Recommendations for Priority Action II

The Copenhagen + 5 Review Process

• It is essential that the Copenhagen + 5 Review process:
  
  • ensure that the Copenhagen agreements are not renegotiated;
    
  • focus on agreeing to a very brief, concrete and specific list of ten priority measures which will be taken at international levels to implement the Copenhagen commitments;
    
  • produce and widely publicise through the mass media a simple summary of the major problems which have been considered and actions which have been agreed;
    
  • include preliminary meetings at regional and national levels;
    
  • provide practical opportunities for specific and timely input by civil society organisations, rather than merely tokenistic involvement;
    
  • provide adequate financial resources for civil society involvement;
    
  • link with the reviews of the Rio, Cairo and Beijing conferences and in the UN millennium activities.

• Governments should:
  
  • provide details at the next session of the UN Commission for Social Development of their arrangements to involve civil society;
    
  • organise thorough civil society consultations on their draft national reports about implementation and about proposed government submissions to the preparatory meetings and the Special Session;
    
  • report back to civil society organisations and representatives after each preparatory session;
    
  • consult with civil society organisations in the preparation of national implementation plans after the Special Session itself;
    
  • sponsor or otherwise support expert meetings on issues of special importance and complexity such as the impact of financial markets or social development, and international coordination of tax policy;
    
  • request UN agencies and other bodies to assist developing country governments and civil society organisations in their preparations for the Special Session.
    
    
• Civil society involvement in the Copenhagen + 5 process should:
  
  • be well-coordinated;
    
  • be transparent and accountable;
    
  • place special emphasis on influencing individual government delegations;
    
  • focus especially on strengthening regional processes for consultation and action;
    
  • engage with the World Bank, IMF, WTO and UNCTAD;
    
  • link with civil society involvement in the reviews of the Rio, Cairo and Beijing conferences and in the UN millennium activities;
    
  • include independent national reports on implementation, preferably in accordance with a standardized format.