Volume LIV, No. 3
November, 2000
The Path to Global Solidarity:
The Roles of the UN and NGOs
Jane Remson, O. Carm.
In this issue Jane Remson, O. Carm., discusses the growing importance of Non-Governmental Organizations in advocating for global solidarity. Based on her own experience at the 2000 UN conference for NGOs, she gives details about how NGOs can be crucial actors in the face of Globalization and the struggle for Universal Human Rights. At the conclusion of the article she gives further information about how to become officially recognized as an NGO at the UN.
In August of this year, I attended the 53rd Annual Department of Public Information (DPI) / Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Conference of the United Nations organization. The theme was "Global Solidarity: The Way to Peace and International Cooperation." This is a brief report about the United Nations (UN) and the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in achieving global solidarity.
One can think of the UN as our planet’s town hall. Virtually all the world’s problems are studied, negotiated and acted upon at the UN. For better or for worse its decisions affect the everyday lives of the world’s peoples. The UN is the world’s single most important depository and clearing house of knowledge. Every year, it publishes hundreds of reports, books and compilations of valuable statistics.
In the span of just a few years, NGOs have taken on more extensive responsibilities and activities that they are now regarded as full participants in international life. Their influence and presence are felt in such areas as humanitarian assistance, human rights, the global environment, women’s rights, world health, and economic and social development. NGOs have become not only providers of services, but also advocates and policymakers. At global conferences, international meetings, and in legislatures throughout the world, NGOs have lobbied for the establishment of new norms of international conduct.
At the opening session of the conference, Ambassador Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia), President of the 54th session of the General Assembly, said to the approval of the 1,800 NGOs from 60 countries, that "NGOs must be active in galvanizing governments into action."
Kofi Annan, 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations, continued this theme by encouraging a working partnership among NGOs, Governments, Civil Societies (CS) and the UN. Repeatedly, Mr. Annan stated that the UN must be true to its charter which states "We the peoples of the world" and not we the governments of the world.
In addition to Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Ambassador Theo-Ben Gurirab, other principal speakers were: Hanan Ashrawi, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Initiative for Global Dialogue and Democracy; Governor Jaime Lerner of the State of Parana, Brazil; Ralph Nader, Founder of Public Citizen; and Hanna Suchocka, Member of Parliament and former Prime Minister of Poland.
For the first time in its 53 year history, a sitting Head of State, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, addressed the conference at the closing session. Also addressing the closing session was 73 year old Aunty Malia Craver, Hawaiian indigenous leader and kupuna for Queen Lili ‘uokalani Children Centre who shared her native wisdom on peace and reconciliation with the international audience.
The conference provided a forum for representatives of NGOs, the UN and governments to explore concrete ways in which they can work with civil societies to implement the action plans that were agreed upon during the world’s major conferences of the 1990s. These action plans include: monitoring the process of globalization, a ban on landmines, the establishment of the International Criminal Court, canceling crippling foreign debts and addressing the negative aspects of the current global financial architecture. Discussions were held on the development of practical applications of a "New Democratic Diplomacy," which is the working partnership between Governments, the UN, Civil Societies and NGOs to negotiate sustainable social change for the betterment of all humankind. It was recognized that when Governments alone negotiate problems and conflicts, other voices are rarely heard and the desired results are often not achieved. The conference emphasized over and over that in order for globalization to benefit humankind, it must be built on human and moral values and not on power and wealth.
Recurring conference themes:
• organize around issues not countries, e.g.: debt cancellation, landmines, international law and environment
• no exclusive concerns - e.g., women’s rights cannot be isolated from human rights
• spirituality gives the economy a human face
• be wary of multinational corporate globalization - this is often a new form of military globalization
• always keep in mind the common good
• corporations must see beyond short term profit
• environment cannot be isolated from social or economic issues
• it is better to risk for peace rather than be a passive victim of war
• peace is the norm, war is an exception
• partnerships are needed to implement decisions - one cannot act in isolation
These themes were further discussed with reference to the report and recommendations of the "We the peoples...Millennium Forum: Declaration and Agenda for Action" which was held in New York, May 22-26, 2000.The threefold purpose of the Millennium Forum was: to build upon a common vision and the work begun at civil society conferences and the United Nations world conferences of the 1990s; to draw the attention of governments to the urgency of implementing the commitments they have made; and to reclaim globalization for and by the people.
The Forum issued its vision statement as: we are one human family, in all our diversity, living on one common homeland and sharing a just, sustainable and peaceful world, guided by universal principles of democracy, equality, inclusion, voluntarism, non-discrimination and participation by all persons, men and women, young and old, regardless of race, faith, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity or nationality.
As players in the struggle for peace, justice and the eradication of poverty, NGOs encounter daily the human impact of rising violence and armed conflicts, widespread violations of human rights, and unacceptably large numbers of people who are denied the means of a minimal human existence.
The Forum put forward a series of concrete steps to strengthen cooperation among all players at the international, national, regional and local levels to make their vision a reality. These steps include:
A. Eradication of Poverty: Including Social Development and Debt Cancellation
B. Peace, Security and Disarmament
C. Facing the Challenge of Globalization: Equity, Justice and Diversity
D. Human Rights
E. Sustainable Development and the Environment
F. Strengthening and Democratizing the United Nations and International Organizations
For the purpose of this article I will focus on two themes that were discussed at the 53rd NGO Conference and recommendations on these two themes suggested by the Millennium Forum. The two themes are globalization and human rights.
Globalization
Globalization is seen as a major challenge. Globalization and advances in technology create significant opportunities for people to connect, share and learn from each other. At the same time, pure corporate-driven globalization increases inequities between and within countries, undermines local traditions and cultures, and escalates disparities between rich and poor, thereby marginalizing large numbers of people. Women, indigenous peoples, youth and people with disabilities suffer disproportionately from the effects of corporate-driven globalization.
According to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan globalization is inevitable and is as real as gravity. His remarks drew mixed responses from NGOs. Although there was some agreement with Mr. Annan’s statement, most NGOs said globalization needed to be defined. Some defined globalization as an inevitable process driven by new technologies in electronic communication and transport, enabling information, persons, capital and goods to cross borders and reach the most remote corners of the globe at unprecedented speed. It is transforming our world into a global village with consequent political and economic changes that open unprecedented possibilities of prosperity to all its inhabitants.
Others defined globalization as a process of economic, political and cultural domination by the economically and militarily strong over the weak. For example, the combined assets of the top 200 corporations in the 1960s were 16% of world Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By the 1980s this increased to 24% and in 1995 had risen to 34%. In this process not only does the gap between the "have’s" and "have-nots" widen; the ranks of the poor are swelling, civil societies are being threatened, pushing an increasing number into extreme poverty, and governments are becoming dependent.
The present globalization process is not inevitable. It can be redirected to become a democratic process in which people are at the center as participants and beneficiaries. What seems to be emerging is a new consciousness worldwide that affirms shared values of peace, equity, social justice, democracy, and human rights.
Indigenous peoples are deeply concerned that the on-going process of globalization and trade liberalization is leading to the denial of their rights to their ancestral territories . This also violates their right to the security of their land tenure which includes their spiritual perspective on land and development, their culture and their socio-economic systems.
The Forum gave specific recommendations to the United Nations, Governments and Civil Society. These recommendations are:
• that the UN recognize and affirm legislatively the right of self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and acknowledge their sovereign right to their languages, knowledge, educational systems, living spaces, intellectual property and biological security,
• that Governments make serious commitments to restructure the global financial architecture based on principles of equity, transparency, accountability, and democracy, and to balance, with the participation of civil society organizations, the monetary means to favor human endeavor and ecology,
• that Civil Society support the development of a concept of globalization defined from a polycentric and pluri-cultural perspective, assuming and respecting, preserving and developing cultural diversities.
Human Rights
Poverty is a violation of human rights. Today 1.3 billion people live in extreme poverty. Poverty is the most widespread violation of human rights in the world. Poverty exists not only in the developing countries, but is also a dramatic and hidden reality in the industrialized countries.
Economic poverty is not the only kind of poverty that impoverishes human lives. For example, growth rates of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) are higher in non-democratic countries than in democratic ones. Politically unfree citizens, whether rich or economically poor, are deprived of a basic ingredient of peaceful living. The same applies to social deprivations such as illiteracy, lack of health care, unequal attention to the elementary needs of women and of young girls. According to Professor Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998, "In identifying the poor, we must take note, for example, of the deprivation of citizens of authoritarian regimes, from Sudan to North Korea, who are denied political liberty and civil rights. And we must try to understand the predicament of subjugated homemakers in male-dominated societies, common in Asia and Africa, who lead a life of unquestioning docility; of the illiterate children who are offered no opportunity of schooling; of minority groups who have to keep their voices muffled for fear of the tyranny of the majority; and of dissidents who are imprisoned and sometimes tortured by the guardians of law and order."
In the words of Mats Karlsson, Vice President for External Affairs and UN Affairs, World Bank, "Poverty reduction is a multi-dimensional process. The World Bank alone is unable to address poverty issues and develop a poverty reduction agenda; it needs to join multiple development actors." Poverty eradication is not an automatic consequence of economic growth; it requires purposeful action to redistribute wealth and land, to construct a safety net and to provide universal free access to education.
All development players face new challenges. From the perspective of the World Bank, a multi-dimensional strategy for civic engagement is critical. In order for this to happen, all development partners need to promote favorable legal, procedural, institutional, cultural-political and informational frameworks for civil society’s participation in the national development agenda. Key components of a multi-dimensional strategy to enable a country’s civic engagement are: a) promoting autonomy of NGOs and Civil Societies (CS); b) facilitating performance and accountability of NGOs, CSs and government through capacity building; c) promoting participatory approaches in the design and implementation of poverty reduction strategies; d) promoting the involvement of CS in policy dialogue; e) developing an appropriate fiscal framework for non-profit activity and protection of NGOs in fiscal reforms; f) supporting favorable legislation regulating NGOs ; and g) improving CS access to information and to the media.
The fulfillment of human rights is threatened by numerous challenges. The increasing economic gaps and the unprecedented increase in poverty that are the result of the existing world economic order constitute the greatest and most unjust violation of human rights. Today we are witnessing some of the worst violations of human rights, including the use of food as a weapon, armed conflicts and civil wars.
The unequal economic development between countries promotes forced migration to developed countries. The human rights of these economic migrants, especially those labeled as alien or undocumented, are systematically violated without consideration of their significant contribution to those countries' economy.
Human Rights will not be truly universal unless they are realized for all, including neglected or excluded groups and groups at risk, notably children, youth, older persons, women, minorities, indigenous peoples, refugees, internally displaced persons, migrants, immigrants, the disabled, the mentally ill, the unemployed, the homeless and those subject to discrimination on grounds of race, religion, caste, sex, place of birth, language, age, nationality, sexual orientation or other grounds.
In 1999, Gallup International conducted a Millennium Survey of 57,000 adults in 60 countries. This was the world’s largest ever public opinion poll survey. The survey asked: What matters most in life? People everywhere valued good health and a happy family life more highly than anything else. Where economic performance was poor, they also stressed jobs. The survey also showed that most people around the globe consider the protection of human rights to be the most important task for the United Nations. The younger the respondents, the greater the importance assigned to this goal.
Four Ways for NGOs to Cooperate with the United Nations System
1) NGOs may receive accreditation for a conference, summit or other event organized by the United Nations. Such accreditation is issued through the Secretariat preparing the event and expires upon the completion of the event. It entitles NGOs to participate in the preparation process and in the event itself, thus contributing to its outcome.
2) NGOs may establish working relations with particular Departments, Programs or Specialized Agencies of the United Nations system, based on shared fields of interest and potential for joint activities complementing the work of the United Nations office in a particular area.
3) International NGOs active in the field of economic and social development may seek to obtain consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). For requirements concerning consultative status with ECOSOC, please contact the NGO Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at the following address: Chief, NGO Section, DESA, One United Nations Plaza, Room DCI-1480, United Nations, New York, NY 10017
4) NGOs that have the commitment and the means to conduct effective information programs with their constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities either by publishing newsletters, bulletins and pamphlets, radio or television programs, or through their public activities such as conferences, lectures, seminars or workshops, and that have an established record of continuity of work for a minimum of three years, may apply for association with the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). Interested NGOs should send to the DPI/NGO Section an official letter of request for such association, accompanied by at least six different samples of UN-related information materials. The NGO Section will determine if the formal application process for association can proceed. Correspondence should be forwarded to: Chief, NGO Section, DPI, Room S-1070L, United Nations, New York, NY 10017
Whether affiliated with the United Nations system or not, NGOs can obtain United Nations public information materials from the United Nations Information Centers in countries of their operations. They can also access UN information on the Internet at: http://www.un.org and http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection.
Questions and Answers about NGO consultative status
Q. How many NGOs are there in consultative status?
A. Currently there are 1603 NGOs in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and some 400 NGOs accredited to the Commission on Sustainable Development, a subsidiary body of ECOSOC
Q. What is consultative status?
A. Non-governmental, non-profit public or voluntary organizations may be admitted into a mutually beneficial working relationship with the United Nations by attaining consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This status is based on Article 71 of the Charter of the United Nations and on ECOSOC resolution 1996/31 adopted in 1996. The rights and privileges enumerated in detail in ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, enable qualifying organizations to make a contribution to the work programs and goals of the United Nations by serving as technical experts, advisers and consultants to governments and Secretariat. Sometimes, as advocacy groups, they espouse UN themes, implementing plans of action, programs and declarations adopted by the United Nations. In concrete terms this entails their participation in ECOSOC and its various subsidiary bodies through attendance at these meetings, and also through oral interventions and written statements on agenda items of those bodies. In addition, organizations qualifying for General Category consultative status may propose new items for consideration by the ECOSOC. Organizations granted status are also invited to attend international conferences called by the U.N., General Assembly special sessions, and other intergovernmental bodies. [The participation modalities for NGOs are governed by the rules of procedure of those bodies.]
Q. What are the procedures for obtaining consultative status with the ECOSOC?
A. In order to obtain consultative status an organization's application must be reviewed by the Committee on NGOs of the ECOSOC, composed by 19 States members of the United Nations which meets every year. The Committee recommends to the ECOSOC which organizations should be granted one of three categories (General, Special, and Roster). The recommendation then goes to the ECOSOC, with the full ECOSOC making the final decision. In order to begin the process for applying for such status an organization must contact in writing the NGO Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The letter should be on the organization's letterhead and signed by its secretary general or president. Once the NGO section receives the letter of intent, the application package containing the questionnaire and all the background materials is mailed to the organization. The deadline for receiving completed applications is June 1 of each year. For example, complete applications, (which include a completed questionnaire and all the required supporting documentation) received by the NGO Section before 1 June 2001, will be taken up by the Committee on NGOs in the year 2002.
Q. What are the requirements for obtaining consultative status?
A. Non-governmental, non-profit voluntary organizations may be admitted into consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The types of NGOs that can apply for consultative status, the requirements for obtaining status, as well as duties and responsibilities of the NGOs in consultative status are enumerated in detail in ECOSOC resolution 1996/31. Among other requirements, the organization's activities must be relevant to the work of ECOSOC. The NGO must have a democratic decision making mechanism. The NGO must be in existence (officially registered with the appropriate government authorities as an NGO/non-profit) for at least 2 years in order to apply. The basic resources of the organization must be derived in the main part from contributions of the national affiliates or other components or from individual members.
Q. What is the difference between General category, Special category and Roster?.
Organizations wishing to apply for General Category must be "concerned with most of the activities of the ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies". These tend to be fairly large, established international NGOs with a broad geographical reach. Special Category is granted to NGOs "which have a special competence in, and are concerned specifically with, only a few of the fields of activity covered by the ECOSOC". These NGOs tend to be smaller and more recently established. Organizations which "can make occasional and useful contributions to the work of ECOSOC or its subsidiary bodies" are included in the Roster. These NGOs tend to have a rather narrow and/or technical focus.
For additional information you may wish to consult the following web sites and references.
Web Sites:
www.un.org; social and economic development - www.un.org/esa and www.un.org/esa/subindex; human rights - www.un.org/rights ;peace and security - www.un.org/peace ;women - www.un.org/womenwatch ;youth - www.un.org/partners/civil_society/csyouth.htm
References:
Notes and printed material from the 53rd Annual DPI/NGO Conference, "Global Solidarity: The Way to Peace and International Cooperation", August 28-30, 2000.Speech titled, "Best Practices: Advancing Our Shared Agenda" by Mats Karlsson, Vice President for External Affairs and United Nations Affairs, World Bank.Report from "We the Peoples Millennium Forum: Declaration and Agenda for Action, May 22-26, 2000.Report of the Secretary-General, Fifty-fourth session, Agenda item 49 (b), The Millennium Assembly of the United Nations, "We the Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the Twenty-First Century".
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Remson, O. Carm., directs the New Orleans chapter of Bread for the World, one of the component departments of the Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice. Sr. Jane Remson entered the Congregation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 1958. She served in the Philippines where she co-founded the Mount Carmel Mobile Clinic, a program that provides medical assistance and grassroots community organizing training to women living in the barrios surrounding Dumaguete City, Philippines. She also serves as president of the New Orleans Artists Against Hunger and Homelessness, a philanthropic organization that provides funds for agencies that provide food and shelter to the needy of metropolitan New Orleans. Sr. Remson is a co-founder of My House, Inc., a neighborhood center for learning. My House aims to prevent homelessness through education by providing educational enrichment and tutorial programs to students K through senior high. Sr. Remson serves as a member of the Leadership Team for the Congregation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
