I am pleased to say a word on behalf of the Religious NGO Committee and to commend the Philippines’ leadership in strengthening the initial stages of this partnership. It has indeed been a valuable learning experience for us to work in this innovative way with Member States and UN Agencies.

In the beginning, we NGOs questioned our purpose and wondered if this commitment of time would be fruitful. We wondered if we, as NGO partners, would be given equal status. And then, we worked together to co-sponsor the First Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace in June 2005, when we established the Tripartite Forum, and on the International Day of Peace, we held our Second Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace and Development.

Wee proud to have participated in developing an alliance that, though it is completely voluntary, has affected the thinking and values of many at the UN. We have seen interest in Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace grow. We see this as our collective and positive contribution to peacebuilding.

And as we look to the future?

As we continue to learn the meaning of real dialogue we need to pause for reflection. To be honest, some of our constituency want our commitment to be more directly concerned for human rights, eradication of poverty, children and women’s health as essential to cooperation for peace – discussion at the last Conference emphasized the MDGs. These are surely religious issues and our response is that the Dialogue is its early stages where we are learning to trust others and they are learning to trust us as NGOs.

As we see it, there is an emerging institutionalized dialogue in the UN System involving all three of its partners – Member States, UN Agencies and NGOs. As Civil Society we want to continue our participation in the process. We hope to listen to each other so carefully that we are changed by the experience of partnership.

Our hope for the future is that the dialogue will become a springboard for real action around the concerns we share – among them to foster the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.