JUNE 2003

JUNE 2003

IN THIS ISSUE:

·        UN Reform 

·        ICSW European Region

·         ICSW links with the Commonwealth 

UN Conference Follow-up

ICSW’s UN Special Representative, Elizabeth K. Mullen, provided an update on the UN follow up to global conferences previously reported in the April issue of Global Cooperation which expressed doubts that the General Assembly Working Group would meet it’s June deadline.   Along with many other NGO’s, ICSW regretted that insufficient time had been given to the Working Group to do a thorough job and had paid little attention to input from civil society.  A report on the Working Group’s processes indicated that they had difficulty reaching agreement on a final draft document to be submitted to ECOSOC at their closing session on 30 May 2003. After only five months of sporadic meeting, this comes as no surprise to many. Success with developing an agreed draft is certainly not a foregone conclusion as the major sticking points are not simple ones. They include; references to the Millennium Declaration, the role of the regional commissions, an Agenda for the General Assembly and how to mobilize resources for development.  Ms. Mullen feels that the report of the Working Group meetings that extended into early June may lead us to conclude that this is another effort of the UN system reform that has not succeeded.

There may yet be a chance to analyse civil society’s role in follow-up to UN global conferences as the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) has announced the launch of a research project on Civil Society Engagement in UN World Summits.  This project, funded by the Ford Foundation will run for two years.  Researchers will examine the dynamics of national and local civil society organizations in the countries that have hosted UN summits. They will consider the impact of UN summits on civil society activism and the experiences of the preparatory and follow-up processes of the summits

UN Review of Relations with Civil Society

The UN Non Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) held a consultation on ‘The Crisis in Global Governance: Challenges for the United Nations and Global Civil Society’ in Geneva, Switzerland 4-6 June 2003. This event gathered senior representatives from over 50 non-governmental organizations working around the world to analyse the nature and dimensions of a crisis point in the multilateral governance system and the challenges that face civil society.  ICSW was represented by Felicity Daly, Project Officer. The consultation was particularly concerned with the UN Secretary General’s appointment of a high-level panel to conduct a “sweeping assessment of interaction between the UN and civil society organizations, and recommendations for improvements.”

The Coordinator of the Secretariat of the High Level Panel and a panel member discussed the background of the review and outcomes from the first meeting of the panel.  The Secretary General appointed the panel to address the UN system’s inability to come to terms with the ‘political hot potato’ of the advocacy role that civil society has played in UN processes.  The panel is developing consultation mechanisms including a widely distributed survey to canvass civil society perceptions of UN relations.  Panel members will seek input at existing civil society gatherings as well as conduct a few key focus groups. Their draft report will be completed early next year and submitted to the Secretary General by April for his review before presentation to the General Assembly September 2004.  ICSW will provide regular updates regarding how to deliver inputs to the panel through the consultation mechanisms.

European Regional Activities

ICSW’s European Regional Committee of Representatives met in Oslo, Norway 10-11 June for a biennial meeting to discuss their programme and administration.  The group discussed the themes that ICSW members would work on at the regional level for the following two years; Social Rights and Social Cohesion.  They also reviewed regional finances, the new regional kit developed by the London Global Office and membership development especially in regards to recruiting organizations in the former Soviet Union. ICSW’s representatives to the European Social Platform, The European Anti Poverty Network and the European Commission made presentations on their advocacy within these networks.  The Committee of Representatives gave a special acknowledgement to Regional President Solveig Askjem for her important contribution to regional issues during a period when she has also taken on a crucial role in ICSW’s global leadership as one of two Global Vice Presidents.

The ICSW European Regional Conference which was held in Oslo, Norway 11-14 June focused on themes related to the different faces of poverty in Europe and fighting social exclusion.  The four day programme of plenary sessions, workshops and field visits was attended by over a hundred delegates working in social services and policy throughout Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Europe. Conference abstracts and additional information will soon be available on the European regional pages of ICSW’s website.

Commonwealth Civil Society Consultations

ICSW’s Project Officer, Felicity Daly joined representatives from over 35 civil society organizations affiliated with the Commonwealth for their biannual consultation in London, England 12 June 2003.  The meeting announced two recent initiatives of the Commonwealth Secretariat in relation to civil society; the appointment of a Civil Society Liaison Officer and changes in accreditation to the Commonwealth which are aimed at facilitating civil society participation in key events such as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The preliminary findings of the Commonwealth Expert Group on Democracy and Development were presented to the group.  These will form the basis of the report to heads of government who will meet at CHOGM in Abuja, Nigeria in December 2003.  The Expert Group has identified a set of values that are important elements for promoting and strengthening democracy including: Accountability and Transparency; Representation; Decentralisation; Participation; Civil Associationalism; Political and Civil Rights; Social and Economic Rights; and Gender and Minority Rights.  The Secretariat is very pleased that the participation of civil society has been specifically recognised in this framework, which will be presented to the highest levels of government in nations charged with pursuing social development.    

Several ICSW members have also participated in the Commonwealth’s West Africa and East and Southern Africa Regional Consultations and contributed National Position Papers on Maximising Civil Society’s Contribution to Democracy and Development.  Outcomes from these interventions will feed into the Expert Groups final report and contribute to the agenda for a pan- Commonwealth civil society meeting to be held in Abuja alongside the CHOGM.  ICSW plans to participate in these events and coordinate an additional side event for all ICSW member organizations in our Central and West Africa region at that time.  Further information will be forthcoming.    

The content of Global Cooperation may be freely reproduced or cited provided the source is acknowledged. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the policy of ICSW.

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Newsletter Contact: Felicity Daly, Project Officer, London Global Office

ICSW Contact Details

Website: www.icsw.org            Email icsw@icsw.org

London Global Office:

16 Hatton Wall, London EC1N 8JHN,

Tel: + 44 20 7404 9780, Fax: + 44 20 7404 9527

Kampala Global Office:

PO Box 28957, Kampala, Uganda.

Tel: +256 41 531036, Fax: +256 41 531037,

Roselyn Nakirya, Programme Assistant /Administrator

                              Global Vice Presidents:   Solveig Askjem and Bushra Gohar

                                                   Treasurer:   Michael Raper

                                    Executive Director:   Denys Correll

If you have any questions or need further information on any of the activities or issues mentioned in this newsletter, please contact: Felicity Daly, Project Officer, at the Secretariat in London, or reply to this email. icsw@icsw.org.