United Nations International Meeting

 In Support Of The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

23 May 2010 – The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People is inviting journalists to cover the United Nations International Meeting in Support of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, being held under the theme: “Ending the occupation and establishing the Palestinian State.” The Meeting’s official languages will be English and Arabic. There will also be simultaneous interpretation from and into Turkish.

WHERE: Sheraton Hotel Istanbul Ataköy, Istanbul, Turkey

WHEN: 25-26 May 2010

WHO: The opening session, on 25 May, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., is expected to feature:

  • Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkey
  • Robert Serry, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, representing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
  • Zahir Tanin, Head of Delegation, Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People
  • Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
  • Ibrahim Khraishi, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority

Plenary I, on the state of the political process and prospects for peace, will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on 25 May, and is expected to feature:

  • Michele Dunne, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, D.C.
  • Jad Isaac, Director General, Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem, Jerusalem
  • Eti Livni, Former Member of the Knesset, Tel Aviv
  • Ghassan Khatib, Director, Government Media Centre, Palestinian Authority, Ramallah
  • Richard Murphy, Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute, New York
  • Danny Seidemann, Legal Counsel, Ir Amim, Jerusalem

Plenary II, on the Palestinian Authority programme of ending the occupation and establishing the Palestinian State, will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 26 May, and is expected to feature:

  • Bassam Al-Salhi, General Secretary, Palestinian People's Party, Jerusalem
  • Thomas Neu, Field Director, Carter Center Field Office, Ramallah
  • Güven Sak, Director, Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, Ankara
  • Jennifer Tonge, Member of the House of Lords, London

Plenary III, on breaking the deadlock and creating a political climate conducive to the advancement of the peace process, will run from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on 26 May, and is expected to feature:

  • Mensur Akgün, Director, Global Political Trends Center, Istanbul Kültür University, Istanbul
  • Nils Butenschøn, Director, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Oslo
  • Nabil Fahmy, Ambassador and Dean of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy,  American University in Cairo, Cairo
  • Chinmaya Gharekhan, Former Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of India for West Asia and the Middle East Peace Process, New Delhi

The closing session, on 26 May, from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., is expected to feature representatives of Turkey, Palestine, and the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

MEDIA ENCOUNTERS: The entire Meeting will be open for media coverage. In addition, a press conference is expected to be held at on 25 May immediately following the opening statements (at approximately 11:15 a.m.). Expected participants include:

  • Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkey
  • Zahir Tanin, Head of Delegation, Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People  
  • Ibrahim Khraishi, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority

BACKGROUND: The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was established in 1975 by the UN General Assembly. It exists to promote the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people; raise international awareness on the question of Palestine; mobilize international support for and assistance to the Palestinian people; and work towards a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine. As part of fulfilling its mandate, the Committee organizes conferences throughout the world.

ACCREDITATION: Journalists are invited to register in advance. Registration forms, which are attached to this message, can be returned to: dpr-meeting@un.org. [Registration forms can also be obtained by e-mailing: dpr-meeting@un.org.] Upon arrival, journalists should pick up their colour-coded badges in Room “Vasco da Gama 3,” on the second floor of the Annex building, on 21 May or 23 May from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; or 24 May from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Starting on 25 May, at 8:30 a.m., a registration area will be set up in the foyer to the conference room, the “Ceremony Ballroom,” on the mezzanine level (one flight up from the main lobby).

MORE INFORMATION: For additional information about the Meeting or Committee, or to arrange interviews with any of the speakers, please contact: Mr. Brenden Varma


Document symbol: IstanbulAgenda0510
Document Type: Press Release
Document Sources: Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), Division for Palestinian Rights (DPR)
Country: Türkiye
Subject: Gaza Strip, Inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, Middle East situation, Occupation, Palestine question, Peace process, Peace-building, Situation in the OPT including Jerusalem
Publication Date: 23/05/2010