4 October 2004, United Nations, New York
Notes by Rik Panganiban, Conference of NGOs
Global policy is no longer reserved solely to governments. We favor innovative forms of inteaction with civil society, including hearings before major policy events, providing input unto our debates. We should allow NGOs to take part in certain debates in UNGA.
Accreditation needs streamlining. Greater coherence and predictability . Support prescreening by secretariat. Welcome role for GA in this process. Supports panel's call for stronger role of NGOs from developing countries. Further financing mechanisms should be explored. Participation of women's organization is further encouragement.
Welcomes steps taken by SG to enhance country level engagement with NGOs. Welcome SG proposals to enlarge partnerships office.
CS should be given opportunity to feed their views into this debate.
UN will benefit from interacting more effectively with CS. Look forward to discussing report more detail at at subsequent time. Work of GA – participation of CS would be good step. Participation in formal and informal settings. Would need to reflect on role and rules.
Single accreditation process would be welcome rather than diifferent processes. General Committee would be appropriate body to oversee this.
On national parliaments: methods proposed not satisfactory. Current mechanisms are fine.
Enlargement of partnerships office good step to increase participation of NGOs.
No mention of Cardoso report.
Support SG decision to create fund to assist NGOs of developing countries to be present.
Promoting integration of NGOs will strengthen the work of this body.
Need to appraise the role of non state actors. Nurture healty relationship with CS. NGOs have huge worldwide network. Working with governments at various levels, including planning and execution. Role of CS in GA, Security Council and secretariat should remain limited.
Participation by NGOs has been unbalanced, in terms of geographic representation as well as accessibility to UN system. Accreditation and participation are two different issues. Concurs with panel on merit of a single accreditation. Does problem rest with on Committee on NGOs, or erosion of inter-governmental character of our organization?
Country level participation can not be made uniform. Modalities of operations will have to take into account realities in different countries.
Capacities of NGOs in developing countries must be enhanced to complement government efforts of development. What is holding back MDGs is not lack of coordination between govts and NGOs, but the lack of resources. So proposed trust fund is worth considering, but in view of lack of resourcse for development would it not be more useful to complement efforts of governments to achieve MDGs.
Contribution of NGOs beyond doubt. We must not compromise inter-governmental nature of organization which derives from charter.
Concur with emphasis on inter-governmental nature of UN. Member states should be able to draw upon best and most up-to-date information. CS can contribute in this regard. CS highlights topics around important national and global issues. Ways should be found to maximize contribution that CS can make in all bodies of UN, including GA and Security Council.
Role of CS in conflict situations important. Not possible to have same level of participation of CS at UN in New York. Thus a Trust fund is welcome.
Review accreditation of NGOs we see as an important issue.
We would like to be aware of implications of implementaiton of report. Emphasize that implementation should not be done in a way incompatible with inter-governmental nature of UN and its charter.
UN should welcome contributions of NGOs in their deliberations.
Meaningful partnership between UN and CS important. Changes recommended need consideration – i.e. financial, legal and procedural considerations. Important to clearly define rights and responsibilities of NGOs in GA, preserving GA's inter-governmental nature. Process of accreditation needs to be regulated through a governmental process. Agree with streamlining process. Shifting responsibility from NGO committee to general committee.
Due respect to local laws, values and ethos of country concerncd, while enhancing CS in that country by UN. Enhancing CS capacity done in cooperation with local authorities. Funding done with new funds, not drawn from existing funds.
Support consideration of expanded participation of NGOs. Will take positive and open approach in in depth study of this question. Views of relevants NGOs should be solicited and implemented in a progressive manner.
Nothing.
A compelling case has not been made that NGO participation should be broadened from ECOSOC to GA. ECOSOC continues to be appropriate venue for meaningful NGO participation. NGOs have ample opportunity to partiicpate in ECOSOC functional commissions, and UN conferences under existing arrangements.
We would like further clarification on single trust fund for NGOs, particularly legal and funding issues that might arise. We welcome improvements on accreditation process, as long as this remains with ECOSOC. Encourage dialogue between Secretariat and NGOs and country level enhancement. Functional commissions incorporating local views.
Nothing.
Recognize contributions of NGOs to developing countries, including my own. Recommendations should be studied carefully by member states. We should avoid the abuse by those NGOs engaging in politically motivated attacks on member states, as we have often witnessed. Support a Code of Conduct for NGOs at UN ensuring accountability and responsibility.
Supports thrust of SG proposals. We pursue open policy in regards to CS and UN would strengthen its legitimacy by incorporating CS. Importance of partnerships with CS, parliaments, and private sector. Supports SG proposal to organize interactive meetings with NGOs and parliamentarians before important meetings are held. Should try out at high level meeting on HIV-AIDS. Relationship with CS should not be restricted by bureaucratic and centralizing approach. Room for maneuver by specialized agencies and programmes should be retained. Such initiatives have been developed in Geneva for some time. We would be willing to study best practices in Geneva and share them with interested actors.
On Partnership Office, we welcome greater detail on this proposal. Global Compact must remain autonomous.
Support better interaction with civil society, regional organizations, private sector and media.
Expanding and deepening relationship with NGOs will deepen debates on global issues.
We would like to see more interactive debates in General Committee. Agree with SG recommendations that deepening relationship with CS will strengthen UN.
Relationship of CS vis a vis UNGA could be in contravention of UN charter.
Relationship of CS with UN must be organized. Expanding participation of parliamentarians is important. IPU making positive contribution through holding of annual parliamentary meetings during UNGA session. Other means may be found to enhance parliamentary dimension of UN.
Support enhancing their involvement. Can't compromise inter-governmental nature of organization. We have some concern about how NGO participation can be worked out in more political organs of UN system. In economic and social development, NGO participation contributions are greatest. Some problems in Committee on NGOs regarding politization of activities which give us cause for concern. In UNGA and SC there is need for caution.
Compliance with rules of engagement. ECOSOC has faced problems with enforcement of rules. Agitation of some NGOs against some members states which sometimes has proved disruptive.
This gives us cause for concern in UNGA and SG. We should continue to develop relationship with NGOs in ECOSOC and UN conferences. Support Part 6 of SG's report – more engagement with NGOs at country level. This is where emphasis should be placed at this time.
On partnerships, we need clarification on how partnerships should be implemented. How to monitor accountability? How will this relate to traditional channels of development cooperation?
We are willing to examine SG's recommendations.
NGOs should not be elevated to levels of governments. Not accountable to people the way governments are. The role should be of consultative nature. Don't accept accreditation to UNGA directly. At country level, NGOs play useful role in realizing MDGs. At national level, NGOs can consult with UN agencies and government bodies such as through UNDP coordinator.
On trust fund, support funding to help NGOs at country level to engage with UN.
Certain NGOs have specific expertise on issues of concern to UN. There are other NGOs that do not add real value to UN work. It can be hard to distinguish between the two. How best to involve into our work. Integration into UNGA must be considered carefully. Must not detract from inter-gov nature of organization.
On Trust Fund, still will not be a level playing field. What if funds dry up after initial period.
On Partnerships Office, something in budget will have to give. Who will decide what will go and will stay.
Support other agencies to promote greater part of CS in activities. Others are based on budgets and concepts that are far from inter-governmental consensus. Implementation of any recommendations will require clear legislative mandate from member states.
CS should have more opportunities to present their views to UN.
Interactions with CS should only be done within framework of assisting inter-governmental deliberations and increasing quality of inter-governmental decision-making. Ambiguity on definition of CS in report. Definition in panel report is in variance with definition used by SG earlier and what has commonly been understood as the term. We don't believe parliamentarians are part of CS, nevertheless their participation is welcome. Local authorities are not part of CS.
The Trust Fund has merit. Clear criteria on establising trust fund are important, partricularly that the funding be impartial.
On Participation in work of GA: a convincing case has not been made for this. We are not persuaded that this would benefit UN or member states. That there is nothing in Article 71 that would preclude UNGA from consulting with NGOs is a disingenous legal argument. The Charter is clear that the principal relationship between NGOs and UN is through ECOSOC.
On accreditation: SG proposes that General committee could be designated as body to oversee accreditation. But would only be relevent if NGOs had direct accreditation to UNGA. In Cardoso Report there was a lack of adequate consultation with Committee of NGOs and misunderstandings of its work.
On Country-level engagement: Due diligence that mandates of various UN bodies are not exceeded. Governments are main interlocutors of UN system at country level.
Zimbabwe
At international level, governments represent their consituency, which includes CS. The onoling debate on including CS at UN suggests that governments are not representative enough. What needs to be done is strenghten consultations at national level.
In past, NGOs have participated in work of UNGA in a variety of ways- special sessions, prepcoms, other informal fora. They do not participate in the general committee. We don't see why this should change.
We welcome the Trust Fund. 70% of in consultative status with ECOSOC come from developed countries, 30% have their headquarters in developing contries.
On accreditation: reasons for disbanding Committee of NGOs are unconvincing. The committee is indispensible tool for ensuring scrutiny and accountability of NGOs. Process of accreditation including “pre-screening” must remain responsibility of member states.
On country level engagement: capacity building must be done with cooperation with national governments. Otherwise risk infringing on national sovereignty.
On parliamentarians: supports parliamentary meetings before important meetings. Outcomes would enrich deliberative process at international level.
There are important questions about growing numbers, activities, accountability of NGOs active at the UN. The report ignores these issues being raised by governments.
Relevance of organization would only increase if we find better means of CS participation here.
Nothing.
On Trust Fund: supports. Participation of NGOs from developing countries needs to increase. Should not change inter-governmental nature of UN.
Welcome participation of NGOs, but solely member states have jurisdiction to make decisions at UN. Transnational NGOs have been in the past part of effort to destabilize our country. Urge study of consequences of greater NGO participation.
Expanding and deepening relationship with CS will strengthen UN and enhance policy analysis. Multi-stakeholder partnerships have to be developed. On modalities, member states views suggest further consideration is needed to preserve inter-governmental nature of organization.
Welcome participation of NGOs. Support improving involvement of NGOs from developing countries and strengthening capacity of UN to engage NGOs.
Maintaining governmental nature of this organization in context of this charter.
Maldives
No comment.
Ideas in recommendations need more digestion and consultation before any substantive decisions made. Political mandates of member states should not be compromised and status eroded.
Remove ambiguities that have overshadowed the thrust of this report. There is merit in opening GA to accredited NGOs. Must not lose sight of inter-gov nature of this body. Accreditation of NGOs needs to be carefully dealt with. Recommendations of Panel on this have caused discomfort among member states. Comments on Committee on NGOs is not encouraging. This committee is the appropriate forum to consider applications of NGOs. Unfortunate panel did not recommend improvements of this committee.
NGOs and CS could have more of a role to play in UN. Inputs and expertise and active participation have proved to be essential. Will need local participation, including local NGOs, to implement MDGs.
Parliaments are different from CS and don't belong in that category. A wholey distinct approach to parliaments is recognized by Panel. Welcome scope and vision of Panel report. Democracy deficit in UN needs to be addressed. Voice of people expresses through elected representatives need to be heard in this august body. IPU marshalls international parliamentary support for international action. Millennium Declaration commends IPU role in strengthening parliamentary dimension of UN. Does not change nature of UN as inter-governmental institution.
Report suggests UN should create own interparliamentary structure, which would duplicate work of IPU. And would create confusion in seperation of powers between executive and parliament branches. We would consider it inappropriate for UN to organize parliamentarian activities.
Planning early September 2005 meeting of heads of parliaments. Multilateralism and role of UN. Parliamentary contributions to achieving MDGs. Parliamentary meeting on combat against HIV-AIDS.
We have completed debate on Items 52 and 54. Report of SG put forward specific proposals that require consideration by us. Contributions of NGOs important for work of UN. Modalities do need to be considered. Delegations advocated simplifying accreditation process. Welcomed cooperation on local level among NGOs and CS on development issues. Several delegations supported limiting cooperation with CS to ECOSOC. Supported creation of Trust Fund.
I propose wide consultations with member states with cooperation with Bureau. I will keep you informed on process and timetable in this respect.
Not all delegation statements are reflected in these notes. No part of these notes should be considered a formal record of the meetings or exact reproduction of the statement of any delegation, but are only recorded for purpose of reporting on the general tenor and themes of the debate. Corrections and additions can be send to rik.panganiban@ngocongo.org.