THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS:
THE EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE (45/09)
28 November -4 December 2009 (and beyond)

VIP Visits

  • The UN Secretary-General: Trinidad and Tobago (till 29 November).

  • José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission; Javier Solana, High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Commissioners Joaquín Almunia and Benita Ferrero-Waldner: Nanjing (28-30 November).

  • Kyung-wha Kang, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights: Colombia (28 November- 4 December).

  • Boris Tadic, President of Serbia: Brussels (30 November).

  • Thomas Stelzer, UN ASG for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs: Amsterdam (30 November-3 December).

  • John Holmes, UN USG for humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator: Brussels (1-2 December).

  • Philippe Douste-Blazy, UN Special Adviser on Innovative Financing for Development: Brussels (2 December).

  • Moez Doraid, Deputy Director UNIFEM: Brussels (3-4 December).

  • Staffan de Mistura, WFP Deputy Executive Director for External Relations: Brussels (3- 4 December).

  • David Morrison, UN Capital Development Fund Executive Secretary: Brussels (3-4 December).

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    Saturday, 28 November

    Brussels: Biodiversity 2010 -Exhibition in the framework of the UN International Year. Venue Natural Sciences Museum (till 31 December 2009). http://www.naturalsciences.be/active/biodiv2010 

    See also: http://www.cbd.int/2010/logo

    Copenhagen: Children’s Climate Forum: Organizers: UNICEF and the City of Copenhagen.

    Luanda: 18th Session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (till 3 December). http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/acp/60_18/default_en.htm 

    Nanjing (China): EU Ministerial Troika with China (till 29 November). (http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/11/20/eu-china_summit_in_nanjing)  

    Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago): Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (till 29 November). http://www.chogm2009.org/home  The UN Secretary-General will participate.

     

    Sunday, 29 November

    International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

    http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/palestinian/index.html

    Brussels: Special event organized in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Conferences followed by a concert. Organizers: ABP. Venue: Théâtre Molière. 14.00- .

    Monday, 30 November

    Launch of the UNICEF’s fourth Children and AIDS Stocktaking Report.

    Amsterdam: Meeting of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (till 3 December). Thomas Stelzer, UN ASG for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, will attend the meeting. http://www.unsgab.org 

    Brussels: -Justice and Home Affairs EU Council (till 1 December). The Stockholm Programme, work to combat human trafficking, a Common European Asylum System and visa exemption to the Schengen area for countries in the Western Balkans are among the issues to be discussed. http://www.se2009.eu/en/2.543/2.578/2.737/2.764/1.25297  

    -Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers Council (till 1 December). 

    - EU Council - Africa Working Group.

    - EU Council: Meeting of the "Mashraq/Maghreb" and "Middle East/Gulf" Working Parties.

    - EU Commissioner Janez Potočnik will, at two separate signing ceremonies, sign bilateral Science and Technology (S&T) cooperation agreements with Japan and Jordan.

    -European Parliament - Committee Week. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/event_by_week/49-2009/default_en.htm

    -European Parliament - Subcommittee on security and defence: Public hearing on the non-proliferation regime and the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). 15:00 - 18:30. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/document/ 

    Geneva: OCHA - Launch of the Humanitarian Appeals 2010 (CAP 2010)

    -Extraordinary General Affairs EU Council in the margins of the 7th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation. The GAERC will prepare the WTO meeting during which ministers will have the opportunity to review the operation and functioning of the multilateral trading system.

    -WTO ministerial conference: (till 2 December). http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news09_e/gc_chair_stat_26may09_e.htm 

    -Human Rights Council - Universal Periodic Review (till 11 December).

    Nanjing (China): 12th EU-China summit.

    New York: Security Council - expected to adopt a resolution on the DRC panel of experts and on Somalia.

    Security Council - briefing and consultations on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

    Rome: Photo Exhibition: "Darfur: faces and colours to remember", promoted by the association Italians for Darfur. Venue: Senate of the Republic. (Till 10 December). More: http://www.afronline.org/?p=2395  

     

    Tuesday, 1 December

    Burkina Faso assumes the monthly rotating Presidency of the Security Council

    The Treaty of Lisbon enters into force

    World AIDS Day

    http://www.un.org/en/events/aidsday/2009 

    Belém (Brazil): Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI). The conference will provide a platform for policy dialogue and advocacy on adult learning and non-formal education at global level. It will draw together UNESCO Member States, UN agencies, multi- and bi-lateral cooperation agencies, organizations from civil society, the private sector and learners from all world regions (till 4 December). http://www.unesco.org/en/confinteavi 

    Brussels: -Fighting organized crime: European Commission breathes new life into assets seized from mafia.

    -European Parliament - Public hearing on "Strengthening relations with neighbourhood countries: lessons learnt from Morocco's advanced status". Organizers: Committee on Foreign Affairs Jointly with the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union. (15.00 - 16.30).

    -European Parliament - Discussion with Ahmed About Gheit, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Organizers: Committee on Foreign Affairs jointly with the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries. (16.00-17.30)

    -European biodiversity: the private sector offer. Organizers: Countdown 2010 and the IUCN Regional Office for Pan-Europe (ROPE). Venue: European Parliament. Registration: coordination@elo.org

    -DPF Roundtable - Development and Security: Two sides of the same coin. Organizers: Friends of Europe. http://www.friendsofeurope.org/Events/tabid/452/EventType/EventView

    Geneva: Sustainable Development (CSD-18) - Regional Implementation Meeting. Organizer: ECE. http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/csd/csd_csd18_rims.shtml  

    Lisbon: Commemoration ceremony of the Lisbon Treaty coming into force. http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/index_en.htm

    Nairobi: High-level UN Conference on South-South Cooperation (till 3 December) http://southsouthconference.org  

    Vienna: COARM troika meeting between the EU and Canada. The EU and Canada discuss export controls of military equipment. http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/12/1/coarm_troika_meeting_between_the_eu_and_canada

    Wednesday, 2 December

    International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

    http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/slavery/ 

    Launch of the World Economic Situation and Prospects.

    Brussels: -Economic and Financial Affairs EU Council.

    -CINE ONU - ‘Vents de Sable, Femmes de Roc’. To promote awareness of the Secretary-General's UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign. The film will be followed by a Q&A with the producer, Diana Elbaum.

    -"Mondialisation Solidaire" – Conference by Philippe Douste-Blazy, UN Special Adviser on Innovative Financing for Development. Venue: Cultural Centre Uccle, Rue Rouge n° 47. 19:00.

    Thursday, 3 December

    International Day of Persons with Disabilities

    "Making the MDGs Inclusive: Empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world" http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1484 

    30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

    Brussels: -European Parliament -Hearing on climate change and food policy. 10:00 - 12:30.

    The meeting will be followed by a press conference with EP Vice-President Edward McMillan-Scott, Dr Rajendra K. Pachauri and Sir Paul McCartney at 12.30 hours, PHS 0A050, Anna Politkovskaya room.

    -European Parliament Committee on Civil liberties justice and home affairs: Exchange of views with Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, chair of the EP delegation that went to the UN General Assembly on 15-17 November 2009.

    Cancun (Mexico): World Conference on Lung Health. It will open with a WHO-led symposium related to the conference theme of poverty and lung health.

    Friday, 4 December

    La Paz (Bolivia): European Parliament sends election observation delegation to Bolivia (till 8 December).

    Bruges: ‘A New Multilateralism: Challenge for the United Nations?’ Conference by Bruce Jenks, UN Assistant Secretary-General. Organizers: The UN University Programme on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) and the EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies Department of the College of Europe. Venue: College of Europe, Verversdijk 16, V. Aud.1. Registration: pvantorre@cris.unu.edu

    Brussels: Film screening – "Age of Stupid". Organizers: UNRIC, UNEP and the International Union of Railways. Venue: Polak Room, Residence Palace. 18.00 (tbc)

    Kiev: EU–Ukraine Summit. http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/index_en.htm 

    New York: Security Council – Briefing by ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo with regard to the Darfur situation followed by a press briefing.

    And beyond: Other dates to pin

    5 December

    International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development

    'Volunteering for our Planet' http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/  

    Brussels: -The climate express train departs on a 12 hour journey to Copenhagen. Midi Station at 9.10am http://www.traintocopenhagen.org/spip.php?article32  

    -"The wave for the climate": A public mobilization for the UN Climate Change Conference, COP 15. Program of the event and mobilization kit: http://www.climatecoalition.be   Place du Luxembourg. 14.00

    7 December

    International Civil Aviation Day [ICAO]

    http://www.icao.int/cgi/goto_m.pl?icao/en/aviation_day.htm  

    Brussels: -Transport, Telecommunications and Energy EU Council.

    -General Affairs and External Relations EU Council (till 8 December).

    -Association Council between the EU and Morocco (troika).

    -Cooperation Council between the EU troika and Kyrgyzstan.

    Copenhagen: UN Climate Change Conference, COP 15. The overall goal for the meeting is to establish an ambitious global climate agreement for the period from 2012 when the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol expires (till 18 December).

    http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/12/7/united_nations_climate_change_conference_cop_15  

    Geneva: Annual meeting of the States parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (till 11 December).

    Turin: UN System Staff College Board of Governors.

    Vienna: UNIDO, General Conference (till 11 December).

    8 December

    Brussels: European Policy Summit A new era in the Balkans. Organizers: Friends of Europe.

    http://www.friendsofeurope.org/Events/tabid/

     9 December

    International Anti-Corruption Day http://www.unodc.org/yournocounts/ 

    Brussels: -Meeting of trade ministers within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (EU 27). http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=472&serie=279&langId=en

    - Social protection: its contribution to recovery - exchange between emerging economies and the EU. - Participation of ILO Geneva. Venue: Hotel Crowne Plaza.

    -EU – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia PSC troika.

    10 December

    Human Rights Day

    "embrace diversity - end discrimination" http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/HumanRightsDay2009.aspx 

    Brussels: European Council (till 11 December).

    -EU/UN joint celebration of the Human Rights Day 2009. Film documentary "the Choir" followed by a debate. Venue: Bozar. For pricing/tickets: http://www.bozar.be/activity.php?id=9589&selectiondate=2009-12-10   More information on UN-EU events: www.un-eu.org

    -"Human Rights in Palestine": Lunch debate with Prof. Eva Brems, University of Ghent. Venue: UN House, 14 rue Montoyer/Montoyerstraat. Organizers: Flemish UNA. Registration: info@vvn.be  12.30-14.00

    11 December

    International Mountain Day

    "Disaster Risk Management in Mountains" http://www.fao.org/mnts/intl_mountain_day_en.asp 

    13 December

    Amsterdam: Africa Finance and Investment Forum 2009 (till 15 December).

    http://www.emrc.be/index.php?option=com_conference&task=showprogram&type=conf&id=65&Itemid=67&Confid=38

    14 December

    Brussels: -Agriculture and Fisheries EU Council

    -EU-Egypt Association Committee troika.

    Strasbourg: European Parliament – Plenary session (till 17 December).

    15 December

    Geneva: World Health Organization Forum and Technical Meeting on Population-based Prevention Strategies for Childhood Obesity (till 17 December).

    Stockholm: EU-New Zealand ministerial troika meeting.

    Strasbourg: European Parliament Plenary Session.

    16 December

    Brussels: EU–Russia PSC troika. http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/12/16/eu_russia_psc_troika

    Strasbourg: European Parliament Sakharov Prize Award.

    18 December

    International Migrants Day

    http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/events/migrants/index.html

    19 December

    United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation

    http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/events/south/index.html 

    20 December

    International Human Solidarity Day

    http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/social/solidarity.htm 

    22 December

    Brussels: Environment EU Council.

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