PRESS CONFERENCE ON MILLENNIUM FORUM
Press Briefing
PRESS CONFERENCE ON MILLENNIUM FORUM
20000526The Millennium Forum, a week-long gathering of international civil society organizations, had succeeded in producing a consensus declaration of their views and recommendations on the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century, correspondents were told this afternoon at a Headquarters press conference.
Techeste Ahderom, Co-Chair of the Millennium Forum, said the representatives of the non-governmental organizations would now take the document home to their countries and use it to inform people and consult with governments, so that hopefully by the time heads of State meet in September, they will be familiar with the kinds of actions we would like to have here at the United Nations. Esmeralda Brown, who oversaw accreditation for the Forum, also attended the press conference.
Mr. Ahderom said the final document would be posted on the Forums Web site and contained recommendations covering: peace, security and disarmament; eradication of poverty; human rights; globalization; and strengthening the United Nations and making it more democratic. Annexed to the consensus declaration would be another 12 to 15 declarations that reflected specific regional or thematic concerns.
Although the Forum was an important event, it is the not the end of it, Mr. Ahderom said. Perhaps the next stage would be a global civil society forum, he said, noting that those who had been demonstrating in Seattle were now speaking in the General Assembly Hall. The Forum had been unique in that it met on cross issues, as opposed to thematic ones. It had been an excellent platform for expanding the constituency of civil society. A great dynamic had been created and he was sure that working across issues would be the pattern for the future.
The Forum estimated that almost 1,400 people from 106 different countries attended the meetings, with about half of those coming to the United Nations for the first time, he said. The Forum had actually accredited over 2,300 representatives of organizations and individuals, but due to the lack of funds not everybody was able to attend.
Ms. Brown said the Forum had gone to all corners of the earth seeking out, in particular, the marginalized and the unrepresented. We are proud that we have been able to reach out to all these voices, she said, emphasizing that it had been achieved despite the lack of resources and funds. She highlighted the assistance of the United States Mission and State Department in expediting visas for the participants. Everyone who had asked for a visa had received one, she said.
While the United Nations Secretariat itself had been extremely generous and helpful to the Forum, the response in terms of funds and assistance from United Nations agencies and most governments had been disappointing, Mr. Ahderom said. He added that, with the exception of two paid clerical staff hired for the past two weeks, all the organizers of the Forum had worked on a voluntary basis.
Forum Press Conference - 2 - 26 May 2000
A correspondent said there was a peculiar process at the United Nations for accrediting non-governmental organizations, on a basis that appeared to have no criteria. Had there been any discussion of the United Nations accreditation process at the Forum meetings? Mr. Ahderom said the process was an ongoing area of concern for non-governmental organizations. There appeared to be no agreed principles for choosing, so that some who deserved accreditation didnt get it and others who didnt deserve it received accreditation.
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