Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Briefing by Government of Viet Nam and UN System Coordinator on Influenza on Upcoming Ministerial Conference

Senior officials of the Government of Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the UN System Senior Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, Dr. David Nabarro, will hold a briefing on the “International Ministerial Conference on Animal and Pandemic Influenza: The Way Forward” (IMCAPI) at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, 1 April 2010, at the Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel in Bangkok.

IMCAPI, which takes place from 19 to 21 April in Hanoi, is expected to bring together Ministers of Agriculture (or Livestock) and Ministers of Health from around the world, as well as leaders from a range of international organizations. It is expected to set a new global milestone by providing a way forward on animal and pandemic influenza, and endorsing the need for further international collaboration to address emerging health threats arising at the interface between animals, humans and our changing environment. Ministers are expected to issue a Ministerial Declaration that will guide future cooperation and coordination among countries and international organizations in 2010 and beyond.

IMCAPI follows six previous high-level international conferences over the past four years which have been held to provide a platform to share experiences, identify challenges, develop solutions and provide support to respond to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and prepare for a possible pandemic.

The conference is being organized by the Government of Viet Nam in coordination with the European Union and the United States, with the support of the UN System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC) and key international agencies in animal and human health.

Those interested in attending the briefing are kindly requested to register by 31 March by sending an email to unisbkk.unescap@un.org.
The Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel is located at Sukhumvit Soi 22, in Bangkok near the Phrom Phong BTS skytrain.
Refreshments will be served.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Michelle Delaney, Communication and Coordination Officer, UN System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC), by phone in Thailand on +66-81-822-8667, in Vietnam on +84-1202-011844, or by email at email: delaneym@un.org
Mr. Mitch Hsieh, UN ESCAP Information Services, by phone +66-2-288-1862, by mobile +66-81-835-8664, or by email at hsieh@un.org
- For further information on IMCAPI, go to www.imcapi-hanoi-2010.org
- For a biography of Dr. David Nabarro, go to www.undg.org/index.cfm?P=50
- For further information on UNSIC, go to www.undg.org/index.cfm?P=21 and also www.un-influenza.org/

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