<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="country-region" downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="City" downloadurl="http://www.5iamas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place" downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="State" downloadurl="http://www.5iamas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PersonName" downloadurl="http://www.microsoft.com"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
h3
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
@page Section1
{size:595.3pt 841.9pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Dear all, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Below might be of interest to some of you.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Best<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Renata<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:bold'>NGO
Meeting with UNGA President, Jan Eliasson<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on"><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>Geneva</span></font></b></st1:City></st1:place><b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>, November 22, 2005<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>UNGA
President, Jan Eliasson was in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Geneva</st1:City></st1:place>
21-22 November to meet with the Human Rights Community to discuss the future
Human Rights Council. He met on Monday with the Regional Coordinators, attended
on Tuesday morning an informal session of the Commission on Human Rights, open
to NGOs, and met with the larger NGO community on Tuesday afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>1. The UNGA
President recalled his early background in NGOs. He said we were in a crisis
for multilateralism: we need to live together, to work together, yet we do not have
the multilateral tools that are necessary<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>2. The UNGA
September 2005 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Summit</st1:City></st1:place>
was perhaps not fully adequate, but it contained many advances for multilateral
cooperation. Ongoing negotiations on which he hoped to get agreement (quality
consensus) before the end of the year were on the Peacebuilding Commission, the
Human Rights Council, the comprehensive Convention against Terrorism, the
revitalisation of ECOSOC, and UN management reform<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>3. <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">Renate Bloem</st1:PersonName> (CONGO) thanked for this opportunity of
interaction with NGOs and hoped that the same would be given to colleagues in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">New York</st1:State></st1:place>. She then asked
that in creating the new Human Rights Council, the rights and responsibilities
given to NGOs in the present UNCHR be at the least maintained, and a clause
should be in a GA resolution, transferring 1996/31 practices. She further
inquired about the role of civil society in the new Peace Commission and in
which way any reformed/strengthened ECOSOC would be more open to civil society,
in particular in follow up of the major UN Conferences, including the just
finished Tunis Summit <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>4<b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>. Others questions were asked on<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'> </span></font></b>-
recognition of indigenous populations<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> - the UN Sub
commission on Human rights<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> - the methods
of work of the new HR Council<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>5. Eliasson said
he hoped the HR Council would retain the best practices of UNCHR;that the peace
building commission should be field oriented, to get optimum results; that the
GA itself needed to be revitalised and the time was very opportune for that<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>6. <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>Further questions were put on<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'> </span></font></b>-
renewing the NGO/Civil Society June 2005 Hearings during 2006, hopefully in
September before or during the GA<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> - adequate
financing of the UN to enable it to do the job(s) required of it<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> - the role of
ECOSOC in the elimination of poverty, including seeking the participation of the
poor<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> - the timing
of the push for reforms<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> - the need
for UN structures to be involved in conflict prevention<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>7. Eliasson
responded that he had no dates yet for further NGO-type Hearings but that there
would be such events during his Presidency; that the next stage for discussing
UN financing would be the Committee on Assessment of Contributions in later
2006; that poverty and development were interlinked, and the trade dimension
was crucial - unfortunately the prospects for progress at the WTO Hong Kong
Ministerial were currently slim; the timing on reform was urgent a) because of
realities, b) because many of the issues had been debated already for 12 to 18
months, c) because the September Summit asked for action during the 60th UNGA<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>8. <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>Further questions were put on<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> - more
socially-oriented business practices, allied to
internationally-accepted taxation mechanisms<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> - how to
include NGOs as representatives of democracy in UN processes and provide for them
some funding for grass-roots work<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>9. Eliasson said
there is a tremendous role for business in solving the world's problems and
urged participation in the UN Global Compact - enlightened self-interest was as
important as idealism; globalisation is the right course but we all have to be
alert to some bad effects and remedy them; the growth of civil society in
developing countries was crucial to good governance and INGOs should support
this.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>10. During the
course of the meeting, Eliasson said that his staff would be making
arrangements to have a similar meeting shortly with NGOs based in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">New York</st1:State></st1:place>. The timing
would of course depend on his GA Presidential obligations.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Note by <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">Cyril Ritchie</st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>CyrilRitchie<br>
CICCase20<br>
CH-1211Genève20<br>
Tél.</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=FR style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>+4122733.6717<br>
Fax+4122734.7082<br>
E-mail : </span></font><span class=MsoHyperlink><u><font color=blue><span
lang=FR>c.ritchie@fiig.org<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=FR style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=FR style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=FR style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=FR style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=FR style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Renate Bloem</span></font></st1:PersonName><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>President
of the Conference of NGOs (<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">CONGO</st1:country-region></st1:place>)<br>
11, Avenue de la Paix<br>
CH-1202 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Geneva</st1:City></st1:place><br>
Tel: +41 22 301 1000<br>
Fax: +41 22 301 2000<br>
E-mil: <a href="mailto:rbloem@ngocongo.org">rbloem@ngocongo.org</a><br>
Website: <a href="http://www.ngocongo.org">www.ngocongo.org</a></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The Conference of NGOs (CONGO) is an international,
membership association that facilitates the participation of NGOs in United
Nations debates and decisions. Founded in 1948, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">CONGO</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s major objective is to
ensure the presence of NGOs in exchanges among the world's governments and
United Nations agencies on issues of global concern. For more information
see our website at <a href="http://www.ngocongo.org">www.ngocongo.org</a></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:navy'>.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>