Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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NGOs INTGLIM's Response to the
Secretary-General's Report on NGOsBy William R. Pace
Chair, International NGO Task Group on
Legal and Institutional Matters (INTGLIM)May 3, 1999
Draft Resolution for NGO Participation in the Work of the General Assembly, 1999 Following is a revision of a draft resolution prepared by "Like-Minded" governments in October 1997, addressing ECOSOC Resolution 1996/297, which calls for extending NGO rights of participation in the UN. The government draft resolution was based, in large part, upon a "Compromise Resolution" endorsed by many NGOs which was prepared by INTGLIM in June 1997 during the Earth Summit+5 process, after the General Assembly "Sub-group on NGOs" failed to agree on any resolution.
The resolution eventually adopted by the 52nd General Assembly in 1997 was drastically reduced, calling only for a report, which was submitted in September 1998 to the 53rd GA by the Secretary-General (A/53/170). The GA in 1998 called for comments on this report which are to be summarized by the Secretary-General for the beginning of the 54th GA in September 1999.
Unfortunately, the discussion about 1996/297 has become politicized and polarized at the UN Headquarters. INTGLIM, in consultation with many governments, believes that it is vital to secure support for a new "Compromise Resolution" by NGOs and, especially, by governments in national capitols, throughout the world. Because of the polarization at the UN, agreement to "general principles" of extending NGO participation in the UN is not enough. Vague commitments cannot be translated into a consensus resolution. We need to have government leaders commit to specific language in a draft resolution.
This version is being circulated to non-governmental organizations and governments for discussion and endorsement, with the goal of securing adoption of this or a similar resolution, by the General Assembly during the 55th (Millennium) General Assembly in 2000.
We realize this resolution and approach is a modest, conservative, step-by-step, approach to achieving the goal enunciated in 1996/297. However, we believe this approach is a significant one and the best we can achieve as a beginning.
Many NGOs and governments are convinced that the alternative of submitting the issue to the "Never-Ending" high-level working group process of the General Assembly would be the most expensive, most time-consuming, and most likely to fail.
We hope NGOs and governments will express their support for this resolution and commit to adopting this or a similar resolution at the Millennium Assembly. It will be a concrete decision by governments during the historic 55th session, giving meaning to the numerous promises and resolutions by governments for strengthening and expanding the consultative role of non-governmental organizations in the work of the UN in the next century.
Resolution 1996/297:
"Decides to recommend that the General Assembly examine, at its fifty-first session, the question of the participation of non-governmental organizations in all areas of the work of the United Nations, in the light of the experience gained through the arrangements for consultation between non-governmental organizations and the Economic and Social Council."
