SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR NEW AND STRONG UN/NGO PARTNERSHIP BY YEAR 2000, IN ADDRESS TO OPENING MEETING OF DPI/NGO CONFERENCE

10 September 1997

Press Release
NGO/293
PI/1026

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR NEW AND STRONG UN/NGO PARTNERSHIP BY YEAR 2000, IN ADDRESS TO OPENING MEETING OF DPI/NGO CONFERENCE

19970910 Assembly President Razali Ismail (Malaysia) Warns about 'Critical Ambiguity' in Building of Partnerships

Secretary-General Kofi Annan this morning urged non-governmental organizations to consider holding a "People's Millennium Assembly" in the year 2000, in order to cement a new partnership between those organizations and the United Nations.

Addressing the opening session of the fiftieth annual Department of Public Information (DPI)/NGO Conference, the Secretary-General said he had in his reform proposals floated the idea of a millennium Assembly of the United Nations for the year 2000 and that NGOs should target that year for completion of the task of launching a new and strong relationship between the Organization and the NGO community. He stressed that international civil society must mobilize to combat new global enemies -- the "uncivil society" -- including drug traffickers, money launderers and exploiters of children.

Representatives of 637 NGOs from 61 countries around the world are attending the three-day annual conference, which celebrates a half-century of partnership between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. Under-Secretary-General for Public Information Samir Sanbar welcomed participants to the event, which is discussing the theme "Building Partnerships".

Also addressing the conference, the President of the General Assembly Razali Ismail (Malaysia), said that a critical ambiguity that NGOs must decide in building partnerships was the mixture of conflict, competition and cooperation in determining how close their links with governments or United Nations bodies should be. While there was merit in keeping the boundaries of relationship porous in the case of non-profit NGOs, the ramifications of association with profit-making or commercial NGOs and foundations was potentially serious, especially as fictitious fronts for corporate political lobbying had mushroomed in recent years and their money and leverage could undermine the universal norms and values of the United Nations, as well as the authority of governments.

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The President of the Council of Comunidade Solidaria of Brazil, Ruth Cardoso, in a keynote address, said experience indicated that the State alone could not meet the challenges of equitable and sustainable development and that social action by non-governmental organizations was most effective when confined to small-scale, targeted projects.

Sadako Ogata, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, called for an enhanced and continuous dialogue between the UNHCR and non-governmental organizations. There was need for an improved understanding of each other's mandates and responsibilities in building real and effective partnerships, she said.

Elaine Valdov, Chair of the DPI/NGO Executive Committee, led participants in a minute of silence in memory of Mother Teresa and Diana, Princess of Wales. Claudia Strauss, Chair of the DPI/NGO Conference Planning Committee, also welcomed participants.

The Conference will continue its deliberations at 3 p.m. today.

Conference Work Programme

The fiftieth annual Conference for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) organized by the Department of Public Information (DPI) met this morning to begin its three-day session.

Statements

SAMIR SANBAR, Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information, welcomed participants to Headquarters for the fiftieth annual DPI/NGO Conference. Many participants had travelled far to attend -- testimony to the important contributions of NGOs to the Organization. The NGOs were committed to many causes which contributed to the work of the Organization. He recalled that in the last week the world had lost two important women who had contributed to some of their causes: Mother Teresa and Diana, Princess of Wales. In view of its reform efforts, the United Nations was committed to strengthening its outreach to NGOs, in order to strengthen their capabilities.

RAZALI ISMAIL (Malaysia), President of the General Assembly, said that for the United Nations to become a winning proposition for the next century would to a large degree depend on the manner in which partnerships were constructed between non-governmental organizations, governments and the United Nations Secretariat. The politics of building partnerships were enormously complex, fraught with fear, stereotypes, apathy, legal inhibitions and ambiguities. No player was immune from them. It was only when such contradictions were explored from all angles that partnerships of mutual trust, cooperation and complementarity would be sustained.

While the academic and incremental approach to building partnerships had certain advantages, so did tough questioning about fundamentals, he said. He said the Conference would be valuable if it started to provide some of the answers. Posing some of the questions, he asked whether NGOs did actually see strategic value in greater involvement in intergovernmental bodies or would that compromise too much of their cherished independence? Were NGOs now too diverse and unable to build coherent arrangements of participation through existing hierarchical structures such as CONGO and how were the tensions between international NGOs and grass-roots NGOs reconciled? He also asked whether most governments only paid lip service to public participation and democratization for political expedience or whether they were really convinced of the long-term benefits in encouraging a diversity of opinion. Continuing, he asked whether the Secretariat considered NGO participation in the United Nations a valuable way of cooperating with multilateralist allies or whether it was a tedious matter of accreditation and finding more seats for people and upsetting age-old protocol.

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Answering those questions, he said, would require the explosion of myths as a first step. Building partnerships on the other hand required careful thought and strategic planning by all parties concerned. While each party in the United Nations system would try to determine the advantages and disadvantages of partnership, simple reference to non-governmental organizations, the Secretariat and governments as three homogenous interest groups was superficial and misleading. A critical ambiguity that NGOs must decide in building partnerships was the mixture of conflict, competition and cooperation in determining how close their links with governments or United Nations bodies should be. In the case of the United Nations, while there was merit in keeping the boundaries of relationship porous in the case of non-profit NGOs, the ramifications of association with profit-making or commercial NGOs and foundations was potentially serious, especially as fictitious fronts for corporate political lobbying had mushroomed in recent years and with their money and leverage could undermine the universal norms and values of the United Nations, as well as the authority of governments.

The participation of NGOs in the United Nations context, whether local, national or international levels, was a healthy development and should be deepened, he said. The gradual emergence of a mixture of governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental voices in the debates and problem-solving forums of the United Nations would reflect reality more closely than a nation-state dominated United Nations. That would strengthen the United Nations and equip it so that it provided the modicum of global governance so eagerly sought by peoples and governments of the world. Under the right conditions and with patience, tolerance and farsightedness, the growth of NGOs and their increasing relevance to the operational and normative activities of the United Nations system, could provide the United Nations with the conditions and opportunities for improved transparency, accountability and participation, as well as added legitimacy.

Secretary-General KOFI ANNAN welcomed participants to the Conference, which marked a new era in United Nations-NGO relations. A profound change had occurred: the nature of the event, and relations between the Organization and civil society had been transformed beyond all recognition since 1947. His prior experience as an Under-Secretary-General had confirmed that. The United Nations peacekeeping operation in Somalia gave evidence. In one instance, 40 NGOs held a picnic on a Mogadishu beach. When attacked, they asked for the protection of United Nations peacekeepers. The United Nations Commander's reaction was, "Why didn't they tell me they were going to do this?". That incident suggested that a cultural gap had well-nigh disappeared.

Close cooperation between NGOs and the United Nations was now the norm, he said. The presence of NGOs at the Conference in large numbers was eloquent testimony to the changes which had occurred. There was indeed a record number

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of participants: 637 NGOs from 61 countries, from all regions of the world. Their presence, enthusiasm and commitment indicated that an era of civil society was truly a reality now. In 1947, Member States were virtually the sole actors on the international scene; NGOs were seen primarily as mobilizers of public opinion. Today, that relationship had been transformed, and had become one of partnership. The NGOs were now essential partners, crucial to the process of policy formation and its execution.

Information provided by NGOs had proven crucial to the Organization, particularly in the areas of preventive diplomacy, humanitarian work in development, and human rights, he added. Each NGO contributed something unique. The relationship was based in trust -- a fact known in San Francisco in 1947. The Organization and NGOs were working hand-in-hand around the world. The NGOs had mobilized public opinion about the work of the Organization. Practical cooperation had become commonplace: in mine-clearing in Afghanistan, for example, the United Nations had worked with six Afghan NGOs. Cambodia, El Salvador and Guatemala were other countries which had witnessed that cooperation.

Local administrators in individual countries had also contributed to the relationship between the Organization and NGOs, he said. Dialogue with them was continuous. There were new global enemies now -- the forces of "uncivil society" -- including drug traffickers, money launderers and exploiters of children. They represented the dark side of the process of globalization. To combat them, international civil society must mobilize. The NGOs' rights and responsibilities had been defined in recent years. Specifically, the Russian Federation and Japan had outlined standards of NGO responsibilities. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) would at the Conference explain its Code of Conduct for NGOs involved in humanitarian work. Further negotiations were needed in that regard.

Since becoming Secretary-General, he had embarked on the process of reform, he continued. His proposals would be debated by the General Assembly in its upcoming session. His vision of a new and transformed Organization envisaged a streamlined structure acting as a single United Nations, better prepared for political and humanitarian crises, possessive of highly skilled staff and a stronger role in development cooperation, and better managed to deliver development. He had floated the idea of a millennium assembly for the United Nations for the year 2000, and hoped that NGOs might hold a "People's Millennium Assembly" in 2000 as well. It would represent an excellent opportunity to cement the Organization's partnership with NGOs. They should target the year as date for the completion of the task of launching a new and stronger relationship. Therefore that was a historic Conference -- indeed "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". Individually, each participant could make a difference. "For both the threatened and the

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threatening, it makes a difference to know that the world is watching, and it cares", he concluded.

RUTH CARDOSO, President, Council of Comunidade Solidaria, Brazil, and First Lady of Brazil, said the programme of the Council was shaped by belief in a relevant and potentially dynamic non-profit, non-governmental "third sector" which had a vital role to play in the fight against poverty, inequity and social exclusion. The emergence of that new sector had "changed the rules of the game" and broken the traditional dichotomy between the private and public spheres, where private was synonymous with business and public meant State. In contrast to the impersonal State rule and to the market law of profit, the third sector proposed the formula of "private action for public good". A public sphere was emerging which was not necessarily governmental, as were private initiatives in benefit of the common interest. Such a logic introduced diversity and complexity to the social dynamic of a country.

The emergence of a third sector was undoubtedly a global phenomenon, she said. On the international level, the United Nations was a pioneer in identifying the importance of NGO participation in the debate on humanity's big issues. The most eloquent example was the global networking and advocacy of NGOs worldwide, and of those present at the current Conference, in order to influence the agendas of the main United Nations conferences in Vienna, Cairo, Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, Copenhagen and Istanbul. Their untiring efforts to follow up on the implementation of the agendas' recommendations in their countries asserted their rights to share responsibility with the States in the governance of the planet.

In December 1996, the Council had initiated a programme entitled "Comunidade Solidaria: Civil Society and State Partnership", sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Banco do Brazil Foundation, to promote an enabling environment for NGOs throughout the country, she said. It envisioned a reform of the present legal and regulatory framework which governed the relationship between State and civil society; the creation of an information network for the third sector; and the establishment of a national network of Regional Volunteer Centres in Brazil, in order to "bring about the conditions of a participative citizenship based on solidarity".

Experience indicated that the State alone could not meet the challenges of equitable and sustainable development, she added. Conversely, NGOs social action was most effective when confined to small-scale, targeted projects. "Government and civil society relations are not always easy; resistances and prejudices that go back to past history of conflict between an authoritarian State and a militant civil society are still to be overcome". States resisted

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accepting civil society organizations as partners, while the latter held misgivings and mistrust about government initiatives. The challenge posed was that of working together without confusing their respective roles or functions, or abdicating the autonomy and responsibilities of each of the partners.

SADAKO OGATA, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said the organization had a mandate to protect and find lasting solutions for nearly 23 million people. More than 5,400 staff were posted in 246 offices in 122 countries. Many of her colleagues worked in high risk security areas alongside NGO workers. In most situations, NGOs were the organization's key partners, with some 400 NGOs implementing 1,200 projects in over 120 countries amounting to $264 million in 1997. She had formally addressed the Security Council yesterday to express her concerns about the growing reluctance of countries in the Great Lakes region of Africa to respect humanitarian principles and provide protection to refugees.

On 3 September about 800 Rwanda and Burundi refugees had been forcibly flown back from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Rwanda, she said. In recent months, humanitarian efforts had been hampered and UNHCR officials denied access to refugees. The organization knew the whereabouts of only 40,000 Rwandan and Burundian refugees in 10 countries in the Great Lakes region, but did not know the fate of thousands of others who had disappeared. "We fear that many have died walking across the equatorial forests", she observed. The situation inside Rwanda remained worrisome. Insecurity hampered UNHCR efforts to monitor the estimated 2.8 million refugees who had returned since 1994. More than 100,000 persons were in prison and progress towards rehabilitation, recovery and justice was slow.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, she said the recent expulsions of some 300 Muslim returnees from their homes in the eastern part of the country illustrated the continuing intolerance towards other ethnic groups. More than 68,000 persons had returned so far this year, although most had gone to majority areas. A breakthrough on the issue of minority returns was essential if Bosnia was to be preserved as a multi-ethnic country. Renewed attention, she said, should be given to reconstruction efforts, employment creation and the development of community services.

She said NGOs were among the UNHCR's most important partners, and she called for an enhanced and continuous dialogue with them. There was need for an improved understanding of each other's mandate, responsibilities, constraints and dilemmas in building real and effective partnerships. An effective advocacy strategy was required to ensure that humanitarian concerns figured prominently in the policy process at all levels. She also called for predictable complementarity among actors at all levels, and partnership

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agreements setting out the criteria for choosing a partner, common standards of conduct, coordination arrangements, as well as standards and guidelines to be maintained.

Finally, she called for greater efforts to develop and strengthen national NGOs, adding that the UNHCR was reviewing its strategy towards the search for longer-term solutions to humanitarian crises, including reconciliation and rehabilitation. The UNHCR had launched specific initiatives in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia to provide women with the means to become self-supportive and to contribute to the reconciliation and rehabilitation of their communities. She said a strong and effective United Nations was required for the manifold humanitarian challenges to be overcome and NGOs were part of the efforts towards that end.

AFFAF MAHFOUZ, Vice-President, Conference of NGOs (CONGO), said United Nations-NGO relations were not a recent development, but a continuous process which reflected a history of struggle and cooperation toward a stronger partnership. The CONGO had been working hard on that partnership for 50 years. Mistakes had been made, but only those who do not work do not make mistakes. The CONGO was working for better results, transparency and efficiency.

The NGOs could be full partners in their relationship with the Organization and have a central role in defining and expanding United Nations- NGO relations, she said. Such work had led to a turning point at the Rio Conference; moreover, CONGO had facilitated many United Nations conferences. The CONGO was presently organizing an Africa-wide NGO conference for February 1998, and similar conferences for Latin America, Asia and eastern Europe. They represented a valuable opportunity to share experiences. The present Conference would enable NGOs to work more directly and in a sustained way to ensure a strengthened partnership, in a time of unprecedented socio-economic change. Learning and re-learning about that relationship was conditional for the development of each individual in each society, from South as well as North, in order to achieve self-empowerment and self-sustainability in an atmosphere of peace.

ELAINE VALDOV, Chair, DPI/NGO Executive Committee, said participants at the Conference stood at the dawn of a new millennium -- therefore there was much work to do in the coming 842 days. "What would we say to our children on January 1, 2000?" What values would they have imbued? Would they have learned about an extraordinary nun from Calcutta who gave her life to the suffering, lifting the spirits of those so desolate? Would the children learn about a Diana, Princess of Wales, who had championed many causes, including the abolition of landmines? It was possible to create peace, but we must show children the responsibility of how to make it happen. If we did not, we might

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go in the same direction of the present century, the most violent in the history of mankind.

The NGOs and governments could rebuild a devastated city, but who would rebuild humankind, she asked. It was "our responsibility" to partner, and to pool resources. But for some reason, that brought about problems -- fear of a loss of identity, and of the threat of others having more power. "We must rise up and become larger in our hearts." Obstacles included the stoppage of full development of women, young people, ethnic minorities, as well as rampant consumerism and the loss of values.

Participants must build an NGO network, creating committees around the world, to promote the work of the United Nations, she said. They must create partnerships, to enhance peoples' voices, and young peoples' forums, so to empower them.

Ms. Valdov led a minute of silence for Mother Teresa and Diana, Princess of Wales, in recognition of their contributions to their respective causes.

CLAUDIA STRAUSS, Chair, DPI/NGO Conference Planning Committee, acknowledged the vitality of the United Nations/NGO relationship, which had been developing for a half-century. The relationship had created a safer, healthier democratic future for the world's children, and had injected its goals into the realm of politics -- a realm which had neglected the needs of humanity.

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