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Le Canada et l’ONU > Newton Bowles Reports Ce document est disponible seulement en anglais.
Civil Society: NGOs and the Rest How do governments relate, interact with their people? The safest generalization, I guess, would be: not easily. Even in the most democratic democracies, our elected representatives are prone to megalomania: real and imagined power is one way to evade the absurd complexity of ordinary life. Yet there are stalwarts who leaven this breed (sic) and seek to serve the best interests of their people-- a tough job in our wrenching times. What are their best interests? Elections apart, how do the people speak? Somewhere between apathy and wacky there are the informed who care. Hence the ideal of democracy, the grand opening of the U.N. Charter: "WE THE PEOPLES". Reading on in the Charter, we find one door opened a crack for "THE PEOPLES," Article 71: ECOSOC "may make suitable arrangements for consultation with non-governmental organizations." That has been a pretty squeaky door but it has been occasionally left ajar, with NGOs even addressing the Security Council in 1998. This was clear recognition of the contributions of NGOs at the important thematic conferences during the past decade. The gifts that NGOs can bring to international causes have been shown again in their networks in support of the Ottawa land-mines treaty (Nobel Prize!) and the International Criminal Court. So far, with the exceptions of Ottawa (land mines) and Rome (the ICC), NGO participation in the main has taken the form of parallel conferences alongside the intergovernmental affairs. NGO are pressing for more direct involvement as in Ottawa and Rome. The term "civil society" has been coined-- minted?-- to get away from the negative phrase in the Charter; and this has also encouraged us to look beyond the congeries of NGOs now affiliated to the U.N. In his current report on NGOs, the Secretary-General has this to say: The activity of non-State actors has become an essential dimension of public life in all parts of the world. Reform and restructuring of the United Nations thus coincide with the emergence of a new participatory international system responding to the forces of globalization sweeping our world. The growing influence and role of non-State actors had been both a hallmark and a cause of our changing international environment. NGOs are the clearest manifestation of what is referred to as "civil society", that is, the sphere in which social movements organize themselves around objectives, constituencies and thematic interests. Other actors, however, have also taken on an increasingly important role in shaping national and international agendas and policy dialogues. They include local authorities, mass media, business and industry leaders and the research community, including academia and think-tanks. With lesser bureaucratic and institutional restraints, all have embraced and benefitted from the profound impact brought about by the information and communication revolution. NGOs have been particularly effective in utilizing the instant access to information made possible by new technologies, and have themselves become primary sources and disseminators of information. To varying degrees and with varying rates of success, the United Nations has attempted to adapt to this phenomenon and to open its doors to civil society. Opening doors wider to NGO attendance at, and even limited participation in formal intergovernmental meetings is a sensitive issue. It is on the U.N. agenda. You can guess which governments don't welcome NGOs. Canada is among the sympathetic and, at this G.A., put forward a resolution which at least keeps the issue alive: it asks the Secretary-General to find out what everyone-- governments, international organizations, NGOs-- thinks about NGO-U.N. arrangements; and it keeps this on the formal U.N. agenda. Voilà. From long experience, Kofi Annan understands and welcomes NGOs. His in-house reform measures made specific provision for close NGO-Secretariat cooperation. Speaking at the fiftieth annual U.N./NGO Conference in September 1998, he said: In a whole variety of ways, the NGOs have become indispensable partners of the United Nations. The NGOs are often there on the ground before the international community gives the United Nations the mandate to act. The NGO information, guidance and inspiration can be crucial to us at the United Nations. The NGOs are particularly crucial -- and I speak again from my own experience -- in preventive diplomacy, in humanitarian work, in development and in human rights. The relationship is complementary, as in the best human relationships. Each contributes something unique, producing a result that is greater than the sum of its parts... In my reform report, I floated the idea that alongside a "Millennium Assembly of the United Nations", the NGOs might consider holding a "People's Millennium Assembly". I hope you will examine it further. It could provide an excellent opportunity for cementing the new partnership. I, for my part, stand ready to receive your ideas and suggestions about the form and nature of our future partnership. Let us target the year 2000 for the completion of the task of launching a new and strong relationship between the United Nations and the NGO community. In February in New York, NGOs met to develop plans and themes for a
People's Assembly. |
