58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference: 'it's the right time for change'.

In the week preceding the historic 2005 World Summit, an equally diverse group of delegates assembled at UN Headquarters in New York. Like the Summit participants, they met to discuss progress on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as well as on issues put forward by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his report titled "In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All".

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The 58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference, held from 7 to 9 September 2005, saw almost 700 civil society organizations from 86 countries represented, with more than 2,000 participants using strength in numbers to make their collective voice heard. The UN Department of Public Information (DPI), which organized the Conference, emphasized that the event was far from a "business-as-usual" meeting. Not only was it the last chance for civil society to present their expectations of the World Summit outcome, it was also the first time that Member States and parliamentarians engaged in round-table discussions with representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The DPI/NGO Conference, titled "Our Challenge: Voices for Peace, Partnerships and Renewal", focused on the increasing importance of strategic partnerships between the United Nations and NGOs to achieve the world Organization's vision. Conference participants repeatedly emphasized the UN shift in approach to external relations, actively looking to reach out to civil society. Bruce Jenks, Director of the United Nations Development Programme's Bureau for Resources and Strategic Partnerships, stressed that the idea of partnership and outreach to achieve the United Nations objectives "goes very deep-it is not a matter of pure rhetoric". He cited the MDGs as a clear example of the significance of partnerships, stating that "you simply can't have such an agenda without NGOs".

Other speakers were quick to add that there was still a long way to go before the United Nations was in a position to fully utilize the participation of civil society. Victoria Tauli-Corpaz, Executive Director of the Philippine-based Tebtebba Foundation, acknowledged that while "it is very fashionable to talk about partnerships as the way to the future, it is very difficult to imagine how equal partnerships can be developed in this hugely unequal world".

The Conference used the idea of multilateral cooperation as a springboard to discuss the broad themes of poverty eradication, human rights and collective security. Delegates were very aware of their proximity to the crucial decisions being made within the UN Headquarters at the same time, as Heads of State and Government met to finalize the exact wording of the World Summit Outcome document. The DPI/NGO Conference featured direct, plain-speaking contributions from NGOs and civil society representatives, who focused on both success stories and failures in implementing the Millennium Declaration.

Some NGO panellists also expressed hopes and apprehensions about the Summit negotiations. Gareth Evans, President and Chief Executive of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, said in a press conference that he was truly shocked by the "lamentable performance of the participating Governments" working on the Summit Outcome document. Anne O'Mahony, Regional Director of Concern Worldwide, echoed this sentiment, expressing her fears that the document would feature "resolutions so watered down as to be meaningless". However, NGO delegates had a sense that the Summit presented a tremendous opportunity and that NGOs could play an important role to ensure this opportunity was not squandered. Representing concerns for diverse issues, ranging from the welfare of children, youth and older people to weapons of mass destruction and disarmament, a full spectrum of views on the MDGs was voiced.

Many organizations and delegates participated in the DPI/NGO Conference for the first time, such as Nigerian Joe Ekawu of Global Unification, a sustainable development policy think tank, who said that his organization got involved "because it's the right time for a change". The highlight of the Conference for him, "apart from the information, is meeting people", he said. "There's a lot of tolerance and understanding among the people gathered here."

The Conference was structured to allow many opportunities for both formal and informal networking between participants. In addition to plenary sessions and round-table discussions, there were also midday NGO interactive workshops and breakfast seminars. The Global Village Wall served as a focal point for networking, allowing delegates to post comments, ideas and suggestions relating to the Conference themes and facilitating connections among organizations with convergent interests.

The Conference website (www.undpingoconference.org), provided an online forum, allowing people from all over the world to participate and have input on the outcome of the event. Pre-conference dialogue and discussion via the Internet were provided, while live webcast of plenary sessions allowed online viewers to pose real-time questions to Conference speakers. Post-conference discussions allow participants to keep in contact, build networks and share experiences. Joe Ekawu said he would definitely make use of the online forum and was looking forward to building support for an African Youth Village, a camp that would bring together young people from all over Africa to meet in a spirit of harmony, cooperation, understanding and friendship.

At the closing session of the Conference, the Secretary-General reaffirmed the United Nations commitment to what he described as "the NGO revolution", saying: "You must make yourselves the guardians of the reform of the international system.... Close engagement with civil society was seen then as vital for the Organization's health and for people's well-being. That is as true today as it was then." Judging from the response of the people present, this is a role that they have already enthusiastically taken on.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Next Generation of UN Partnerships

Tony Hill of the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service observes three generations of United Nations-civil society relations. The first, from the UN creation in 1945 to the 1980s, was characterized by international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and professional and business associations that were granted formal consultative relations with the United Nations in recognition of their international standing. For the most part, relations between them during the cold-war period were formal and ceremonial in nature. Mr Hill says: "What is striking about this period is how little actual engagement there was of international NGOs in the work of the UN."

Throughout the 1990s, a second generation of NGOs took an active role in major UN conferences. These national and regional NGOs sought direct engagement in intergovernmental negotiations in order to influence their outcome. In 1993, partly in response to NGO participation in the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the UN Economic and Social Council began to review and evaluate relations with NGOs and civil society. There are 2,719 NGOs in consultative status and some 400 accredited to the Commission on Sustainable Development, a subsidiary body of the Council.

Mr. Hill outlines a possible third generation of United Nations-civil society relations, where multi-stakeholder, public-private initiatives tackle specific issues directly. For example, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, whose goal is to provide basic vaccinations to the world's children, is an alliance of business leaders, philanthropic foundations, development banks, UN agencies and national governments. In 2002, it launched a campaign to eradicate hepatitis B in India, through the efforts of the United Nations Children's Fund, the European Union, bilateral organizations, India's Prime Minister and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and local NGOs.

Another "third-generation" organization and a direct initiative of Secretary-General Kofi Annan is the Global Compact, with 2,400 participants in 50 countries. It seeks to promote responsible corporate citizenship in the private sector by promoting human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption in business activities worldwide. The United Nations Fund for International Partnership (UNFIP) works to implement high-impact initiatives with private companies to make progress on the Millennium Development Goals. For example, the African Rural Energy Enterprise Development helps sustainable energy entrepreneurs in Ghana, Mali, Senegal, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia in such areas as business planning, management structuring, financial planning and start-up financing. Supported by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNFIP has helped entrepreneurs like Bamba Coulibally of Mali to expand his business of selling dried meat, mango and onion in the Malian capital of Bamako.

--Jonas Hagen