António Guterres became the UN's 9th Secretary-General on 1 January 2017 following the most open and inclusive selection process in the UN's history, in part due to the 1 for 7 Billion campaign, co-founded by UNA-UK. Following his appointment, UNA-UK worked with civil society leaders from around the world to compile a set of perspectives on how the UN should build on the spirit of inclusivity by strengthening engagement with civil society. The publication urged Mr Guterres to be a champion for civil society and contained specific recommendations for action and was delivered to the Secretary-General soon after his tenure began.
Now, as we reach a year and a half into his four-year term, we have published updates from contributors to review the progress that has been made on aspects of this agenda.
Kazi Ateea: Young People Need a Seat at the Table of UN Climate Change Negotiations
Last year, I wrote a piece on how young people need a seat at the climate negotiations table. The role we play now for our futures is extremely important, yet many individuals lack that common sense. In his speech at the COP 23 Conference, Antonio Guterres mentions youth just once: “Show compassion in caring what kind of world we build for our children”. In this remark he is telling leaders to take initiative in the world they are building. However that does that give the youth a part to play. He is simply saying to be cautious and continue of what decisions you make but fails to address that you will not be leading in the future because you will not be around to face the affect of what you have done. Youth, the people who will have to take the world in their hands and improve it, should decide their own future. We allow and urge our kids to go to college and choose a career for themselves that they will most likely lead for the rest of their lives, yet we do not allow them to take part in negotiations that will determine how their world will end up.
Kazi Ateea is a climate activist
Aya Chebbi: Online & on the Ground: Connecting Those Most in Need with the UN
In my home country of Tunisia, only 50% of the population has access to the internet. The 5 million people that can´t get online, don´t have the same opportunity to have their voice heard or the ability to access the same wealth of information as everyone else. This digital divide has become a barometer for inequality and exclusion, not just in Tunisia but in all UN Member States.
Since Antonio Guterres entered office, over 200 million more people around the world have been brought online. Some of the biggest gains have been made in the 47 Least Developed Countries, where the UN pledged to achieve universal internet access by 2020. The UN´s International Telecommunication Unit, believes they are on track, by working with partners across sectors to already connect 3 in 5 people with 3G data services and other internet infrastructure.
By bringing everyone online, there is an opportunity to create a more democratic connection between the world´s citizens and the UN. To do so, the UN not only needs to help make the technology more accessible, but also ensure that governments are not restricting the use of the service to censor free speech, prevent protests and persecute those that associate with political opposition groups. The rise in Internet usage has unfortunately coincided with a decline in online freedoms.
Aya Chebbi is the founding Chair of African Youth Movement and Co-founder of Voice Of Women Initiative
Ben Donaldson: Supporting Civil Society across the UN System and Beyond
Since Mr Guterres became Secretary-General last year, the disturbing trend of shrinking civic space around the world has continued. In 2017, CIVICUS’s Monitor – a tool for tracking civil society space – listed identified 106 countries in which civic space was “obstructed, repressed or closed”. In 2018, that number rose to 108. The UN’s new Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly in part puts this down to the misuse of legislation under the auspices of national security, anti-terrorism and public order laws. Mr Guterres echoed this point in his Feb 2018 address to the Human Rights Council, stating that “space for civil society -- and human rights defenders, in particular -- is shrinking and becoming ever more dangerous”.
Beyond monitoring and calls for action, the UN's ability to protect civil society space within states is limited. Mr Guterres can, however, make a significant contribution to the cause by selecting strong civil society champion to become the next High Commissioner for Human Rights. The UN can also make a difference by granting civil society a strong voice inside the UN system and ensuring that the process is as accessible and inclusive as possible. Sadly, the Non-Government Liaison Service’s (NGLS) small budget and obscure institutional standing continues to be inconsistent with its huge role to facilitate “meaningful civil society engagement in UN processes”. Vocal support from the UN chief for a strengthened NGLS remains elusive. Given the Secretary-General’s understandable preoccupation with the wider reform agenda, he should consider the designation/appointment of a senior official as a system-wide focal point on civil society at an early opportunity to lead this work.
Since taking up the role, the Secretary-General has shown himself to be a committed ally to civil society through his participation in a high number of non-governmental fora, including UNA-UK’s London-based public event in May 2017.
Ben Donaldson is Head of Campaigns at UNA-UK
Noa Gafni: Engaging Millennials Crucial to Achieving the UN’s Ambitious Agenda
I think Guterres is doing an excellent job of engaging stakeholders outside of the "usual suspects" and that includes young people. He is reaching out through social media and sponsoring youth-led initiatives at the UN to bring younger, fresher perspectives to the table.
Noa Gafni Slaney is CEO and Founder at Impact Squared (part of Dalberg Media)
Eleanor Openshaw: Overcoming the Politics of the UN’s NGO Committee
There have been two positive developments in regard to the ECOSOC NGO Committee over the last year, which only came about after pressure from civil society, and with leadership from key States, In April 2017 ECOSOC voted to webcast all open sessions of the NGO Committee and then in July, instructed the NGO Committee to hold regular meetings with accredited NGOs to discuss the ‘evolving relationship’ between the UN and NGOs, as the Committee has been required to do for over 20 years.
Political interests continue to dominate NGO Committee practice, with human rights organisations continuing to face far greater likelihood of having their applications deferred. Leadership by Guterres to guarantee unhindered civil society access and participation is still sorely needed. In this year of the 20th Anniversary of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, Guterres must stand up the right to defend rights including with and within the UN.
Eleanor Openshaw is New York director and head of regional advocacy at International Service for Human Rights