UN Update -- September 2006

UN Secretariat in New York, NY. Photo: Mikelle Adgate

The month of September is always a busy month at the United Nations with the opening of the General Assembly and the annual conference of Non-Governmental Organizations. But this year two very important gatherings have been added to the calendar – a High-Level Meeting on Migration and Development and a special two-day mid-term review of the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries.

The meeting on the issue of migration is a “first” for the General Assembly; that body has never previously held a plenary session on that topic. The special gathering provides the opportunity for representatives of 120 governments, including an estimated 90 ministers, to consider how best to maximize the development opportunities that migration offers and to minimize the negative impact to people, the environment, and societies. By targeting this discussion to the ministers and other high-level representatives of government, it is hoped that the outcome of this discussion can be taken back and worked in to policies and programs at the national and community levels.

Similarly, the review of the Brussels Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries has also been structured and timed to bring together the high-level governmental representatives who come to New York to be part of the September General Assembly General Debate. This meeting will look at the progress made in implementing the Brussels Program of Action which was signed in 2001 in an effort to assist the Least Developed Countries to meet many of their special development challenges. Church World Service was able to take part in the civil society hearings held in June to provide input in advance of this meeting.