The United Nations and civil society – 70 years working together: how do we make a difference from Geneva?

Ambassador Rücker,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,


This morning I left you as you were about to reflect on the relationship between civil society and the United Nations. I am told that you have had an enriching discussion on the achievements of civil society engagement with the United Nations in the past 70 years and I am happy to hear that you have also discussed the question of how to strengthen our engagement in the future. You have heard contributions from different parts of the United Nations, from States, from academia, and of course, from NGOs and civil society actors.

It was interesting, but not surprising, to learn that research showed that International Organizations were more open to civil society engagement on human rights and development areas, and less on financial or security issues. We heard about the need to change the narrative to avoid issues being framed in an exclusively security or political framework. I could not agree more.

We also heard that International Organizations rely on civil society in the area of monitoring and enforcement of international agreements, for example the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We were given examples of how civil society worked with international community to focus on the rights of the child, and on ensuring that civil society is also a space for children. The Education cluster led by UNICEF and the Save the Children since 2008 is one such example.

We also heard that big and established NGOs have more access to the UN than small remotely located groups, and this is our joint challenge to include those groups in our discussions and give them space for engagement. We should collectively strive to improve our communication efforts and make our work more accessible to the wider audiences.

Furthermore, there was a wide-ranging discussion on the Sustainable Development Goals, in which civil society is already very engaged and will play a crucial role in the implementation phase.

Several suggestions were provided on how to move from the discussion of “what” to the discussion of “how”. There is a strong need for accountability mechanisms in the new development framework. Civil society can bring innovative solutions that could be replicated, as they are close to the situation on the ground and have important knowledge and expertise to contribute.

I would like to thank you all for coming and contributing to the discussion.

I would like to thank the UNOG interpreters for their work with us today.

We will prepare a Conference report to make sure that all points and recommendations are recorded for future references and action. The report will be sent to the participants of this meeting and will also be placed on the UNOG web site. Please make sure you sign up at the attendance sheet so that we include you in the distribution list. We also welcome your feedback on the event and possible further steps, and we will invite you to provide such feedback through a survey.

I would like to reaffirm what I said this morning. Civil society is a key actor for the United Nations as we work towards shared goals and objectives. Civil society contributions and inputs are essential to bring our work in Geneva closer to the situation on the ground and, conversely, insert voices and practice from the national and grass-roots level into inter-governmental debates. We should all strive to bring the voices of minorities, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, youth, older persons, women and LGBT groups and others, and to leave no one behind. It is also essential to act collectively for an enabling environment for civil society at all levels for their free, active, inclusive and meaningful engagement. I would like to reaffirm my commitment to ensuring that civil society space at the Palais des Nations is defended, sustained and enlarged: your feedback and input on how we can do better is very much welcome and appreciated.

I would like to thank our Swiss hosts, the Swiss Federal Council, the Canton of Geneva, and the City of Geneva, for their unfailing support for the work of the United Nations and for Civil Society. I also thank them for offering us a cocktail reception after this event.

Thank you.