Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD)

Conference of the States Parties and First election of members of Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The First Session of the Conference of the States parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities took place in New York on 31 October and 3 November 2008. The Conference elected twelve members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 3 November 2008.

New Publication: National Development Strategies Policy Notes. The Policy Notes were developed by UNDESA in cooperation with UNDP, offering practical guidance on how to operationalize: (1) employment-generating macroeconomic policies, (2) inclusive finance for development, (3) public enterprise reform (alternatives to privatization), (4) pro-poor trade policies, (5) investment and technology (industrial) policies, and (6) social policies.

United Nations Youth Flash, September/October 2008 is now available online. The Newsletter is a service of the UN Programme on Youth, keeping you up-to-date on the youth agenda of the UN and partnering youth organizations around the world. Feature article: Reconnecting with youth on the streets: a rights-based approach.

47th Session of the Commission for Social Development

The Online Pre-Registration is now available for NGOs with ECOSOC Status for the Forty-Seventh Session of the Commission for Social Development which will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 4 to 13 February 2009.

Information Note
Letter of Invitation

The New Publication "Regional Dimensions of the Ageing Situation" contributes to the series of events, conferences and publications related to the first review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. It highlights priorities, as well as recent trends and policy developments, in the five UN regions of the world.

Foreword and Table of Contents
Full Publication

The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) issued six commemorative stamps and a souvenir card on the theme “We Can End Poverty”. The Department of Economic and Social Affairs invited children from all over the world to participate in an art competition in 2007 on the theme “We Can End Poverty”. Six of the winning entries were selected as stamp designs for the United Nations 2008 “We Can End Poverty” stamp issue.