World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

For immediate release: 6 November 2003


Israel/Palestine, human rights among issues to be discussed at WCC “Advocacy Week” in New York


Media contact in New York: Jeffrey Penn, Mobile +1 646 265 0405

The work and concerns of churches and ecumenical organizations world-wide on issues like Palestine/Israel and human rights will be discussed in workshops and public seminars during an “International Affairs and Advocacy Week” organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in New York City, 10-14 November 2003.

Keynote speakers like Avraham Burg, Labour party member and former speaker of the Israeli parliament (Knesset), Bertrand Ramcharan, acting UN high commissioner on human rights, Ambassador Mohamed Sahnoun, co-chairman of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, Theo Van Boven, UN special rapporteur on torture, and Dr Richard Falk, professor of International Law and Practice, will participate in public seminars scheduled during the UN General Assembly lunch breaks so as to involve government delegations and UN staff.

The WCC general secretary-elect, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, and the outgoing WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, will also participate in the event. Kobia will preach at the worship that will open the activities on Monday morning, 10 November, and Raiser will take part in a seminar scheduled for Thursday 13 November (see agenda below).

This is the first time that key people responsible for international affairs and advocacy in churches, specialized ministries and ecumenical organizations from around the world will gather together in New York to make their work and concerns more visible at the UN, and to support United Nations' work on peace and conflict resolution.

The following press conferences are scheduled:

The following public seminars are scheduled to take place from 13:00-15:00 p.m. at the Church Center, 777 United Nations Plaza, NYC: Monday, 10 November: Human rights: 10 years after Vienna; Tuesday, 11 November: Peace and International Law in Israel and Palestine; Wednesday, 12 November: Peace in Sudan; Thursday, 13 November: The responsibility to protect.

There will also be a celebration of “60 years of church advocacy at the UN” and of the 40th anniversary of the UN Church Center on Monday 10 November, 18:00-19:00 p.m. at the same venue.

The complete programme of public seminars and biodata about the key speakers are available at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/press_corner/advocacyweek-prog.html


Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.