NGO Access at the UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan has called NGOs the "conscience of humanity" and "essential partners of the United Nations." Over the years, NGOs have gained considerable access to meetings and documents at the UN, in order to lobby for human rights, disarmament, the environment and many other causes. But in spite of a positive long-term trend, NGOs have recently faced new access restrictions, hampering their advocacy efforts.
During 1999, Global Policy Forum worked vigorously for improved NGO access. GPF participated in many NGO strategy sessions, we worked with the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Status (CONGO), we attended meetings of the ECOSOC intergovernmental Committee on NGOs, and we had many informal meetings with delegates and UN officials.
GPF Director James Paul attended a weekend conference of the Stanley Foundation on NGOs at the UN, held at Arden House in Harriman, New York in February. Delegates, UN officials and NGO leaders participated in this conference, producing a very positive sharing of ideas. Later in the year, Professor Hayward Alker of Ohio State University consulted with GPF about a second Stanley Foundation conference on NGOs, held in Virginia in October.
GPF provided world-class information and analysis on NGO access through the site on the world wide web. During the year, we posted more than a hundred documents on current access issues, we re-organized the site for greater ease of use, and we posted several major analytical essays on access, including a "narrative" of events with many document links. Users tell us that the GPF site is the world's foremost site on this topic.
GPF's most significant contribution to the NGO access question was its twenty-eight page report entitled NGOs and the United Nations, issued in mid-June. We devoted a great deal of staff time researching this report, drafting it and circulating it for comment among the NGO community. The report was produced in response to an upcoming report of the Secretary General. The NGO community wanted a comprehensive statement as "input" and context for the Secretary General's report. GPF saw the need and took up the challenge.
The UN Secretariat invited GPF to consult on a number of occasions during 1999. We joined a small group of NGOs invited to private meetings with Assistant Secretary General Gillian Sorensen and UN Security Chief Michael McCann. We also joined a CONGO delegation of six in a special meeting with Secretary General Kofi Annan in his personal conference room.
GPF was especially active in promoting NGO access to open meetings of the Security Council. Though this right had long existed, the practice had stopped, due to the scarcity of open meetings and overly-aggressive security arrangements. With support from Security Council members, GPF approached the Secretariat and particularly Security Chief Michael McCann. Agreement was reached for new procedures, but the rights had to be tested and defended in practice. Access to working earpieces for simultaneous translation also was a part of this new arrangement.
GPF participated in the Millennium Forum planning meetings, held to prepare a worldwide NGO event in May 2000. In this context, GPF proposed a Millennium Mobilization to promote the full funding of the United Nations.
Associates Lara Tessaro, Jessica Moffett and Alice Gibbons worked very effectively to strengthen GPF's work in this area.
Much remains to be done to overcome recent restrictions and to gain new momentum towards enlarged NGO access. In 2000, GPF will continue to provide analysis and leadership in this critical policy issue.
Global Policy Forum is supported primarily by contributions from generous individuals who join as members. GPF also receives grants from foundations and partner institutions. GPF is incorporated in the State of New York, registered as a charitable organization and recognized by the US Internal Revenue Service as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the revenue code.
