United Nations and Civil Society and Highlighted Their Demand That Civil Society Voices Be Heard and Heeded at the United Nations Deliberations
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FINAL REPORT Cover design @ 2005 Katsuhko Nakamachi by Published by the Outreach Division, United Nations Department of Public Information Printed on recycled paper by the United Nations Publishing Section, New York DPI/2411-December 2005-3,000 FINAL REPORT Organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information in partnership with the NGO/DPI Executive Committee 58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference Table of Contents page Overview of Conference Proceedings . 1 NGO Appeal to Leaders at 2005 Summit: A Call to Action . 2 Key Conference Recommendations . 2 Public Outreach and Media Coverage . 4 Parallel Meetings . 5 Summary of Plenary and Round Table Presentations . 7 Conference Planning Committee Co-Chairs. 35 Conference Planning Committee Members . 36 United Nations Department of Public Information Conference Organizers. 37 DePaul University Rapporteurs . 38 Voluntary Contributors to the Conference. 39 Annex I: Media Report . 41 Annex II: Interactive Media Report . 48 Annex III: Conference Survey Results . 49 Midday NGO Interactive Workshop and Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Summaries (separate yellow insert) iii A record number of representatives from nearly 700 organizations attended the Opening Session in the General Assembly Hall. 58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference Final Report of the 58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference Overview of Conference Proceedings A week before the 2005 World Summit – the largest gathering of world leaders to date – 1,800 non-gov- ernmental organization (NGO) representatives and other civil society partners from 86 countries representing 700 organizations gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the 58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference entitled Our Challenge: Voices for Peace, Partnerships and Renewal. Scores of United Nations and government offi- cials and parliamentarians also participated. The three-day gathering of NGOs that work with the United Nations through the Department of Public Information (DPI) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) took place from 7 to 9 September 2005. The Conference drew its agenda from the Secretary-General’s report In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All. The traditional participants’ voices were complimented by those of other civil society organizations, including international campaign movements such as the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP). Fifteen per cent of participants came from developing countries. Together, they looked at the challenges of forging effective partnerships for development and implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); highlighted the importance of ending violence, particularly as it relates to peacebuilding and human rights; and shared their proposals for the Organization’s enhanced engagement with civil society organizations and for strengthening the United Nations in its 60th year. The Conference featured keynote addresses by Wahu Kaara, Ecumenical Coordinator for the Millennium Development Goals, All Africa Conference of Churches, Founding Coordinator, Kenya Debt Relief Network; Founding Member, Global Call to Action Against Poverty; Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator; and Shirin Ebadi, Founder and Former President, National Association in Support of Children’s Rights, President, Human Rights Defence Centre, Iran. For the first time, the Conference featured round table discussions with representatives of Member States, both par- liamentarians and government delegations. These interactions, sanctioned by the President of the 59th General Assembly, marked an important step in including civil society actors in the intergovernmental process. This was underscored by the high-level United Nations participation at the Conference, including the General Assembly President, the Secretary-General and his Chief of Staff, the Chef de Cabinet of the President of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly as well as heads of the Department of Public Information (DPI), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) as well as high-level representation from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Global Compact, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the MDG Campaign Office. Secretary- General Kofi Annan, in his keynote address to the closing session of the Conference, commended the large turn- out of NGOs at the Conference, yet stressed that “The relationship between us can never be measured by the num- ber of NGOs attending global confer- ences, or taking part in meetings at UN Headquarters. What really matters is what happens out there, in the world and on the ground.” Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian Nobel Laureate, who joined Mr. Annan in the closing session, received Wahu Kaara received a standing ovation for her speech during the Opening a standing ovation for her keynote Session. 1 58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference address in which she called for the international community to ensure that Governments do not obstruct the work of NGOs anywhere in the world. NGO Appeal to Leaders at 2005 Summit: A Call to Action On the second day of the Conference, the plenary session entitled Collective Security: The Priorities of Civil Society focused on respect for human rights as the driving force behind peace, security and development. Speakers included Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Gareth Evans, President and Chief Executive, International Crisis Group; Daniel Opande, Former Lieutenant General of Kenya and Former Force Commander, United Nations Mission in Liberia; and Hazuki Yasuhara, International Coordinator, Peaceboat together with the moderator of the session, Fatou Bensouda, Deputy Prosecutor, International Criminal Court. They called on the Conference participants to draft A Call to Action, addressing the world leaders gather- ing at the United Nations Headquarters in New York a week later for the 2005 World Summit. A declaration was subsequently drafted and adopted by acclamation by Conference participants (see box). “We, the thousands of NGOs, meeting at the United Nations today, urge leaders at this crucial time in the world’s need for human security, peace and development, that you embrace the larger vision of the United Nations to benefit all the people of the world. We urge you to yield narrow interests and to work with each other for real change expressed in concrete, practical terms in the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document. Please do not squander this important opportunity.” 58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference 9 September 2005 Key Conference Recommendations Taking advantage of the Conference’s proximity to the World Summit, participants reiterated NGO concerns and recommendations regarding the key points in the Summit Outcome Document. The Conference contributed to the ongoing dialogue between the United Nations and civil society and highlighted their demand that civil society voices be heard and heeded at the United Nations deliberations. The updates on ongoing negotiations provided by many of the Government and United Nations speakers on the Outcome Document pro- vided Conference participants a sense of partnership with the Organization. Many participants emphasized the importance of strengthening the United Nations and expressed their solidarity and support for the Organization in its 60th year. During the six plenary sessions and four round table discussions, Conference speakers and participants made numerous concrete recommendations with regard to the future work of NGOs and civil society organizations (CSOs) with the United Nations. The recommendations touched upon the key thematic issues: MDGs, especially MDG 8 and partnerships; peace and security; and UN reform. Participants made their messages to Member States clear: they are watching; they are lobbying; they have expectations that Governments keep their promises on issues such as the MDGs and new human rights mechanisms that would genuinely strengthen the United Conference participant during Question and Answer Nations in its work. time 2 58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference On the MDGs The participants and speakers recom- mended that: • governments take concrete action regarding debt cancellation and increase aid to developing countries; • obsolete microcredit/microfinance dependency models move beyond charity; • governments increase involvement of youth and women in national action plans for development. Their recogni- tion, empowerment and inclusion are prerequisites for effective partnerships Wahu Kaara with a Conference participant and democratic participation. On MDG 8, and UN and Civil Society Relations The participants and speakers recommended that: • MDG 8 remain an ongoing focus for all stakeholders; • all parties - international organizations, Member States, the private sector and NGOs/CSOs - engage in multi-stakeholder dialogues on how to forge more effective partnerships; • international organizations and national governments adapt to the increased NGO/CSO participation and institutionalize their dialogue with these partners; • UN summits and conferences include NGO/CSO representation across the board; • NGOs/CSOs assume a more prevalent role in the UN system. Association with DPI and consultative status with