Dear National Liaison Officials,



On behalf of the Chairman of the Board, we cordially invite you to the General Assembly Meeting 2020 (GAM). The 46th Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors and the 30th NLO Assembly Meeting will be held on Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 October 2020 at the Vienna International Centre (UNOV-VIC).

Under the circumstances of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this GAM will take place in a special format with an assumed mixture of physical and virtual presence. As physical distancing will most likely be recommended by October, and as there might still be travel restrictions, we shall facilitate participation via videoconferencing tools for international delegates (unless they can and prefer to travel to Vienna), while local delegates might be able to attend physically at UNOV premises. Sessions have therefore been adapted to a videoconference setting with more breaks and an ample distribution across the two days. We also intend to produce presentations as webcasts that will be made accessible online.

The purpose of the GAM is, as always, to present our achievements and results of recent activities, but this year’s GAM will be a very special one! Of course, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social and health policies in the UNECE Region will be at the centre of all discussions. We are therefore convinced that exchange about experiences among member states should help to shape future strategies for social policy and research. We are very much looking forward to meeting you, most probably with physical distancing but in an even more intense dialogue.

All relevant information for this year’s GAM can be found on the following website:
https://www.euro.centre.org/gam

Apart from the draft agenda you will find a tab for abstracts and for your online registration. Further information and the final agenda will be circulated in due time. We kindly ask you to register no later than by 21 September 2020.

Please mind, that you may participate this year also remotely. If you prefer to do so, please let us know by ticking the respective box so that we can send you the links to all sessions. If you are able and prefer to travel to Vienna, please arrange your travel and accommodation individually. You may consider one of the hotels we recommended or make your own choice according to your preferences. We are aware that it might not be easy to decide on alternatives as we do not know how the situation will be in autumn and will therefore try to be as flexible as possible, e.g. if you have to change your plans according to new events, just get in contact with Willem Stamatiou (stamatiou@euro.centre.org) at any time before the GAM.

If you are unable to participate in the GAM personally, please let us know and get in contact with Willem Stamatiou (stamatiou@euro.centre.org) to consider the nomination of an alternate who could represent your organisation/country. 

Also for any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Willem Stamatiou (stamatiou@euro.centre.org), also by phone: +43 1 319 45 05 27 

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Vienna (in person or remotely) and to discuss research in the time of COVID-19 at the European Centre, including the ‘bridging function’ and new projects for improving social policy and research in the future.

Yours sincerely,