[WSIS CS-Plenary] Drastic changes to the proposed WSIS implementation mechanisms in the new text

[Dr. Francis MUGUET]

Dear Parminder , Bertrand,, Robert, Jean-Louis and others,

Just a short answer

>
> At this stage we need to pitch in for a new and exclusive 
> implementation/ follow-up mechanism, outside the 57/270 B framework. 
> However difficult to achieve this should still , in my view, be our 
> single-point agenda in the current round, and therefore we should 
> insist on keeping the existing text of points 10, 11 and 29.
>
Yes, it is exactly the point.
Here is my tentative reconstitution of what happenned :

Jan 2003 : Resolution 57-270 
<http://www.wsis-si.org/DOCS/resol57-270-24jan03-N0255723.html> : 
nothing more than a call to form a working group.

13 May 2005 : The updated report of the working group is finished on May 
13 2005, but it is unclear
if this report has been made public at that date.

11 July 2005 : GFC6 nothing special

Beginning of August : Karklins gets an advanced notice of
the Note of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly 
<http://www.wsis-si.org/DOCS/noteSG-19aug05-N0546732.html>
and the updated report. He then scrambled unilateraly to
write a text that mention indirectly the report
"The modalities of coordination of implementation activities among the 
UN agencies should
be defined by the UN Secretary General on the basis of existing practices
within the UN system [and within the WSIS]. "
Karklins is cautious however, and mention the WSIS ( in bracket ? )

19 August 2005 : Note of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly 
<http://www.wsis-si.org/DOCS/noteSG-19aug05-N0546732.html> -
The report is now fully known and cannot be ignored by the WSIS.

The irony of this, is that the WSIS might be to be first summit where
the recommendations of the working group setup following the
resolution 57-270 could possibly ( and I hope not ) apply.

Now, one must remenber that at the UN, whatever is not political,
is ECOSOC. The question is : is the IUT relevant to the general
assembly or to the ECOSOC ?

One other crucial aspect in the new text is that now the follow-up and 
implementation
seems to be disctinct.

All the documents I am mentionning have been uploaded and links are there :
http://www.wsis-si.org/si-tunis-post2.html

Best regards

Francis

> (Only later, if at the prepcom we see that there is no way anything 
> beyond 57/270 is going to be agreed, should we try to salvage the best 
> out of that framework, an activity which, as Francis says, is going to 
> be a subtle exercise. This however doesn’t stop us at this point to 
> gather all the ammunition for that later stage to get the best points 
> out of 57/270, but lets not dilute our outward strategy for the moment)
>
> But to make this advocacy point forcefully we will be up against this 
> one simple question – WHY, WHAT’S SO DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS SUMMIT FOR 
> IT TO DESERVE IMPLEMENTATION/ FOLLOW UP MECHANISM OUTSIDE THE REGULAR 
> ONES ??
>
> And we need to prepare good answers to this, and lobby others with them.
>
> Points like,
>
>     * as Francis says WSIS is not only about economic and social
>       issues but much wider (practically everything!!) and this shd
>       put is beyond 57/270
>
>     * And the fluid and evolving nature of IS issues was acknowledged
>       in the fact that for the first time a summit was held in two
>       phases. A sustained structural follow-up is only an extension of
>       the same logic. We have found no reason since the start of the
>       century to see that IS evolution is flagging, rather with each
>       passing day things and paradigms seem to be changing faster,
>       confirming the beliefs that set up the context of WSIS.
>
>     * Quoting form my earlier email - The implementation- follow-up of
>       WSIS cannot be equated with that of other UN summits, because
>       the nature of WSIS is very different from these other UN
>       summits. All the earlier summits dealt with an existing
>       problem/issue more or less fully formed, about which the global
>       community needed to give a coordinated response. WSIS however is
>       about an emerging context and opportunity, and most of its
>       issues may be in the future, and often, definitionally, (as
>       consisting a new societal arrangement implicit in the IS
>       terminology used by WSIS), defying existing mandate and
>       jurisdiction of global organizations.
>
>     * I know that many still doubt the relevance of a detailed
>       implementation/follow up structures for WSIS. But we must
>       appreciate the fact that these new spaces outside current
>       multi-global structures are badly needed if, in the context of
>       an emerging IS new power relationships between people and
>       institutions, sectors (public, private and civil society) and
>       geo-politically, have to be negotiated. Existing forums will
>       always use their limited mandates to scuttle new interpretations
>       and new paradigm – and IS is rife with new paradigms.
>
>     * To give just one example of what is meant by the above point –
>       US and Japan recently scuttled further talks on elaborating a
>       development agenda at WIPO. And developing countries and the CS
>       at WIPO have been advocating a negotiation of a treaty on access
>       to knowledge, to counter one on IPR (that is, restriction on
>       access to knowledge). WIPO will cite its mandate, constitution
>       or whatever to say that such a thing was not in its ambit. And
>       it is difficult to take this issue up anywhere else. It is
>       relevant to note here that, one of the multi-stakeholder teams
>       as per existing language of para 10 is around the issue of
>       ‘access to knowledge’ (see annexure to chapter 1 of tunis doc).
>       So a relatively elaborate implementation helps us build the
>       skeletal structure on which to peg emerging IS issues. WE MUST
>       SEE THE IMPLEMENTATION/ FOLLOW UP ISSUE IN THIS LIGHT.
>
>     * Developing countries must recognize, and we need to lobby with
>       them, that such structures are in their interest. In the
>       debates, and lobbying efforts, on implementation, we will
>       continuously run into … ‘within their existing resources’ ‘not
>       to make un-necessary new arrangements with financial
>       commitments’ …kind of arguments. To have an implementation
>       structure with an adequate secretariat and other support doesn’t
>       cost that much especially in the context of the hundreds of
>       international meetings etc that keep happening around us with
>       little real outcomes. Legitimatized post-WSIS structures on the
>       other hand will have better chance of moving towards some outcomes.
>
>     * So, the ‘within existing resources’ argument we will keep
>       hearing from developed countries is not so much a real funds
>       issue – they regularly funds much larger scale activities with
>       much lesser outcomes – it is more to avoid more global policy
>       forums and spaces that will of course challenge existing power
>       equations and existing paradigms that suit those who already
>       enjoy more power best.
>
>     * An increasingly more integrated global community, and IS
>       certainly means that, is in-consistent with reduced global
>       public policy spaces. It is an imperative of an emerging IS to
>       expand and re-interpret these spaces. So, with WSIS unlike other
>       summits, implementation and follow-up is not just a process
>       issues, but a content issue. But the problem is that developing
>       countries too do not show much interest in the post-WSIS
>       structural arrangements. Typically, as governments work, they
>       are working with the ‘here and now’ blinders, without vision.
>
> I am enclosing a write up that my organization had done 2 weeks ago on 
> arguing for and developing a CS position on the issue of the new text 
> proposed by the chair of GFC for chapters on implementation/follow-up. 
> It is already dated, in view of all the great inputs given on this 
> list in the last few days. But I’ll still post it.
>
> Regards
>
> Parminder
>
> _________________________________________________
>
> Parminder Jeet Singh
>
> IT for Change
>
> //Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities//
>
> 91-80-26654134
>
> //www.ITforChange.net// <http://www.ITforChange.net>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:* plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org] 
> *On Behalf Of *Bertrand de La Chapelle
> *Sent:* Monday, August 29, 2005 10:02 PM
> *To:* plenary at wsis-cs.org
> *Subject:* Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] drastic changes to the proposed WSIS 
> implementation mechanisms in the new text
>
> Dear Francis, dear all,
>
> If I remember well, the reference to UNGA resolution 57/270B was also 
> specifically and repetitively made by the US delegation as a way to 
> prevent the establishment of any new implementation mechanism.
>
> On a statement related to the importance of the changes, time is very 
> short indeed but the real moment to speak out is September 6, during 
> the open meeting of the Friends of the Chair. Preparing a statement 
> for that date would probably be better than rushing to meet the 
> deadline of August 31st. Who will be there on September 6th ? (I will 
> attend).
>
> Note : I have opened a page on wsis-online for this event. (go to : 
> http://www.wsis-online.net/smsi/classes/won/events/won-events-507606/event-view 
> <http://www.wsis-online.net/smsi/classes/won/events/won-events-507606/event-view>?) 
> Those who plan to attend can (if they are registered on wsis-online of 
> course ..) click on the "I will attend" button on the right hand side 
> of the page and the list of participants on the page will 
> automatically update. This will avoid the endless ping-pong we have on 
> the list every time we try to know who will attend a particular meeting).
>
> On substance, Parminder's points are, in my view, a very good starting 
> point upon which to build. The main element is that the new proposal 
> basically places the implementation primarily in the hands of 
> governments and that the participation of other actors is not as 
> central as it was before, especially at the international level.
>
> Some elements of the new proposal could be considered positive, 
> particularly the fact that international organizations now are asked 
> to facilitate multi-stakeholder efforts and that there is a request 
> for governments to set up at the national level implementation 
> frameworks with the participation of all stakeholders. But the whole 
> thing has lost all teeth (governments are only "encoouraged" to 
> establish such frameworks and international organizations "could" 
> facilitate multistakeholder efforts). If CS could obtain a 
> strenghtening of the formulation, such as : IGOs "should" facilitate 
> and governments "should" establish national implementation frameworks, 
> this could become a very strong basis for moving further after Tunis.
>
> But in general terms, the toning down of the whole document, in 
> contradiction with the explicit demands of many actors, and with no 
> particular consultation with the most progressive of them, is clearly 
> a setback.
>
> One key point should be in September to maintain the pressure to 
> guarantee more interaction on the design of the implementation 
> mechanisms, and the guarantee that the discussions on that matter in 
> PrepCom3 will be fully open.
>
> Best
>
> Bertrand
>
> On 8/29/05, *Dr. Francis MUGUET* <muguet at mdpi.org 
> <mailto:muguet at mdpi.org>> wrote:
>
> [Please note that by using 'REPLY', your response goes to the entire 
> list. Kindly use individual addresses for responses intended for 
> specific people. Your cooperation is highly appreciated]
> _______________________________________
>
>
> Hello folks,
>
> it seems that we are on the war path again... no rest for the
> warriors... !!!
>
> This is going to be a rather long post, but we are at a turning point 
> of the
> WSIS, and we must discuss the heart of the legal matter.
>
> The suggestion of implementing the UNGA resolution 57/270B. came form
> the EU,
> ( 31 May 2005 ) among the last act of the Luxeburg presidency and went
> unoticed
> until now.
>
> http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/listing.asp?lang=en&c_event=gfc|5&c_type=co| 
> <http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/listing.asp?lang=en&c_event=gfc%7C5&c_type=co%7C> 
>
>
> http://www.itu.int/wsis/gfc/docs/5/contributions/EU.doc
> a document available only in the proprietary non-open word format :
>
> *Paragraph 29 WSIS Plan of Action: *
>
> We underline the importance of follow-up based on the progress made in
> the implementation of the WSIS outcome.
>
> The follow-up will focus on the progress made in the implementation of
> WSIS outcomes and identify constraints and obstacles faced in relation
> to implementation. It will further address new challenges and emerging
> issues.
>
> It should take place within the UN framework for integrated and
> coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major
> UN conferences and summits in the economic and social fields as it is
> defined in UNGA resolution 57/270B.
>
>
>
>> As such, it's worth finding and reading UNGA 57/270b and see if what's
>> there fits the case now. I'll leave that for others to do. The
>> reference is below..
>>
>>
>> UN General Assembly Resolution (UNGA) 57/270b (2003)
>>
>> Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the
>> outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the
>> economic and social fields
>> http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/RES/57/270B&Lang=E 
> <http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/RES/57/270B&Lang=E>
>> < 
> http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/RES/57/270B&Lang=E 
> <http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/RES/57/270B&Lang=E>>
>
> I could not access to this URL directly... great for inclusion and
> openness...
> ( the http://daccess-ods.un.org URL is about IBM and LOTUS.... 
> strange... )
>
> the only way to get it seems to go by the way of
> http://www.ods.un.org
>
> Therefore I am putting the documents in text, instead of making links to
> URLs that cannot be easily resolved in the UN documentation system.
>
>
> 24/01/2003 : *_A/RES/57/270A • A/RES/57/270 <JavaScript:ViewDoc(59)>_*
> [ English ]
>
>
>
>
>
> INTEGRATED AND COORDINATED IMPLEMENTATION OF AND FOLLOW-UP TO THE
> OUTCOMES OF THE MAJOR UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS IN THE
> ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL FIELD : RESOLUTION / ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
>
>
>
> Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
> [on the report of the Second Committee (A/57/537)]
> 57/270. Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to
> the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the
> economic and social fields
>
>
>
> Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
>
> [/on the report of the Second Committee (A/57/537)/]
>
> *57/270. Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to
> the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the
> economic and social fields*
>
>
>
> /The General Assembly/,
>
> /Recalling /its resolutions on the restructuring and revitalization of
> the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields,
> particularly its resolution 50/227 of 24 May 1996,
>
> /Recalling also /its resolution 56/211 of 21 December 2001, as well as
> Economic and Social Council resolution 2001/21 of 26 July 2001 and its
> agreed conclusions 1995/1 of 28 July 1995, 2000/2 of 27 July 2000 and
> 2002/1 of 26 July 2002,
>
> /Taking note /of the report of the Secretary-General on the integrated
> and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcome of the
> major United Nations conferences and summits, including the Millennium
> Summit,^^1 <#sdfootnote1sym>
>
> /Reaffirming /that the internationally agreed development goals,
> including those contained in the United Nations Millennium
> Declaration^^2 <#sdfootnote2sym> and the outcomes of the major United
> Nations conferences and summits, provide a comprehensive basis for
> action at the national, regional and international levels with the key
> objectives of poverty eradication, sustained economic growth,
> sustainable development and improvement of the living conditions of
> people everywhere,
>
> /Reaffirming also /that, while each United Nations conference has its
> thematic unity, major United Nations conferences and summits should be
> viewed as interlinked and contributing to an integrated framework for
> the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals,
> including those contained in the Millennium Declaration, and to a global
> partnership for development,
>
> /Recognizing /the need to continue efforts to use the existing
> structure, namely, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social
> Council and its subsidiary machinery, for coordinated and integrated
> follow-up to and implementation of the commitments agreed upon at the
> Millennium Summit and other major United Nations conferences and
> summits, so as to enhance coordination as well as effectiveness and
> efficiency of actions at all levels,
>
> /Reiterating /the need to strengthen the role of the General Assembly as
> the highest intergovernmental mechanism for the formulation and
> appraisal of policy on matters relating to coordinated and integrated
> follow-up to United Nations conferences and summits in the economic,
> social and related fields,
>
> /Reaffirming /that the Economic and Social Council should continue to
> strengthen its role as the central mechanism for system-wide
> coordination and thus to promote coordinated follow-up to the outcomes
> of major United Nations conferences in the economic, social and related
> fields,
>
> /Emphasizing /that the relevant functional commissions and, as
> appropriate, other relevant intergovernmental bodies of the United
> Nations system, within their mandates, must fulfil their
> responsibilities as specified in the outcomes of the United Nations
> conferences and summits, should further enhance their role as the main
> forums for expert follow-up and review of major United Nations
> conferences and summits and, in this regard, must strengthen their
> efforts to enhance inter-agency collaboration and coordination to
> implement the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and 
> summits,
>
> /Recognizing /that the process of integrated and coordinated follow-up
> to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits
> should not include renegotiation of any outcomes of those conferences,
> including their specific institutional arrangements for follow-up,
>
> 1. /Decides /to establish an open-ended ad hoc working group of the
> General Assembly under the chairmanship of the President of the
> Assembly, with two vice-chairmen to be elected by the working group;
>
> 2. /Also decides /that the work of the working group should be
> consistent with the provisions of resolution 50/227 and the follow-up
> mechanisms decided upon by the respective United Nations conferences and
> summits and should respect the interlinked nature of their outcomes as
> well as the thematic unity of each conference, and emphasizes that
> cross-sectoral thematic issues for further consideration throughout the
> existing structure should be decided upon at the intergovernmental level
> and should focus on implementation, bearing in mind that the process of
> integrated and coordinated follow-up to the outcomes of the United
> Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related
> fields should be fair and balanced and should respect the principle of
> multilateralism and the principles contained in the Charter of the
> United Nations;
>
> 3. /Further decides /that the working group will produce concrete
> recommendations to ensure an integrated and coordinated follow-up to the
> outcomes of the United Nations conferences and summits in the economic,
> social and related fields and will thus contribute to the implementation
> of the internationally agreed development goals, including those
> contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration,^2 bearing in
> mind the continuing reform process of the United Nations and resolution
> 50/227, as well as the views expressed by the Member States on this
> question;
>
> 4. /Decides /that the working group will also consider the work of the
> General Assembly and its Second and Third Committees relevant to the
> integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the
> outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the
> economic, social and related fields as well as the modalities of the
> reports presented to the General Assembly, bearing in mind the
> respective roles of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social
> Council and its functional commissions and subsidiary organs;
>
> 5. /Also decides /that the working group will submit proposals on how
> best to address the review of the implementation of the outcomes of the
> major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and
> related fields, including its format and periodicity, bearing in mind
> the need to recognize the active role of all relevant stakeholders in
> the implementation of the outcomes of United Nations conferences and
> summits;
>
> 6. /Further decides /that future decisions on follow-up to conferences
> whose ten-year anniversaries are imminent shall be kept pending subject
> to the decisions to be taken by the General Assembly on the report of
> the working group;
>
> 7. /Decides /that the working group will consider how to ensure that the
> outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits are
> integrated into the programmes of work of the organs, organizations and
> bodies of the United Nations system and are taken fully into account, as
> relevant, in the operational work and country frameworks of the
> organizations of the United Nations system, in accordance with national
> development objectives and priorities, and requests the United Nations
> System Chief Executives Board for Coordination and the United Nations
> Development Group to contribute to the reflection on integrated
> conference follow-up;
>
> 8. /Also decides /that the working group will commence its substantive
> work during the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, no later
> than January 2003, and will submit its report before 27 June 2003, for
> consideration by the General Assembly and action before the close of the
> fifty-seventh session in 2003;
>
> 9. /Further decides /that at its first meeting the working group will
> consider its work programme, including the issue of the periodicity and
> duration of its meetings within the time boundaries established in
> paragraph 8 above;
>
> 10. /Decides /to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-eighth
> session an item entitled "Integrated and coordinated implementation of
> and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences
> and summits in the economic, social and related fields" and to consider
> it directly in plenary meeting.
>
>
> /78th plenary meeting
> 20 December 2002/
>
> 1 <#sdfootnote1anc> A/57/75 E/2002/57.
>
> 2 <#sdfootnote2anc> See resolution 55/2.
>
>
> therefore all depends on the recommendations of the working group.
>
>
> 22/08/2005 : A/60/275 [ English ]
>
> UPDATED REPORT OF THE SG: ROLE OF THE COUNCIL IN THE INTEGRATED AND
> COORDINATE
> 86% 19/11/2001 : A/C.2/56/L.27 [ English ]
>
> Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the
> outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the
> economic and social fields : draft resolution / Japan
>
> 8/04/2004 : A/58/L.8/REV.1 [ English ]
>
> Follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit and Integrated and
> coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major
> United Nations conferences and summits in the economic and social fields
> : revised draft resolution / submitted by the President of the General
> Assembly
> 85% 27/10/2003 : A/58/L.8 [ English ]
>
> Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the
> outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the
> economic, social and related fields : draft resolution / Morocco [on
> behalf of the Group of 77 and China]
>
> 14/02/2003 : A/AC.269/1 [ English ]
>
>
> Agenda : Ad Hoc Working Group on the Integrated and Coordinated
> Implementation of and Follow-up to the Outcomes of the Major United
> Nations Conferences and Summits in the Economic and Social Fields
>
> 16/06/2003 : A/AC.269/L.2 [ English ]
>
>
> Draft report of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the General Assembly on the
> Integrated and Coordinated Implementation of and Follow-up to the
> Outcomes of the Major United Nations Conferences and Summits in the
> Economic and Social Fields
>
>
> the latest document seems to be :
>
> Sixtieth session
> Item 48 of the provisional agenda*
> Integrated and coordinated implementation of and
> follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations
> conferences and summits in the economic, social
> and related fields
>
>
> * Updated report of the Secretary-General on the role of the Economic
> and Social Council in the integrated and coordinated implementation of
> the outcomes of and follow-up to major United Nations conferences and
> summits, in the light of General Assembly resolutions 50/227, 52/12 B
> and 57/270 B*
>
>
> * Note by the Secretary-General*
>
>
> The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit to the General Assembly
> his updated report on the role of the Economic and Social Council in the
> integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the
> outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits, which was
> prepared in accordance with General Assembly resolution 57/270 B. The
> report, contained in document E/2005/61, was also considered by the
> Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2005.
>
>
> and
>
> 13/05/2005 : *_E/2005/61 <JavaScript:ViewDoc(0)>_* [ English French
> Russian Spanish Arabic Chinese ]
>
>
>
>
> UPDATED REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE ROLE OF THE COUNCIL IN
> THE INTEGRATED AND COORDINATED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OUTCOMES OF AND
> FOLLOW-UP TO MAJOR UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS, IN LIGHT OF
> GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTIONS 50/227, 52/12 B AND 57/270 B
>
>
>
>
>
> * Updated report of the Secretary-General on the role of the Council in
> the integrated and coordinated implementation of the outcomes of and
> follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits, in the light
> of General Assembly resolutions 50/227, 52/12 B and 57/270 B*
>
>
>
>
> / Summary/
>
> At its 2004 substantive session, the Economic and Social Council in its
> resolution 2004/44 decided to merge the review of the progress made in
> the implementation of General Assembly resolutions 50/227, 52/12 B, and
> 57/270 B and requested a single report. Following the request of the
> Council, the present report focuses on progress made in the
> implementation of the three resolutions.
>
> The review of the methods of the work of the General Assembly and its
> Second and Third Committees are ongoing. Further work will be needed to
> complete the consultations successfully. With regard to the Council and
> its subsidiary machinery, progress has been made in several areas,
> including strengthening thematic unity across the different segments of
> the Council's substantive session; review of the working methods of the
> functional commissions; strengthening of the role of the United Nations
> regional commissions in conference follow-up. At the same time
> additional efforts need to be made to enhance cooperation among
> functional commissions and to strengthen cooperation between regional
> commissions and the funds and programmes.
>
>
>
>
> Contents
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> /Paragraphs/
>
>
>
> /Page/
>
> 1.
>
> Background
>
>
>
> 1–4
>
>
>
> 3
>
> 2.
>
> Introduction
>
>
>
> 5–7
>
>
>
> 3
>
> 3.
>
> Further strengthening the role of the General Assembly and its
> Second and Third Committees in the coordinated and integrated
> follow-up to the comprehensive development agenda
>
>
>
> 8–17
>
>
>
> 4
>
> 1.
>
> The General Assembly
>
>
>
> 9–10
>
>
>
> 4
>
> 2.
>
> The Second Committee
>
>
>
> 11–14
>
>
>
> 5
>
> 3.
>
> The Third Committee
>
>
>
> 15–17
>
>
>
> 5
>
> 4.
>
> Further strengthening the role of the Economic and Social Council
> and its subsidiary machinery in the implementation of General
> Assembly resolutions 50/227, 52/12 B and 57/270 B
>
>
>
> 18–37
>
>
>
> 6
>
> 1.
>
> Strengthening the role of the Economic and Social Council
>
>
>
> 18–20
>
>
>
> 6
>
> 2.
>
> Strengthening the work of the United Nations functional
> commissions in support of implementation of General Assembly
> resolutions 50/227, 52/12 B and 57/270 B, as well as
> resolutions 56/201 and 59/250
>
>
>
> 21–30
>
>
>
> 7
>
> 3.
>
> Cooperation between the Council and the United Nations
> regional commissions
>
>
>
> 31–37
>
>
>
> 9
>
> 5.
>
> Strengthening the Council's cooperation with the funds and
> programmes, with specialized agencies and inter-agency bodies, and
> the international financial and trade institutions
>
>
>
> 38–42
>
>
>
> 11
>
> 6.
>
> Complying with the specific mandates of the Council
>
>
>
> 43–52
>
>
>
> 12
>
> 1.
>
> International Conference on Financing for Development
>
>
>
> 43–45
>
>
>
> 12
>
> 2.
>
> The Almaty Programme of Action: addressing the special needs
> of landlocked developing countries within a new global
> framework for transit, transport cooperation
>
>
>
> 46–47
>
>
>
> 13
>
> 3.
>
> Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed
> Countries
>
>
>
> 48–52
>
>
>
> 13
>
> 7.
>
> Enhancing the Council's cooperation with and the role of civil
> society and the private sector for development
>
>
>
> 53–55
>
>
>
> 14
>
>
>
>
> * I. Background*
>
>
>
> 1. In paragraph 39 of its resolution 57/270 B, the General Assembly
> decided to include an item entitled "Integrated and coordinated
> implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United
> Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related
> fields" in the annual agenda of the General Assembly and invited the
> Secretary-General to submit a report on the question.
>
> 2. At its 2004 substantive session, the Economic and Social Council, in
> its resolution 2004/44 decided to merge the review of the progress made
> in the implementation of General Assembly resolutions 50/227, 52/12 B
> and 57/270 B and requested a single report on the implementation of the
> resolutions. The resolutions lend themselves to a joint consideration as
> they build upon and complement each other.
>
> 3. Resolution 50/227, "Further measures for the restructuring and
> revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related
> fields", focuses on ways of enhancing the role of the United Nations in
> the field of development. They include an increase in resources for
> operational activities and greater coherence in the work of the Second
> and Third Committee, and a strengthened role of the Economic and Social
> Council in system-wide coordination and enhanced linkages with trade and
> financial institutions. Resolution 52/12 B, "Renewing the United
> Nations: a programme for reform", includes several provisions relating
> to reforms in the economic and social fields, as well as development and
> humanitarian affairs.
>
> 4. Resolution 57/270 B, "Integrated and coordinated implementation of
> and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences
> and summits in the economic and social fields", aims to enhance
> coherence in the different conference follow-up processes, while
> maintaining their distinct identity. It also provides guidance to better
> coordinate global, regional and national development activities and to
> ensure that those activities are mutually supportive as well as
> contribute to the achievement of the internationally agreed development
> goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. It calls upon the
> Economic and Social Council to continue to strengthen its role as the
> central mechanism for system-wide coordination. It also recognizes the
> need to further strengthen cooperation with the international financial
> and trading institutions and the important role of civil society and the
> private sector in advancing the implementation of conference outcomes.
>
>
>
> * II. Introduction*
>
>
>
> 5. The United Nations summits and conferences of the last 15 years
> generated a global consensus on policies and actions to advance the
> objectives of eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development
> and provide a basic framework for pursuing those objectives. The
> Millennium Summit built on the outcomes of those summits and conferences
> and reinforced some of their key messages. The outcomes, together with
> the development-related aspects of the Millennium Declaration constitute
> the United Nations development agenda (see E/2005/56).
>
> 6. A much sharper focus on implementation of the internationally agreed
> goals and targets of the United Nations development agenda remains
> imperative. Though the Council initiated work on developing an
> integrated approach to the implementation of the conference outcomes by
> focusing on their common themes since 1995, further efforts are required
> to steer the United Nations development system towards both more
> sustained and better integrated follow-up action.
>
> 7. The substantive aspects of an integrated follow-up to conferences
> have been discussed in the report of the Secretary-General for the
> High-level Segment of the Economic and Social Council (A/60/56). The
> present report focuses on progress made in the implementation of the
> three resolutions.
>
>
>
> * III. Further strengthening the role of the General Assembly and its
> Second and Third Committees in the coordinated and integrated follow-up
> to the comprehensive development agenda*
>
>
>
> 8. As called for in resolutions 50/227, 57/270 B, 58/126 and 58/316, the
> review of the work of the General Assembly and its Second and Third
> Committees, especially as they relate to the implementation of and the
> follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences is
> ongoing. It is aimed at enhancing the policy leadership role of the
> General Assembly on development issues. That can be achieved by
> improving working methods that allow maximum focus, visibility and
> political energy towards the achievement of the United Nations
> development agenda.
>
>
>
> * A. The General Assembly*
>
>
>
> 9. Since the General Assembly adopted resolutions 58/126 of 19 December
> 2003 and 58/316 of 1 July 2004, informal consultations have continued
> during its fifty-ninth session on its revitalization. Member States have
> pointed to the need to strengthen the role of the General Committee of
> the Assembly, continue to streamline and reduce the number of items on
> the agenda, adopt shorter and more focused resolutions, and streamline
> documentation without in any way compromising analytical depth and
> coverage. Those broad goals have formed the basis for consultations
> among Member States. While a consensus on improving the methods of work
> of the General Assembly and several of its main committees is yet to
> emerge, consultations are ongoing in the context of the next phase of
> reforms of the Organization. Those consultations are now linked to the
> issues of institutional reform being considered in preparation for the
> September Summit.
>
> 10. In the context of the need for better cooperation and improved
> division of labour between the General Assembly and the Economic and
> Social Council, the Presidents of the General Assembly, the Security
> Council and the Economic and Social Council held two meetings in 2004
> aimed at increased cooperation, coordination and complementarity of the
> work programmes of the three organs, as called for in resolution 58/126.
> That process will continue in the context of the next round of reforms
> and will also need to take into account the proposal to establish a
> peacebuilding commission as proposed in the Secretary-General's report
> for the September Summit (A/59/2005).
>
>
>
> * B. The Second Committee*
>
>
>
> 11. The Chairman of the Second Committee at the fifty-eighth session of
> the General Assembly submitted a set of proposals, which the Committee
> tried to implement during its fifty-ninth session. They include early
> meetings between the outgoing and incoming Bureau; introduction of
> question-and-answer sessions; better use of the Second Committee's
> website; early distribution of and consultation on the organization of
> work; avoidance of overlapping with plenary meetings; elaboration and
> distribution of the Chairman's summary of the general debate; extensive
> but rational use of panels, keynote speakers and round tables;
> compliance with the deadlines for the submission of draft resolutions;
> early start of negotiations and early adoption of resolutions; and
> clustering and better sequencing for the consideration of the agenda of
> the Committee.
>
> 12. During the fifty-ninth session, consultations continued on several
> other aspects of the improvement of the working methods. Following a
> series of consultations, the Second Committee agreed on a conference
> room paper (A/C.2/59/CRP.2/Rev.1) which emphasized the need for reaching
> timely consensus on items on the agenda, preserving the substantive
> nature of the resolutions; organizing discussions and events designed to
> contribute to a broader understanding and consideration of the issues;
> and maintaining the practice of allocating sufficient time after the
> formal consideration of each cluster allowing for negotiations. That
> would help the Committee in adopting resolutions in a timely fashion. It
> also requested the Committee on Conferences to consider advancing the
> timing of the Trade and Development Board meeting so that its report
> could be made available by the middle of September in order to enable
> the timely consideration of sub-items under the "Macroeconomic policy
> questions" cluster. The conference room paper also proposed that side
> events should be held in close proximity to the substantive discussion
> of the relevant agenda items and noted that greater attention should be
> given to the increasing role of side events organized by Member States
> that are related to the agenda of the Committee.
>
> 13. It was agreed that discussions on outstanding issues, related
> especially to the streamlining of the agenda, as well as strengthening
> cooperation with the Third Committee would continue.
>
> 14. *The Second Committee needs to take decisions this year on the
> outstanding issues, particularly streamlining and reclustering items on
> the agenda, and the division of labour and strengthened coordination
> with the Third Committee and the Economic and Social Council.*
>
>
>
> * C. The Third Committee*
>
>
>
> 15. During the fifty-ninth session, the Third Committee approved a
> Chairman's text on the revitalization of its work, deciding to
> rationalize its agenda by merging some items, triennializing others and
> transferring some to the General Assembly in plenary meeting. Several
> far-reaching measures were agreed upon to improve the working methods of
> the Committee. They include measures to promote more interactive
> discussions as part of the formal proceedings; introduction at its
> sixtieth session, on a pilot basis, of interactive debates in an
> informal setting; submitting resolutions that are concise, focused and
> designed to have an impact on policy development; and tabling
> resolutions biennially or at longer intervals and avoiding duplication
> especially where they have already been adopted by the Economic and
> Social Council or its subsidiary bodies.
>
> 16. Significantly, the Third Committee agreed to make renewed efforts to
> reduce the number of requests for reports from the Secretary-General,
> including through consolidation of reports. It was stressed that there
> should be no "automaticity" about requesting the Secretary-General's
> reports.
>
> 17. To strengthen coordination with the other Main Committees, joint
> panel discussions and meetings on issues of common interest were
> highlighted. Those changes are far-reaching and when implemented will
> serve to improve coherence and bring added value to the work of the
> Third Committee, as well as contribute to the work of other Main
> Committees, particularly the Second Committee.
>
>
>
> * IV. Further strengthening the role of the Economic and Social Council
> and its subsidiary machinery in the implementation of General Assembly
> resolutions 50/227, 52/12 B and 57/270 B*
>
>
>
> * A. Strengthening the role of the Economic and Social Council*
>
>
>
> * 1. Promoting a coherent, integrated and coordinated approach*
>
>
> 18. The Economic and Social Council has a critical role to play in
> promoting a coherent, integrated and coordinated approach for the
> achievement of the United Nations development agenda. While efforts have
> been undertaken towards strengthening the role of the Council in
> conference follow-up, there is a need to infuse them with greater
> dynamism and result orientation. The Secretary-General's report at the
> high-level segment highlights the need for the United Nations system to
> integrate and align fully policies and programmes with the United
> Nations development agenda, particularly the Millennium Development
> Goals. At the intergovernmental level, there is an immediate need for a
> more coherent, coordinated and focused approach to monitoring and
> evaluation of the implementation of the development agenda. To that end,
> *the Council needs to finalize, within the framework of actions that
> will be taken in the light of the proposals made in the
> Secretary-General's report at the high-level segment of the Council, the
> requirements contained in paragraph 42 of resolution 57/270 B, in which
> the General Assembly requested it to establish, no later than 2004, a
> four-year multi-year work programme for the coordination segment of its
> substantive session. Efforts should be made to agree on a full four-year
> multi-year programme of work that is effectively linked to the United
> Nations development agenda. *
>
>
> * 2. Ensuring thematic unity and interlinkages between the different
> segments*
>
>
> 19. A clear message emanating from resolution 57/270 B is the need to
> focus the Council's annual session around one broad theme. As a first
> step towards ensuring greater coherence, the Council decided that the
> high-level and coordination segments would focus on the same
> cross-sectoral conference themes (or related themes), but would also
> address them from both a policy development and a coordination
> perspective. In recent years the themes of the high-level segments have
> provided the broad basis for the themes of the coordination and
> operational activities segments. While thematic unity is to be pursued,
> there is a need to address the issue of thematic unity and interlinkages
> among the segments within the framework of the actions that will be
> taken on proposals made in the Secretary-General's report to the
> high-level segment of the Council, in particular the proposal for a peer
> review and the holding of a development cooperation forum.
>
>
> * 3. Streamlining the reporting system*
>
>
> 20. Improving the effectiveness of the reporting system is another
> important element in strengthening the Council's policy setting and
> coordination functions. Reports submitted by the subsidiary, regional
> and related bodies of the Council provide it with a wealth of
> information and policy inputs relevant to not only the coordinated and
> integrated follow-up of the development agenda, but also for policy
> guidance, national development strategy formulation, evaluation and
> international cooperation. The Council has addressed itself to the
> question of better management and use of that information. The Bureau of
> the Council issued guidelines for documentation for the Council and its
> subsidiary bodies, drawn primarily from existing legislation in the
> General Assembly and the Council. The guidelines incorporate further
> steps to help to bring to manageable proportions and give greater focus
> to the documents submitted to the Council by its subsidiary bodies. *The
> subsidiary bodies should be encouraged to adhere to the guidelines for
> documentation. *
>
>
>
> * B. Strengthening the work of the United Nations functional commissions
> in support of implementation of General Assembly resolutions 50/227,
> 52/12 B and 57/270 B, as well as resolutions 56/201 and 59/250*
>
>
>
> 21. The United Nations functional commissions have played a key role in
> the development and implementation of the United Nations development
> agenda, particularly acting as the preparatory committees for the
> international conferences and further in their follow-up. While
> individual functional commissions are, through their multi-year work
> programmes and priority themes, engaged in follow-up of the conference
> outcomes, stronger inter-commission coherence would lead to a more
> coordinated follow-up of the different goals and targets contained in
> the United Nations development agenda.
>
> 22. With that objective in view and to improve their own functioning,
> the General Assembly requested functional commissions and other relevant
> bodies of the Economic and Social Council in resolution 57/270 B^1 to
> review their working methods, strengthen cooperation among themselves,
> find ways to benefit from the lessons learned from each other, and
> report to the Council no later than 2005. That work is ongoing and
> several functional commissions have undertaken the exercise, the outcome
> of which is expected to lead to a more integrated implementation of the
> conference outcomes.
>
>
> * 1. Review of working methods of the functional commissions*
>
>
> 23. Following the request in resolution 57/270 B, to date most
> functional commissions have adopted multi-year programmes of work. To
> ensure continuity, most functional commissions now elect their incoming
> bureau immediately following the closure of their regular sessions. To
> strengthen the regional dimension, several commissions held panel events
> with the United Nations regional commissions as part of their session.
> The new methods of work have also encouraged an enhanced engagement of
> civil society and the private sector. A review of the work of the United
> Nations functional commissions on the implementation of the Millennium
> Declaration is provided in a separate 2005 consolidated report on the
> work of the Economic and Social Council functional commissions. Some
> functional commissions, such as the Commission on the Status of Women,
> the Statistical Commission, the Commission on Population and Development
> and the Commission for Social Development will continue to review their
> working methods at their next regular session. *The Council may wish to
> invite those functional commissions and other relevant subsidiary bodies
> that have not done so, to complete the examination of their methods of
> work, as a matter of urgency, in order to better pursue the
> implementation of the United Nations development agenda. *
>
>
> * 2. Strengthening cooperation between functional commissions*
>
>
> 24. Functional commissions are mostly working independently from one
> another on the follow-up to specific conferences and summits. That has
> caused a degree of compartmentalization and overlap as each functional
> commission tends to look at all thematic areas from within its own
> perspective. While that may be useful in highlighting several dimensions
> of an issue, it also leads to a disparate treatment of issues and
> sometimes does not blend coherently. That needs to be addressed at two
> levels.
>
> 25. At the Secretariat level, exchange of reports and other documents,
> joint activities and contacts between the various secretariats are the
> most common tools employed to ensure coherence of the work of the
> functional commissions. The substantive secretariats of five functional
> commissions that are located in the Department of Economic and Social
> Affairs are working together to coordinate their work programmes.
>
> 26. At the intergovernmental level, there is a need for greater
> interaction among the subsidiary bodies. To facilitate cooperation and
> exchange among the functional commissions and to strengthen coordination
> between the functional commissions and the Council, a meeting was held
> among the Chairs of the functional commissions and between the
> functional commissions and the Bureau of the Council in 2004.
> Information on the progress in the review of their working methods was
> shared with a focus on how to further enhance cooperation among
> functional commissions. Such meetings are also planned for the 2005
> Economic and Social Council substantive session.^2
>
> 27. *The Council should take it upon itself to provide a stronger
> coordinating function, inter alia, by harmonizing the functional
> commissions' multi-year programmes of work and their periodic cycles,
> standardizing reports in a more user-friendly manner, and by promoting
> integration of the outcomes of the deliberations of the functional
> commissions.*
>
> * 3. Fostering cooperation between the functional commissions and the
> funds and programmes*
>
>
> 28. In its resolution 57/270 B,^3 the General Assembly encouraged
> functional commissions to find ways to learn from the experience gained
> and lessons learned by the United Nations funds and programmes in the
> implementation of the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences
> and summits. To that end, functional commissions have made efforts,
> including through discussion panels, with representatives of the funds
> and programmes which have served to enrich each other's work. *The
> exchange of experiences and lessons learned between the functional
> commissions and the funds and programmes should be further enhanced,
> including through briefings by the United Nations Development Group
> Office (UNDGO).*
>
>
> * 4. Strengthening cooperation between the Council and its functional
> commissions*
>
>
> 29. For several years, annual meetings between the Bureau of the Council
> and the bureaux of the functional commissions have taken place. In the
> 2005 annual meeting discussions centred on the work of the commissions,
> measures to enhance collaboration among the functional commissions, and
> a review of their methods of work. The contribution of functional
> commissions to the work of the Council's substantive session on the
> themes of the high-level and coordination segments, as well as the
> possible contributions through the Council to the September Summit, was
> also discussed in the meeting.
>
> 30. Holding joint bureau meetings of the functional commissions and the
> Council during the regular sessions of the commissions allows for better
> coordination, timely information, inputs and guidance. It also has the
> added advantage that senior officials of bureau members participating in
> the Commission deliberations have an opportunity of interacting with the
> Bureau of the Council.
>
>
>
> * C. Cooperation between the Council and the United Nations regional
> commissions *
>
>
>
> 31. Given the significant regional divergences in progress towards the
> achievement of the United Nations development agenda, mainstreaming the
> regional dimension into the overall work of the United Nations assumes
> added importance. This, however, is predicated upon a stronger two-way
> relationship with regional organizations. On the one hand, better
> integration of regional analysis into the global policy deliberations is
> required. On the other hand, comparative advantages of the regional
> commissions need to be better utilized in order to enhance coherence of
> the organizations' activities at the regional level, particularly, those
> undertaken in support of the United Nations development agenda. In that
> context, regional commissions have been given specific mandates from the
> Council for the follow-up of the major global conferences.^4 In
> response, they have undertaken efforts to link regional implementation
> measures with global deliberations and to contribute to policy
> implementation at the regional and country levels. *The Council will
> need to further strengthen its linkages with the regional commissions,
> particularly in the context of the peer reviews, which have been
> proposed by the Secretary-General in his report for the September
> Summit. The Council may wish to explore new modalities of enhancing its
> cooperation with the regional commissions, particularly in the
> preparation of reports on implementation.*
>
>
> * 1. Linking global deliberations with regional implementation 
> initiatives*
>
>
> 32. Cooperation between the Council and the regional commissions is a
> key instrument to ensure that global policy guidance provided by the
> Council is translated into concrete regional and subregional strategies
> for the implementation of the United Nations development agenda,
> including the Millennium Development Goals. It is equally important that
> global entities, when undertaking development initiatives, fully involve
> the relevant regional commissions. In the recent past, regional
> commissions have contributed to, and were involved in the work of the
> functional commissions, in particular, in the five- and ten-year review
> process of major international conferences. For example, in the plus-ten
> follow-up of the Beijing Declaration and Plan of Action and the
> Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, several preparatory
> meetings were held with the regional commissions and their participation
> in the meetings of the respective functional commissions was facilitated.
>
> 33. Several regional commissions have strengthened their role as
> regional bodies for conference follow-up and implementation. In 2003, in
> preparation of the 2004 session of the Commission on Sustainable
> Development, five regional implementation meetings were organized to
> review and assess obstacles, constraints, challenges and opportunities
> in the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further
> Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation,
> with a particular focus on the thematic cluster of water, sanitation and
> human settlement. In 2005, regional implementation meetings will be
> organized in preparation for the 2006 Commission on Sustainable
> Development review session.
>
> 34. An important mechanism for the coherent implementation of and
> follow-up to the major United Nations conferences are the coordination
> meetings between the regional commissions and the funds and programmes,
> as well as the United Nations departments and offices and agencies of
> the United Nations system engaged in regional and subregional
> activities. Such coordination meetings called for by the Economic and
> Social Council in its resolution 1998/46, were launched in 1999 under
> the chairmanship of the Deputy Secretary-General.
>
>
> * 2. Fostering horizontal interregional cooperation*
>
>
> 35. Horizontal interregional cooperation — cooperation between the
> regional commissions — should be strengthened through knowledge sharing
> and networking. Recent meetings of chiefs of transport and programme
> planning, as well as the focal points for information and communication
> technologies and energy are initiatives which enhance cooperation among
> the regional commissions. Such meetings should be extended to other
> substantive areas of work. *Regional commissions should continue their
> efforts to strengthen cooperation among themselves through knowledge
> sharing and networking.*
>
>
> * 3. Strengthening linkages between regional commissions and regional
> bodies/arrangements*
>
>
> 36. Major economic and social processes have been taking place at the
> regional level through regional bodies and arrangements. Examples of
> such processes are regional economic integration, free trade
> arrangements, and regional cross-border investments, infrastructural
> projects like highways, railroads and information technologies. Those
> initiatives of the regional bodies and arrangements have a great impact
> on the common welfare of large populations by reducing poverty and
> unemployment, and are important in the achievement of the development
> goals. *The United Nations regional commissions should play a greater
> supportive role in infrastructure, trade, and technology initiatives of
> regional bodies. *
>
>
> * 4. Enhancing cooperation between regional commissions, funds and
> programmes and specialized agencies*
>
>
> 37. Closer links need to be established between the regional structures
> of the funds and programmes and the respective regional commissions, so
> as to fully utilize the United Nations substantive and operational
> capacity available in each region. The strategic compact between the
> regional commissions and UNDP (July 2000) was an important initiative
> which could be built upon further. The participation of regional
> commissions in the UNDG meetings has served to strengthen policy
> formulation and coordination. *United Nations regional commissions and
> the United Nations funds and programmes should develop closer links
> between themselves in order to enhance coherence in their work at the
> regional level. *
>
>
>
> * V. Strengthening the Council's cooperation with the funds and
> programmes, with specialized agencies and inter-agency bodies, and the
> international financial and trade institutions*
>
>
> 38. A stronger link between the policy guidance role of the Economic and
> Social Council, its functional commissions and the operational
> activities arm is essential to ensure that global policy guidance on the
> integrated and coordinated follow-up to global conferences translates
> into effective support to regional, subregional and national efforts for
> their implementation. Similarly, regional and country-level experiences
> need to permeate further into global thinking and analysis.
>
> 39. That requires stronger linkages and greater coherence between global
> policy guidance and the policies and programmes endorsed by the
> Executive Boards of the United Nations funds and programmes, the
> governing bodies of the specialized agencies, the regional as well as
> the functional commissions, and the bureaux of the international finance
> and trade institutions.
>
> 40. As reviewed in previous sections of the report, several efforts are
> under way to promote cooperation of funds and programmes with functional
> commissions and to revitalize cooperation with the regional commissions.
> Initiatives have also been undertaken to facilitate greater cooperation
> among the governing bodies of the funds and programmes, such as the
> joint meetings of the Executive Boards of UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, and WFP,
> while the annual high-level meeting between the Economic and Social
> Council, the Bretton Woods institutions, WTO and UNCTAD have facilitated
> dialogue among those organizations.
>
> 41. While these important initiatives are works-in-progress, they need
> to coalesce into an integrated and cohesive approach through a United
> Nations system-wide framework. That has important implications for the
> Council's ability to promote a more integrated and coordinated follow-up
> to global conferences within the system in a way that enables it to
> translate such an approach into system-wide strategies and programmes.
>
> 42. Closer links need to be built between the Council and the governing
> bodies of the United Nations system organizations. Meetings between the
> bureaux of the functional commissions and the Bureau of the Council and
> the participation of the chairpersons of the functional commissions in
> the Council's sessions have helped to improve the dialogue between the
> Council and the functional commissions. *Commissions and their
> secretariats should clearly identify the operational implications of
> their work and bring them to the attention of the governing bodies of
> the funds and programmes for their consideration and guidance on
> operational activities to strengthen the link between policy guidance
> and operational activities. *
>
>
>
> * VI. Complying with the specific mandates of the Council*
>
> *A. International Conference on Financing for Development*
>
> 43. The Monterrey Consensus established a follow-up process to the
> Conference in both the General Assembly and the Economic and Social
> Council.
>
> 44. In the General Assembly, resolution 59/225 on "Follow-up to and
> implementation of the outcome of the International Conference on
> Financing for Development" was adopted on 22 December 2004. The General
> Assembly also decided in resolution 59/145 of 17 December 2004 to hold a
> High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development on 27 and 28 June 2005,
> in New York, immediately prior to the Economic and Social Council 2005
> High-level Segment, in order for its recommendations to be considered in
> the preparatory process of General Assembly High-level Plenary Meeting
> and within its framework, to hold a separate meeting on financing for
> development.
>
> 45. The 2005 special high-level meeting of the Council with the Bretton
> Woods institutions, the WTO and (since 2004) UNCTAD, focused on the
> theme of "Achieving the internationally agreed development goals,
> including those contained in the Millennium Declaration" in the context
> of the overall focus of the meeting on "Coherence, coordination and
> cooperation in the context of the implementation of the Monterrey
> Consensus". Six round tables addressing three issues: (a) policies and
> strategies; (b) trade, investment, and private flows; and (c) ODA,
> innovative sources of financing and debt were held. The unprecedented
> participation by the Executive Directors of the Boards of the Bretton
> Woods institutions and a significant number of Finance and other
> Ministers, Central Bank Governors, as well as the President of the Trade
> and Development Board was testimony to the fact that that meeting is
> considered an important platform for enhancing coherence within the
> system, not only in the follow-up to Monterrey, but also in the pursuit
> of the broader development agenda. Participants concurred with regard to
> the urgency to build momentum towards the September Summit and
> accelerate progress in implementation of the development goals.
> Advancing the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus was seen as a
> critical element to that end. In addition, participants highlighted the
> growing interest in pursuing several of the initiatives regarding
> innovative sources of finance.
>
> *B. The Almaty Programme of Action: addressing the special needs of
> landlocked developing countries within a new global framework for
> transit, transport cooperation*
>
> 46. An "Inter-agency meeting on the implementation of the Almaty
> Programme of Action", held in New York on 4 February 2004, endorsed a
> road map for its implementation. In its resolution 59/245 of 22 December
> 2004, on specific actions related to the particular needs and problems
> of landlocked developing countries, the General Assembly invited the
> 2005 High-level General Assembly Plenary Meeting to address the special
> needs of landlocked developing countries.
>
> 47. Representatives of the international, regional and subregional
> organizations met in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 29 to 31 March 2005, for
> the high-level meeting on the "Role of International, Regional and
> Subregional Organizations for the Implementation of the Almaty Programme
> of Action". In a communiqué representatives stressed the importance of
> taking concrete steps in accordance with the road map for the
> implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action and requested the
> United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed
> Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing
> States to continue its consultations on the best possible ways to
> facilitate coordination efforts and to continue to organize meetings on
> an annual basis.
>
> *C. Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries*
>
> 48. In 2004, the Council's substantive session addressed themes related
> to least developed countries issues as part of the Council's efforts to
> pursue a coherent and comprehensive approach to the review of the
> implementation of the Programme of Action. Preparatory activities
> including a series of multi-stakeholder round tables on resources
> mobilization and enabling environment for poverty eradication were held
> in February and March 2004 to examine the theme of the high-level
> segment in the context of the Brussels Programme of Action as a means of
> achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the least developed
> countries.
>
> 49. In the high-level segment, the Council adopted a Ministerial
> Declaration on the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the
> Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 recognizing the weak
> implementation of the Programme of Action and underlining the need to
> address that issue. To that end, the Declaration urged each least
> developed country, with the support of its development partners, to
> continue the implementation of the actions contained in the Programme of
> Action by translating them into specific measures, within its national
> development framework and poverty eradication strategy.
>
> 50. The coordination segment reviewed the efforts of the United Nations
> system to promote an integrated approach to rural development with a
> special focus on the least developed countries. In its resolution
> 2004/48, the Council called for enhanced coordination and cooperation
> among the agencies of the United Nations system in support of national
> development strategies as well as in enhancing their cooperation with
> the World Bank and the regional development banks. The United Nations
> system was called upon to further assist developing countries in their
> efforts to enhance access by the poor to productive assets, to support
> capacity-building measures as well as regional and subregional
> initiatives and to promote South-South cooperation.
>
> 51. The Second Committee reviewed the implementation and invited the
> 2005 September Summit to address the special needs of the least
> developed countries, while reviewing the progress made in the
> achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including those
> contained in the Millennium Declaration. It also decided to hold a
> comprehensive review of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed
> Countries in 2006, during the sixty-first session of the General
> Assembly, in accordance with paragraph 114 of the Programme of Action.
> The Committee also reiterated its concern over the weak implementation
> of the Programme of Action.
>
> 52. At the special high-level meeting held in April 2005 with the
> Bretton Woods institutions, the WTO, and UNCTAD, the Council also
> addressed issues related to least developed countries/low-income
> countries and promoted linkage between the Programme of Action and the
> International Conference on Financing for Development.
>
> *VII. Enhancing the Council's cooperation with and the role of civil
> society and the private sector for development*
>
> 53. The Summits and Conferences recognized the role of civil society and
> the private sector in achieving the development goals and targets set
> out in them. The Millennium Declaration (General Assembly resolution
> 55/2) also recognized their role and it commits Governments "to develop
> strong partnerships with the private sector and with civil society
> organizations in pursuit of development and poverty eradication". In
> recent years, the Economic and Social Council and its functional
> commissions have significantly intensified the involvement of civil
> society, including non-governmental organizations, foundations,
> parliamentarians and local authorities, and the private sector. Perhaps
> the most innovative and successful of the Council's multi-stakeholder
> initiatives is the Information and Communication Technology Task Force.
> Non-governmental organizations and members of the business community
> also participate actively in the annual special high-level meetings with
> the Bretton Woods institutions, WTO and UNCTAD. Prior to these meetings,
> public hearings are organized to enable Member States and other
> stakeholders to interact with civil society and the private sector on
> the key issues. These initiatives have enriched the proceedings of the
> Council and its subsidiary bodies.
>
> 54. At the national and regional levels, civil society organizations are
> increasingly participating in the development process, including through
> programmes and initiatives for the eradication of poverty. Worldwide,
> non-governmental organizations have also been at the forefront of
> delivery of humanitarian assistance.
>
> 55. A dynamic private sector is essential for the successful
> implementation and follow-up of the goals and targets set out in the
> conferences and summits. Public-private partnerships established to deal
> with the challenges of development have systematically grown. Private
> sector companies are today active partners in many parts of the
> developing world in every aspect of development. The United Nations is
> actively involved in promoting the role of the private sector. Under the
> aegis of the United Nations Global Compact the Global Compact Leaders
> Summit was convened at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 24
> June 2004 in which 500 chief executive officers, government officials
> and heads of labour and civil society on the topic of global corporate
> citizenship gathered for the first meeting of its kind. The meeting
> adopted anti-corruption as an additional principle of the 10
> internationally agreed principles of the compact.
>
> / Notes/
>
> ^1 In its resolution 57/270 B of 23 June 2003, the General Assembly
> requested each functional commission to examine its methods of work in
> order to better pursue the implementation of the outcomes of the major
> United Nations conferences and summits, recognizing that there is no
> need for a uniform approach since each functional commission has its own
> specificity, while also noting that modern methods of work can better
> guarantee the review of progress made in implementation at all levels,
> bearing in mind the progress recently achieved in this regard by certain
> commissions, especially the Commission on Sustainable Development. The
> Assembly requested the functional commissions and other relevant bodies
> of the Economic and Social Council to report to the Council no later
> than 2005 on the outcome of the examination.
>
> ^2 A meeting between the chairs of the functional commissions is
> scheduled to be held on 1 July 2005 and a meeting of the chairs of the
> functional commissions with the Bureau of the Economic and Social
> Council is planned for 7 July 2005.
>
> ^3 In paragraph 48 of resolution 57/270 B, the General Assembly invited
> functional commissions to consider, in their deliberations, the
> experience gained and lessons learned by the United Nations funds and
> programmes in the implementation of the outcomes of the major United
> Nations conferences and summits.
>
> ^4 In its resolution 1998/46, the Council invited regional commissions
> to further strengthen their active participation in implementation at
> the regional level of the results of the major United Nations
> conferences and summits. In resolution 57/270 B the General Assembly
> invited regional commissions, in collaboration with other regional and
> subregional organizations and processes, to contribute, within their
> existing mandates, to the review of progress in the implementation of
> and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences
> and summits and to provide input to the discussions of the Council on
> the cross-sectoral thematic issues to be discussed at the Council's
> substantive session.
>
>
>
> Well, good reading ! food for thought and analysis.
>
> Now, the basic question to be examined first is
> if the WSIS can be considered as relevant exclusively to
> economic and social matters. Of course there are economical and social
> issues, but
> there are other issues as well such as new technology, free software,
> e-science, internet gouvernance ,
> human rights, etc that can hardly be considered as related to "economic
> and social matters"
>
> It can be argued therefore that the working group report following the *
> 57/270 B resolution*
> does not apply.to <http://apply.to> the WSIS, and one should notice 
> the EU statement does
> not say "it must"
> but 'it should" , and furthemore a strong arguement towards my analysis
> is the fact
> that the organization of the WSIS has been given to the ITU, a technical
> specialized agency,
> and not an agency like UNDP.
>
> However, we must be carefull to take advantage some of the very good
> points ot the
> *57/270 B w*orking group report which is not so bad in some respects.
> This is going to be a subbtle excercise.
>
> The WSIS is not bound to the * 57/270 B resolution and therefore
> is entitled to develop its original multi-stakeholder approach,
> *first by setting multi-stakeholder working groups and coordination
> as proposed by the SI and PCT groups
> and included in the August 12 compilation.
> ( I noticed also the proposition of a "CS WG on implementation and
> follow up" )
> and then as an outcome of the WSIS in Tunis
> ask the UN secretary general to setup a new specialized agency
> (UNMSP) to be able to create UN endorsed multi-stakeholder partnerships
> that would allow to offer an inclusive and legal framework for MSPs,
> in order to avoid the excesses of ill-defined and non-liable
> partnerships such as the infamous Microsoft-UNESCO partenership
> http://www.wsis-pct.org/unesco-microsoft.html
> Since the MSPs phenomemon seem as unstoppable as the tide,
> the Civil Society has rather to find a way to control this
> phenomenon and to be part of it.
>
> See the UNSMP site http://www.unmsp.org, a joint proposal by Adama
> Samessékou and me,
> hopefully to be discussed soon in details in the
> recently ressurected WSIS-MSP CSB family
> http://www.wsis-msp.org , a very good initiative
> by Tatiana Ershova and Claudia Padovani.
>
> UN endorsed MSPs can also provide a sound legal
> framework for internet governance bodies.
>
> It worth to mention the recommendation of the
> UNESCO Saint-Peterburg meeting ( put online on August 09 )
> http://www.unmsp.org/unesco-russia05-recomm.html
>
>
> 2. Information / Knowledge Society Research
>
> We recommend UNESCO, with the possible help of other UN specialised
> agencies, to create a number of inclusive, transparent,
> multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary international research /
> working groups with the following missions:
>
> * to reflect more deeply upon the 'Information Society' and the
> 'Knowledge Society' (from the basic concepts to specific models
> with regard to national or local features) and upon potential
> social consequences of the Knowledge Society;
> * to study the new phenomenon of the Information / Knowledge
> Society' Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (MSPs); to develop the
> basic principles of effective, equitable, transparent and
> inclusive MSPs; to prepare a set of guidelines to be endorsed by
> the United Nations Organisation concerning the ethical standards
> of MSPs as well as decision-making and decision-implementing
> mechanisms for MSPs;
> * to study and to propose new international public law mechanisms
> and structures that would allow for the institutionalisation and
> recognition of MSPs accountable, among other places, to the United
> Nations Organisation;
>
> .... to develop a model regulatory framework for R&D in Knowledge
> Societies;
>
> * to support a post-WSIS evaluation process through an independent
> international body to monitor policy development in compliance
> with the criteria established by the civil society and the
> research community and fund people-centered research;
> * to study experience and practice of the Free Software and Open
> Source development paradigms as a possible model for various
> processes of Information / Knowledge Society development; and
> * to explore and propose new Open Access strategies as the ICTs are
> evolving (by a permanent multi-stakeholder research bureau).
>
> Tatiana Ershova and Adama Samassékou must be thanked for their most
> remarkable contributions
> to the Saint-Peterbourg meeting.
>
> I did not have yet to write a report of the UNESCO Saint-Peterbourg
> meeting after the
> final document was put online.
>
> My greatest worry is that the PC3 schedule seems to be entirely devoted
> to internet governance,
> so when are you going to discuss the most important issues of "follow up
> and implementation' ?
>
> Only at the GFC ?... in a small committee... this seems quite
> unacceptable...
> It seems and the Civil Society must demand that the "follow up and
> implementation'
> be discussed openly and inclusively in another PC, a PC3A ?
>
> Best regards
>
> Francis
>
>
>>
>>
>> regards,
>>
>>
>> Robert
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Robert Guerra <rguerra at privaterra.org 
> <mailto:rguerra at privaterra.org><mailto:rguerra at privaterra.org 
> <mailto:rguerra at privaterra.org>>>
>>
>> Managing Director, Privaterra <http://www.privaterra.org>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 28-Aug-05, at 9:58 AM, Parminder wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Bill, Jean-Loius, Bertrand, Robert and others,
>>>
>>> Thanks for your valuable comments.
>>>
>>> Do you think the CS can agree on a short statement that can be
>>> submitted to the GFC before the deadline of 31st, and then also be
>>> taken up by CS representatives that attend the 6th September meeting.
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
>
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Francis F. MUGUET Ph.D
>
> MDPI Foundation Open Access Journals
> Associate Publisher
> http://www.mdpi.org http://www.mdpi.net
> muguet at mdpi.org <mailto:muguet at mdpi.org> muguet at mdpi.net 
> <mailto:muguet at mdpi.net>
>
> ENSTA Paris, France
> KNIS lab. Director
> "Knowledge Networks & Information Society" (KNIS)
> muguet at ensta.fr <mailto:muguet at ensta.fr> http://www.ensta.fr/~muguet 
> <http://www.ensta.fr/%7Emuguet>
>
> World Summit On the Information Society (WSIS)
> Civil Society Working Groups
> Scientific Information : http://www.wsis-si.org chair
> Patents & Copyrights : http://www.wsis-pct.org co-chair
> Financing Mechanismns : http://www.wsis-finance.org web
>
> UNMSP project : http://www.unmsp.org
> WTIS initiative: http://www.wtis.org
> ------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Plenary mailing list
> Plenary at wsis-cs.org <mailto:Plenary at wsis-cs.org>
> http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary
>


-- 

------------------------------------------------------ 
Francis F. MUGUET Ph.D 

MDPI Foundation Open Access Journals
Associate Publisher
http://www.mdpi.org   http://www.mdpi.net
muguet at mdpi.org       muguet at mdpi.net

ENSTA   Paris, France
KNIS lab.  Director 
"Knowledge Networks & Information Society" (KNIS)
muguet at ensta.fr   http://www.ensta.fr/~muguet

World Summit On the Information Society (WSIS)
Civil Society Working Groups
Scientific Information :  http://www.wsis-si.org  chair
Patents & Copyrights   :  http://www.wsis-pct.org co-chair
Financing Mechanismns  :  http://www.wsis-finance.org web

UNMSP project : http://www.unmsp.org
WTIS initiative: http://www.wtis.org
------------------------------------------------------