Kiyo Akasaka and María del Socorro Flores Liera

On the sidelines of the 62nd DPI/NGO Annual Conference held in Mexico City from 9 to 11 September 2009, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka and María del Socorro Flores Liera, Director-General for Multilateral Affairs in the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, symbolically stamped the organic cloth using the organic ink, in support of the “Seal the Deal” campaign.

In his remarks at the event that attracted wide media participation, Mr. Akasaka stressed the importance of the December Copenhagen Summit as an opportunity for world leaders to achieve an agreement on climate change.  He also thanked the leadership and commitment of Mexico on climate change.

To watch the Under-Secretary-General remarks please go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPWm7AYzc0E
Or visit the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Mexico City YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CINUmexico

Como una actividad adicional dentro de la 62ª Conferencia Anual DIP/ONG celebrada en la Ciudad de México del 9 al 11 de septiembre de 2009, el Secretario General Adjunto de Comunicaciones e Información Pública, Kiyo Akasaka, y la Directora General para Temas Globales de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores de México, María del Socorro Flores Liera, sellaron de manera simbólica una tela orgánica utilizando tinta orgánica en apoyo a la campaña “Sellemos el Acuerdo”.

Durante el evento que contó con una amplia participación de los medios de comunicación, el Sr. Akasaka enfatizó la importancia de la Cumbre de Copenhague que se llevará a cabo en diciembre, pues la considera una oportunidad para que los líderes mundiales logren un acuerdo sobre el cambio climático. Asimismo, agradeció el liderazgo y el compromiso de México sobre el cambio climático.

Participants at NGO workshop in Mexico City

Approximately 250 non-governmental (NGO) representatives from across Mexico participated in the workshop on NGO association with the Department of Public Information, organized by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Mexico City in coordination with the NGO Liaison Office of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The workshop was held on 12 March 2009. In addition, some 100 online participants from distant parts of Mexico and from across Latin America took part in the event, thanks to the support of the National Autonomous University of Mexico which hosted the webcast.

The event was divided in two parts, one part addressing the more general interests of the regional and Mexican participants, and the other part addressing more specifically the concerns of the potential new formal DPI partners from around Mexico.  Several UNICs in the region used the third hour of the event to brief the interested NGOs on the association process from their national perspective, with others to do so in the coming days and weeks.

The workshop was part of the efforts of the Department and of UNIC Mexico City to promote association with the Department to a greater number of NGOs in Mexico and in the region.  It should be noted that out of over 1,700 NGOs associated with the Department, only 15 are from Mexico and less than 200 from Latin America and the Caribbean. The workshop was also part of the preparations for the 62nd annual DPI-NGO Conference, hosted by the Government of Mexico and scheduled to take place in Mexico City from 9 to 11 September 2009. The conference will cover the broad subjects of disarmament and international peace.

In the first part of the workshop, the UNIC Director, the President of the 62nd Conference, the Director General of the Ministry's NGO office, as well as the Chief of the DPI NGO Section (by videoconference) briefed the participants on the process and on the September conference, while a representative of Tendiendo Puentes, a Mexican NGO recently associated with DPI, provided a personal account of her organization's experience in working with the United Nations and being part of the network. The session
was followed by an extended Q&A period, with online participants being able to ask questions in real time, through a "chat" forum.

In the second part of the workshop, the UN Resident Coordinator and a representative of the NGO Liaison Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefed the participants on the work of UN Country Team Mexico with civil society and on the September conference, respectively.

To ensure the inclusiveness of the event, sign language interpretation of the whole event and English/Spanish interpretation of parts of the proceedings were provided live.  The proceedings of the workshop, as well as all the application forms and other reference materials have been posted on the website of UNIC Mexico City.

Due to the unprecedented interest in the association process, UNIC Mexico City has scheduled a follow-up workshop for 26 March 2009.

Panelists at press conference in Mexico City marking International Women's Day

Focusing on the theme "Women and Men United to End Violence Against Women and Girls", Mexico’s UN Country Team observed International Women's Day on 5 March 2009. In the presence of more than 120 participants, including some 30 media, the UN Resident Coordinator, the Regional Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Mexico City and a representative of Mexico's National Women's Institute (INMUJERES), held a press conference and spoke about the different forms of violence against women, including physical, psychological and economic, and their link to the spread of HIV/AIDS.  

UNIC Mexico created a website with information about violence against women, including a special section for the Secretary-General's Campaign "UNiTE to End Violence against Women" and, in coordination with the inter-agency Gender Group, issued press materials and backgrounders. 

The press conference also gave a forum for INMUJERES to recognize the participation of Diego Schoening, a well-known Mexican entertainer, in a national campaign that shares the UN Secretary General’s messages on the importance of getting men involved in ending violence against women, including teaching other men that “real men don’t hit women” and that only by acting together can we create more equal and peaceful societies.