Progress on UN Reform: What role can and will civil society play?

Date: Thursday February 9, 2006

Time: 1:00-2:30 PM

Location: Church Center of the UN
777 UN Plaza (2nd Floor Conference Room)
New York, NY 10017

RSVP: Full contact information to:
Jessica Hartl, UNA-USA
202-462-3446
jhartl@unausa.org

Featured Speaker

His Excellency Mr. Jan Eliasson, President of the Sixtieth Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Background

"In this 60th anniversary year of the United Nations, let us again acknowledge the wisdom of the founders, who in Article 71 made provision for consultations with NGOs. Close engagement with civil society was seen then as vital for the Organization's health and for people's well-being. That is as true today as it was then - if anything, even more so." United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan made this remark in his closing comments to the 58th Annual DPI/NGO Conference in September 2005. With such support from the Secretary General, and particularly with a new General Assembly President who is also a proponent of civil society engagement at the UN, what role will civil society play in the future of the UN? And how have they helped the UN thus far in moving forward with reform efforts? This briefing, sponsored by UNA-USA's Council of Organizations, will feature General Assembly President Jan Eliasson, addressing progress on reform efforts in the context of civil society engagement; his interest in more civil society participation at the UN; why there is such a push now for this; and what role he envisions for civil society actors