European Union-NGO Forum on Human Rights
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Rama Yade
© Frédéric de La Mure / MAEE
- from: 10.12.2008
- to: 11.12.2008
- In: Centre de Conférence International
This forum is held once a year in the country holding the presidency of the European Union. The tenth forum coincides with the 60th anniversay of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It will particulary focus on discrimination against women.
Participants in the forum include 95 NGO representatives, half of whom come from non-Western countries, 27 EU Member State representatives and 28 representatives from international organisations, the United Nations and European institutions.
Debates at the forum on discrimination and violence against women will be organised into three workshops:
The first workshop will concern the implementation of future European Union guidelines on violence against women, a priority of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The second workshop will concern assessment of the situation, role and action taken by women in their defence of human rights. This workshop’s aim is to produce operational recommendations and prepare a tool enabling EU mission heads in third countries to implement the guidelines on “human rights defenders” in a non-discriminatory way.
The third workshop called ‘From the Law into Practice: Examples to Follow in the Fight Against Discrimination” will address the drafting of a collection of best practices and help to tackle issues like the reform of the family code and property law and the drafting and implementation of economic, social and cultural laws.
The French Presidency of the Council of the European Union wanted to place particular emphasis on the participation of NGOs from non-EU Member States such as:
- Asia: China, Malaysia, Philippines;
- Africa:, Benin, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Niger;
- Maghreb/Machrek: Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia;
- Latin America/Caribbean: Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico;
- Other countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Turkey.
Rama Yade, the French Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, will open the forum.
At the end of the first day, Bernard Kouchner, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, will welcome the forum’s participants and subsequently invite them to the closing celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Access to the forum is by invitation only.
Information – Press contact
Marion Lanvers – 01 43 17 40 65
Samuel Dansette – 01 43 17 42 89
- Updated: 31.12.2008
