Note to Correspondents

5 DECEMBER GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEBATE, SPECIAL EVENT

TO CLOSE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF VOLUNTEERS

The General Assembly on Wednesday, 5 December 2001, will discuss volunteering during two plenary meetings.  In conjunction with these debates, a special event will mark the official close of the United Nations International Year of Volunteers 2001 in the General Assembly Hall from noon to 1 p.m.

This is the first time the Assembly will devote plenary sessions to discussions of volunteer contributions to economic and social development.  The Assembly delegates will deliberate on ways the United Nations system and governments can support volunteer action.

Media representatives are also invited to the special event, which is being held on the annual International Volunteer Day and will be opened with a statement from the President of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly.  Closing remarks will be by Secretary-General Kofi Annan.  Guest speakers will include His Royal Highness Prince Felipe de Asturias of Spain and Dr. Nafis Sadik, special adviser to the Secretary-General, both of whom were appointed International Year of Volunteers Eminent Persons by the Secretary-General.  There will be volunteer testimonies from around the world, a video presentation, and a musical performance of a song written for the Year.  Sharon Capeling-Alakija, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers, will speak at the event and will address journalists at the noon Press Briefing on Tuesday, 4 December.

There will be a live Webcast for Wednesday's two General Assembly debates on volunteering -- from 10 a.m. to noon and from 3 to 6 p.m. -- as well as during the noon one-hour special event.  To view the Web cast, please visit: http://www.un.org/webcast/events/iyv/.

At 1 p.m., immediately following Wednesday's special event, in the Indonesian Lounge opposite the General Assembly Hall, Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Honourable Alfonso Gagliano, Canada's Minister of Public Works and Government Services, will unveil a special International Year of Volunteers 2001 sculpture.  It will permanently reside at the United Nations Volunteer headquarters in Bonn, Germany.

The sculpture, titled Volunteer Rising, was designed by artist Anthony Testa of the Royal Canadian Mint.  The piece symbolizes the vitality, energy and dynamism of volunteerism.  The sculpture's design was inspired by the 10-cent coin

                                       - 2 -                Note No. 5702

                                                            3 December 2001

commemorating the International Year of Volunteers that the Royal Canadian Mint

circulated in 2001, as well as the International Year of Volunteers logo.

For more information about the General Assembly special event, contact:

Nanette Braun, tel:  212-906-3634; e-mail;  nanette.braun@unvolunteers.org;

Yuko Osawa; tel:  212-906-3634; fax:  212-906-3659; e-mail: yuko.osawa@undp.org.

For more information about the Royal Canadian Mint sculpture event, contact: Debra Price, Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations:

tel: 212-848-1162.

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