Note to Correspondents

Sustainability in developing countries subject of United Nations

Academic Impact- Albany Law School Symposium 16 May

The United Nations Academic Impact and the Albany Law School will jointly host a symposium on “Sustainability in Developing Nations:  Opportunities for Public-Private Partnerships” at the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium at United Nations Headquarters on 16 May 2012.

Legal scholars, practising attorneys, diplomats and UN officials will take part in two separate panels to discuss opportunities for private–public partnerships in developing countries.  The first panel will review “sustainability challenges” and the other “public-private partnerships and public authorities”.

Professor John C. Dernbach, Distinguished Professor of Law and Director, Environmental Law Center, Widener Law School, will be the keynote speaker.  Abulkalam Abdul Momen, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, and Elizabeth Thompson, Executive Coordinator, Rio+20 Conference United Nations, will be among those taking part in panel discussions.

The event — co-sponsored by the Government Law Center of Albany Law School and Albany law firm Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP — is part of the continuing effort of the United Nations Academic Impact to bring together higher education institutions with the United Nations to support the Organization’s mission and mandates, including in the area of promoting sustainability and democratic participation in governance.

Taking place ahead of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio de Janeiro, 20-22 June 2012), the symposium is designed to address the impact of globalization on government sustainability policies and will provide a forum to international experts to discuss tools that can potentially be used to help pay for government sustainability policies.

The programme, to be held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., is open to the public, but advance registration is required at dkoel@albanylaw.edu.  It will also be webcast and available at www.un.org/webcast.

For further information and media inquiries, please contact academicimpact@un.org, tel.: +1 212 963 6555.  For information on the United Nations Academic Impact, please visit its website at outreach.un.org/unai.

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For information media • not an official record