THEN AND NOW: LECTURE SERIES HONOURING RALPH BUNCHE LEGACY BEGINS AT HEADQUARTERS 4 SEPTEMBER

Note to Correspondents

THEN AND NOW:  LECTURE SERIES HONOURING RALPH BUNCHE LEGACY

BEGINS AT HEADQUARTERS 4 SEPTEMBER

The United Nations Department of Public Information, in association with the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies of the City University of New York Graduate Center, has arranged a series of three lectures to mark the birth centenary of Ralph Bunche and to honour his legacy.  The first of these, titled “Ralph Bunche and the Question of Palestine”, will be held on Thursday, 4 September 2003.  Dennis Ross, President of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, will be the keynote speaker and Edward Mortimer, Director of Communications in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, principal discussant.

The second lecture, titled “From Ralph Bunche to Lakhdar Brahimi:  The Future of Peacekeeping and Mediation”, will be held on Thursday, 20 November 2003.  David Malone, President, International Peace Academy, will be the keynote speaker.

On Thursday, 5 February 2004, the third and final lecture, titled “Ralph Bunche and the Integrity of the International Civil Service”, will be held.  The keynote speaker will be James O.C. Jonah, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Senior Fellow, Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies.  Catherine Bertini, Under Secretary-General for Management, will be the principal discussant.

All three programmes will be held in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium from 1 to 3 p.m.  After each lecture, Brian Urquhart, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General, will moderate a discussion with the speakers, the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Shashi Tharoor, representatives of the Ralph Bunche Institute and members of the audience.

Members of Permanent Missions, Secretariat staff, non-governmental organizations and the media are invited to attend.

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