Shanghai Daily News

Shanghai began hosting a series of activities at the United Nations' headquarters in New York yesterday to promote the 2007 Special Olympic World Summer Games.

The events kicked off yesterday with a forum on the role the Special Olympics play in promoting social harmony. Social workers involved with the mentally challenged and athletes were invited to speak at the gathering.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was scheduled to speak yesterday at a photo exhibition promoting the games, which will run through November 15.

The forum and exhibition were organized and supported by the steering committee of the 2007 Special Olympic Games in Shanghai as well as its international committee, the Shanghai municipal government, China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations as well as the UN New York Office of Sport for Development.

The games are expected to bring 7,000 mentally challenged athletes to compete in Shanghai next October.