The UN General Assembly opened on Thursday its first-ever interactive sessions with civil society groups who will present proposals on security, human rights, development and UN renewal, ahead of a landmark Summit in September commemorating the world body's 60th anniversary.

Assembly President Jean Ping of Gabon opened the two-day informal hearings stressing the key role nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), civil society groups and the private sector played on today's international scene, particularly in terms of identifying emerging threats or tackling other global challenges.

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frchette said that the Assembly's historic decision to invite civil society to participate in its work was particularly important because the process under way this year would be decisive for the future of the United Nations.

"We face a choice of coming together to tackle those challenges collectively, or we risk increased tension, disorder and inequality," she said.

The hearings come a critical time, amid ongoing closed-door negotiations among UN Member States preparing for the Assembly's 2005 World Summit, which will kick off on Sep.14 with a mid-term review of worldwide efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of targets designed to halve or eradicate poverty and other socioeconomic ills by 2015.

(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2005)