GFDD at Annual UN DPI/NGO Orientation Program

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), represented by Maria Victoria Abreu, participated in the annual Orientation Program of the United Nations Department of Public Information, NGO Section (UN DPI/NGO).

More than one hundred NGOs and CSOs representatives from all around the world gathered these two days at the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, UN Headquarters in New York City.

The program included a series of lectures and presentations from the main UN officers working with NGOs and Civil Society, aiming at integrating these base organizations into the UN system and improving cooperation and information sharing. Participants were introduced to different access ways to UN information materials specially
dedicated to NGOs and CSOs, and were introduced to the new security measures to access the UN building. NGOs representatives also had the opportunity to learn about continuing and new programs being implemented by the UN, and were able to network with many other NGOs representatives and with UN officials.

Some of the UN speakers included Paul Hoeffel, Chief of the NGO Section of the DPI; Raymond Sommereyns, Director of the Outreach Division of the DPI; Joan Kirby,
Chair of the NGO/DPI Executive Committee; Ramu Damodaran, Chief of the Civil Society Service of the DPI; Jackie Shapiro, First Vice President of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN (CONGO); Craig Mokhiber, Deputy to the Director of the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; Hanifa Mezoui, Chief of the NGO Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA); Alejandra Pero, Programme Specialist of the Civil Society Organization Unit at UNDP;
among many others.

In addition to DPI/NGO, Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) is member of several other agencies within the United Nations as an institution with Consultative Status.