The overall objective of this project is to create a unique dialogue space between globalization stakeholders: international institutions, civil society, governments, local authorities, private sector and media.
During the year 2009, a specific multi actors dialogue between the HLCP, the Civil Society and the local authorities will be proposed.
The Chief Executives Board High-Level Committee on Programmes (CEB-HLCP) combines all of the major public global institutions at a very high level in one committee.
It has existed since the year 2000 and meets three times a year to coordinate programmes and policies.
It is thus probably the most important forum to focus on around global governance issues at this critical moment in time.
In October 2008, Bridge Initiative managed to have the H CP open up to a group of civil society organizations for a strategic conversation and then accept to discuss a process of engagement.
This could not have happened if Bridge Initiative International had not established over the years a direct relationship of trust with the main institutions which are part of the HLCP (such as UN Secretariat, UNDP, UNCTAD, FAO, World Bank, IMF, WTO); and if high level officials of the HCP had not themselves been engaged with Bridge Initiative processes since the early days.
Our ultimate goal is a stronger commitment to multi-stakeholder solutions.
TOPICS
Part of the agenda for continuing discussions would remain at a general strategic level. The rest would embrace priority themes carried by the HLCP and bring other angles to its approach, or begin “pilot” discussions around one or two specific topics as happened in the first meeting around the Food Crisis.
Debate around the need for regulatory mechanisms will be central, linked to the UN’s normative roles, and it will certainly need to involve all stakeholders to bear fruit. Similarly, implementation of any program requires participation of non state-actors, particularly local authorities: thus Jean Pierre Elong-Mbassi (UCGLA) during the meeting called “ for a shift in approach at the global level, and for the search of a better interaction and coordination of global agendas and actions between local coalitions and the UN system. The opportunity provided by the multi-stakeholders hearing by the UN HLCP is a unique opportunity to advance thoughts and proposals in order to set up mechanisms to institutionalize and strengthen the interaction between local authorities, civil society organizations and the UN system.”
Informal discussions of such strategic topics between the UN and civil society voices began in March 2005, when the UN General Secretariat, DESA, and Bridge Initiative co-convened a meeting in New York. In Rome, Gus Massiah (CRID and WSF) noted: “As civil society representatives, we think that a strategic alliance between the UN system and elements of global civil society is possible and necessary. We can learn from your ideas, particularly concerning the management of the international system. And you can, perhaps, learn from our ideas and practices. As civil society representatives, we can offer you to understand our culture and its three pillars: resistance to unacceptable evolution, and learning that to resist is to create and that there is creation in resistance; elaboration of a citizen expertise that explores new directions and refuses fatality;. We can work together on specific fields in order to combine our approaches.”.
GOALS
Succeeding in facilitating dialogue with the HLCP would help achieve several goals:
- Create a new permanent forum for discussion between global civil society and IGOs “As One” (if we may paraphrase the Report of the High-level Panel on United Nations System-wide Coherence in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and the environment entitled “Delivering as One”)
- Provide an entry point for local authorities to participate in global public policy debate
- Allow the staging of public events featuring achievements along the way.
Our ultimate goal is a stronger commitment to multi-stakeholder solutions.
ACTIVITIES
HLCP’s new Chair (from January 2009), Juan Somavia, has confirmed that he supports the continuation of such a process.
In order to facilitate it, Bridge Initiative will have to:
- Continue to consult with such UN entities as NGLS (Non-Governmental Liaison Service) and associate it with the next possible steps.
- Organize civil society workshops in order to prepare in order to design and strategize before future Encounters with the HLCP
- Interact permanently with HLCP’s secretariat and member organizations to maintain the existence and permit the expansion of this new space of dialogue.