UN-Civil Society relations
UN
World Summit 2005
The 2005 United Nations World Summit (14-16 September 2005) welcomed
the contributions made by civil society to the work of the UN in development
and human rights, and the dialogue between CSOs and Member States in
the first informal interactive hearings of the General Assembly (23-24
June 2005). Civil society leaders and organizations however expressed
dissatisfaction with the limited opportunities for participation at
the summit. Three representatives of civil society and the private sector
spoke at the concluding plenary session of the summit. Read
the final report on the hearings.
Paragraphs 172-175 of the 2005 UN World Summit outcome document make
reference to civil society contributions and engagement. Read the outcome
document.
Secretary-General’s Panel of Eminent Persons on Civil
Society and UN Relationships (Cardoso Panel)
In his report to the 57th General Assembly, the Secretary-General highlighted
the engagement of civil society as a key aspect of the UN reform process
and announced that he would “assemble a group of eminent persons
representing a variety of perspectives and experiences to review past
and current practices and recommend improvements for the future in order
to make the interaction between civil society and the United Nations
more meaningful.” In February 2003 the Secretary-General appointed
Mr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil, to chair
a panel of individuals with backgrounds that span across governmental
and non-governmental sectors.
In June 2004, the panel produced a a report with a set of practical
recommendations on improving UN relations with civil society, as
well as with private sector and parliaments. Read the response of the
Secretary-General here.
UNDG Working Group on Civil Society Relations
The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) has formed a working group
on civil society chaired by UNDP to follow up on the implementation
of the Cardoso report. The working group has formulated a set of actions
aimed at enhancing the capacity of the UN resident coordinator system
to engage with civil society at the country level. A number of country
offices have appointed civil society focal points in the United Nations
Country Teams, as recommended by the Secretary-General.
