FIFTY-SECOND ANNUAL DPI-NGO CONFERENCE TO TAKE PLACE AT HEADQUARTERS FROM 15 TO 17 SEPTEMBER

Press Release

FIFTY-SECOND ANNUAL DPI-NGO CONFERENCE TO TAKE PLACE AT HEADQUARTERS FROM 15 TO 17 SEPTEMBER

Queen Noor Al Hussein of Jordan and Nobel Laureate and Former President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias to Speak

Queen Noor Al Hussein of Jordan, and Nobel Laureate and former President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, will be among the opening speakers at the 52nd Annual DPI-NGO Conference: Challenges of a Globalized World: Finding New Directions, to take place at United Nations Headquarters from 15 to 17 September 1999. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the incoming President of the General Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, will also address the opening session at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 15 September, in the General Assembly Hall.

The Conference will focus on ways through which the United Nations and civil society can more effectively influence policies guiding globalization so that the benefits are widely shared and emerging problems are minimized. Key aspects of globalization, including trade and finance, agriculture, labour, technology and communications, and building partnerships and new institutions, will be explored through panel discussions and midday non-governmental organization (NGO) workshops. Panellists include high-level government and United Nations officials, and representatives of civil society, including NGOs, the private sector, academics and the media. Closing speakers will include Ugandan Vice President Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Harvard and Brian Atwood, former Administrator of USAID.

A record number of over 3,000 NGO representatives of more than 800 NGOs from around the world have registered for the Conference, which marks the premiere NGO-related event at Headquarters this year.

Special efforts are being made to ensure that the members of the press have every opportunity to interview speakers and panelists at the Conference. Further information, including the Conference programme, may be obtained through the United Nations web site (www.un.org), from the DPI/NGO Resource Centre (L-1B-31) or from the office of the DPI/NGO Section (S-1070). Interviews can be arranged by contacting Paul Hoeffel at tel: 963-8070 (hoeffel@un.org) or Helene Seligman at tel: 963-1285 (seligman@un.org).

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