Dear Vincentian brothers and sisters,

In the framework of the 56th session of the Commission for Social Development, entitled “Strategies for eradicating poverty to achieve sustainable development for all”, which will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 29 January to 7 February 2018, Vincentians will have a word to say:

(1) On Monday, 29 January 2018 (3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, (NY time)), Mr. Mark McGreevy OBE, Group Chief Executive of DePaul International and the founder of the Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH), will participate in a High‐level panel discussion on the priority theme “Strategies for eradicating poverty to achieve sustainable development for all”.

The Keynote speaker will be H.E. Mr. Juan Somavia, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Chile, and former Special Adviser to the Secretary‐General on Interregional Policy Cooperation, former President of ECOSOC, and former Director‐General of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Other panelists are:
• H.E. Ms. Ana Helena Chacón, Vice‐President of Costa Rica
• H.E. Dr. Ghada Waly, Minister of Social Solidarity of Egypt
• H.E. Dr. Ralf Kleindiek, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Germany
• Mr. Jordi Curell, Director for Labor Mobility in the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL) at the European Commission

Moderator: Dr. Jane Barratt, Secretary‐General of the International Federation on Ageing (IFA)

*Live Broadcast on UN Web TVhttp://webtv.un.org/

(2) On Wednesday, 31 January 2018 (1:15 pm – 2:30 pm), as a side event, the Vincentian Family at the United Nations, in Collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN, will present a panel entitled “A Systemic Approach to Eliminating Homelessness”

The keynote Speaker will be Mark McGreevy, CEO FamVin Homelessness Alliance

Other panelists:
• Geraldine Byrne Nason, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN
• Patrick Lubin, All Together in Dignity Fourth World (ATD 4th world) Activist
• Fay Washington, Vincentian Family (VF) Activist

Moderator: Pattie Hughes, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVDP)