ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF UN NGO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

armradio.am
22.01.2008 10:41

The Armenian Assembly of America was unanimously elected to the Board
of the UN Non-Governmental Organizations Committee on Human Settlements
(NGOCHS).

The election took place earlier this month at the meeting of the
Committee in New York.

The NGOCHS is one of the committees of a major UN support coalition
called Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN
(CONGO). It monitors UN efforts and commitments in sustainable human
development, and recommends strategies for effective civil society
participation in that process.

As a new Board member, the Armenian Assembly will work to ensure the
Committee’s close liaison with the UN Department of Public Information
(DPI), in particular throughout the planning and organization of the
61st Annual United Nations DPI/NGO Conference. The Conference will
take place on September 3-5, 2008 in Paris, and shall be dedicated
to Human Rights.

NGOCHS is chaired by Harold Takooshian of the American Psychological
Association. Other members of the Committee’s Board include
International Architects, Designers, and Planners for Social
Responsibility; Commonwealth Human Ecology Council; Instituto
Qualivida; Global Housing Foundation; World Society of Ekistics;
and Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues.

In accepting the Assembly’s election to the Committee’s Board,
Armen Kharazian, Assembly Research and Analysis Director and UN
Representative, thanked the Committee leadership and Board members
for the vote, and reiterated the Assembly’s interest in contributing
to the Committee’s success by sharing its experience and expertise
in effective civil society involvement in international development
and capacity building, working with multiple stakeholders.

The Armenian Assembly has held a Special Consultative Status with the
United Nations since 1999, and is a member of the Conference of NGOs
in Consultative Relationship with the UN since 2004. In addition
to its current membership in the Committee on Human Settlements,
the Assembly is also a member of the Committee on Human Rights.