The DPI/NGO Section invites you to the

the first in the Focus on Faith series

Briefing

on

Pope Benedict’s Visit to the United Nations

on
Thursday, 10 April 2008
10 :30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

at the
Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium

The United Nations is the centre of the world’s efforts to advance mutual respect, understanding and dialogue. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Background Information:
Pope Benedict XVI is the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City State. On 18 April, he will visit the United Nations, which will be the fourth time a Pope has visited the Organization’s headquarters in New York. On this occasion, a panel discussion, looking at the significance of His Holiness’s visit and its impact on current global issues, will be convened. This will be the first in the Focus on Faith series, during which the guest speakers will share their insights into the topic and underline the links between the principles of the United Nations and – in this case – the Catholic Church.

Speakers:
H.E. Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
Sister Dorothy Farley, Executive Director, International Catholic Organizations/ Information Center at the United Nations
Mr. Peter Steinfels, Co-Director, Fordham University Center on Religion and Culture

Representatives of NGOs are encouraged to participate during the Q & A segment.

The live webcast of the event will be available at www.un.org/dpi/ngosection

Preview of next week’s Communications Workshop:
The second Communications Workshop this year will look at the United Nations International Years as a way of raising awareness on issues on the Organization’s agenda. Hands-on training on setting up Facebook groups will take place during the afternoon session.

The objective of the workshops is to provide NGO Representatives with hands-on expert training to improve their information dissemination capacity. The morning session, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., will take place in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, and the afternoon training, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the Library Training Room.