Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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NGO Access to Electronic Docs <meta name="keywords" content="global policy forum, global, policy, global policy, united, nations, united nations, NGOs, non-governmental organisation, general analysis, role, global civil society, global policy making, optical disk system"> <meta name="author" content="James Paul - Global Policy Forum"> <meta name="robots" content="follow"> <meta name="revisit-after" content="1 days"> </head> Letter by Samir Sanbar, Assistant
The same letter was written to all the signers of the 25 April 1997 memorandum to the Secretary-General
Secretary-General for Public Information
19 June, 1997 Mr. James Paul
Executive Director
Global Policy Forum
P.O. Box 20022
New York, NY 10025
Dear Mr. Paul,I write with reference to your letter of 25 April addressed to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, co-signed by several NGOs and copied to me as well as other Secretariat officials.
As you may know, the issues of charging for access to the Optical Disk System (ODS) is currently under discussion in the Secretariat, including the ECOSOC Working Group on Informatics. However, as the responsibility for ODS is with the Information Technology Services Division of the Office of Conference and Support Services, that office would be in a better position to provide you with an update of where this issue currently stands. I am, therefore, requesting that they write to you directly to clarify this question.
I wish to assure you, however, that DPI continues its efforts to enhance its outreach to civil society and to improve information services to NGOs, both at Headquarters and in the field, through the network of Information Centres/Services. We are working to strenghten the 50-year partnership between the United Nations and the Non-Governmental Organizations. In this regard, we are in the midst of organizing this year’s annual DPI/NGO Conference, scheduled for 10-12 September 1997 on the theme "Building Partnerships".
DPI has also actively led the effort to make documentation and information material available on the UN Home Page, which we co-ordinate. This site contains a wealth of documentation which is in English and French, particularly of the Security Council and ECOSOC, freely accessible to all. We are also planning to improve the availability of documentation for the 52nd General Assembly.
Let me take this opportunity to thank you for sharing your concerns with us on this issue, which we hope may be resolved in the near future.
Yours sincerely,
Samir Sanbar,
Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information
More Information on NGO Access at the UN
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