Jointly organised by the Spanish Presidency of the European Union and the European Commission, the Opening Conference of the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, will take place in Madrid, Spain, on 21st January.
300 or more participants are expected at the opening conference of the 2010 European Year, including prominent speakers such as Spanish Minister for Health and Social Policy, Trinidad Jiménez, European Commission President, José Manuel Durão Barroso, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimír Špidla and around 40 journalists from the 29 participating coun-tries. NGOs and other high-level government officials will also participate.
This conference will formally launch the debate on the many challenges met when combating poverty and social exclusion. The participation of people experiencing poverty will ensure that the problems they face every day are reflected in the con-ference. The closing session will be dedicated to the commitments which are to be made beyond 2010, to make the fight against poverty in Europe more effective.
The European Commission and 29 participating countries will join forces to raise awareness and renew political commitment throughout 2010 and beyond to combat poverty and social exclusion. Activities will include conferences at European level, an art exhibition, a journalist competition and two focus weeks. The activities at national and regional level will include conferences, seminars, studies and awareness-raising activities.
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