October 25, 2004
October 25, 2004
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY 10017
Cc:
Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette
Director Ms. Marta Maurás
Senior Officer Mr. Adrian Hills
Dear Secretary-General Annan,
We are writing in response to your recent report on the Implementation of the Report of the Panel of Eminent Persons on UN-Civil Society Relations (A/59/354). As you are aware many of the recommendations in the reports are considered quite controversial by governments, civil society NGOs, the members of the ECOSOC NGO Committee, and others.
We are concerned that the controversies surrounding this report are threatening to undermine the work of one of the most valuable UN-NGO liaison body in the UN; the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS). NGLS is one of the most efficient and widely supported programs within the UN, and many NGOs believe that the independence and autonomy of NGLS should be protected.
Both the Cardoso Panel's report as well as your response, Mr. Secretary-General, set out to strengthen NGLS by ensuring it a greater institutional standing and funding stability. We greatly appreciate these intentions. However, we are concerned that NGLS is experiencing increased difficulty raising voluntary funding from the UN system and external donors pending the outcomes of the intergovernmental debate of the two reports. As you know, this debate will very likely require many months of consultations, which threatens to leave NGLS with insufficient funding to finance its core programs and thus inflict serious wounds on its ability to provide services to the NGO community and the UN system.
Mr. Secretary-General, it would be very unfortunate if one of the first outcomes of these reports is the weakening of the work of the NGLS. Accordingly, we hope that you will take the necessary steps to reinforce the relatively small budget for NGLS for 2004-2006 while the longer term questions of NGLS's institutional setting remain to be resolved.
In appreciation of your continuous efforts to improve the UN organization, we turn to you to assure the continuing viability of the NGLS and circumvent a potential deterioration of the UN-civil society relations.
Yours sincerely,
| James A. Paul, Executive Director Global Policy Forum New York, USA
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William Pace, Executive Director World Federalist Movement New York, USA
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| Yvonne Terlingen, Amnesty International Representative at the UN New York, USA
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Martin Khor, Director Third World Network Penang, Malaysia
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Sophy Kurian, Director Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action Mumbai, India
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Seonghoon LEE Pax Romana ICMICA Geneva, Switzerland
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Minar Pimple, Executive Director Peoples' Decade of Human Rights Education New York, USA
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Dr. Arjun K. Karki, President Rural Reconstruction Nepal-RRN Kathmandu, Nepal
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Joseph Rocher, Director RONGEAD Lyon, France
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Walden Bello, Executive Director Focus on the Global South Bangkok, Thailand
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Dominic Walubengo, Director Forest Action Network Kenya
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June Zeitlin, Executive Director Women's Environment and Development Organization New York, USA
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Ralf Bendrath, Chief Editor www.worldsummit2005.org Berlin, Germany
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Gothom, Secretary-General Forum-Asia Bangkok, Thailand
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Demba Moussa Dembele Forum for African Alternatives Senegal
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Peer de Rijk, Director WISE,World Information Service on Energy Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Mr. Nicky Nzioki, Research Coordinator Cohort for Research on Environment, Urban Management and Human Settlements (CREUMHS) Nairobi, Kenya
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Hans Engelberts, General Secretary Public Services International France
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Bruno Gurtner, Senior Economist Swiss Coalition of Development Organizations Bern, Switzerland
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Bani Dugal, Principal Representative to the UN Director, Office for the Advancement of Women Baha'i International Community's UN Office New York, USA
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Seán í“ Siochrú, Executive Secretariat Member CRIS Campaign Dublin, Ireland
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Elizabeth Eilor, Coordinator Incharge Programmes African Women's Economic Policy Network Kampala, Uganda
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Ezra Limiri Mbogori, Executive Director MWENGO Harare, Zimbabwe
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Cyril Ritchie, Chairman Environment Liaison Centre International Geneva, Switzerland
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| Roberto Bissio, Editor in Chief Social Watch Montevideo, Uruguay
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Meena Raman, Chairperson Friends of the Earth International Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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| Albert Koellner, Member of the Board VIBE!AT - Austrian Association for Internet Users Vienna, Austria
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Robert Bloem, President Conference of NGOs (CONGO) Geneva, Switzerland
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| Vicente Garcia-Delgado, Esq, UN Representative CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation New York, USA
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Dennis W. Frado, Main Representative at UN Headquarters The Lutheran World Federation New York, USA
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| Rudy de Meyer 11.11.11 Coalition of the Flemish North-South Movement Brussels, Belgium
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More Information on the Cardoso Panel
