Innovation Fair 2008

MOTOKO SUGIYAMA
JUNE 30-JULY 3, 2008 - ECOSOC CHAMBER, UNHQ, NEW YORK

ECOSOC High Level Segment and Annual Ministerial Review

During the four days of High Level Segment (HLS) of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)'s 2008 Substantive Session (June 30-July 25), two new functions of ECOSOC (established in 2007), AMR and Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) took place. The Innovation Fair of Civil Society Pavilion was the parallel event to AMR. Success stories of civil society/NGOs that were relevant to this year's theme of AMR, "Implementing the Internationally Agreed Goals and Commitment in Regard to Sustainable Development" were displayed at the Innovation Fair.

HLS was opened by H.E. Ambassador Leo Merores, President of ECOSOC. Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon's address was delivered by Under Secretary General of UN DESA, Mr. Sha ZuKang. The keynote addresses by Mr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of Intergovernmental Climate Change and Lord Stern of Brentford, author of the Stern Review followed. The High-Level policy dialogue was held on the morning of June 30th, after the opening session of the High Level Segment. This dialogue involved executive heads of international financial and trade institutions such as International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, World Trade Organization (WTO) and UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) discussing the state of the world economy and its implications for achieving the UN Development agenda. The opening of the DCF began that afternoon and continued until July 1. The AMR was held from July 1 to July 3. Adoption of the Ministerial Declaration (E/2008/L.10) occurred in the final moments of the AMR and was submitted by the President of ECOSOC in conclusion of the HLS. (More info on HLS at: www.un.org/ecosoc/)

WFWP International participated in this year's HLS by submitting a statement to the AMR of HLS and two success stories to the Innovation Fair of AMR. The statement was officially documented in the UN's six official languages on May 19, 2008 as E/2008/ngo/11. (Full text of WFWPI statement at: http://documents.un.org; WFWPI statement to the AMR and success stories also at www.wfwp.org) WFWPI's two success stories were posted on the UN-NGO-Irene Best Practices Network and displayed at the WFWPI booth in the Civil Society Pavilion in Conference Room D, on June 30-July 3, 2008. WFWPI was one of the thirteen NGOs with booths at the Pavilion (Complete info on Innovation Fair at www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo/irene).

WFWP International participated in the Innovation Fair's inaugural event last year in Geneva, also. It is a great privilege for WFWP International as an NGO in General Consultative Status with ECOSOC, to participate in ECOSOC's main event. We, the NGO community deeply appreciate the effort of NGO Section of DESA, led by Ms. Hanifa D. Mezoui, Chief of NGO Section for efforts to involve ECOSOC NGOs in ECOSOC's most important annual event. There is no doubt that without civil society/NGOs' full participation in the discussion of the very crucial issues that ECOSOC faces, solutions will never be achieved. It is time for all of us, as one global family, to possess the awareness, commitment and sense of responsibility to build peace and eradicate poverty throughout the world.