HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT: The high-level segment will begin this morning in the Trusteeship Council Chamber. The two-day segment will be open to NGOs and other observers. 49 ministers from 45 countries (including 9 women) are expected to attend, including: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. Ministers from the following non-CSD member countries will also attend: Botswana, Finland, Malta, Sweden, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.
CSD Chair Razali Ismail and Under-Secretary-General Nitin Desai will give introductory statements and then the floor will be opened for a dialogue among the ministers. There will not be a speakers list. Although many had hoped that the high-level segment would not consist of formal statements, it appears as though many ministers have prepared statements and it is questionable whether or not a substantive inter-ministerial dialogue will actually take place.