Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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Recent NGO Negotiations at UN Headquarters - Gobal Policy Forum - NGOs Recent NGO Negotiations at UN Headquarters
By INTGLIM
Events hosted recently at UN Headquarters in New York include PrepComs for the Conferences on Illicit Trade in Small Arms, Least Developed Countries III, Financing for Development, follow up to the World Summit on Children and others to which NGOs have important expertise to contribute. For each of these, the parameters of NGO participation continues to be inconsistent, confusing and, at times, contentious. GA debates over NGOs' consultative participation often are not concluded until weeks before the conference. This seriously undermines the ability of NGOs to plan and budget for their participation.
Preparatory Committee for Conference on Illicit Trade in Small Arms
Second Session January 8-19, 2001For the Small Arms Conference a few countries continue to force debate over whether "all ECOSOC NGOs" should be permitted to contribute or whether to limit the participation of NGOs to those specifically involved in the disarmament aspect of the illicit arms trade.
According to the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA):"The decision on NGO modalities has unfortunately been deferred to the next PrepCom, March 19-30, 2001. In an unprecedented move, which is counter to General Assembly and ECOSOC rules, China has effectively blocked consensus on the controversial subject by raising their desire to veto the involvement of ECOSOC accredited organizations which poses potential problems for all ECOSOC NGOs but especially to those organizations with competence in the field of small arms. We feel confident that many states will continue their support for full NGO access and participation including adding NGO experts to their delegations."
Click here to see full report of IANSA.
For more information on small arms click here.
Follow up to the World Summit on Children
January 22 - February 2, 2001During the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly on Children, according to some governments, another attempt was made by the US delegation to limit the scope of NGO participation, going back on previously agreed practices. The Bureau had put forward a proposal authorizing a limited number of NGOs to make oral statements in plenary sessions; this included, in addition to NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC, some NGOs with expertise in the field, such as organizations associated with UNICEF.
The proposal was based on previously agreed arrangements for the Bejing+5 session (A/54/467). The US, reportedly, stood against it and announced they wouldn't allow any oral statement from NGOs at the plenary. After a long informal negotiation, the US finally agreed to weakened language saying "Given availability of time, a limited number of [NGOs] may. make statements in the debate in the plenary" (draft decision A/AC.256/L.10/Rev.1). An asterix qualified that the NGOs must be ECOSOC or UNICEF accredited or "have a collaborative relationship and partnership with UNICEF."Some NGOs indicate that this language is already going backwards on arrangements for NGO participation in the Beijing and Earth Summit +5 meetings.
Other ongoing negotiations Negotiations for NGO participation on the upcoming Special Session on HIV/AIDS, June 25-27, 2001, are also facing great difficulties. In addition, governments have postponed decisions on NGO participation in the Least Developed Nations and Financing for Development Conferences.
INTGLIM will report on these negotiations.
More Information on NGO participation in the UN Special Session on Children More Information on NGO Access and the UN
