BKUN Newsletter

United Nations/Civil Society Relations
Boosting Participation, Responsiveness, in a New Century

A new blue-ribbon panel on relations between the UN and various civil society organizations has been designated to make sweeping assessments of these interactions, as a basis for recommending improvements. The 11 members — affiliated with governments, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the private sector — join chair President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil, who was appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Creation of the panel was originally proposed as part of a broad set of reform measures designed to make the UN more efficient and capable of responding to the new demands of the 21st century. Among the group’s areas of exploration are:

• Participation in UN processes by nongovernmental organizations and other actors encompassing parliamentarians and the private sector.

• Ways for civil society actors from developing countries to play a fuller role in UN activities

• Identification of best practices both within the UN system and in other international bodies

Recommendations, to be issued within 12 months, will be based on the best practices so determined.

For more information, contact Tim Wall of the UN Department of Public Information, Development Section, e-mail wallt@un.org.

— Information from UN Press Release


Summer 2003 \| Issue 1, Volume 1 \| Back to the main BKUN site
• Introduction News Stories: Message from Dadi Janki Sister, Catch This Dime President of India Inaugurates Newest BK Retreat Centre Croatian Business Leaders Think Global BK Participation in COMESA World Social Forum in Brazil Commission on the Status of Women UNESCO Workshop on Righting Racism United Nations/Civil Society Relations World Summit on the Information Society BK Portraits— Third Eye	United Nations/Civil Society Relations Boosting Participation, Responsiveness, in a New Century A new blue-ribbon panel on relations between the UN and various civil society organizations has been designated to make sweeping assessments of these interactions, as a basis for recommending improvements. The 11 members — affiliated with governments, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the private sector — join chair President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil, who was appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Creation of the panel was originally proposed as part of a broad set of reform measures designed to make the UN more efficient and capable of responding to the new demands of the 21st century. Among the group’s areas of exploration are: • Participation in UN processes by nongovernmental organizations and other actors encompassing parliamentarians and the private sector. • Ways for civil society actors from developing countries to play a fuller role in UN activities • Identification of best practices both within the UN system and in other international bodies Recommendations, to be issued within 12 months, will be based on the best practices so determined. For more information, contact Tim Wall of the UN Department of Public Information, Development Section, e-mail wallt@un.org. — Information from UN Press Release