This is a brief outline the various activities that WFWP International has been able to accomplish this last year.

A special Convocation on Family Ethics and World Peace was held in Seoul, Korea, February 4-7, 1999. Fifty delegates from twenty countries represented WFWP International. As a supporting organization, WFWPI held a panel session with the theme "Women as Peacemakers" on February 5th. Speakers on WFWP panels included Dr. Christine Durbak, Founder and Chair of World Information Transfer/Vice Chair if the United Nations Department of Public Information, NGO Executive Committee, Hon. Gladys Gutierrez, Secretary of State for the Dominican Republic/Director of Dominican Republic’s Division of the Advancement of Women, Prof. Lia Diskin, Founding member and Executive Secretary of the Institute for Studies of the Future/President of Brazilian Committee in Support of Tibet, Ms. Camelia Anwar Sadat, President of Sadat Peace Institute and daughter of former President of Egypt Anwar Sadat, and Hon. Madam Isilay Saygin, Minister of the State of Turkey.

WFWPI was pleased to provide sponsorship for the conference "Growing into the New Millennium" on April 23-24, 1999 in celebration of the 7th Anniversary of the founding of Women’s Federation For World Peace. This conference was organized by the WFWP National Convention Committee in conjunction with World Information Transfer and the Support Center for Nonprofit Management. It included a day of panel discussions at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Topics of discussion were based on the theme: "Challenges to Health and Environment". In addition, a luncheon was held in honor of the WFWP USA 1999 Women of the Year.

On May 12-15, 1999, WFWP International cosponsored with WFWP Japan, the Third Women’s Conference for Peace in the Middle East held in Cyprus. Seventy women leaders from fifteen Middle Eastern countries attended the conference. Dr. Hanifa D. Mezoui, Chief of NGO Section, DESA of the United Nations gave a presentation on Working with the UN: A Practical Workshop. Topics of the conference included: Women and Leadership, Raising Families in a Hostile Environment, Role of Women in Solving Family Problems, Violence and the Family, Women to Counter Hunger and Poverty, and the Global Family and World Peace. Prominent women leaders from the Middle East attended the conference such as H.E. Inam Al Mufti, Adviser to HH Queen Noor of Jordan, Mrs. Salwa Nasser, Coordinator for NGO, Jordan National Committee for Women; Dr. Maitha Al Shamsi, Vice Chancellor, U.A.E. University; Dr. Naima Al Shayji, Senior Advisor, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait; Dr. Bahiya Al-Jishi, Director of General Organization for Youth and Sports, Bahrain.

A significant result of this conference was the creation of the Nicosia Declaration, and the Statement to the High Level Segment of ECOSOC. These are statements containing recommendations for action to solve the problem of poverty and to create a foundation for peace and prosperity in the Middle East.

June 24-28, 1999, Dr. Michelle B. Fedoroff, Deputy Director of NGO Section at the United Nations, was invited to Japan and we conducted a joint WFWP & NGO workshop in the three cities of Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo. A total of more than 600 participants from seventy NGOs throughout Japan attended the workshop. These workshops proved instrumental in strengthening the partnership between the United Nations and the participating NGOs.

When the High Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council met in Geneva from July 6-8, 1999, for the first time, it included the views of the NGO community in it’s deliberations. WFWPI was one of the three NGOs in General Consultative Status to present a statement. The High Level Segment is the highest committee of ECOSOC and is attended by heads of states and ministers from member countries who also presented their statements. The theme of the session was "The Role of Employment and Work in Poverty Eradication: The Empowerment and Advancement of Women." WFWP International was one of the NGOs who submitted a written statement to the NGO Committee of ECOSOC and was recommended for an oral presentation in Geneva. WFWPI sent Mrs. Karen Judd Smith, Secretary General of WFWP-USA to this session to represent WFWPI and give an oral presentation in front of the ministers and representatives of the UN. The Statement to the High Level Segment of ECOSOC was a historical milestone for WFWPI.

October 10-16, 1999 Seoul International Conference of NGOs was cosponsored by the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations and the Executive Committee of NGOs Associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information. WFWP held a workshop at this conference on " The 21st Century and Family Ethics". International panelists addressed topics including Parental Education and Family Values, Marriage: An Ethical Analysis from an American Woman’s Perspective, Family Values: A Thai Perspective.

WFWP International’s final accomplishment of the year is today’s conference to begin to focus on Creating a Culture of Peace for the Year 2000 and beyond. This conference is hosted by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, NGO Section. Cosponsorship has been provided by Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace and the New York City Symphony. In the above ways, WFWP International has made a significant contribution to the United Nations’ goals of world peace and development.

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