Have you responded to the UN75 survey yet?

As the UN engages in large scale consultation, through online dialogues, formal opinion polling and media analysis, to mark its 75th anniversary, you can make your voice heard by participating in the UN75 survey and ensuring specifically that civil society inclusion, and particularly the proposal for a civil society focal point, is shown to be of key importance.

The results of the survey will be presented to world leaders by the Secretary-General on September 21, 2020. They will also inform the SG’s report on UN75, so time is of the essence!

What is a civil society focal point?

In the UN75 People’s Forum Declaration and Plan for Global Action, the section titled “Recommendations for Member States and the United Nations” recommends to:

Enhance civil society and other stakeholders’ participation modalities. Civil society
and other stakeholders are key implementation partners, and systemically increasing
their participation is crucial to meeting current and future global challenges.

And specifically, one of the recommendations is to:

Dedicate a civil society focal point at the UN Secretariat. A UN focal point for
civil society at the Under-Secretary-General level would bring deeper
partnerships with civil society into the work of the UN. The UN and Member
States can do more and do better by harnessing the profound commitment of
thousands of NGOs by means of a dedicated office.

If many make this request, it will send a strong message that a civil society focal point is an important step that can be taken to enhance participation by civil society.

If you have any questions on this action, please email Jeffery Huffines.

Filling out the survey will only take a few minutes

  1. Go to the UN75 online survey.
  2. The last question of the survey can be used to recommend the civil society focal point proposal. You could say: “We need greater civil society inclusion through a civil society focal point at the UN Secretariat, to deepen civil society & UN cooperation” (you only have 140 characters!).
  3. Share your suggestion on social media, tagging the Secretary-General!