Secretary-General Presents "Larger Freedom" Report

21 March 2005 - Secretary-General Kofi Annan addressed the General Assembly, to introduce his report, "In Larger Freedom," which outlines actions to be taken to follow up on the commitments made in the Millennium Declaration. He told the Assembly, "My hope is that world leaders, when they arrive here in September, will be ready to take the decisions that are needed. And I hope they will adopt them as a package."

Kofi Annan Report " In Larger Freedom"

The Panel on UN-Civil Society Relations

In February 2003 the Secretary-General appointed Mr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil, to chair a panel of eminent persons " to review past and current practices and recommend improvements for the future in order to make the interaction between civil society and the United Nations more meaningful."

The main task of the Panel of Eminent Persons on UN-Civil Society relations, was to produce a set of practical recommendations for the Secretary-General on how the UN’s relationship with civil society, as well as with private sector and parliaments, could be improved.

The Panel began its work in June 2003, and, after a series of briefings, workshops, and regional consultations, produced its report containing reform proposals in June 2004, to which Mr. Annan responded in his report in September 2004. The subject was debated in the General Assembly from 4-5 October 2004.

Report of the Panel of Eminent Persons on UN-Civil Society Relations

Report of the Secretary-General in response to the report of the Panel on UN-Civil Society Relations

A shortened version of the Panel's report prepared by UN-NGLS

The Panel's website

The High-Level Panel on Threats Challenges and Change

 On the 3 november 2003, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan named the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.

The Panel, chaired by the former Prime Minister of Thailand Anand Panyarachun,  has been instructed to recommend clear and practical measures for ensuring effective collective responses to the common security problems and challenges facing Member States.

The Panel will undertake three tasks in fulfilling its mandate:

1)Examine today’s global threats and provide an analysis of future challenges to international peace and security, including the connections between them.
2) Identify clearly the contribution that collective action can make in addressing these challenges, and assess existing approaches, instruments and mechanisms.
3) Recommend the changes necessary to ensure effective collective action, including but not limited to a review of the principal organs of the United Nations.

 Members of the Panel have scheduled meetings and regional consultations in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe, and have presented their final report to the Secretary General in December 2004.

Some NGOs statements in response to the Panel's recommendations, on the website of the UN Non Governmental Liaison Service

High-Level Panel's website

Report of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change

The UN Millennium Project

Headed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs,  The UN Millennium Project is an independent advisory body commissioned by the UN Secretary-General to advise the UN on strategies for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the set of internationally agreed upon targets for reducing poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women by 2015.

The UN Millennium Project presented its report, "Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals, to the Secretary-General on 17 January 2005.

The UN Millennium Project Report online

All these findings will culminate in the High-level summit of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals in September 2005.