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Informal interactive hearings of the General Assembly with representatives of non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations and the private sector


21 July 2005

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Introduction

  1. The informal interactive hearings of the General Assembly with representatives of non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector were held on 23 and 24 June 2005 in New York, in accordance with General Assembly resolutions 59/145 of 17 December 2004, 59/291 of 15 April 2005 and 59/293 of 27 May 2005.


  2. The hearings were organized by the President of the General Assembly in consultation with Member States and representatives of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, civil society organizations and the private sector, as an input to the preparatory process of the High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly to be held from 14 to 16 September 2005 in New York.


  3. The President of the General Assembly established a task force composed of representatives of non-governmental organizations and civil society networks and the private sector to assist him in the preparation of the hearings.


  4. The hearings were attended by representatives of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, civil society organizations and the private sector, Member States and observers. Of the 230 representatives of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, civil society organizations and the private sector invited to participate in the hearings, 134 were from developing countries and 120 were women.


  5. The themes for the hearings were based on the comprehensive report of the Secretary-General of 21 March 20051 and the clusters defined therein, as well as on paragraph 9 of resolution 59/293, by which the General Assembly had also decided that all issues regarding financing for development would be discussed during the hearings. Accordingly, five interactive sessions were held on "Freedom from want - Millennium Development Goals 1 to7", "Freedom from want - Millennium Development Goal 8 and issues regarding financing for development"; on "Freedom from fear"; "Freedom to live in dignity"; and "Strengthening the United Nations". At each session, the President was assisted by a moderator and a rapporteur.


  6. On Thursday morning, 23 June 2005, the hearings were opened at a plenary meeting of the General Assembly by the President of the Assembly. His opening statement was followed by statements by the Deputy Secretary-General and by the President of the Conference of Non-governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO).2


  7. At the closing of the hearings on Friday afternoon, 24 June 2005, summaries of the five interactive sessions were presented by the rapporteurs, followed by a statement by the Secretary-General and a closing statement by the President of the General Assembly.


  8. The hearings were a historical event, as it provided for the first time, within the framework of the General Assembly, an opportunity for interaction between Member States and representatives of civil society and the private sector.


Footnotes:
  1. A/59/2005.
  2. For the verbatim record of the plenary meeting, see A/59/PV.105.


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