| For information only - not an official document. | |||
| Note to Correspondents | Press Release No: NOTE No. 87 | ||
| Release Date: 19 June 2000 | |||
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6-8 September 2000 MEDIA ADVISORY United Nations Millennium Summit Gaining Momentum 6 to 8 September Summit on Future Role of World Body |
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NEW YORK, 13 June 2000 – Momentum is building for the Millennium Summit of the United Nations, to be held from 6 to 8 September here. Indications have already been received that over 100 Heads of State or Government plan to speak at the Summit, which will focus on the role of the world body in the 21st century. It is likely to be the largest-ever gathering of world leaders. Convinced that the turn of the century is “a unique and symbolically compelling moment to articulate and affirm an animating vision for the United Nations in the new era,” the General Assembly decided in December 1998 to designate its 55th Session as the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations and to hold a Millennium Summit. In preparation for the Summit, Secretary-General Kofi Annan launched his Millennium Report on 3 April 2000. The report, entitled “We the Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century”, offers an action plan to make globalization work for people everywhere. The most comprehensive presentation of the UN’s mission in its fifty-five-year history, it contains numerous specific goals and programme initiatives that the Secretary-General is asking world leaders to consider. (See UN Web site, www.un.org/millennium, for summary and report.) The Summit is expected to be co-chaired by the President of Namibia, H.E. Mr. Sam Nujoma – whose country holds the Presidency of the 54th Session of the General Assembly -- and the President of Finland, H.E. Ms. Tarja Halonen, whose country will hold the Presidency of the upcoming 55th Session of the Assembly, which opens 5 September. In addition to making formal speeches at the Summit, Heads of State or Government will have the opportunity to participate in one of four interactive round tables, each to be chaired by a Head of State or Government nominated from a different region. The round tables – all to discuss the same broad theme of the Summit – will be held in the Economic and Social Council Chamber. It has not yet been decided if they will be open to the press. The outcome of the Summit is being prepared through consultations under the leadership of the President of the General Assembly, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab of Namibia. A special United Nations Panel chaired by Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi -- set up by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to consider how to strengthen peacekeeping operations -- is due to release its report in August, in time for the Summit. Heads of State or Government have also been invited by the Secretary-General to take the opportunity of the Summit to sign or deposit instruments of ratification for multilateral treaties they may not yet have joined, especially 25 core treaties representing key United Nations objectives. Arrangements will be made to notify media so they can cover any action to be taken during the Summit on these treaties. Some 1,350 representatives of non-governmental organizations from more than 100 countries gathered here from 22 to 26 May for a Millennium Forum to prepare their input to the Summit on behalf of the peoples of the world. Their Declaration called for the creation of a Poverty Eradication Fund, among several concrete recommendations the Forum made. Another major event to provide input just prior to the Millennium Summit is the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Conference of Presiding Officers of National Parliaments (“Speakers Summit”), to be held 30 August to 1 September at UN Headquarters here. ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEDIA Background material Media accreditation Television feeds Videotapes of speeches Internet Photographs Audio cassettes of speeches FOR MEDIA – NOT AN OFFICIAL RECORD |
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