New Information and Events

(30.1.06) NGO Information and Coordination for Commission on Human Rights. The UN Commission on Human Rights will meet for the last time in 2006, to be replaced by the new Human Rights Council. An NGO information and coordination (NGOIC) mechanism has been established through the joint efforts of several organizations, and is offered as a free service to NGOs planning to participate in the 62nd session of the Commission and/or in the first session of the Human Rights Council when it is established. The next session of the Commission is tentatively scheduled for 13 March - 21 April 2006. All NGOs interested in joining this mechanism should contact ngoic2006@gmail.com (fax +41 22 3012000) before 13 February. More details are available in English, French and Spanish.

Civil Society Forum on Social Development, 7 February, New York. A Civil Society Forum will take place on 7 February on the eve of the 44th Session of the Commission for Social Development, from 0930 -1800 hours in Conference Room 4, United Nations. This forum is planned and co-sponsored by UN DESA, the NGO Committee for Social Development, and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The work of the day will serve as preparation for the Commission for the attending NGOs. Please e-mail civil_society_forum@yahoo.com if you plan to attend the forum or if you have any questions.

Roundtable on Enhancing Women's Participation in Development, 9 February, New York. The NGO Committee on the Status of Women (New York) and the UN Division for the Advancement of Women are sponsoring a roundtable on "Enhanced participation of women in development: an enabling environment for achieving gender equality and the advancement of women" on 9 February from 1315-1430 hours in Conference Room 2, United Nations. Featured speakers include Her Excellency Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika, Ambassador of Zambia to the United States; Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of UNIFEM and Ms. Sylvie I. Cohen, Deputy Director of DAW. Those needing UN passes to attend this event please submit your name to Catherine Ferguson at fergcf@earthlink.net or by fax 212-370-0075 by 2 February.

(24.1.06) Register for NGO Events at the Commission on Status of Women. The registration form for NGOs wishing to attending NGO side events organized around the 2006 Commission on the Status of Women (from 27 February - 10 March) is now available. Note that there is an NGO consultation on "CSW at 50: Glancing Back, Moving Forward" on 26 February from 0830 – 1800 hours at New York University, Farkas Auditorium, 550 1st Avenue. There will also be an NGO Orientation for new participants on 27 February from 1500 – 1600 hours in the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium, United Nations. The deadline to register for the NGO events is 31 January.

Draft NGO Declaration for Commission on Social Development Available. The draft NGO declaration for the UN Commission on Social Development (8-17 February) is available for download. Comments and suggestions on the declaration can be sent to ngosocialdevelopment@yahoogroups.com .

Say No to Female Genital Mutilation on 6 February. The International Day of Zero Tolerance on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is 6 February. This year the Inter-African Committee in conjunction with the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights is organizing a special event on FGM at the Palais Wilson in Geneva on 6 February at 1000 hours. Statements, report of recent activities, registered best practices, and forward looking activities will all be shared during this event.

Conference on Desertification and Poverty, 11-12 April, Geneva. To mark the International Year of Deserts and Desertification, an international conference on desertification, hunger and poverty will be held 11-12 April 2006 under the auspices of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The Graduate Institute of Development Studies (IUED) of Geneva has been entrusted with the organization of the conference, which will take place at the International Conference Centre of Geneva. More detailed information here (PDF file).

(16.1.06) Nomination Form for NGOs at GA Review on HIV/AIDS, 31 May - 2 June. From 31 May to 2 June, the General Assembly will be reviewing progress on HIV/AIDS following its Special Session on HIV/AIDS in 2001. Informal interactive civil society hearings will be held on the morning of 31 May. Jan Elliason, President of the General Assembly, invites NGOs interested in participating to fill out a nomination form by 3 February.

Meeting on Trade and Health in Geneva, 23 January. The NGO Forum for Health is sponsoring a briefing on "Trade and Health – NGO reflections on WHO resolution proposal EB117/10" on 23 January from 12:00 to 13:30 at the WHO, room M.105. Participants will need accreditation from the WHO. Send your name and organisation name to fanja.rasolo@ngo-forum-health.ch no later than 18 January at 12:00.

CONGO Meeting at World Social Forum in Bamako, 21 January. CONGO and FEMNET are co-sponsoring a side event at the World Social Forum in Bamako, Mali on 21 January. On the agenda are : Background to the African Civil Society Forum, African civil society engagement with the UN system, Follow-up to the Millennium+5 commitments and an African Platform on Global Governance. See the World Social Forum website for updated information and room location.

Internet Governance Forum Preparatory Meeting, 16-17 February in Geneva. On 16 and 17 February there will be informal consultations with all stakeholders, including civil society, in preparation for the new Internet Governance Forum. The meeting will take place in Room XVIII of the Palais des Nations, Geneva. More details on the consultations, including a draft agenda, are available at http://www.IntGovForum.org .

Meeting on Human Trafficking, 26 January, New York. On 26 January at the Church Center for the United Nations (777 UN Plaza) 12th floor, from 17:45-19:00 hours, there will be a panel on "The Growth of Human Trafficking in the USA and Abroad" featuring Carol Smolensky, ECPAT USA, and Dorchen Leidholt, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women.

(3.1.06) HIV/AIDS Hearings with Civil Society in May / June. The General Assembly on 23 December 2005 approved a resolution (A/RES/60/224) calling for a high-level meeting on HIV/AIDS to take place on 2 June at the United Nations. In preparation for this meeting, there will be a series of plenary sessions, panel discussions, roundtables and a hearing with civil society from 31 May to 1 June. In addition to the hearing, civil society representatives will be invited to participate in the roundtable discussions and the resolution encourages member states to include in their delegations representatives of civil society from their respective countries from various sectors, including people living with HIV/AIDS.

WHO NGO Workshop on 23 February. The World Health Organization will sponsor an NGO workshop on 23 February to prepare plans for the follow-up and implementation of the "Bangkok Charter in a Globalized World." The outcome of this NGO meeting will contribute towards the publication by WHO of an NGO Action Plan. The meeting will take place at the WHO, 20 Avenue Appia, Geneva 27 in the Executive Board Room. Notice of participation must be given by 20 January to Ms Margaret Egginson, Health Promotion Unit, Dept of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion, WHO, 20 Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, Fax. +4122 791 1389, email: egginsonm@who.int .

Global Health Conference at Yale in April. Unite For Sight is sponsoring an international conference on "Empowering Communities to Bridge Health Divides" from 1-2 April at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. The conference will convene more than 600 people from throughout the world who are interested in international service, global health, public health, and medicine. For more information go to http://www.uniteforsight.org/2006_annual_conference.php .

(29.12.05) Civil Society Declaration on WSIS available. The statement from civil society on the World Summit on the Information Society entitled "Much More Could Have Been Achieved" is now available in English (Word and html versions) and French (Word and html versions.)

(21.12.05) Happy Holidays from CONGO! CONGO President Renata Bloem sends her holiday greetings to all members, associates and friends of CONGO. Click here for her holiday message.

(12.12.05) UNGA Pressed to Complete Reform Agenda by End of Year. The UN General Assembly President Jan Elliason has sent a letter to all delegations urging them to make haste in completing negotiations on several key UN reform issues on its agenda, including the Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council, and secretariat reforms. Included with this letter is a work schedule that includes informal negotiating sessions right up to the afternoon of 23 December. Note that ReformtheUN.org has a free email news service monitoring the GA negotiations which you can subscribe to by sending an email to reformtheun-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Briefing with GA President, 16 December, New York. The GA President's Office will hold an informal briefing for NGOs in New York on 16 December, from 1000 - 1300 hours in Conference Room 4, United Nations. The briefing will include a status report by the President on progress made on different reform issues since the 2005 World Summit. All NGO pass holders are invited to attend. The event shall be webcast live on the internet at: http://www.un.org/webcast . If you would like to address a question to the President in advance, please write to: degonzaga@un.org .

Panel on New Migration Report, 16 December, New York. The Sub-Committee on Immigrants and Refugees of the NGO Committee on Human Rights is organizing a special panel on “The Report of the Global Commission on International Migration: Challenges for 2006 and Beyond” at the UN Headquarters, Conference Room 4 on 16 December from 1315-1445 hours. For additional information please call +1(212) 391-0065 . The full report can be downloaded from. The full report can be downloaded from http://www.gcim.org/ .

(29.11.05) CONGO Briefing on WSIS, 7 December, Geneva. CONGO is organizing an NGO briefing on the recently-concluded World Summit on the Information Society on 7 December from 15:00-18:00 at the Palais des Nations, Room XXII (tbc). Panelists will include Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary General of the ITU; Ambassador Janis Karklins, Permanent Representative of Latvia and President of WSIS Prepcom; Ambassador Masood Khan, Permanent Representative of Pakistan and Chairman on Sub-Committee A on Internet Governance; Ms Astrid Dufborg, Swedish Ambassador for WSIS; Dr. William Drake, President of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility and former member of the Working Group on Internet Governance.

CONGO Report on the WSIS Available. A report on the World Summit on the Information Society and CONGO's activities can be read here.

Luncheon on ICTs and Women's Empowerment, 15 December, New York. The NGO Commission on the Status of Women (NY) is sponsoring a lunchtime panel on "Information & Communication Technology and Women Empowerment" on Thursday, 15 December at 1130 hours in the UN Delegates Dining Room, Room 6. Tickets for lunch and panel are $20.00 for committee members and $50 for guests. For more information, contact ngo_csw_ny@hotmail.com .

(17.11.05) Renata Bloem addresses WSIS in Tunis. On behalf of CONGO and civil society, Ms. Renata Bloem addressed the first plenary of the WSIS Summit in Tunis on 16 November. The text of her speech can be found on the WSIS official website.

(9.11.05) Report from Vienna Crime Prevention Forum Available. The final report and NGO statement from the Vienna Regional Crime Prevention Forum for NGOs from Central and Eastern Europe is now available for download here. The Conference, organized by CONGO in association with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the City of Vienna, took place from 27-28 October.

Conference on Small Arms Controls, 17 November, Geneva. The Geneva Forum is sponsoring a conference on "Small Arms and Light Weapons: Transfer Controls" on Thursday, 17 November, 1500-1800 hours, Room IX, Palais des Nations, Geneva. This conference will provide an opportunity for States, international bodies and civil society organisations to discuss transfer controls in the context of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. The Conference will be jointly chaired by H.E. Dr. John Freeman, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the Conference on Disarmament, and Dr. Patricia Lewis, Director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). Please indicate your participation by November 11 by email to mccarthy@hei.unige.ch or by telephone to +41 (0)22 908 5741.

Water Symposium, 21 November, Geneva. A symposium on "Water: The Key to Development" will take place at the International Conference Centre of Geneva on 21 November from 0900-1800 hours. Sponsored by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, Environment and the NGO Committee on Development. Interpretation in English and French available. For any questions please e-mail corinne.wacker@bluewin.ch .

Family "Roots and Wings" Conference, 1 December, Geneva. There will be a conference on the family entitled “Roots and Wings” on Thursday, 1 December , from 1000 to 1700 hours at the International Conference Center of Geneva (15 Rue de Varembé.) Sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, the World Family Policy Center, the Worldwide Organization For Women and Association Generations Unies Suisse. For more information call +41-(0)22-734-0979.

(1.11.05) Update on CONGO Event "Civil Society Best Practices in Bridging the Digital Divide," 16 Nov, Tunis. CONGO is proud to announce that it will be organizing a WSIS parallel event in Tunis on "Scaling Up Civil Society Best Practices in Bridging the Digital Divide." It will take place on 16 November from 1300-1700 in Rm. St Augustin in the Kram Centre. Featured speakers include Shashi Tharoor, UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information and Adama Samassekou, the President of WSIS Phase I, with Representatives of: African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), OneWorld South Asia / WSIS Grassroots Caucus, the Development Gateway and the WSIS Youth Caucus. This forum will highlight the critical role of civil society organizations in promoting access to and effective utilization of the Internet and other information communications technologies. French and English versions of the flyer are available.

The Peacebuilding Commission and Post-Conflict Situations, 10 Nov, New York. There will be a panel discussion on "Promoting Stability in Post-conflict Situations: Prospects for the Proposed Peacebuilding Commission" on 10 November from 1300-1430 hours at the Church Center of the UN, 777 UN Plaza, New York. Featured speakers are David Harland, Acting Director, Change Management, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations; Jamal Benoma, Special Advisor, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, UNDP; and Parvina Nadjibulla, Program Specialist on Human Rights, Peace and Security General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. For more information and to RSVP contact Jessica Hartl, UNA-USA, at +1-202-462-3446, email jhartl@unausa.org.

(3.10.05) 15 October is World Rural Women's Day. The World Women's Summit Foundation reminds that 15 October is "World Rural Women's Day" with hundreds of grassroots organizations marking the event with activities and events around the world. See the WWSF website at http://www.woman.ch for more information.

WFUNA Conference on UN 60th, 21 October, Geneva. The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) sends an invitation to their Conference in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations, held on 21 October at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Confirm your participation to the Conference to Ms. Jessica Dyllick at wfuna@unog.ch or by fax at 022 917 0185 no later than 15 October. Click here for the complete flyer.

Briefing with Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, 24 October, New York. Asma Jahangir, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, and chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan will hold a briefing for NGOs on 24 October at 1400 hours at the UN Church Center, New York. Email HughesV@gc.adventist.org for more information.

Luncheon to Honor Female UN Ambassadors, 5 November, New York. The fifth "Women Who Make a Difference" awards luncheon honoring the women ambassadors, heads of Mission at the United Nations in New York will take place on Thursday, 3 November 2005 at 1230 hours at the Delegates Dining Room, West Terrace, New York. Click here for the flyer for this event.

New Statements on CONGO website. Please find on the CONGO website the following text versions of several recent addresses by CONGO Programme Office Isolda Agazzi: A presentation on human rights and NGOs (12/9/05), "La Commission de Droits de l'homme et les ONGs" (25/5/05), CONGO presentation (15/4/05), "Les TIC en tang qu'outils de mise en oeuvre de la Déclaration du Milénaire et des ODM" (10/08/05).

(26.9.05) Reports from WSIS Prepcom III Available. You can find periodic civil society reports on Prepcom III of the World Summit on the Information Society posted to the CONGO website at : ../ngomeet/WSIS/Prepcom3/prepcom3reports.htm . The complete schedule of civil society side events can be found here .

CONGO Event on Bridging the Digital Divide in Tunis, 16 November. CONGO announces that we are organizing an event to highlight best practices from around the world to bridge the digital divide as a parallel event during the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. Our event will take place on 16 November from 1300-1700 hours. We wish in particular to hear from CONGO members who plan on being in Tunis if you have projects or reports that you would like to present at the event. Please contact directly rik.panganiban@ngocongo.org at your earliest convenience.

Panel on Social Security, 3 October, Geneva. The Geneva International Network on Ageing (GINA) in collaboration with the NGO Committee on Ageing at the United Nations in Geneva are sponsoring a panel discussion on "Social Security at the Crossroads" in commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons on Monday, 3 October from 16:00 - 17:30. Conference Hall C , World Health Organization, Av. Appia, Geneva.

Discussion on UN Millennium Summit, 6 October, New York. The World Policy Institute at The New School is presenting a panel discussion on "The UN Millennium summit: Will It Make Any Difference?" with Shashi Tharoor, Under Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, United Nations, and Colum Lynch, Prize-winning UN correspondent for The Washington Post. It will take place Thursday, 6 October, 1800-1930 hours at Swayduck Auditorium, first floor, 65 Fifth Avenue. Admission is $5.00. Visit http://www.dialnsa.edu for a live webcast and online discussion. RSVP 212-229-5488 at New School Box Office, or email boxoffice@newschool.edu.

Online Dialogue on Violence Against Women. The UN Division for the Advancement of Women is hosting a three-week online dialogue to galvanize action to combat violence against women as a contribution to the UN Secretary-General's study on violence against women. The online discussion begins Monday, 26 September, and will conclude on 14 October. Participants may contribute to the discussion in English, French or Spanish, though there will be no translation of contributions posted on the discussion page. You can register for the online discussion at http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/discussion. To view the online discussion, visit: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw

(21.9.05) Panel on Impact of Millennium+5 Summit on WSIS. On 23 September there will be a panel discussion on "What was the Impact of the Millennium+5 High Level Segment of the UN General Assembly on the WSIS?" 1315 – 1445 hours, Room XXII, Palais des Nations, Geneva. Click here for flyer.

Day for Eradication of Poverty, 17 October. A ceremony to commemorate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty will take place around the Commemorative Stone in the gardens of the United Nations on 17 October from 1315-1445 hours. Co-sponsored by DESA, the International Movement ATD Fourth World, and the NGO Sub-committee for the Eradication of Poverty. The ceremony will include music from New Zealand musician Tama Waipara, the Peace of Heart Choir, and testimonies of extreme poverty from international delegates. Grounds passes required, or RSVP before 7 October at (212) 228-1339 or nycteam@4thworldmovement.org. A commemoration will also take place in Geneva in the Palais des Nations - more information to come on www.oct17.org.

Seminar on "Patients and Patient Safety - in the era of HIV," 29 Sept, Geneva. The NGO Forum for Health is sponsoring a seminar on "Patients and Patient Safety - in the era of HIV" on 29 September , 1700 to 1900 hours at the World Council of Churches building - room II and III. Rte de Ferney 150, Grand-Saconnex, 1218 Grand-Saconnex. This event is co-organised by Safe Observer International, the People's Health Movement - Disability and Economics Circle and the NGO Forum for Health and will bring experts from WHO and NGOs working in this area.

(12.9.05) CONGO 2004 Report Available. The CONGO 2004 Annual Report is available to download. (7.7 Meg PDF file.)

WSIS Prepcom III Civil Society Orientation Session, 18 September. CONGO is organizing a civil society orientation session for Prepcom III of the WSIS on 18 September at the ITU Building, Room C, Geneva. The registration form is available in English and French. Please return the form to wsis@ngocongo.org or by fax + 41 22 301 2000.

(5.9.05) Open UN Event, 13 September, New York. On 13 September, a number of NGOs from around the world are organizing "Open UN New York 2005" a full day of debates, events, dialogue, and films. The issues to be covered are: Millennium Development Goals + 5 Assessment, Reform of the United Nations and of the Multilateral System, Peace and Security. The event, hosted at Riverside Church in New York, is free and open to all. See http://www.openun.org to register and download the flyer.

Young Leaders Conference, 10 September, New York. A youth conference entitled "Young Global Leaders Summit: Ending Poverty" will take place on 10 September at the Eisner and Lubin Auditorium, 60 Washington Square South, New York City. The summit will allow participants and representatives from NGOs to forge partnerships and to plan future activism around ending poverty. The Summit is sponsored by Americans for Informed Democracy. See www.aidemocracy.org for details and registration.

Interfaith Service, 13 September, New York. There will be an Interfaith Prayer Service on the occasion of the opening of the UN General Assembly on 13 September at 0800 at St. Bartholomew's Church, on Park Avenue at 51st Street. Leaders of about thirty different faiths from around the world offering prayers from their traditions for the work of the General Assembly. Contact Moise Waltner (212) 685-4242 or e-mail moise@interfaithcenter.org if you have any concerns or require additional information.

(30.8.05) DPI NGO Conference, 7-9 September in New York. The 58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference entitled "Our Challenge: Voices for Peace, Partnerships and Renewal" will take place from 7-9 September at UN Headquarters in New York. Although registration for the physical conference was closed in June, an online discussion forum and webcasts have been designed to facilitate virtual participation and encourage activists and advocates from around the world to join the discussions before, during and after the Conference. For more information go to http://www.undpingoconference.org .

Mental Health and Human Rights in Conflict Countries, 8 September, New York. The NGO Committee on Mental Health announces a special program entitled "From the Borderlands of Insanity and Evil – Mental Health and Human Rights in Conflict /Post-Conflict Countries: Some Public and Community Mental Health Perspectives from Recent Experiences in Different African Contexts." It will take place on 8 September at the Church Center, 777 UN Plaza, New York, 8th Floor conference room.

Seminar on Decent Work and the MDGs, 12 September, New York. On 12 September there will be a seminar on the theme “The Centrality of Decent Work for the Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals” organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in cooperation with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. The Seminar will be held at the Institute of International Education in New York. Spaces are limited. To participate in this seminar, please respond by 2 September to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation by telephone: 212 687 0208; fax: 212 687 0261, or email: fesny@fesny.org .

(29.7.05) CONGO Reporting on Human Rights Sub-Commission. CONGO, in cooperation with International Conference Volunteers, with technical support provided by MCART, is providing online coverage and analysis of the 57th Session of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (25 July - 12 August 2005) at http://www.congochr.org. Bookmark www.congochr.org for the latest developments at the Sub-commission.

Passing of Ms. Carol Lubin. We are very sad to report the passing of our friend and colleague Ms. Carol Lubin, who died peacefully on Tuesday 26 July 2005. Renata Bloem notes that Carol's life was "dedicated to promote the principles of the United Nations and its agencies, and her professional life at the ILO formed her to become later the independent, well informed and critical NGO voice for social development we all so much loved and respected." Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.

New Version of GA Draft Outcome Document Available. The latest version of the General Assembly President's "Draft Outcome Document" is now available on the UN website here. Note that a new version of this document is expected around 4-5 August.

(22.7.05) Briefing with President of ECOSOC 25 July, New York. At the initiative of CONGO, there will be an NGO briefing with the office of the President of ECOSOC, H.E. Ambassador Munir Akram of Pakistan, on 25 July at 16:30 in Conference Room C, United Nations. Note that the General Segment of ECOSOC will conclude on 25 July, with the substantive session concluding on 27 July.

Sub-Commission on Human Rights Orientation, 27 July, Geneva. CONGO has organized an NGO orientation session on the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights on 27 July, 13:00-15:00 at the Palais des Nations, Room TBA. The title of the orientation is “Perspectives on the future of the Sub-Commission in the context of the CHR Reform process.” This orientation session is designed to give all participants the necessary background information on the key issues to be discussed during the Sub-Commission on Human Rights from 25 July – 12 August in Geneva.

UN Report on Internet Governance Released. The Working Group on Internet Governance, established by the UN Secretary-General at the close of the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society in December 2003, has completed it work and submitted its report on internet governance. This report will be the basis for negotiations on internet governance within the WSIS Phase II, to be held in Tunis in November 2005. The Working Group was notable for the high level of participation by civil society representatives, working alongside government and private sector members. The report in all UN languages, along with a background report, press release and other materials can be downloaded from http://www.wgig.org/ .

New Report on Aid Harmonization and the MDGs. The Development Gateway has just released a new report on "Aid Harmonization: What Will It Take to Meet the MDGs." This Report explores how an unprecedented effort for global cooperation is taking shape to help reach the goals and includes: interviews with experts; collections of documents, statistics, and surveys related to global meetings leading up to the MDG+5 Summit in September 2005; and a unique section devoted to the "voices" of aid recipients and donors. See http://topics.developmentgateway.org/special/aidharmonization/ for the full report. CONGO is a partner organization in this initiative.

(5.7.05) Youth Assembly at UN, 3-5 August, New York. The Youth Assembly at the United Nations “Young People Making a Difference” is being held at UN Headquarters from 3-5 August 2005. This Assembly will be a three-day intensive program addressing and celebrating the youth movement in taking action to make the Millennium goals a reality on an international scope. Registration deadline is 9 July. Sponsored by the NGO/DPI Executive Committee, Academia Mexicana, End Child Prostitution and Trafficking – USA, International Institute for a Culture of Peace, International Institute of Peace through Tourism, Peace Action, Temple of Understanding and World Council of Peoples for the United Nations. Go to http://www.faf.org/youthassembly.html for information.

WSIS PrepCom-3, 19-30 September in Geneva. The third meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the World Summit on the Information Society will be held from 19 to 30 September 2005 in the Palais des Nations, Geneva. NGOs which are not yet accredited that wish to participate in PrepCom-3 and/or the Tunis Summit, should submit an accreditation request form to the Executive Secretariat by 8 August. After this deadline, it will no longer be possible to obtain accreditation. All information can be found at: http://www.itu.int/wsis/preparatory2/pc3 .

Congress on Dialogue between Communities and Civilizations in Bilboa this December. An “International Congress on intercultural and interreligious dialogue” will be held in Bilbao, Spain in December 2005. The purpose of the Congress is to focus on the need for the the international community to promote dialogue between different communities and civilizations. The congress is organized by Barandiaran Kristau Alkartea - Pax Romana in collaboration with UNESCO Etxea.Visit http://www.icii-bilbao.org for more information about this event.

NEW WEBSITE: NGOevents.org to Highlight NGO Events at the United Nations. NGOevents.org is a service to the United Nations NGO community to gather all NGO-related events at the United Nations in one calendar to facilitate coordination, information sharing and public knowledge of the contributions of civil society to the UN. The main features of the calendar are: (1) Provides a consise, comprehensive online calendar of all relevant NGO events (conferences, symposia, meetings, forums, etc) related to the United Nations, (2) Enables NGOs to easily submit their events to the calendar and (3) Enables users to view the calendar by the issue areas they specify (women, MDGs, peace and security, etc.) as well as by month, week and day. NGOevents.org is supported by the Millennium+5 NGO Network, a joint initiative of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO) and the NGO/DPI Executive Committee. Groups are invited visit www.NGOevents.org and submit their events to the calendar.