Addis Ababa — The following document was released by the UN Economic Commission for Africa on 23 March 1999: The Economic Commission for Africa is pleased to announce the launch of a Major Meetings and Events Database.
The Database is one of an array of tools produced by the Addis Ababa Secretariat of the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa (SIA) to foster enhanced partnership and co-ordination of UN and other development activities relating to Africa.
It is designed to be dynamic and user-driven. Users can submit information on their upcoming events and conferences via e-mail through the Web Site. All data submitted by users will reach the database moderator in ECA automatically by e-mail, who will update records online.
The Database includes two major links -- the "Search" and "Add Event" links. The "Search" link allows users to search the Database according to various categories: Type of Event, Keyword, Date, Month, Year of Event, and Name of Event. The "Add Event" link enables users to submit their meetings and events online to the database. Users wishing to submit data need a special login name and password to add data to the database, which can be obtained from the Database manager (see below for contact details).
The Database provides a reliable and easily accessible common reference tool for planners and participants alike, as well as a mine of information for researchers and others interested in Africa. Its aim is to assist development actors working on Africa to improve the co-ordination of planning of their meetings, in line with the networking and catalytic role of the renewed ECA.
A key strategic objective behind the Database is the need to moderate the proliferation of conferences and meetings organized on African development each year, towards improved synergies and impact. Through automatically generated information notices, ECA will flag potential duplication of efforts and recommend partnership where possible.
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The Major Meeting and Events Database is hosted by Bellanet. It can be accessed at: www.unsia.org/event or via the ECA Home Page at: www.un.org/depts/eca
For more information, please contact:
Kibruyisfa Achameleyeh Computer Information Systems Expert Communication Team P.O. Box 3001 Addis Ababa Ethiopia Tel: +251-1-51 44 22 Fax: +251-1-51 03 65 E-mail: kyisfa@rocketmail.com
For further information please contact Peter da Costa, Cabinet Office of the Executive Secretary, UN ECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: +251-1-51-58-26 (direct) or 251-1-51-72-00 (main switchboard), Ext. 354866 Fax: +251-1-51-22-33 E-Mail: ecainfo@un.org
