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NGOs Kofi Annan to Address Hague Appeal for Peace Conference: Greater Role for NGOs
at the UN WelcomedHague Appeal for Peace Press Release
May 7, 1999
Speaking in Berlin last week, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan described the steadily expanding role of non-governmental organizations on the world stage as "a renewal and a return to the roots of the United Nations." Thanking German Foreign Minister Fischer for his support of the "NGO revolution," he went on to praise the upcoming Hague Appeal for Peace conference, which he will be addressing on May 15, as an "event of special importance."
"It is hard to be hopeful about peace against the backdrop of Kosovo, Angola and other conflicts. But perhaps it is significant that the first Hague Peace Conference [of 1899] was convened by governments, whereas this one is largely the work of civil society groups," said Annan.
The Hague Appeal for Peace, held from May 11-15, will bring together over 5000 participants from 100 countries to forge an international response to violence and armed conflict and promote a culture of global sustainable peace for the 21st century. In addition to Secretary General Annan, the world summit will feature Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, and Nobel Laureates Rigoberta Menchu of Guatemala, Sheikh Hasina,prime minister of Bangladesh, Jose Ramos-Horta of East Timor, and Minister for Foreign Affairs from Ireland, David Andrews.
In a recent UN General Assembly Resolution, the Hague Appeal for Peace was named as one of only three non-governmental groups to be given equal standing with governments at the official UN centennial conference, "Friends of '99," to be held from May 17-19, directly following the civil society gathering. The Hague Appeal's Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21th century, will be formally presented to the United Nations General Assembly in the fall.
The success of the "new diplomacy," in which civil society organizations play a pivotal role in forging solutions to world problems, was demonstrated most recently through the achievements of international intitiatives like the Campaign to Ban Landmines and the establishment of a Permanent International Criminal Court. Secretary General Annan has fully endorsed this union of government and civil initiatives, declaring that "we have entered a new era of ever greater partnership, and there are few limits to what civil society can achieve.... it is clear that there is a new diplomacy, where NGOs, peoples from across nations, international organizations, the Red Cross, and governments come together to pursue an objective... there is nothing we can take on that we cannot succeed in."
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