Organizer of the conference is 

United Nations Division for Palestinian Rights

The UN Division for Palestinian Rights services the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, a body established by the UN General Assembly. The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was established in 1975 by the United Nations General Assembly to recommend a programme designed to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights, defined by the General Assembly as the right to self determination, independence and sovereignty; and the right of Palestinians to return to their homes and property.   http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/home.htm 

http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/9330fa5063bb7eff852575f500680f40/e530f7d784174c088525785d004bc177?OpenDocument

Background Release

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will convene the United Nations Latin American and Caribbean Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace on 29 and 30 March in Montevideo, Uruguay.

On 31 March, the Committee will convene the United Nations Meeting of Civil Society in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace. The Radisson Montevideo Victoria Plaza Hotel will be the venue for both events.

The theme of the Latin American and Caribbean Meeting is “The urgency of realizing a two-State solution”. Its objective at this time of continuing efforts to restart the Israeli-Palestinian political process is to encourage broad international action, including by Latin American and Caribbean States, in support of Israeli-Palestinian peace and a solution to the conflict based on a shared vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

Among other things, the Meeting will look at obstacles and opportunities on the road to achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians. It will examine support by Latin American and Caribbean countries for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine. The Meeting will also discuss the role of non-governmental actors in Latin America and the Caribbean in promoting a permanent settlement of the conflict.

The opening session, on 29 March from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., is expected to feature Luis Almagro, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay; Oscar Fernández-Taranco, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, representing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Abdou Salam Diallo, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People; and Saeb Erakat, Member of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee, who will represent Palestine and deliver the keynote address.

Plenary I, entitled “Advancing peace between Israelis and Palestinians — Obstacles and opportunities”, will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on 29 March. The sub-themes of the session will be: “The impact of settlement expansion on prospects for achieving a two-State solution”; “The question of Jerusalem – A key to Israeli-Palestinian peace”; and “Bridging gaps and building trust: International efforts at resuming direct peace negotiations between the parties”. Expected speakers include: Yariv Oppenheimer, Director General of Peace Now, Tel Aviv; Hind Khoury, former Minister for Jerusalem Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, Jerusalem; Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy, Member of the Federal Senate of Brazil, Brasilia; Marcelo Díaz, Member of the Chilean Parliament, Valparaiso; and Meir Margalit, Member of the Municipal Council of the City of Jerusalem.

Entitled “Support by Latin American and Caribbean countries for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine”, Plenary II will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 30 March, with the sub-themes: “Diplomatic recognition of Palestinian statehood by Governments of the region”; “The applicability of the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States to the creation of the State of Palestine”; and “Action by Latin American and Caribbean States within the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and other intergovernmental mechanisms”. Expected speakers include: Walid Muaqqat, Ambassador, Palestinian Embassy in Argentina, Buenos Aires; John V. Whitbeck, international lawyer, Paris; and Bruno Stagno Ugarte, Managing Consultant, Stagno Ugarte Consultores y Asociados-Inteliaxis, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica and former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, San José.

Plenary III, on the role of non-governmental actors in Latin America and the Caribbean in promoting a permanent settlement of the conflict, will run from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on 30 March. The sub-themes will be: “The role of parliamentarians”; “Civil society initiatives and media engagement in the region”; and “The voice of Arab and Jewish communities in Latin America and the Caribbean”. Expected speakers include: Paula Cecilia Merchán, Member of the Argentine Parliament, Buenos Aires; Arlene Elizabeth Clemesha, Professor of Arab Culture, University of São Paulo and Director of International Relations, Institute for Arab Culture, São Paulo; Tilda Rabi, President, Federación de Entidades Argentino-Palestinas, Buenos Aires; and Edy Kaufman, Professor at the International School, University of Haifa.

From 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on 30 March, the closing session is expected to feature representatives of the Government of Uruguay, the Palestinian Rights Committee, and Palestine.

The Meeting of Civil Society will begin with opening statements at 10 a.m. on 31 March, followed by Plenary I, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Plenary I, on perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Latin America and the Caribbean, will feature the following sub-themes: “The responsibility of the media”; “The impact and educational role of academic institutions and think tanks”; and “The work of political parties, trade unions, foundations and other civil society actors in promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace”. Expected speakers include: Mario Casartelli, Journalist and writer, Asunción; Pedro Brieger, Journalist and sociologist, Buenos Aires; Elisenda Ballesté, Professor and Director of the Bachelor in International Relations Programme at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Puebla, Mexico; Lourdes Cervantes Vásquez, Head of the Political Department of the Organization for the Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America, Havana; and Pedro Armengol, Executive Director of the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (Unified Workers’ Central), São Paulo.

Entitled “Bringing civil society together to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process”, Plenary II will run from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. with the following sub-themes: “Reaching decision makers and politicians”; “Pursuing common goals and isolating extremists — The importance of appeals for a just peace and participation in international campaigns against violence and human rights violations”; and “The role of communities in the region, including Arab and Jewish”. Expected speakers include: Lina María Eraso Quintero, Project Director with the Centro de Colaboración Cívica, Mexico City; Pablo Lumerman, Director of the Fundación Cambio Democrático, Buenos Aires; Abdallah Abu Rahma, Head of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, Ramallah; Salomón Lerner, former President of the Zionist Federation of Peru, Lima; and Ruben Elías, President of the Comisión de Apoyo al Pueblo Palestino-Uruguay, Montevideo.

The Meeting of Civil Society will close by 6 p.m.

All sessions of the Meeting will be open to the media, and the official languages will be English and Spanish.

http://unispal.un.org/databases/dprtest/ngoweb.nsf/f12fded4d0597000852573fc005b9471/b00abd5a1ea1ae7f852578450069ee84/$FILE/e.pdf

UNITED NATIONS

LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN MEETING

IN SUPPORT OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE

The urgency of realizing a two-State solution

Montevideo, 29 and 30 March 2011

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Provisional programme

Tuesday, 29 March OPENING SESSION

10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.

Statements by:

H.E. Mr. Luis Almagro

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Representative of the Host Government

Mr. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco

Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs

Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations

H.E. Mr. Abdou Salam Diallo

Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise

of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People

H.E. Mr. Saeb Erakat

Member of the Executive Committee of the

Palestine Liberation Organization

Representative of Palestine

Recess

Statements by Governments, intergovernmental organizations

and United Nations system entities

Recess

Keynote presentation:

H.E. Mr. Saeb Erakat

Member of the Executive Committee of the

Palestine Liberation Organization

Ramallah

22 March 2011

6 p.m.2

3.00 p.m. – 6.00 p.m. PLENARY I

Advancing peace between Israelis and Palestinians –

Obstacles and opportunities

The impact of settlement expansion on prospects for achieving

a two-State solution

The question of Jerusalem – A key to Israeli-Palestinian peace

Bridging gaps and building trust: International efforts at resuming

direct peace negotiations between the parties

Presentations by experts:

Mr. Yariv Oppenheimer

Director General, Peace Now

Tel Aviv

Ms. Hind Khoury

Former Minister for Jerusalem Affairs

Palestinian Authority

Jerusalem

Mr. Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy

Senator, Federal Senate of Brazil

Brasilia

Mr. Marcelo Díaz

Member of the Chilean Parliament

Valparaiso

Mr. Meir Margalit

Member, Municipal Council of the City of Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Discussion3

Wednesday, 30 March PLENARY II

10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. Support by Latin American and Caribbean countries for a

comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine

Diplomatic recognition of Palestinian statehood by Governments

of the region

The applicability of the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties

of States to the creation of the State of Palestine

Action by Latin American and Caribbean States within the United Nations,

the Non-Aligned Movement, and other intergovernmental mechanisms

Presentations by experts:

Mr. Walid Muaqqat

Ambassador, Palestinian Embassy in Argentina

Buenos Aires

Mr. John V. Whitbeck

International lawyer

Paris

Mr. Bruno Stagno Ugarte

Managing Consultant, Stagno Ugarte Consultores y Asociados-Inteliaxis

Former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica

Former Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations

San José

Discussion4

3.00 p.m. – 5.30 p.m. PLENARY III

The role of non-governmental actors in Latin America

and the Caribbean in promoting a permanent settlement of the conflict

The role of parliamentarians

Civil society initiatives and media engagement in the region

The voice of Arab and Jewish communities in Latin America

and the Caribbean

Presentations by experts:

Ms. Paula Cecilia Merchán

Member of the Argentine Parliament

Buenos Aires

Ms. Arlene Elizabeth Clemesha

Professor of Arab Culture, University of São Paulo

Director of International Relations, Institute for Arab Culture

São Paulo

Ms. Tilda Rabi

President, Federación de Entidades Argentino-Palestinas

Buenos Aires

Mr. Edward (Edy) Kaufman

Professor, International School

University of Haifa

Haifa

Discussion5

5.30 p.m. – 6.00 p.m. CLOSING SESSION

Statements by:

Rapporteur of the Committee on the Exercise

of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People

presenting the Concluding Statement by the Organizers

Representative of the Host Government

H.E. Mr. Riyad Mansour

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

Representative of Palestine

Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise

of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People

* * *