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Sometimes the best ideas are in the
margins. - Leslie Wright, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts |
We have witnessed many milestone dates and promises for change that have been largely unfulfilled, and so we have asked ourselves, what will make 2005 and the Millennium Review Summit different from other such occasions?
The contributors to this report are representatives of civil society who dedicate their energy and expertise to help fulfill the humanitarian goals of the United Nations. We have been laboring in this effort before the “Millennium Development Goals,” and our work shall continue beyond 2015. The continuity of our efforts as international civil society however does not imply that we ignore the Millennium promises that stand before us today. Amidst our diversity, we are united in our desire to witness positive changes resulting from these new values and visionary policies, and the will of states to implement this necessary transformation.
This report is a living document. It
is a call for respect and shared responsibility on behalf of civil
society
representatives from around of the globe. We do not claim to speak with
one
voice, rather we embrace our diversity, and in it we find our strength.
We do not seek to replace the work of governments, and we recognize that the United Nations is fundamentally an inter-governmental institution. However, we also know that our work is indispensable in complementing that of Member States. We support efforts to deepen the transparency and accountability of the UN and are committed to participating in monitoring this process, as well as to accomplishing the same within our own communities. To this end, it is key that dialogue around issues of importance systematically include non-governmental actors.
For this dialogue to be effective, the perception of civil society by many governments must change. Any presumption of antagonism must be substituted by a sincere commitment to engage in constructive interaction. We embrace the General Assembly’s initiative to hold hearings with civil society in preparation for the Millennium Review Summit and hope that this will be a harbinger of increased consultation between member states and civil society.
The Millennium+5 NGO Network is
working with established committees and coalitions of NGOs, as well as
with
individual NGOs worldwide, to create a broad-based and inclusive
approach for
receiving and communicating relevant input from an ever-evolving
international
community of organizations. We also intend to provide assistance in
identifying
civil society voices that need be included and consulted in reference
to
specific issues as they arise.
This effort demands the cooperation of partners in all regions. We encourage regional networking and ask that selected participants in these hearings of the General Assembly act as focal points when they return home, sharing the information they have gathered broadly with colleagues and constituents.
Beyond
the General Assembly Hearings and the Millennium Review Summit in
September,
there needs to be a continuing discussion within civil society about
how to
best ensure effective and consistent participation in UN affairs. This Network and this report has only been
one vehicle for communicating the many messages and visions civil
society
brings. We hope that you will
continue to work with us as we “spare no effort” to pursue the vision
of a
world living in peace, justice and compassion for all of the human
family.
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