Titled 'Unite Against Racism', the conference is the first of its kind and will be attended by representatives of all 52 of Europe's national associations, and several leading leagues and clubs.

The programme will include keynote speakers from senior figures in European football, in-depth workshops and a panel session including players active in the campaign against racism. Among the speakers will be FA Joint Acting Chief Executive David Davies (pictured below), who is delighted that England is leading the debate on the racism issue: 

The Football Association is fully committed to driving racism out of football and our involvement in this conference underlines that commitment. We have always made it clear that racism has no place in football and welcome any initiatives that seek to tackle the issue, be it on a national or European scale. Hugely positive strides have been made in recent years at all levels of the game but there is still much work to be done."

Other speakers include UEFA Chief Executive Gerhard Aigner (pictured), UEFA Vice-President Per Omdal, FA and Arsenal Vice-Chairman David Dein, Chelsea Chairman Ken Bates, PFA Chief Executive Gordon Taylor, Piara Power of FARE, and former players Garth Crooks and Paul Elliott. The conference will be chaired by Mike Lee of UEFA and Lord Herman Ouseley of Kick It Out.

The Football Association is unequivocal about its commitment to tackling racism and its support for racial equality. The Let's Kick Racism Out of Football campaign has succeeded in bringing the issue to the forefront of the game's agenda, while last year The FA signed the Sporting Equals Racial Equality Charter for Sport, which focuses on changing attitudes and celebrating cultural diversity within football.

In May this year, The FA will host an inaugural 'Football for All' conference at Derby County's Pride Park, which will deal with the issues that present barriers to the involvement of individuals or communities in all aspects and levels of the game.

'Unite Against Racism' also forms part of The FA's wide-ranging international relations programme, which has succeeded in strengthening the ties between The FA and the rest of the world and gaining a stronger voice for English football. It also sees The FA active in all six confederations, providing technical and material assistance where it is most needed. Activities range from coaching courses to administration workshops to fund-raising matches, aimed at meeting specific requirements, particularly within the framework of the UEFA-CAF Meridian Project, which partners England with Botswana, Lesotho and Malawi.

Note to media: The conference will be held at Stamford Bridge in the Charles Kingsley Room in the West Stand, starting Wednesday 5 March at 09:30 and ending at 17:05. There will be a media briefing at lunchtime around 13:00, and a further one after the player panel at the end of the conference at around 17:05.

Media information and accreditation enquiries should be addressed to the UEFA Media Office on tel. +41 22 994 45 59, fax +41 22 994 37 37 or mailto:accreditations@uefa.ch mentioning the word "FARE" in the subject heading. Media accreditation badges will be issued on the day in the Hilaire Belloc Room

Click here for the complete order of events