CONGO e-Update * 6 July 2006

ECOSOC High-Level Segment, 3-5 July, Geneva
The ECOSOC High-Level Segment just ended its 3-day session in Geneva with the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration. Civil society organizations contributed to the Ministerial Declaration with elements from the outcome recommendations http://www.ngocongo.org/index.php?what=doc&id=893 following the 2-day Civil Society Forum to the ECOSOC HLS on Employment and Decent Work held on 29-30 June at the ILO Headquarters in Geneva.

ECOSOC Review CSTD, 10 July, Geneva
ECOSOC, currently meeting in Geneva, is up to review the mandate, agenda and composition of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), as provided by the outcome document of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). After the official consideration of a UN SG report on WSIS implementation and follow-up
on 10 July 2006, the ECOSOC will meet in working group, starting 11 July onwards, to discuss the modalities of the CSTD review. More information and documents are available on the CONGO website.

UNGA Civil Society Hearings on Migration, 12 July, New York
In view of the High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development to take place on 14 and 15 September 2006 in New York at UN Headquarters, the UNGA will hold 1-day informal hearings with the civil society chaired by the UNGA President Jan Eliasson. An orientation meeting for the civil society will be held on 11 July at the Church Center, located at the corner of 44th Street and 1st Avenue, on the second floor. The deadline for NGO comments on the Secretary General's Report on International Migration and Development has expired on Friday, 30 June.

International Conference on Social Welfare, 16-20 July, Brasilia, Brazil
The Global Conference of the ICSW will be held between 16-20 July in Brasilia. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Destrito Federal's Governor Maria Abadia will attend the opening of the conference on Sunday 16th July. The conference technical committee assessed and approved 257 papers for workshops and 103 poster presentations. Following the conference there will be field visits to 25 different social institutions in Brasilia covering programmes for children, teenagers, people with disabilities, older people, community services, Indian population and the African American population.

United Nations High Level Group for the Alliance of Civilizations, 17 July, Geneva
Co-chaired by Federico Mayor, past DG of UNESCO, the Hearings with civil society and the international community
open to all interested participants, will take place Monday at the Palais des Nations, Room XXIII. Registration will begin at 08:30. For more information contact: hearingsgeneva@hotmail.com and for registration: gertrud.Attar@unctad.org

Civil Society Forum on LDCs, 18 July, Geneva
United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States and the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) invite you to the Civil Society Forum to review progress made in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries 2001-2010. Meeting will take place from 10:00 to 12:00 at Room XX, Palais des Nations. Please confirm your participation to Gertrud Attar at gertrud.attar@unctad.org and also if you need a security badge for entering the Palais grounds for this meeting.

Please visit http://www.ngocongo.org or http://www.ngoevents.org for an updated calendar of relevant events.

About the CONGO e-Update
The CONGO e-Update is a weekly email news service of the Conference of NGOs, informing our members and affiliated networks of relevant upcoming events sponsored by the United Nations, CONGO and its affiliated committees and task forces, and other major civil society-related initiatives. Subscription to the e-Update list is generally restricted to the UN offices and headquarters of members of the Conference of NGOs. For more information or to submit event, please send a message to adina.fulgaradi@ngocongo.org, at least three weeks prior to the event.

CONGO - Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relations with the United Nations _ Post: CP 50, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, Tel: +41 22 301 1000 Fax: +41 22 301 2000 congo@ngocongo.org

Adina Fulga Radi
Communications Coordinator
11, Avenue de la Paix
CH-1202 Geneva
T: +41 22 301 1000
F: +41 22 301 2000
Website: http://www.ngocongo.org

The Conference of NGOs (CONGO) is an international, membership association that facilitates the participation of NGOs in the 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.