MINELRES: Fwd: Conference: Roma in an Expanding Europe: Challenges for the Future, June 30-July 1, Budapest

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Roma Network <romale@zahav.net.il>

--------------Forwarded message-------------
From: <rtodorova@worldbank.org>
 
 
MEDIA ADVISORY:  High-level Roma Conference, Budapest, June 30-July 1

Event:  Roma in an Expanding Europe:  Challenges for the Future
Dates:  June 30-July 1, 2003
Location:  Intercontinental Hotel, Budapest, Hungary; Budapest V.,
Apaczai Csere J. u. 12. 14

* Media registration is mandatory (see details below)*

"Roma in an Expanding Europe:  Challenges for the Future" is a
high-level conference from June 30-July 1, co-organized by the World
Bank and the Open Society Institute with support from the European
Commission and other partners.  The event, which will attract several
Prime Ministers and leading politicians from the region, is being hosted
by the Government of Hungary and will be held at the Intercontinental
Hotel in Budapest from June 30-July 1. World Bank Group President James
Wolfensohn and Open Society Institute Chairman George Soros, both of
whom are strong advocates for improving the status of Roma people, will
participate.

Prime Ministers from seven Central and Eastern European countries -
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and
Montenegro, and the Slovak Republic - are invited, along with
representatives from other countries in the region -- Albania, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Croatia, Moldova, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.

A Roma Women's Forum will precede the conference on June 29, at the same
venue. In addition, a Marketplace Forum for Nongovernmental
Organizations will run concurrent with the Roma Conference.

This major event will provide a forum for debate and decision-making on
key policies that have an impact on the Roma. The conference will focus
on how to translate lessons from existing projects and programs into
future policies that will allow for scaled-up efforts to tackle poverty,
unemployment and other issues facing the Roma.  Panel sessions will
touch on a range of themes including education, the role of NGOs and
local government, employment and health care.

Each media organization will be allotted one slot to cover the event,
except in the case of TV outlets and newswires being accompanied by
camera people or technicians.

Security procedures will be stringent, given the expected high-level
attendance, so journalists who attend should factor in extra time for
entering the premises and for gaining access to certain sessions and
events.
 
As the Conference is approaching fast, please kindly register as soon as
possible.

To register online and for further details, please visit:

http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/eca/ecshd.nsf/links_roma/roma%20conference?opendocument

Click on "For Participants" section of the website and enter:

username:  roma conference
password:  participant1

Once you enter the password-protected website, please register as media
by clicking on "Registration for the Media" and fill out the online
form.

Note: Last-minute media registration desk will be open on the site of
the Conference at Hotel InterContinental until July 1st, 12:00 am
(noon), after which all participants will transfer to the Parliament
building for the closing session and the Press Conference. There will be
no last-minute media registration desk at the Parliament building. 
 
The Press Conference on July 1st will take place at 16:40 at the
Parliament building and there will be very strict security for all
participants and media.

There is no conference fee, but participants are expected to cover their
own travel and accommodation costs in Budapest.

Contacts:

Congress Ltd.
Szilagyi Erzsebet Str. 79
H-1026 Budapest
HUNGARY

Tel:   + 36-1-212-0056
Fax:  + 36-1-356-6581

E-mail:  eva@congress.hu