UNIS/INF/268
8 July 2008

Annual DPI/NGO Conference to Be Held in Paris

"Reaffirming Human Rights: Universal Declaration at 60"

VIENNA, 8 July (UN Information Service) - The 61st Annual Conference for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) will be held in Paris at UNESCO Headquarters from Wednesday, 3 September to Friday, 5 September 2008. This will be for the first time that the DPI/NGO Conference will be held outside the UN Headquarters in New York.

To mark the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this year's Conference is entitled "Reaffirming Human Rights: Universal Declaration at 60" and is being organized in partnership with NGO/DPI Executive Committee, UNESCO, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Government of France.

The Conference aims to highlight effective ways in which civil society, in partnership with other actors, can contribute to the advancement of human rights at international, regional, national and local level. It also strives for generating greater awareness of human rights issues and strengthening commitments to address them among diverse stakeholders worldwide.

In addition to representatives of NGOs, civil society organizations, grassroots constituencies, the UN system and Member States, representatives of the media, academia, the private sector and other institutions will also be present.

The Conference will provide various opportunities to engage participants in sharing experiences and articulating perspectives on how to enhance their activities in the protection and promotion of human rights including roundtable panel discussions and break-out sessions, interactive dialogue, midday workshops, caucuses and other activities.

The Conference will be held in English and French. The opening and closing sessions as well as the five roundtables will be webcasted.

Participation

NGOs associated with DPI, in consultative status with ECOSOC, accredited to UNESCO and/or that work with OHCHR are invited to register for the Conference. The number of participants from any one organization is limited to no more than three persons plus one youth (younger than 30).

NGOs in Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia registering who are not affiliated/accredited with the above, are requested to obtain a letter of endorsement for their organization from UNIS Vienna. NGOs from other countries should contact their respective United Nations Information Centre (UNIC). The letter of endorsement is to be sent to email: hu2@un.org

All participants, including those who already have UN or UNESCO grounds passes, are required to register for the Conference.

Registration

The registration is available online at www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/index.asp

The deadline for registration is 1 August 2008.

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For more information, please visit: www.undpingoconference.org

For further information, please contact:

Renate Henke
NGO Liaison
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-3324
Email: renate.henke@unvienna.org

United Nations Information Centres worldwide: www.un.org/aroundworld/unics/