8 – 10 September 2001
United Nations Headquarters, New York
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At their meeting in New York, 8 – 10 September, participants from 30 United Nations Associations agreed that WFUNA should aim to issue an annual report before the General Assembly convenes on progress toward fulfillment of the Millennium Summit Declaration.
They welcomed H.E. Harri Holkeri, President of the 55th General Assembly, who gave the keynote address, and valued his suggestions for strengthening NGO relations with his office.
The group of people who came together for the meeting was diverse, and well balanced in terms of age and gender, with many active young participants. They endorsed WFUNA’s new strategic directions, including development of an online peoples’ movement for the UN, the priority focus on Africa and the continued strengthening of the WFUNA Academy for a Better UN. They shared ideas about how UNAs could communicate with each other and WFUNA more effectively, including strategies for promoting support for the UN in their countries.
Participants affirmed their interest in having another meeting at the same time next year.
The Annual Meeting for UNAs had two main objectives:
1) To share information and ideas on how UNAs and WFUNA could help to implement the Millennium Summit Declaration.
2) To give all the UNAs an opportunity to participate in the renewal of WFUNA and in shaping our strategic directions.
The highlights of the program were the welcome reception on Saturday 8 September, which was the first anniversary of the adoption of the Millennium Summit Declaration.
The following statement accompanied the invitations:
In welcoming members of United Nations Associations at the reception on Saturday 8 September, WFUNA takes pride in celebrating the first anniversary of the Millennium Summit Declaration, adopted by 99 Heads of States, 3 Crown Princes and 47 Heads of Government during the Millennium Summit.
WFUNA Secretary General, Ambassador Blinken, wrote to all the Heads of State and Government, offering WFUNA’s full co-operation to implement the commitments they made, by helping to communicate the significance of the Millennium Declaration and to design strategies for reaching the targets.
As the original peoples’ movement for the UN, with a history dating back to 1946, WFUNA is convinced that the role of the people in shaping the UN’s global agenda is now more important than ever before. The main purpose of this WFUNA meeting for UNAs, which will be addressed by H.E. Harri Holkeri, President of the General Assembly, is to share ideas about their role in helping to implement the Millennium Declaration.
About 120 people attended the reception hosted by the Secretary General, Ambassador Donald Blinken. Mrs Sorensen brought a message from the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan and Mr Sinha and Mr Arthur Ross addressed the gathering.
On Sunday, we met at the Church Centre from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm. The day was outlined as follows:
1) Welcome remarks from the Vice-Chairs of the WFUNA Executive Committee
2) Report of the Secretary General, Ambassador Blinken
3) Keynote address, President of the General Assembly, H.E. Harri Holkeri
4) Roundtable discussions on strategies for implementing the Millennium Declaration
5) Briefings on WFUNA Academy for Better UN, Online Peoples’ Movement for the UN, Focus on Africa Project
6) Roundtable discussion on WFUNA’s strategic directions for the future.
There was an informal dinner at the Maharaja Restaurant on Sunday evening.
The Annual DPI/NGO conference opened at the UN on Monday morning, which many participants attended. We were delighted that Shashi Tharoor, USG for the Department of Public Information (DPI) referred specifically in his opening address to the WFUNA annual meeting and our commemoration of the Millennium Summit Declaration Anniversary. Over 30 UNAs were registered for the conference (including one, the UNA-Philippines, which was not registered for the WFUNA meeting and with whom we seem to have no contact.)
In the afternoon, an informal meeting was convened by the WFUNA Secretary-General to receive feedback comments on the outcomes of the meeting on Sunday. Nearly everyone who had been at the meeting came along and shared their views, giving very positive affirmation of the value of the meeting, their confidence in WFUNA and their support for having another such meeting at the same time next year.
The shattering events of the following day, Tuesday 11 September, impacted upon us all. We issued a statement on Tuesday 12 September and placed it on the WFUNA Website, together with many UNA messages of condolence and solidarity.
As a result of the suicide attack on the World Trade Centre, many participants were unable to get flights out of New York until the weekend, so we had the occasion to continue our dialogues and discussions, notably with respect to development of the WFUNA Academy for A Better UN.
UNA representatives from 40 countries registered to participate in the meeting, but in the event the number dropped to 30. The list of participants is attached.
It was encouraging for those of us organizing the meeting that so many UNAs expressed an interest in participating. In light of this strong expression of interest, it was decided to hold the 179th Executive Committee meeting in New York on Saturday 8 September, which meant that UNA representatives had the opportunity to meet many Ex Co members. Unfortunately the Chairperson of the Ex Co, Sirpa Pietikäinen was not with us due to her father’s ill health. In her absence, Mr Chen Pinchu, Vice-Chair of the Ex Co, chaired the meeting. WFUNA President, Hashim Abdul Halim sent Mr Prabodh Sinha as his proxy, as he was traveling with a Commonwealth Parliamentary Delegation to Australia.
We were particularly pleased that the following African UNAs registered participants – Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Kenya and Uganda. It was very disappointing that only one African representative actually attended – Mrs Amira Yassein, UNA-Sudan. It was good that she was with us, but we need to make sure in future that all our colleagues and friends from Africa are able to participate in future meetings.
We understand that visas were not issued in time for some participants to travel. In future we shall try to ensure long lead times so that such technical problems can be overcome.
The group of people who came together for the meeting was nevertheless rich in diversity and very well balanced in terms of age and gender. It was very pleasing to see many young people taking the initiative to speak on behalf of their groups in the wider discussions. In the feedback session on Monday, many appreciative comments were made about the creative design of the meeting, which enabled everyone to have a say, to be fully included and to meet each other. Participants were glad to have the opportunity to meet, often for the first time, and to feel part of the renewal of WFUNA.
by H.E. Mr. Harri Holkeri, President of the 55th General Assembly.
Mr Holkeri delivered the keynote address, saying that he felt honored to join the celebration of the first anniversary of the Millennium Summit Declaration with members of United Nations Associations from all over the world. He welcomed the efforts of the World Federation and the national associations to show leadership in designing projects and policies to implement the Millennium agenda, noting that UNAs are in a special position to open new avenues for civil society to engage in productive dialogue and concrete projects with the UN. Mr. Holkeri’s statement is attached to the hard copy of this report.
Mr Holkeri received a standing ovation and many of us went to congratulate him for his outstanding leadership in support of stronger relations between the UN and NGOs.
The Millennium Summit Declaration was adopted by consensus with the support of the largest ever gathering of Heads of State and Government at the UN. This makes it a singularly important document. Following the letter of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Blinken, to Heads of State and Government offering WFUNA’s cooperation, WFUNA and UNAs are well positioned to take a leading role in mobilizing community-based activities in support of implementation. Each year the UN Secretary-General will give priority to a Theme, with a view to better integrating the activities of the UN to achieve the objectives and targets of the Declaration.
It was agreed that WFUNA should aim to issue an annual report before the General Assembly convenes on progress toward fulfillment of the Millennium Summit Declaration. We might enlist a number of NGOs in preparation of such a report but properly done it could command a lot of attention and respect, certainly in the UN community and perhaps to a much larger audience.
As well, WFUNA’s support for the Declaration could be translated into a specific proposal – namely that future sessions of the annual DPI/NGO Conference could focus on the Secretary-General’s chosen Theme, so that the deliberations of NGOs might nourish the ensuing General Assembly Debate. In his address to the Opening session of the DPI/NGO Conference, Mr Holkeri endorsed this proposal, which was one of the recommendations of the UN Outreach to Civil Society Symposium, held in May under his Patronage. WFUNA was a co-sponsor and produced the report of the Symposium. A copy is available on the WFUNA Website.
It was considered that WFUNA should explore the possibility of working closely with the Korean President of the 56th General Assembly, with the aim of convening a meeting to continue the dialogue on how to strengthen relations between civil society and the UN. Professor Kyu-Taik Kim, our Korean colleague of the Executive Committee, welcomed this suggestion.
The meeting gave rise to many suggestions for how WFUNA and UNAs could help implement the Declaration, including:
§ Sharing information about the strategic role UNAs can play in influencing their governments to support the United Nations and to implement the Declaration
§ Monitoring reports showing UNA best practices within the framework of the Declaration, e.g. for poverty eradication
§ Produce translations of the Declaration in local languages and versions for school children
§ Integrate the goals and targets into all policy statements and briefing papers
§ Seek to collaborate with UN offices on projects and strategies related to the Declaration.
§ Ensure that WFUNA representatives at UN conferences relate the Declaration to the relevant issues of the meeting.
§ WFUNA could give consideration to issues that could be more fully reflected in the Declaration, such as a peace education.
There was firm support for WFUNA’s mission statement:
The mission of the World Federation of United Nations Associations is to inform, sustain and energize a global network of United Nations Associations to support the principles and programs of the United Nations and to help shape its agenda.
The current strategic priorities flow from the mission statement:
1) Build a global network of UNAs
2) Communicate and share information
3) Sustain the global network of UNAs
4) Energize the global agenda
5) Help to shape the UN agenda
In the course of discussion, participants expressed strong support for the strategic priorities that WFUNA was pursuing.
It was agreed that payment of membership dues and fundraising were integral to all strategic planning and a continuing top priority for WFUNA and for UNAs. Fundraising activities could include engaging national celebrities in the work of the UN and UNAs and developing links with companies that had signed on to the Global Compact.
WFUNA could write letters of support for the fundraising activities of UNAs.
As WFUNA regains its vitality, it will depend on membership dues to deliver its potential. An appeal was made to all UNAs to pay their dues promptly and to the full amount to the New York office. (The account details are being advised separately).
The role of regional offices was widely regarded as important and needed strengthening. Some participants felt that UNAs should promote the relevance of the United Nations to local and regional matters first, and then relate them to a wider geographical area and to on-going global events.
There was keen interest in ways that WFUNA and UNAs could promote partnerships with UN agencies, in working to increase the UN’s influence and authority throughout the world, for example:
WFUNA should seek a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UNDP
UNA-Canada had been invited by UNEP to form the National Committee for the World Conference on Sustainable Development, September 2002. This is the kind of model partnership that could be duplicated by other UNAs.
Suggestions for enhancing communication and information sharing, high priorities for everyone, included
UNAs should be more proactive in sharing information with WFUNA and within the UNA network on ongoing and future projects.
WFUNA should collect and distribute information about UNA participation at international conferences and forums for NGOs.
Optimal use should be made of information and communication technologies to develop a sense of a global network among UNAs and WFUNA.
The role of radio transmission should not be neglected.
WFUNA should strive for greater public visibility through the media
Model UN - all UNAs should support Model UN activities at all levels of education
Engagement of youth on issues of interest to them – beyond Model UN, which only reached a certain segment.
Participants were briefed on this Project which aims to see a UNA in every African UN member state within 3 years, all linked to the Internet and with the capacity to serve as the hub of community-based activity in support of the UN. The project was welcomed and suggestions were offered to enhance its implementation, including:
WFUNA produce membership enrolment and other forms for UNAs to use
Develop partnerships with other international NGOs with a presence on the ground in Africa, e.g. Rotary
Encourage UNAs to launch more programs to address youth and women’s issues.
The meeting received reports from participants in the sessions of the WFUNA Academy for a Better UN, held in Argentina and South Africa. Both sessions had been very successful in stimulating increased cooperation among UNAs and WFUNA and in the setting up of new UNAs, particularly in Africa. It was widely agreed that WFUNA should continue to conduct sessions of the Academy – and that this should encompass all training and educational activities, including UNA summer schools, such as the one that will be run again by UNA-Estonia next year.
Our special thanks go to Mr Arthur Ross and to Soka Gakkai for their generous support of the meeting. And a warm thank you to all the participants who came and contributed their ideas and insights to the discussions and dialogues. As the original peoples’ movement in support of the United Nations, WFUNA is nothing without the commitment and creative energy of people in UNAs throughout the world.
WFUNA President
Prabodh Sinha proxy for Mr Hashim Abdul Halim
Honorary President
Mr Arthur Ross - USA
Vice-Presidents
Dr Lucille Buchanan - Jamaica
Mr Bonian Golmohammadi – Proxy for Mr Gabelic, Sweden
WFUNA Treasurer
Mr Michael Michalis - Cyprus
Executive Committee members
Mr Chen Pingchu, Vice Chair - China
Amb. William vanden Heuvel, Vice Chair - USA
Mrs Rena Shashua-Hasson - Israel
Dr. Kyu-Taik Kim - Korea
Lady Rhyl Jansen - New Zealand
Dr Cemil Ozgul - Turkey
Mr Malcolm Harper - UK
Representatives of UNAs
Prof. Salahuddin Ahmed - Bangladesh
Mrs Jacqueline Richard and Ms Magda Biesmans - Belgium
Mr Vladimir Sotirovil and Emil Konstantinov and Petranka Fileva - Bulgaria
Mr Steve Mason - Canada
Ms Kristine Kuhn Hove - Denmark
Mr John Gaigain / Mr Francis Lorenzo - Dominican Republic
Dr Francisco Lopez Bermudez – Ecuador
Mr Rain Rannu - Estonia
Mr. Rauno Merisaari - Finland
Dr Rene Klaff - Germany
Mr Sagar Ahluwalia, Mr Sundeep Bhutoria and Mr P.S. Paul – India
Mr Aviars Fogel and Ms Anne Charles - Latvia
Dr Algis Tomas Geniusas - Lithuania
Dr. Dinesh Ramjattun and Mr. Rafick Elahee - Mauritius
Dr Enrique Brito - Mexico
Mrs Kate Smith and Sir Ross Jansen - New Zealand
Mr Alexei Borisov - Russia
Mr Xavier Guerrero Fernandez – Spain
Mrs Amira Mohamed Osman Yuassin - Sudan
Amb Irma Tobing-Klein, Stephany Kasketi, Gina Persuad,
Anoesha Sahebdin, Hellen Kensenhuis and Jurgen Lisse - Suriname
Mr Pauli Kristiansson - Sweden
Mr Rod Fielding - United Kingdom
Mrs Louise Kantrow, Mr Larry Levine and Mr Robert Thompson - United States
Secretariat
Amb. Donald Blinken, Secretary-General
Ms Pera Wells, Deputy Secretary-General
Ms Paula France, General Manager
Kirstin Janssen-Holldiek, Cristina Barbaglia, Victoria Pekhnik,
Orlando Iglesias and Patricia Ruiz-Navarro - Interns and volunteers
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