Mennonite
Central
Committee

60th United Nations Annual summit

David Blough

Will the 60th United Nations Annual summit, described by some United Nations observers as "once-in-a-generation opportunity to take bold decisions", end up being just another disappointing world gathering? Such a question is unfortunately quite relevant as we approach the session aimed at revitalizing the United Nations and approving new ways to address world issues in the 21st century.

Over 170 world leaders are preparing to meet in New York from the 14th to the 16th of September and discuss a wide range of issues such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which seek notably to cut poverty and hunger in half, increase access to health care by 2015. Human rights, terrorism, UN management and organizational reform will also constitute an important part of the debate. Together with the presence of a record number of government leaders, this ambitious agenda constitute the significance of this year's summit. Nevertheless, there are also important doubts about the possibility of reaching any agreement on such a wide variety of issues.

Only two weeks before the opening of the summit, these doubts have increased among political observers. Several governments, most notably the United States, have worked at weakening the outcome of the Summit. The US Ambassador has recently proposed more than 500 amendments or deletions to the 39 page draft text introduced by General Assembly President Jean Ping of Gabon. This leaves precious little time to find an agreement on the document, which has been under discussion for close to six months now.

Secretary General Kofi Annan is quite conscious of the stakes at hand. On August 30th, he shortened his vacation and returned to New York to support the Summit's goal of producing a comprehensive reform document. Among the key issues, for example, any reference to the MDGs risks disappearing. Led by Ambassador Bolton, the United States have proposed modifications that would eliminate any allusion to the Development goals. As an alternative, the US is suggesting a reference to the "internationally agreed-upon development goals", as a way to promote the agreement made in 2002 in Mexico which insists on the need for poor countries to improve investment climates.

Unfortunately, time is running short, not only for the Millennium Summit, but also in relation to the year 2015, the proposed deadline for reaching the MDGs. Governments, whether it be the United States or other developed countries, have the means to improve health care worldwide, to reduce poverty, to fight diseases such as HIV/Aids or malaria. What is desperately needed today is political will and commitment. As national agendas and egos clash, the voices of the poor and the hungry will probably be once again ignored.

One important role of civil society is to make those voices heard. The Annual Non Governmental Organizations Conference will be held at the UN from September 7th until September 9th. We can only hope that civil society will succeed in responding to the challenge of being a voice for peace, partnership and renewal.