63rd Annual UN Deparment of Public Information Non-Governmental Organizations Conference Melbourne, Australia 30 August - 1 September, 2010

Conference Schedule

Day 1 - Monday, 30 August 2010

OPENING CEREMONY: 09:30 AM

• Indigenous Welcome to Australia
• United Nations Welcome Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information
• Host Country Welcome Australian Government
• Opening Remarks Ban Ki-moon (invited) Secretary General, United Nations
• Navanethem Pillay (via videotape) High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations
• Keynote Speakers Michel Sidib- Executive Director, UN AIDS
• Barbara Flick Nicol Australia
• NGO Welcome Mary Norton Chair, 63rd Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference
• Networking Lunch at the Exhibits Area 1:00 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.
• Workshops Various Rooms in MCEC 2:30 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
• Afternoon Tea: 4:00 - 4:30 P.M.
• Roundtable I The Role of the NGOs and Civil Society in Helping Achieve the MDGs: 4:30 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.





• The commitment to achieve the MDGs by 2015 is the responsibility of member states towards their citizens. On the other hand, international, national and local NGOs and civil society have important roles to play.

• This Roundtable will explore such issues as:
  • The role of NGOs and civil society actors in achieving the MDGs
  • The most effective ways in which NGOs can articulate their positions with governments to influence policy and address the need for services to improve health and well being
  • Ways in which different segments of civil society can work in partnership to achieve the MDGs
  • How can programs be designed so that progress can be objectively tracked and evaluated over time?



• PANELISTS

  • Ruth Bamela Engo-Tjega, moderator (Cameroon)
  • Sue Ndwala (Australia)
  • Sakena Yacoobi (Afghanistan)
  • Dr. Aleida Guevara (Cuba)

Day 2 - Tuesday, 31 August 2010

• Roundtable II Equity, Rights And Progress Towards The MDG's: 9:30 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.




• As momentum builds towards accelerating progress to meet the goals of the MDGs there is a danger of creating greater inequity. Practice has shown it is easier to improve the health of those who are already better off than it is to address the needs of the poorest and those who have no access to health care. Discussion in this roundtable will respond to many questions including:

• • Ways in which NGOs can advocate for more attention to be paid to the health needs of the poorest and least well served.
  • The use of equity sensitive indicators to measure progress towards achieving the MDG-s
  • What should be done to raise awareness of the significance of MDG 8 (which calls for the establishment of global partnerships for development) and its importance for achieving all of the MDGs? Moreover, how do we address the responsibility of developed countries to work towards greater global equity?
  • How can programs be designed so that progress can be objectively tracked and evaluated over time?
  • How can NGOs ensure that the focus on mortality targets does not divert attention from conditions that affect quality of life such as access to basic necessities such as food and shelter, security of the person, disability and mental health problems?
  • In what ways can we continue to accurately document progress in attaining gender equality?

• 
  PANELISTS

  • Dea Delaney-Thiele, moderator (Australia)
  • Alain Andr- Franco (France)
  • Jane Freemantle (Australia)
  • Thelma Narayan (India)
  • Dr. Claudio Schuftan (Chile)


• Morning Tea: 11:00 - 11:30 A.M.
• Workshops Various Rooms in MCEC 11:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
• Networking Lunch at the Exhibits Area 1:00 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.
• Workshops Various Rooms in MCEC 2:30 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
• Afternoon Tea: 4:00 - 4:30 P.M.


• Roundtable III Strengthening an Integrated and Systems Approach to Achieving the Health MDGs: 4:30 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.




• While all the MDGs contribute to health, MDG 4 (reduce child mortality), MDG 5 (improve maternal health) and MDG 6 (combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases) each has specific health targets. This raises a number of questions which this Roundtable hopes to address such

• • How can collective efforts of NGOs, civil society, the medical community, the private sector and governments be maximized, and systems strengthened rather than undermined, as we work towards achieving the MDGs in integrated ways?
  • In what ways can we ensure that in attending to closely related causes of specific health problems underlying social determinants of poor health, especially gender equity and poverty are also addressed/not neglected?
  • How can the physical, financial, cultural, linguistic and other barriers to achieving the MDGs be addressed?

• 
  PANELISTS

  • Tim Costello, moderator (Australia))
  • Nomfundo Eland (Republic of South Africa)
  • Shichuo Li (People-s Republic of China)
  • Samina Naz (Pakistan)
  • Kenneth Ndubuisi Okoh (Nigeria)