The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized 'World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty' will be held in 31 March-2 April 2004 in Rome, Italy. The Meeting will focus on the strategies and achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). One of the MDG workshops will deal 'Sustainable Development' with highlights on 'Protection of the Environment', 'Access to Drinking Water' and 'Improving the Habitat'.

Two separate plenary sessions focusing on MDGs will be arranged. Part 1 will cover the strategy of the international community to achieve the MDGs. Part 2 will handle ways and means for municipalities to address the issue of the MDGs at the local level.

Four parallel workshops will also be arranged. Workshop A will stress on 'Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger'. Workshop B will underline 'Education and health for women and children'. The topic of Workshop C is 'Sustainable development' in which issues on the protection of the environment, access to clean drinking water, and improving the habitat will be highlighted. Workshop D will embrace 'Global partnership for development'. In this roundtable, commitment at national and international level to combat the poverty, ways to support the least advanced countries addressing the specific needs of those countries, and strategy to co-operate with the private sectors, e.g., the pharmaceutical industry will be sought.

For further information, Mr Mohand Cherifi, Coordinator, UNDP-World Alliance of Cities
Against Poverty at mohand.cherifi@undp.org or the secretariat at ecomed@romacivica.net