United Nations Millennium Review Summit
United Nations Millennium Review Summit
The UN Millennium Review Summit, the largest gathering of Heads of State in history, took place at the United Nations HQ in New York between 14-16 September 2005. UK civil society was represented by three delegates on the UK government delegation, including Sam Gurney from the TUC European and International Relations Department, who has written this report. (Sam was the only trade union delegate at the Summit.)
The summit was originally envisaged as an opportunity to review progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but in the build up to the event became increasingly focused on other issues as well as development including UN reform, global security and the threat of international terrorism.
The Civil Society delegates held a number of meetings with International Development Secretary Hilary Benn and officials from the UK Mission to the UN prior to and during the Summit to raise concerns and receive updates on UK positions during the negotiations. Delegates also attended a range of side meetings, including an ICFTU/FES seminar on the 'The centrality of Decent Work to the Attainment of the MDG's.'
Shortly before the start of the Summit US ambassador Bolton submitted over 700 proposed deletions to the proposed outcomes document, including removing all references to the MDGs. This was fiercely opposed by the vast majority of other members with the result that reference to the need to meet the MDGs was retained and indeed President Bush calling for them to be meet in his plenary speech, however the effect of the US action was to force the pre-summit negotiations into defence of the very concept of MDGs with the result that any efforts to include concrete calls for specific action to meet them were dropped and the fact that the deadline for achieving the first MDG equal access to primary education for girls and boys had been missed was glossed over completely.
A more detailed analysis of the outcomes document has been prepared by the ICFTU - details below. In broad development terms the Summit at least didn't go back on the limited progress made by the G8 at Gleneagles in regard to increased aid and debt relief for the HIPC countries. On employment for the first time a UN summit document contains excellent language on the need for 'Decent Work' and ensuring 'full respect for the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work,' paragraph 47 states 'We strongly support fair globalisation and resolve to make the goals of full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people, a central objective of our relevant national and international policies as well as national development strategies, including poverty reduction strategies, as part of our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.'
In other areas of concern to the trade union movement existing commitments on gender equality and education were reaffirmed in the face of US pressure to simply 'recognise' that they existed. Progress was made in a number of areas including; the creation of a Peace Building Commission which will bring together relevant countries and groups in post conflict situations, a commitment (but no details) to establish a Human Rights Council, and the acceptance of a shared international 'Responsibility to Protect' populations against genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. The US however managed to ensure that the entire section on disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation was removed from the final text.
ICFTU reaction to the Summit
http://www.ituc-csi.org/?displaydocument.asp?Index=991222813&Language=EN
Trade Union Submission to the Summit
http://www.ituc-csi.org/?displaydocument.asp?Index=991222158&Language=EN
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