International Women’s Day Celebration
“The Economics of the Financial Crisis:  Gender Equality and the Role of Women”

Palais des Nations, Geneva
Room XVI
Friday, 6 March 2009
From 15:00 to 18:00

15:00 -  16:00

Celebration Speakers:

Opening address by His Excellency Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva  

Her Excellency Ms. Micheline Calmy-Rey, Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland (invited)
 
Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Develoment (UNCTAD) (invited)

Ms. Kyung-Wha Kang, Deputy High Commissioner, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

His Excellency Mr. Luis Alfonso De Alba, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Office at Geneva and  First President of the Human Rights Council

Ms. Irene Natividad, President, Global Summit of Women

Ms. Conchita Poncini, Geneva Representative, International Federation of University Women (IFUW) and President of the CONGO Committee on the Status of Women. 

Facilitator:

Ms. Corinne Momal-Vanian, Senior Political Adviser, Office of the Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva
           

16:15 – 18:00

Roundtable Speakers

Her Excellency Ms. Erlinda F. Basilio, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Vice-President of the Human Rights Council   

Ms. Jane Hodges, Director, Bureau for Gender Equality, International Labour Office (ILO)

Ms. Ewa Ruminska-Zimny, Senior Social Affairs Officer, Office of the Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

Ms. Isabelle Welton, Director, Marketing and Communication Department, IBM Austrian and Switzerland and Chair of IBM European Women Leadership Council.

Ms. Elly Pradervand, Founder and Executive Director, Women’s World Summit Foundation
  
Mr. David Fernandez Puyana, Representative of SSIHRL and UNESCO Extea, Convenor of the Working Group on the Role of Men and Boys in Advancing Gender Equality, NGO Committee on the Status of Women in Geneva (CONGO)

Ms. Blanca Mazal, President, United Nations Women’s Guild, Geneva

Moderator

Mr. Ricardo Espinosa, Head of the Non-Governmental Liaison Office, United Nations Office at Geneva; and

Ms. Susi Snyder, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom