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UN Conference on financial crisis at risk of being dismissed
11 May 2009
Six months ago, 900 organizations and networks worldwide signed a declaration demanding a better response to the global financial crisis - one that involved all governments, had representatives from civil society, citizen’s groups and social movements, was comprehensive in scope, with proposals and draft outcome documents made publicly available and discussed well in advance of the meeting.
On June 1-3, the President of the General Assembly (PGA) is convening the UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development. It is a direct outcome of the UN Conference on Financing for Development held in Doha last November, and an important victory for developing countries and CSOs. In fact, the most contentious issue in the section on “Systemic Issues” of the Doha Outcome Document (DOD), if not of the whole negotiating process, was that of the need to convene a conference under the UN umbrella to address the effects of the financial crisis on developing countries (paragraph 79 of the DOD).
Developing countries are now keen that the conference results in specific commitments. One of the co-facilitators for the conference, the Ambassador of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, expressed in a meeting with CSOs in NY on April 28th that developing countries want to prevent this meeting from becoming “yet another UN conference whose outcome is simply calling for another meeting. We want to see specific deliverables and go back home with specific outcomes to report on.”
The meeting will address the impact of the crisis on development as well as the ongoing international discussion on reforming and strengthening the international financial and economic system and architecture. The UN Commission of Experts, appointed by the PGA and chaired by Nobel Economist Joseph Stiglitz, will feed in their recommendations to the conference when their final report is released next week. Back in February, over 100 organizations submitted their input on the solutions to the crisis.
On Friday 8th May the President of the UN General Assembly released the first draft outcome document. This will serve as the basis of the intergovernmental negotiations that are starting this week and will run until the actual Conference at the beginning of June.
But there is a problem. While many developing country governments are proposing to send their heads of state, many other developing and developed countries (in particular G-20 countries) aren't. We need you to help try and change so that this meeting has the political weight it needs to challenge the status quo - send a letter to your head of state (below the English and Spanish versions of a template letter for Heads of State and Government).
For further information on the UN Conference, download the briefing below UN letter on high level participation ENG or visit Choike's website.
To register to participate at the UN Conference, do so before May 13. A number of groups are exploring possible funding for southern participation.
Many of us asked for this conference. Now let's help make it happen.
UN letter on high level participation ENG
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UN letter on high level participation ESP
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UN letter FR
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Briefing UN Conference ENG
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Briefing UN Conference ESP
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Briefing UN Conference FR
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