SG/SM/9953
GA/10357
NGO/572
23 June 2005
Secretary-General Welcomes General Assembly’s Hearings with Civil Society, NGOs, Private Sector
NEW YORK, 22 June (UN Headquarters) -- The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
The Secretary-General is pleased that the General Assembly will hold its first interactive hearings with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations and the private sector on 23 and 24 June. He welcomes the hearings as an important opportunity for civil society and the private sector to exchange views with Member States on how to build a more secure, just and prosperous world. He notes that the hearings come at a crucial time, as Member States discuss a draft outcome document for the World Summit in September.
The Secretary-General has written to the Permanent Representatives of all Member States, hoping that they will accept the invitation of the General Assembly President to participate personally in the hearings.
Noting that civil society contributes to the legitimacy, transparency and accountability of the United Nations, the Secretary-General also hopes that the General Assembly will engage more actively with civil society on a regular basis, as he recommended in his report In Larger Freedom.
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