On Wednesday 3 September, the French Minister of State for European Affairs and Human Rights, Ms Rama Yade, gave an address at the opening of the 61st Annual DPI/NGO Conference organised for non-governmental organisations by the UN Department of Public Information.
For the first time since its inception, this conference, which brings together representatives of over 2,000 NGOs, is being held at UNESCO's Headquarters in Paris to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights signed in Paris on 10 December 1948.
Rama Yade praised the increasing role played by NGOs in defending and promoting human rights and stressed the need to reinforce partnerships between civil society and national and international institutions.
During her speech, she recalled the priorities of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the field of human rights: strengthening actions to combat violence against women and all forms of homophobia.
