Peace & Security
In 2007, we organized 38 meetings of the NGO Working Group on the Security Council, bringing NGO leaders into contact with ambassadors on the Council as well as representatives from other UN member states and UN officials. We followed closely the work of the Security Council, the crises and developments on its agenda, including situations in Burma, Central African Republic, Congo, Haiti, Iran, the Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Israel-Palestine, Somalia and Sudan. We continued our work on natural resources in conflict about how diamonds, timber, gold, oil and other such resources trigger and fund fierce civil wars, resulting in death, devastation, displacement and social collapse. Every week we added at least ten new documents on Security Council issues to the website.
Iraq
To counter the silence and self-censorship on Iraq among media, politicians and international organizations, we published – together with more than 30 NGO partners – a major report about "War and Occupation in Iraq." Chapters covered issues such as torture and prison abuse, attacks on cities, the use of illegal weapons, corruption, the building of long-term military bases and more. Translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Russian and Spanish, the report proved to be a powerful tool in addressing the UN Security Council as well as informing worldwide public opinion. During the fall, GPF further pursued its advocacy work on Iraq, focusing on the renewal of the controversial UN mandate, which authorizes the presence of US-led Multinational Force (MNF) in Iraq. GPF's persistent work in this area generated much interest among Security Council delegates and US Congress members. GPF maintains one of the most comprehensive websites dealing with Iraq. Every day we post critical news and analysis on the occupation and its implications for international law.
Social & Economic Policy/Globalization
Our work on global social and economic policy focused on hunger, poverty, inequality, and the role of the international financial institutions. GPF also worked on international trade, development aid, financing for development, global taxes, corporate accountability and global climate change. Our research on food aid drew attention to the critical funding shortfalls for crises in Africa, Asia and Latin America and how donor-driven food aid promote the interests of rich countries rather than helping the poor. We critically analyzed the globalization of politics, culture, law and the economy, working for better alternatives to neoliberal and corporate globalization. Our European office was particularly involved in development financing issues. Apart from publishing a major publication on the challenges poor countries meet in raising domestic revenue for development, GPF Europe organized two events and participated in various workshops and seminars on development financing. We also worked on corporate accountability and the UN Global Compact. In January, GPF Europe published a paper critically analyzing private-public partnerships at the UN. Director Jens Martens and his colleagues co-organized two related events, one in Nairobi during the World Social Summit and one in Geneva ahead of the Global Compact summit held in July.
Empire
Throughout history, empires have risen and fallen. The United States emerged as a world power in the late 19th century and today it constitutes the most powerful country in the world - militarily, politically and economically. We see empire today as the despotic counter model to multilateralism and a democratic world order. Factors of concern include the US military presence in over 100 countries, enormous US economic influence, and strong opposition from Washington to multilateral institutions like the UN. We expanded our website coverage with new sections, looking at issues of natural resources and the increasingly tense relations of resource-rich countries with the US.
UN Reform
We continued to provide important analysis and information on the website about UN reform issues. With over 1000 documents, GPF's UN Reform site is one of the most comprehensive on the internet, covering reform of the UN organs, the UN's financial crisis, and the role of new actors, such as NGOs and business, at the UN. We covered Ban Ki-Moon's reform proposals and joined a group of NGOs in opposing the Secretary General's proposal to downgrade the Department of Disarmament Affairs.
United Nations Finance
We analyzed the UN's financial situation and constantly updated the tables and charts on our website that provide the world's most comprehensive analysis of this topic. We argued that UN finance is of central importance to the debate on UN reform. The UN is constantly under-funded because some member states fail to pay their dues on time and in full. This seriously undermines the UN and its capacity to do its job efficiently. GPF lobbies for the full and timely payment of dues to the UN as well as an end to caps on budget growth. We also advocate for alternative financing for the UN, such as global taxes that would make the UN less dependent on powerful member states and their narrow national interests.
NGOs & Global Governance
We continued our active research and advocacy on the worldwide NGO movement, pushing in particular for greater NGO access at the UN. NGOs contribute much to the United Nations through their information, ideas, advocacy and attentive monitoring. While the UN is more open to NGOs than it used to be, it still remains far too closed and restrictive.
Secretary General
We monitored the work of the Secretary General, including special projects, initiatives and appointments. This year was particularly important as it represented the first year of the new Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The Secretary General is said to have the world's most difficult job, but the job can only be well done if it is carried out by a strong team of top officials and by an active and independent incumbent. Mr. Ban began his term with a disappointing record and less-than-stellar appointments. Pressures from powerful member states prevented the new Secretary General from realizing the full potential of his post.
Media
In 2007, we gave approximately 150 interviews to media outlets all over the world including the BBC, CNN, South Africa Television, Associated Press, InterPress Service, al-Jazeera, Financial Times, Reuters and Le Monde. The topics of the interviews included Iraq, Iran, UN reform, the UN Security Council, energy and oil. In June, GPF held a press briefing at the UN to launch our report on Iraq..
Website/Newsletter
GPF hosts one of the world's largest NGO sites on the UN and global policy. In January, we launched a new website design to better reflect GPF's work and increase user-friendliness. During 2007, the site attracted 51 million hits from seven million visitors. We posted new documents and continued to refine the design of the site for greater user-friendliness. Our electronic newsletter distribution grew steadily, reaching subscribers in more than 130 countries.
Policy Papers & Essays
In June, we published a major paper on the "War and Occupation in Iraq." More than 30 NGOs signed on as co-sponsors and the report was translated in full or in part into Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Russian and Spanish. We also published several papers on the mandate of the Multinational Force in Iraq. Together with the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, GPF Europe published a paper on "Multistakeholder Partnerships – Future Models of Multilateralism?." This paper presented a much needed critique of the current trend of involving large corporations in the work of the UN and in development more generally. Together with DGB Bildungswerk and terre des homes, the European office published a major paper on "The Precarious State of Public Finance." GPF Europe published two reports on the mid-term review of the MDGs and on poverty indicators (in German), and is co-publisher of the German Social Watch Report on social protection.. In addition, GPF published and updated tables and charts on UN finance, UN peacekeeping, the US budget and trade deficits, global food aid and much more. A paper on global food aid was in the works at year-end.
Conferences, Lectures and Meeting Participation
In addition to the almost weekly meetings of the NGO Working Group on the Security Council, GPF and partner organizations organized several events in New York, Geneva, Bonn, Berlin and Nairobi. At the World Social Forum, GPF Europe and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation organized a workshop to discuss the limits, risks and side-effects of "global partnerships" between governments, the UN and private actors. In March and October, GPF Europe co-organized a workshop and an international seminar on development financing. In June, the European office organized an event in Bonn reviewing the MDGs and in July, one day ahead of the "Global Compact Leaders Summit" at the UN in Geneva, GPF organized a hearing together with an international group of NGOs.
In New York, we organized a series of events on Iraq, including a fundraising reception to launch our report and two policy luncheons with members of Security Council delegations and selected UN staff members. At one of the luncheons, Security Council delegates had a telephone dialogue with three leaders of major parliamentary blocs in Iraq to discuss the renewal of the UN mandate of the Multinational Force (MNF). In June, GPF co-sponsored an event on post-disaster peacemaking in Aceh, Sri Lanka, and Kashmir together with Worldwatch Institute and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. In November, we organized a fundraising reception to demystify the Iran crisis. The speakers were Ervand Abrahamian (CUNY Distinguished Professor) and John Burroughs (Executive Director, Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy. They assessed the likelihood of Iran having a nuclear weapons program and they placed the UN Security Council actions towards Iran in the context of wider international agreements on nuclear weapons and disarmament.
Internships and Volunteers
In 2007, we hosted three teams of interns in our New York office – a total of thirteen persons from nine different countries. We gave them training in web posting, internet research and GPF program priorities. We wrote numerous recommendation letters and gave career support to current and former interns. We organized many special luncheons, putting the interns in touch with members of the UN community – NGOs, diplomats, Secretariat officials and other UN staff. In addition, several interns supported the work of our European office in Bonn. With the help of former interns we set up an Alumni Forum to facilitate networking between former and current interns. In September, GPF was joined by a senior volunteer, Alice Slater. Alice is a former President of Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE), co-founder of Abolition 2000, an international network for nuclear disarmament. She joined GPF primarily to help with our advocacy work on Iraq, and she was successful in getting the report circulated in Washington to members of Congress. She agreed to stay on for 2008 with a broadened portfolio.
Staff Change
After six years as GPF's Security Council Program Coordinator and Internship Coordinator, Céline Nahory left New York and GPF. In September, we held a farewell reception attended by over fifty guests, including delegates, UN staff, NGO representatives, GPF Board members and former GPF interns. We welcomed Ciara Gilmartin who took over Céline's post.
Budget & Fundraising
In 2007, GPF's headquarters budget was $330,000. The New York office receives more than half its annual funding from individuals. The remainder of its funding came from foundations, partner organizations, fees and other sources. GPF Board members hosted three fundraising events in 2007, reaching out to new donors and contacts. GPF Europe had a budget in 2007 of €150,000. Most of its funding comes from partner organizations, and foundations. The balance of its funding comes from individual members. GPF accomplishes a lot on this modest overall budget of about $550,000. We thank all the donors and friends whose support makes our work possible.
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.
