The focus of CIVICUS representation at the United Nations (UN - New York) during 2006 continued to be: a) enhancing civil society space and participation at the UN with particular regard to the participation of women, gender minorities and southern Civil Society Networks, and b) UN democratisation and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.

2005 had been a year when many UN-accredited non-governmental organisations (NGOs) felt that civil society's participation at the UN had suffered a setback. There was no preparatory process for the 2005 World Summit, and civil society participation was limited to the June General Assembly civil society Hearings and the speaking role of just one civil society representative at the summit itself in September.

In 2006, the NGO community at the UN in New York renewed efforts to enhance its UN participation. As part of this process CIVICUS participated in discussions with the Ambassadors of Norway and Indonesia, who had been appointed by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President, Ambassador Jan Eliasson, to consult with leading civil society networks and coalitions in order to explore ways to improve and expand relations between the General Assembly and the UN NGO Community.

An important component of CIVICUS' role at the UN is to network with the UN NGO Community in New York, mainly through the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), the Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS), the Millennium Campaign, CONGO, the M+5 NGO Network, the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), the World Federalist Movement (WFM), the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Global Policy Forum, Social Watch, the North South Institute and other networks and coalitions with whom CIVICUS maintains regular contact, including attendance at meetings and participation in joint initiatives. For example, CIVICUS was in the panel of four at a UN press conference convened by the WFM on democratising the process of selection of the next UN Secretary General. And in early September we participated in the two-day DPI/NGO Annual Conference.

Away from New York, CIVICUS was selected to sit on the panel at a WFUNA symposium on UN Democratisation held in Buenos Aires during WFUNA's 2006 World Congress in early November (the comments by CIVICUS’ UN Representative, Vicente García-Delgado, were published as the November issue of his "View from the UN" column.) More recently CIVICUS participated in the UBUNTU Conference on the Campaign for the Reform of International Institutions, held in Geneva in late November, where Vicente had been acting as a member of the Conference's coordinating committee. He also facilitated a parallel dialogue on Financing for Development at the UBUNTU Conference.

In late December Vicente attended a one-on-one meeting with representatives of the Global Compact Office at the UN Secretariat on the subject of civil society participation at the Compact.

Aside from the above, Vicente continued to do ad-hoc research on many issues related to UN activities, global governance and the democratisation of globalisation; maintained day-to-day correspondence with CIVICUS staff on a wide range of issues on a mostly ad-hoc basis, acted as e-CIVICUS editor and wrote his monthly column "View from the UN" for e-CIVICUS. Some of these articles appear in other civil society websites and magazines. Vicente’s column on internet solidarity was selected for publication by Kosmos Journal.

In May Vicente attended the CIVICUS World Assembly (WA) in Glasgow. During the WA he participated in various discussions on subjects related to UN democratisation, the reasons against dismantling the UN, the reform of International Institutions and the creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly. He was also a panelist at the UBUNTU workshop on the reform of International Institutions, played an active role at the KDUN workshop on the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly and acted as rapporteur on various workshops.

Objectives of the CIVICUS UN Activities annual report:

1) Activity report: What are our achievements and what activities did we promise to deliver?

See above summary of UN Activities, supplemented by a daily log of activities from September 1 to date. The achievements of CIVICUS' UN Activities are difficult to evaluate, but CIVICUS no doubt continued to increase visibility at the UN and presumably benefited by ongoing networking with leading civil society networks, coalitions and NGOs at the UN in New York.

2) Social report: What is the impact of our work?

The impact of our work at the UN is inherently linked to the efforts of all UN-accredited NGOs to enhance the space and participation of civil society at the UN and the progressive democratisation of the institution. During 2006, such impact was perhaps more noticeable through the improvement of GA-NGO relations and the enlargement of the participation capacity of Southern NGOs. However, it is extremely difficult to quantify and evaluate the impact of NGO participation at the UN on a yearly basis.

3) Financial report: Budget updates.

There is no budget for UN Activities as CIVICUS does not have an office in New York. There are no CIVICUS employees involved in UN Activities except for general staff support from the Johannesburg office as and when needed. Vicente’s contribution as UN Representative is strictly on a voluntary basis, and most of the work is done out of his NY apartment. All materials used, overheads and transportation costs to and from the UN have been free of charge. The only reimbursement received in 2006 was approximately US$350 (2/3 of Vicente's air travel costs to and from Geneva to attend the UBUNTU Conference).

4) Environmental report:

In the future we want to have an annual environmental report looking at CIVICUS' footprint in that regard.

Vicente García-Delgado, UN Representative (New York)
7 January 2007