The CONGO e-update is produced by staff in New York, Geneva and Vienna, with contributions from members and affiliated partners.
1st session Human Rights Council / Universal Periodic Review: 7-18 April 2008, Geneva
The HRC Secretariat just circulated the revised timetable of the Interactive dialogues and adoption of the report for the 16 countries to be reviewed during the 1st session of the HRC Working Group on UPR: the revised scheduled can be downloaded here. NGOs can attend the proceedings of the interactive dialogue. More general information on UPR is available on the OHCHR Website and on the CONGO website
UNCTAD XII: 17-19 April, Accra, Ghana
The XII Ministerial Conference of UNCTAD will take place 20-25 April in Accra, Ghana. The Civil Society Forum will be held back-to-back with the Conference, taking place 17-19 April.
See Civil Society Latest News
Civil Society Forum, 17-19 April
Civil Society Forum Programme
NGO Participation
Full Information available on CONGO website and UNCTAD XII
Substantive session of the Preparatory Committee on the Durban Review Conference, 21 April – 2 May 2008, Geneva
The Durban Review Conference will hold the 2nd session of its Preparatory Committee on 21 April – 2 May 2008 and begin consideration of substantive issues. All NGOs in Consultative Status with ECOSOC can participate in the Durban Review Process, as well as NGOs accredited to the Durban Conference in 2001 if they have not received any contrary information from the PrepCom Secretariat. Other NGOs willing to request accreditation to the Durban Review Conference process should fill in the questionnaire for accreditation. More information on the Durban Review Conference process is available on the OHCHR website.
Annual IOM - NGO Consultations, 24 April, Geneva
The International Organization for Migration is holding the annual IOM-NGO Consultations to take place on 24 April from 14:30 to 17:00 in the Conference Room at IOM Headquarters, 17 route de Morillons, Grand Saconnex. Participants will be addressing the following agenda items: 1) Developments in the global migration dialogue: looking to the Global Forum in Manila; 2) IOM assistance to stranded migrants; 3) Update on IOM activities in Libya and 4) Any other business. Please confirm participation by Tuesday, 22 April 2008, by e-mail to erd@iom.int or telephone Lulu Shabell at 41 22 717 93 45. Make sure you bring a photo ID for access to the building.
61st DPI/NGO Conference, 3-5 September 2008, Paris
The 61st DPI/NGO Conference will be held 3-5 September at UNESCO in Paris, France under the chairmanship of Shamina de Gonzaga. The deadline for providing input on the topics of round-tables and break-out sessions is 11 April 2008. Comments should be sent to 2008.dpi.ngo.conference@gmail.com. The deadline for submitting the Speaker Contact Information Form is 18 April 2008. Completed forms should be sent to advisorsubcommittees08@yahoo.com. Read here the Conference Programme, the provisional agenda, the NGO Planning Committee and more.
CONGO Committees
Launch World Youth Report, 2007, Geneva
Youth are a powerful resource for development and are critical actors in meeting the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. This was one of the key messages of the World Youth Report 2007, which was presented in Geneva on 3 April 2008 by the CONGO Committee of Youth NGOs. Chaired by WOSM and the World Alliance of YMCAs, the CONGO Committee on Youth aims at strengthening the position of youth, youth NGOs and NGOs working with youth at the UN. Read here the press release and download the World Youth Report 2007.
CONGO Committee on Disarmament, New York
You are invited to attend the following presentation in Conference Room 2 at the United Nations on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 1:15pm sponsored by the NGO Committee on Disarmament: Peace and Security - A Fissile Material (Cut-Off) Treaty and Its Verification - A Progress Report from the International Panel on Fissile Materials (Ipfm).
Campaigns and Initiatives
Decent Work Decent Life Campaign: http://www.decentwork.org
Global Campaign against Poverty: www.whiteband.org
NGO Resources:
NGLS 2007 Yearly Review of Civil Society: http://www.un-ngls.org/site/article.php3?id_article=462
WB Civil Society Fund: http://go.worldbank.org/3PJ5HCEH30
NGOIC Calendar and Side-Events Flyers: http://www.ngoic.org/event/calendar.asp
Other events
10-13 April 2008: WB & IMF Policy Dialogues for Civil Society Organizations, Washington D.C.: http://www.imf.org/external/spring/2008/index.htm
10-14 March 2008: 51st Session Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Vienna: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/CND/session/51.html
14 April 2008: Spring Meeting of ECOSOC with the BWIs, WTO and UNCTAD, 14 April, New York: http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/ecosoc/springmeetings/2008/index.htm
16-18 April: 8th Info-poverty World Conference, New York: http://www.infopoverty.net
20-25 April 2008: Twelfth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Accra, Ghana: http://www.unctadxii.org
21 April – 2 May 2008: Substantive Session of the Preparatory Committee on the Durban Review Conference, Geneva Download the questionnaire for accreditation of new NGOs to the Durban Review Conference and its preparatory process. : http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/racism/groups/prep_committee_durban
23-24 April: Forum on Sustainable Urbanization in the Information Age, New York: http://www.un-gaid.org/fr/node/1346
24 April 2008: Linguistic Rights in the World: A Symposium to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and the 100th Anniversary of the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA): http://www.linguistic-rights.org
19-23 May 2008: 61st World Health Assembly, Geneva: http://www.who.int/governance/calendar/2008/en/index.html
25-28 May 2008: Geneva Health Forum, Geneva: http://genevahealthforum.org
26-30 May 2008: 11th session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, Geneva: http://www.unctad.org/Templates/meeting.asp?intItemID=1942&lang=1&m=15018
10-11 June 2008: UNGA High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, New York: http://www.un-ngls.org/unaids/en
17-23 August 2008: World Water Week, Stockholm, SwedenL: http://www.worldwaterweek.org
3-5 September 2008: 61st NGO/DPI Conference, Paris: http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/index.asp
The CONGO e-news is a weekly email information service of the Conference of NGOs, informing members and affiliated networks of relevant upcoming events sponsored by the United Nations, CONGO, CONGO Members and its affiliated committees and task forces, and other major civil society-related initiatives. Subscription to the e-news list is generally restricted to the UN offices and headquarters of members of the Conference of NGOs. For more information or to submit an event, please send a message to adina.fulgaradi@ngocongo.org, at least three weeks prior to the event. To unsubscribe please send an email to congo@ngocongo.org.
Adina Fulga Radi
Communications
Conference of NGOs (CONGO)
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The Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations is an international membership association that facilitates the participation of NGOs in United Nations debates and decisions. Founded in 1948, CONGO's major objective is to ensure the presence of NGOs in exchanges among the world's governments and United Nations agencies on issues of global concern.CONGO has its offices and international secretariat in New York, Geneva and Vienna.