 7 to 18 December 2009 at the Bella Center in Copenhagen. A series of UNFCCC meetings have taken place throughout 2009 which are designed to lead to an effective international response to climate change at that conference.

General information and background documentation about COP15 are available at www.unfccc.int.

UNFCCC information on civil society participation is available here.

The umbrella organisation People’s Climate Action has been established to serve as a strategic and practical platform for NGO activities before and during the conference. The organisation’s website is: www.peoplesclimateaction.dk.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark has launched www.cop15.dk, which provides, inter alia, practical information about COP15, including details on alternative housing, news and venue specifics.

The provisional agenda is available here.

Civil Society Events and Announcements:

“Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Challenges and Opportunities”, Seminar, 29 October 2009, Vienna

The Webster University Alumni Association is organising a seminar entitled “Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Challenges and Opportunities”. It is scheduled on 29 October 2009 from 9:30 to 17:00 hours at the Andromeda Tower, Vienna International Centre (VIC).

The agenda of the seminar will be centred around four panels of experts focusing on the following issues:

- “Successes and failures of the implementation of the NPT;

- Role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-test-ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), and the UN Security Council.”

More information about this event is available here.

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.

“Les Droits Economiques, Sociaux et Culturels des Femmes”, 1^st International NGO Forum on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 2 – 3 November 2009, Geneva

The Organisation pour la Communication en Afrique et de Promotion de la Coopération Economique Internationale (OCAPROCE Internationale), with Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS) and Association Tunisienne des Mères (ATM), is organising its 1^st International Forum on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on 2 and 3 November 2009 at the Centre International de Conférences à Genève (CICG) in Geneva. The main theme of the conference will be “Les Droits Economiques, Sociaux et Culturels des Femmes” (Women’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).

For more information, please contact OCAPROCE (T: +41-78-893-1154, F: +41-22-301-2000).

“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.

“Engaging Armed Non-State Actors in Peace Processes: Practical Experiences”, Geneva Peacebuilding Platform (GPP) Seminar, 4 November 2009, Geneva

The GPP is organising a seminar entitled “Engaging Armed Non-State Actors in Peace Processes: Practical Experiences” on 4 November 2009 from 12:30 to 14:00 hours at the GCSP, WMO, in Geneva. The seminar will, inter alia, include the participation of Ms Veronique Dudouet, Researcher at the Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict Management, Berlin; Ms Carolin Görzig, Post-Doctoral Fellow, EU Institute for Security Studies, Paris; and Mr Alfred Lokuji, Professor of Political Science, University of Juba, Southern Sudan.

For more information and to register, please contact GCSP.

“Innovative Financial Techniques for the Developing World”, Development Policy Forum Roundtable, 5 November 2009, Brussels

The Development Policy Forum is organising a roundtable event entitled “Innovative Financial Techniques for the Developing World” on 5 November at the Bibliothéque Solvay in Brussels.

The programme and registration form are available here.

“Rolling Back Militarism – A Task for the Global Movement”, 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.

4^th GigaNet Annual Symposium, 14 November 2009, Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt

The Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet) is organising its 4^th annual symposium on 14 November 2009 in Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt.

More information, including the programme and registration modalities, is available here.

“Europe’s Interlocking Challenges: Energy and the Economic Crisis”, European Policy Summit, 18 November 2009, Brussels

The “Friends of Europe” is organising a high-level European policy summit on the theme “Europe’s Interlocking Challenges: Energy and the Economic Crisis”. The event is to provide a platform for debate between stakeholders, including NGO and business leaders, academia, the EU and national policy makers. The event will take place at the Cercle Royal Gaulois in Brussels on 18 November 2009.

More information is available here.

“Child Participation in Juvenile Justice”, Two-Day Seminar, 19 and 20 November 2009, Geneva

On the occasion of Defence for Children International’s 30^th anniversary and the 20^th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a seminar is being held on 19 and 20 November 2009 at the Maison des Associations, Rue de Savoises 15, in Geneva.

The theme of this anniversary symposium is “Child Participation in Juvenile Justice”.

The programme for the event is available for downloading here.

The event brochure may be downloaded here.

More information about the event is available via www.defenceforchildren.org.

“The Role of Parents, Response from Adults”, World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse, 19 November 2009, Geneva

The Women’s World Summit Foundation is organising its 10^th annual conference on the progress in prevention of child abuse on 19 November 2009 at the Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG).

This year’s theme is “the role of parents, response from adults”.

The programme for this event is available for downloading here.

More information, including the programme, registration details and links to earlier year’s conference reports, is available here.

“Men and Women Unite to End Violence against Women”, WWSF Conference, 25 November 2009, Geneva

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Women’s World Summit Foundation (WWSF) is organising a conference entitled “Men and women unite to end violence against women” on 25 November 2009 from 17:15 to 19:30 hours at the Maison du Faubourg, Rue de Terreaux du Temple, in Geneva.

The programme and registration form are available here.

Information about WWSF’s campaign “16 days of activism to end violence against women in Switzerland” is available here.

More information and contact details are available at www.woman.ch.

“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 Žmonių 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.

“Penal Reform and Human Rights: 20 Years On”, PRI Symposium, 11 December 2009, Geneva

The Penal Reform International (PRI) is organising a celebration of its 20^th anniversary (1989 to 2009) entitled “Penal Reform and Human Rights: 20 Years on – What has been achieved so far? Key challenges for the next 20 years”. The event is scheduled for 11 December 2009 from 17:00 to 21:00 hours at the ICRC Museum in Geneva.

The flyer for this event is available for download here.

To RSVP for this event, please send and e-mail to headofsecretariat@penalreform.org.

Campaigns and Initiatives

People’s Decade for Nuclear Abolition – Campaign

www.peoplesdecade.org

Countdown to Copenhagen Campaign

www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=how_adv_copenhagen

Decent Work - Decent Life Campaign

www.decentwork.org

Global Campaign against Poverty

www.whiteband.org

Appeal and Petition for a Nuclear Weapon-Free World