European Conference on Public Awareness and Development Education for North-South Solidarity
European Conference on Public Awareness and Development Education for North-South Solidarity
European Conference on Public Awareness and Development Education for North-South Solidarity
European Conference on Public Awareness and Development Education for North-South Solidarity One year after the enlargement of the EU. The Belgian Directorate-General Development Co-operation (DGCD) and the European Commission (DGs Development, ECHO and EuropeAid) are organizing jointly on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 May 2005 in the Palais d'Egmont (Brussels, Petit Sablon) a European Conference on Public Awareness and Development Education for North-South solidarity. The first objective of the Conference is to urge the Member States of the EU, particularly the New Member, accession and candidate States, to properly organize at all levels public awareness towards international solidarity with the poorest peoples. The conference will be preceded on Wednesday 18 May at 14.00 in the Royal Park by the inauguration of the mobile exhibition of the Belgian Cooperation on the Millennium Development Goals in the presence of HRH Princess Mathilde, Minister De Decker and of Eveline Herfkens (UN). During the conference (19-20 May), various personalities will take the floor, namely Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid; Armand De Decker, Belgian Minister for Development Co-operation; Jean-Louis Schiltz, Luxemburg Minister for Co-operation and Humanitarian Action and President-in-Office of the EU Council; Bronislaw Geremek, former Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Member of the European Parliament; Eveline Herfkens, UN's Secretary-General's Executive Coordinator for the MDG Campaign; Luisa Morgantini, President of the Development Committee of the European Parliament, Henny Helmich, Director NCDO, The Netherlands. Two hundred participants will represent the Member States, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European NGOs. Participation is limited to registered persons. PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR THE PRESS: Address of the website of the conference (programme, papers and speeches): http://www.euforic.org/awareness-sensibilisation Information (coordinator of the conference): sam.biesemans@diplobel.fed.be Journalists: please register at the press service. Registrations: E-mail: presse@diplobel.fed.be, tel. 02 5018068 et tel. 02/501.84.07, fax. 02 5132546. Journalists are asked to provide following information in their E-mail or fax: name, first name, media, Belgian or EU press card, tel./mobile number. Spokesman of Louis Michel: Amadeu ALTAFAJ, tel: +32(0)2 295.26.58, mobile: 0498 952658, E-mail: amadeu.altafaj-tardio@cec.eu.int Spokesman of Minister Armand De Decker: Erik Silance, tel. 02 5018105, mobile: 0475/756288, erik.silance@diplobel.fed.be; Alexandra Mathelot, tél. 02 5018105, alexandra.mathelot@diplobel.fed.be Audio-visual press: pictures will be available via EbS (Europe by Satellite), contact: marco.vignudelli@cec.eu.int, DG DEV, tel. 02 2994560, fax 02 2993002. Press contact only during the conference for practical questions: Nathalie Baret, nathalie.baret@diplobel.fed.be, mobile: 0474/83.74.90 PRESS: PROGRAMME PARTLY ACCESSIBLE Wednesday 18 May 2005 (OUT OF CONFERENCE DAY): Brussels / ROYAL PARK: inauguration of the mobile exhibition on the Millennium Development Goals in the presence of HRH Princess Mathilde 13.45 PRESS MEET at ROYAL PARK (side: Parliament) 14.00 ROYAL PARK: inauguration of the mobile exhibition on the Millennium Development Goals in the presence of HRH Princess Mathilde, Minister for Development Co-operation, A. De Decker, and of Eveline Herfkens, UN Secretary-General's Executive Coordinator for the Millennium Development Goals Campaign. Thursday 19 May 2005: CONFERENCE / DAY 1 9.30 PRESS MEET AT PALAIS D'EGMONT, Petit Sablon entrance THE PRESS IS AUTHORISED TO ATTEND THE SPEECHES BETWEEN 10.00 and 12.30. · 10.00 - 11.10: Interventions of: § Armand De Decker, the Belgian Minister for Development Co-operation; § Eveline Herfkens, UN Secretary-General's Executive Coordinator for the Millennium Development Goals Campaign; Proposed theme: «public opinion Awareness-raising on the MDGs»; § Henny Helmich, Head of NCDO, the Netherlands; Theme: «General introduction on development education and awareness-raising». · 11.10 - 11.35: break and possibility of interviews; · 11.35 - 11.55: Bronislaw Geremek, former Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Member of the European Parliament; · 11.55 - 12.30: Comments, reactions and questions to the morning speakers led by a panel of persons from the South: · Prof. Emmanuel Boon, University of Legon-Accra, Ghana; · Hegel Goutier, journalist, former Spokesman of the ACP-Group; · Mousta Largo, Belgian-Moroccan singer Friday 20 May 2005: CONFERENCE / DAY 2 8.40 PRESS MEET AT PALAIS D'EGMONT Petit Sablon entrance THE PRESS IS AUTHORISED TO ATTEND THE SPEECHES BETWEEN 10 and 11. MORNING interventions in plenary session: · Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid; · Luisa Morgantini, President of the Development Committee of the European Parliament; § Proposed theme: «The role of MEPs in the awareness-raising process». · Rilli Lappalainen, Chair of the Development Education Forum of CONCORD (European NGOs); § Proposed theme: «A strategy for civil society and new generations»; · Suzanne Monkasa, Council of African communities in Europe/ Belgian Section. Also 10.30-11.00: Press point of Commissioner Louis Michel, Palais d'Egmont (Press room). Information: spokesman of the Commissioner: Amadeu ALTAFAJ, tel: +32(0)2 295.26.58, mobile: +32 498 952658, E-mail: amadeu.altafaj-tardio@cec.eu.int 15.00 PALAIS d'EGMONT THE PRESS IS AUTHORISED TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE BETWEEN 15.00 and 17.00 · 15.15-15.35: Intervention of Jean-Louis Schiltz, Minister for Development Cooperation and of Humanitarian Action of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; President in Exercise of the European Council. Proposed theme: «How did Luxembourg raise its ODA? The role of the awareness campaigns for the decision-makers and the citizens. » · 16.00 - 17.00: Presentation of recommendations of the Conference by László Vizi, Director General, Hungarian Ministry for Foreign Affairs to Jean-Louis Schiltz, Minister for Development Co-operation and of Humanitarian Action of the Grand of Luxemburg, President in Exercise of the European Council. · 16.20 - 17.00: General conclusions by Martine Van Dooren, Belgian Director-General of the DG Development Co-operation, Stefano Manservisi, DG of DG DEV (European Commission) and Armand De Decker, Belgian Minister of Development Co-operation