<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title></title>
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
<font face="Verdana">FYI<br>
<br>
Can we discuss what people know about this?<br>
<br>
This looks interesting to follow up by individual organizations,
possibly for the IGC itself?<br>
<br>
I have not yet looked into this, am passing on for research and
discussion.<br>
<br>
Best, Ginger<br>
</font><br>
-------- Original Message --------
<table class="moz-email-headers-table" border="0" cellpadding="0"
cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Subject: </th>
<td>Launch of CSO Net - the Civil Society Network</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Date: </th>
<td>Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:50:43 -0400</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">From: </th>
<td>DESA NGO Branch <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:ngonews@un.org"><ngonews@un.org></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:VirginiaP@diplomacy.edu">VirginiaP@diplomacy.edu</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<br>
<title></title>
<p><span style="font-size: smaller;"><span><span
style="font-family: Arial;">Dear NGO Community,</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: smaller;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">With
an increasing number of civil society organizations seeking
consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, the NGO
Branch of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
(UNDESA), is increasingly being called upon to engage with these
organizations worldwide on a wide range of issues on the United
Nation’s development agenda. There is now a growing demand from
organizations from both the developed and developing countries to
contribute to the UN’s economic and social agenda, including to the
internationally agreed development goals.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: smaller;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In
order to facilitate this engagement and provide a suitable platform for
civil society, I am pleased to announce that UNDESA has launched a
knowledge-based, open networking platform called <b>CSO Net - the
Civil Society Network</b>, which is designed to facilitate interaction
among civil society groups worldwide, Member States and UN system
agencies. The aim is to: share and promote best practices in the field
of economic and social development; establish innovative and
collaborative development solutions; facilitate partnerships among the
users of the portal; and promote interactive discussions through online
forums on issues of immediate relevance to the UN’s agenda. This portal
can be accessed at </span></span><span style="font-size: smaller;"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.un.org/ecosoc/csonet"><span
style="font-family: Arial;">http://www.un.org/ecosoc/csonet</span></a><span
style="font-family: Arial;">.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: smaller;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I
invite you to visit the portal and explore ways that your organization
can contribute to and engage effectively with the NGO Branch and the
United Nations system as a whole. The multiple features of the portal
provide numerous tools, sources of information and news about civil
society and the UN that are designed, as much to inform you about the
UN’s work, and as much as to highlight and facilitate civil society
contribution to the UN’s development goals. We look forward to
reinforcing our partnership with civil society in order to deliver on
our global commitments. To that end, I very much look forward to your
suggestions, feedback and recommendations on the use of this portal and
the way forward. <br>
</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: smaller;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span>Yours
sincerely,<br>
</span><span><br>
Sha Zukang <br>
Under-Secretary-General<br>
</span>Department of Economic and Social Affairs<br>
United Nations</span></span></p>
</body>
</html>