Developing constructive relationships between the UN and “We the Peoples”
The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) is an inter-agency programme of the United Nations mandated to promote and develop constructive relations between the United Nations and civil society organizations reflecting the concerns of "We the Peoples."
The relationship being forged between the UN and "We the Peoples" seems to be unusually charged with a spirit of goodwill.
The General Assembly has recognized the value of the liaison Services in the past, but never more than right now, when post-2015 development planning is underway. On 22 September, UN-NGLS and the Post-2015 Development Planning Team organized an open dialogue on critical regional issues and policy recommendations. The event was the largest single gathering of civil society in the post-2015 process to date.
The President of the 68th Session
of the General Assembly, H.E. John Ashe, in opening the dialogue noted tht the post-2015 agenda "should be shaped by and respond to what people are experiencing on the ground." He emphasized that this required participation from "We the Peoples" and regional perspectives, throughout
the 68th session of the General Assembly.
Repeating the opening words of the UN Charter, “We the Peoples,” Deputy Secretary-‐General Jan Eliasson referred to this event as a starting point and an example of meaningful civil society engagement with the UN. Mr. Eliasson affirmed that both he and the Secretary-‐General understand the great value of expanding space for meaningful civil society participation throughout the UN system.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Statements
In closing the event, Assistant Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed referred to the importance of grounding the post-2015 agenda in the human rights framework, a
concern raised “front and center” by civil society since the beginning of the process. In response to the concerns raised in the UN-NGLS consultation and in the dialogue about the role of the private sector, Ms. Mohammed agreed that the post-2015 agenda must address “the concerns people have that when we have a partnership between government and the private sector, that it doesn’t become an unholy alliance to the detriment of the people.”
To read about the various representatives for civil society, representing "We the Peoples," from various regions around the world go to: