Civil Society Forum: plenary

The UNCTAD XII Civil Society Forum will take place 17-25 April 2008 in Accra, Ghana.

The plenary (17-19 April 2008)

The Civil Society Forum will meet in plenary 17-19 April 2008, at the Ghana National Theatre in Accra, prior to the official opening of UNCTAD XII, to exchange information, build consensus and finalize the civil society position document to the Conference.

The document will then be presented by a member of civil society at the opening plenary of the UNCTAD XII Committee of the Whole, which will take place on Monday afternoon, 21 April 2008.

The continuation of the forum (20-25 April 2008)

The Civil Society Forum will continue on 20 April on the premises of the Accra Conference Centre and will run until 25 April, in parallel with the Conference.

It will feature plenary keynotes, discussions, debates and workshops focusing on the themes and sub-themes of the Conference, including enhancing the engagement of civil society in UNCTAD's activities. During the forum, participating civil society organizations will organize side events on issues of concern to the Conference to showcase their activities.

Purpose

The forum will provide civil society organizations with the opportunity to exchange and debate issues around the agenda of the Conference. Civil society organizations will also be working to attract public attention to UNCTAD XII and to raise awareness about the issues at stake. They will also contribute to the outcome of the Conference from the perspective of civil society.

In addition, civil society organizations will explore ways of engaging more meaningfully with UNCTAD and its member States to enhance the impact and effectiveness of trade and development efforts.

Expected outcome

The forum is expected to further enhance cooperation between civil society and UNCTAD, and to provide a space for meaningful dialogue between UNCTAD, different regional bodies, Governments and other actors.

For further information contact:

Civil Society Outreach Unit
Intergovernmental Affairs and Outreach Service
UNCTAD
Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Fax: +41 22 917 00 56
E-mail: csounctad.org