Press Release No. G/25/99
10 September 1999
"The idealism we all felt when the UN was formed must not die. The UN is uniquely placed to deliver on that idealism, " said a distinguished academic at the hearing which included representation of civil society and governments in the region.
"Intergovernmental negotiations are sometimes hampered by age-old mind-sets. Maybe people should solve problems directly", suggested a participant. But a mind-set can work both ways, one participant said, and advocated a creative partnership between the governments, private sector and civil society.
Ideas such as a global parliament, the need for more timely dispute settlement, a stand-by force for peacekeeping, and establishment of a subsidiary organ of an NGO forum as an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), were also discussed.
New ideas for strengthening the UN were not the only items on the agenda.
Participants agreed that the international and regional communities must deal with the major issues of development and try their best to reach the targets pledged by them at UN major international conferences organized in the 1990 ranging from environment and development to children rights.
The international community was also urged to support the UN financially and technically. "We cannot expect the UN to do its myriad tasks without sufficient resources," an NGO participant said.
"We deserve the UN we get", said a government representative. "It is not a strange creature that exists on its own but rather it is our organization run by member states and we must have a say in the major issues through the General Assembly and not just through the power of the veto". Equitable sharing of information was also very important in this technologically-oriented world.In the discussion on human rights and good governance, a panelist underlined the fact that good governance requires a system of government that is transparent, accountable, just, fair, democratic, participatory and responsive to people needs. "The UN has played an important role in developing international law to ensure that these goals are met. And we want it to enhance this role in the future." One of the participants underlined that access to information by everyone, including disabled persons, women and children, should be guaranteed for promotion of good governance.
On strengthening the United Nations, Mr. Hisashi Owada, President, Japan Institute of International Affairs, proposed that it was essential for the United Nations, the Security Council, in particular, to be reformed in order to "better represent the realities of the international community".
The hearing, hosted and sponsored by the Government of Japan, was the fifth in a series of regional meetings held in Western Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America at the request of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. They are in preparation for the Millennium Assembly and Summit of the United Nations scheduled for September 2000.