The Commission on Population and Development will hold its forty-third session from 12 to 16 April 2010 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The theme of the session is "Health, morbidity, mortality and development". Documents for the Commission’s session are posted on the web site of the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, www.unpopulation.org.

Only ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may participate in the Commission’s session. The steps to follow by an organization wishing to participate are:

1. Pre-registration

ECOSOC-accredited NGO’s wishing to participate in the forty-third session of the Commission should pre-register online through the following web page:

http://esango.un.org/irene/index.html?page=viewContent&nr=4962&type=8&section=8

If you have not received your login credentials to pre-register, please contact the Non-Governmental Organizations Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (NGO Section of DESA) at:

e-mail:  ngobranch@un.org
Tel:       (212) 963-8652
Fax:      (212) 963-9248

Further information can be found at

hhttp://esango.un.org/paperless/Web?page=static&content=contact

Because there is great interest both among governments and civil society in participating in the forty-third session of the Commission on Population and Development, and because only one conference room is available for its meetings, please be advised that not all representatives of an organization may find seats in the conference room, especially at peak attendance periods.

The deadline for pre-registration is Monday 5 April 2010.

2. Access to UN Headquarters

Passes to enter UN Headquarters are issued by the NGO Section of DESA located at the 14th floor of DC1 Building (One United Nations Plaza, on First Avenue corner of 44th St).  Pre-registered participants should go to that location to obtain passes. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 12.45 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.

3. Statements

Accredited NGOs may submit written statements to be circulated as official documents of the Commission. Such statements should not exceed 1900 words (including any footnotes), and should be submitted in the form of a MS Word document double-spaced and in font Times New Roman 12 size. The deadline for submission of written statements by accredited NGOs to be circulated as official documents for consideration of the Commission at its forty-third session is 30 January 2010.

Time permitting, participating accredited NGOs may be given the opportunity to make an oral intervention during the session, under agenda item 4. The statement should not exceed three minutes. To be included in the speakers list under agenda item 4, NGO representatives should address themselves to the Secretary of the Commission at the forty-third session anytime before the Commission starts consideration of item 4 and should submit 30 copies of their oral statement to the Secretary. Organizations wishing to circulate the text of their oral statements should provide at least 250 copies to the Conference Officer.