Be afraid, be very afraid kids
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Mailing List
________________________________________
Press Release
SG/SM/7249
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS "GLOBAL PEOPLE-POWER" BEST THING FOR
UNITED NATIONS IN LONG TIME, NEEDING RESPONSE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
CIVIL SOCIETY
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Montréal Speech Notes Fear, Unease over "Globalization", Shown At
WTO Meeting in Seattle; Challenge is to Address Concerns of
Protestors
This is the text of a statement to be delivered by
Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the World Civil Society
Conference in Montréal Canada on 8 December:
C'est avec un réel plaisir que je me joins à vous aujourd'hui
pour évoquer notre avenir commun. Je suis ravi de vous voir tous
ici. Cette salle pleine d'activistes du monde entier est vraiment
très stimulante. Et elle donne clairement tort à tous ceux qui
affirment que l'individualisme et l'isolationisme sont les
tendances dominantes de notre temps.
Permettez-moi, avant tout, de remercier le Canada, le Québec et
Montréal pour leur généreuse hospitalité. Dans quelques années,
quand la société civile sera encore plus présente, plus organisée
et plus puissante, ils pourront être fiers d'avoir contribué à
son essor en accueillant sa toute première conférence mondiale.
Je remercie aussi le Forum international de Montréal et Cyril
Richie, dont l'engagement, l'enthousiasme et l'efficacité feront,
j'en suis sur, de cette conférence un succès.
You have gathered here to discuss how you can help build stronger
partnerships for global governance, both among yourselves and
with the United Nations. Nothing could please me more, and no
choice of timing could be more appropriate.
As we prepare to leave the twentieth century, both civil society
and the United Nations can look back on some impressive
accomplishments. But better still, we can look ahead to what we
might accomplish together in the future.
Looking ahead, I see a world of opportunities for stronger ties
between us. I see us making greater strides together towards a
just, democratic and peaceful future for all. I see a United
Nations keenly aware that if the global agenda is to be properly
addressed, a partnership with civil society is not an option; it
is a necessity. I see a United Nations which recognizes that the
non-governmental organizations revolution -- the new global
people -- power, or whatever else you wish to call this explosion
of citizens' concern at the global level - is the best thing that
has happened to our Organization in a long time.
This phenomenon is arguably one of the happier consequences of
what we now recognize as the essence of modern life:
globalization. Like all profound changes, globalization is
stirring deep feelings, from confusion and fear to a sense of
exciting opportunity and promise. I believe that all these
feelings together underlie the emergence of global citizenship.
On the one hand, many have experienced personally the social
damage and insecurity inflicted by what began as a financial
crisis far away from home. Many fear that their customs, culture
and even their livelihood are in danger of being lost in a sea of
foreign products and ideas. Many sense that their elected
Government does not have as much control over things as it once
did. Many cannot even put what they feel into words -- they only
know something powerful is happening and they suspect it might
not be good for them.
These are, I believe, some of the feelings that lay behind the
protests I witnessed during the WTO meeting in Seattle last week.
People were voicing their fears about the effects of
globalization.
It would be wrong, however, to portray globalization as the
source of all evils. Globalization does present tremendous
opportunities for growth and prosperity. It does help us connect
to one another and learn more about each other. It does knit our
world closer together.
The challenge before us is to seek creative and constructive ways
of managing globalization so that it benefits the greatest number
of people and nations. We must strive to give globalization a
human face.
Your presence here tells me that you have understood this well.
Most of the issues we will face in the next century are and will
be increasingly global. Seeking refuge in the comforts of the
local is not a solution. On the contrary, solutions can be found
only if we address global issues together -- through better
cooperation, closer alliances, increased commitment and a renewed
sense of solidarity.
This is not wishful thinking. Civil society organizations have
already given new life and new meaning to the idea of an
international community. The desire to participate in the
management of a changing world, and the need to engage in areas
where Governments are unable or unwilling to act, have driven you
to action. The development of new communications technologies has
enabled you to gather and distribute information in an almost
unlimited way. Even more important, it has allowed you to connect
and interact across almost all frontiers.
Since the Earth Summit in 1992, you have made your mark on a
series of world conferences on such vital issues as human rights,
population, poverty and the advancement of women. You have helped
shape a universal consensus that should form the basis for your
countries' efforts to achieve greater social justice and greater
respect for the environment. You have made your concerns heard.
But in recent years you have done more than that. You have made
your power felt. In 1997, you were united in your outrage at the
sight of children killed and women maimed by landmines. You put
all your weight behind the banning of those abominable weapons --
and Governments listened. The result is the Ottawa Convention.
In 1998, you were united in your determination that no war
criminal should enjoy impunity, and that justice must be done for
the victims of genocide, mass rape and other war crimes. You
campaigned and lobbied tirelessly for the Statute of the
International Criminal Court to be adopted - - and it was.
For several years, you have been united in your indignation at
the debt that is stifling the development of developing countries
and, in some cases, consuming more than half of their annual
budget. You have been the driving force in raising Governments'
political awareness and willingness to provide substantial debt
relief to the poorest countries, and to redirect the savings to
poverty reduction programmes -- and Governments have at last
agreed to do so this year. I am sure you will keep up the
pressure, to see that they fulfil that pledge, and indeed go
further.
The new diplomacy is working. That is why I am so glad to have
you as allies of the United Nations.
There is much we can do as partners in the field -- in places
where people go hungry, have seen their homes destroyed or have
had their basic rights violated.
We can also be strategic partners in policy -- in areas where you
can persuade your Governments to work through the United Nations.
You can tell them that our goals are your goals, and that you
want them to give us the means to achieve those goals. You can
goad them into providing adequate resources for the missions they
have already approved in Kosovo, East Timor and Sierra Leone. You
can remind them of crises that are not currently in the world
media spotlight but which still need international attention.
You can petition them to fulfil the pledges they made at the
great world conferences of the 1990s, and to ratify the Statute
of the International Criminal Court. You can pressure them to
focus on preventing conflict rather than waiting to react after
the event. In sum, you can encourage them to think globally.
And you can give us your ideas about the role the United Nations
should play in the twenty-first century. I hope you will come to
the Millennium Forum next May full of constructive suggestions on
how to approach the world's most pressing problems, and how to
deal with them in a spirit of global solidarity.
By bringing your energy, creativity and practical idealism to the
process, you will help us achieve our goal of bringing the United
Nations closer to the people. And you will give global civil
society its rightful place as one of the pillars of the
international community in the twenty-first century. I am
counting on you, and I hope to see you all at United Nations
Headquarters next year. Thank you very much. Merci. Gracias[/quote]
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Mailing List
________________________________________
Press Release
SG/SM/7249
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS "GLOBAL PEOPLE-POWER" BEST THING FOR
UNITED NATIONS IN LONG TIME, NEEDING RESPONSE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
CIVIL SOCIETY
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Montréal Speech Notes Fear, Unease over "Globalization", Shown At
WTO Meeting in Seattle; Challenge is to Address Concerns of
Protestors
This is the text of a statement to be delivered by
Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the World Civil Society
Conference in Montréal Canada on 8 December:
C'est avec un réel plaisir que je me joins à vous aujourd'hui
pour évoquer notre avenir commun. Je suis ravi de vous voir tous
ici. Cette salle pleine d'activistes du monde entier est vraiment
très stimulante. Et elle donne clairement tort à tous ceux qui
affirment que l'individualisme et l'isolationisme sont les
tendances dominantes de notre temps.
Permettez-moi, avant tout, de remercier le Canada, le Québec et
Montréal pour leur généreuse hospitalité. Dans quelques années,
quand la société civile sera encore plus présente, plus organisée
et plus puissante, ils pourront être fiers d'avoir contribué à
son essor en accueillant sa toute première conférence mondiale.
Je remercie aussi le Forum international de Montréal et Cyril
Richie, dont l'engagement, l'enthousiasme et l'efficacité feront,
j'en suis sur, de cette conférence un succès.
You have gathered here to discuss how you can help build stronger
partnerships for global governance, both among yourselves and
with the United Nations. Nothing could please me more, and no
choice of timing could be more appropriate.
As we prepare to leave the twentieth century, both civil society
and the United Nations can look back on some impressive
accomplishments. But better still, we can look ahead to what we
might accomplish together in the future.
Looking ahead, I see a world of opportunities for stronger ties
between us. I see us making greater strides together towards a
just, democratic and peaceful future for all. I see a United
Nations keenly aware that if the global agenda is to be properly
addressed, a partnership with civil society is not an option; it
is a necessity. I see a United Nations which recognizes that the
non-governmental organizations revolution -- the new global
people -- power, or whatever else you wish to call this explosion
of citizens' concern at the global level - is the best thing that
has happened to our Organization in a long time.
This phenomenon is arguably one of the happier consequences of
what we now recognize as the essence of modern life:
globalization. Like all profound changes, globalization is
stirring deep feelings, from confusion and fear to a sense of
exciting opportunity and promise. I believe that all these
feelings together underlie the emergence of global citizenship.
On the one hand, many have experienced personally the social
damage and insecurity inflicted by what began as a financial
crisis far away from home. Many fear that their customs, culture
and even their livelihood are in danger of being lost in a sea of
foreign products and ideas. Many sense that their elected
Government does not have as much control over things as it once
did. Many cannot even put what they feel into words -- they only
know something powerful is happening and they suspect it might
not be good for them.
These are, I believe, some of the feelings that lay behind the
protests I witnessed during the WTO meeting in Seattle last week.
People were voicing their fears about the effects of
globalization.
It would be wrong, however, to portray globalization as the
source of all evils. Globalization does present tremendous
opportunities for growth and prosperity. It does help us connect
to one another and learn more about each other. It does knit our
world closer together.
The challenge before us is to seek creative and constructive ways
of managing globalization so that it benefits the greatest number
of people and nations. We must strive to give globalization a
human face.
Your presence here tells me that you have understood this well.
Most of the issues we will face in the next century are and will
be increasingly global. Seeking refuge in the comforts of the
local is not a solution. On the contrary, solutions can be found
only if we address global issues together -- through better
cooperation, closer alliances, increased commitment and a renewed
sense of solidarity.
This is not wishful thinking. Civil society organizations have
already given new life and new meaning to the idea of an
international community. The desire to participate in the
management of a changing world, and the need to engage in areas
where Governments are unable or unwilling to act, have driven you
to action. The development of new communications technologies has
enabled you to gather and distribute information in an almost
unlimited way. Even more important, it has allowed you to connect
and interact across almost all frontiers.
Since the Earth Summit in 1992, you have made your mark on a
series of world conferences on such vital issues as human rights,
population, poverty and the advancement of women. You have helped
shape a universal consensus that should form the basis for your
countries' efforts to achieve greater social justice and greater
respect for the environment. You have made your concerns heard.
But in recent years you have done more than that. You have made
your power felt. In 1997, you were united in your outrage at the
sight of children killed and women maimed by landmines. You put
all your weight behind the banning of those abominable weapons --
and Governments listened. The result is the Ottawa Convention.
In 1998, you were united in your determination that no war
criminal should enjoy impunity, and that justice must be done for
the victims of genocide, mass rape and other war crimes. You
campaigned and lobbied tirelessly for the Statute of the
International Criminal Court to be adopted - - and it was.
For several years, you have been united in your indignation at
the debt that is stifling the development of developing countries
and, in some cases, consuming more than half of their annual
budget. You have been the driving force in raising Governments'
political awareness and willingness to provide substantial debt
relief to the poorest countries, and to redirect the savings to
poverty reduction programmes -- and Governments have at last
agreed to do so this year. I am sure you will keep up the
pressure, to see that they fulfil that pledge, and indeed go
further.
The new diplomacy is working. That is why I am so glad to have
you as allies of the United Nations.
There is much we can do as partners in the field -- in places
where people go hungry, have seen their homes destroyed or have
had their basic rights violated.
We can also be strategic partners in policy -- in areas where you
can persuade your Governments to work through the United Nations.
You can tell them that our goals are your goals, and that you
want them to give us the means to achieve those goals. You can
goad them into providing adequate resources for the missions they
have already approved in Kosovo, East Timor and Sierra Leone. You
can remind them of crises that are not currently in the world
media spotlight but which still need international attention.
You can petition them to fulfil the pledges they made at the
great world conferences of the 1990s, and to ratify the Statute
of the International Criminal Court. You can pressure them to
focus on preventing conflict rather than waiting to react after
the event. In sum, you can encourage them to think globally.
And you can give us your ideas about the role the United Nations
should play in the twenty-first century. I hope you will come to
the Millennium Forum next May full of constructive suggestions on
how to approach the world's most pressing problems, and how to
deal with them in a spirit of global solidarity.
By bringing your energy, creativity and practical idealism to the
process, you will help us achieve our goal of bringing the United
Nations closer to the people. And you will give global civil
society its rightful place as one of the pillars of the
international community in the twenty-first century. I am
counting on you, and I hope to see you all at United Nations
Headquarters next year. Thank you very much. Merci. Gracias[/quote]
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!