ASEM Summit 2006
Asia-Europe People's Forum (AEPF)
Representatives of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) will gather to the Asia-Europe People's Forum (AEPF) in Helsinki between 3 and 6 September 2006. It is the largest NGO meeting ever held in Finland bringing together several hundreds of participants from the EU countries and Asia.
The Asia-Europe People's Forum is organised every two years in connection with the ASEM Summit and it focuses on relations between the two regions. In addition to the ASEM countries, participation is open to representatives from all European and Asian countries.
The main themes of the meeting will be economic security and social rights, human security and peace, and human rights and democracy.
The Asia-Europe People's Forum builds networks between European and Asian civil societies and launches campaigns across the borders. In addition, the Forum focuses on the effects of neo-liberalist globalisation on citizens’ lives and discuss issues relating to security and militarisation. The Forum aims to establish a channel for the representatives of civil societies to influence the official ASEM process.
The Finnish Service Centre for Development Cooperation (KEPA) will organise the Asia-Europe People’s Forum together with Finnish and international NGOs.