Continuing concern for the deplorable living standards and threats of violence facing people in many parts of the world was expressed by Jonathan Gallagher, a Seventh-day Adventist representative from the world church’s department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL), who joined over 2,500 other delegates from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the United Nations (UN) building in New York for the 59th Annual NGO Conference.

Their mission? To draw up a better and more effective means of forming global partnerships to protect security and foster development worldwide. Meeting under the theme “Unfinished Business: Effective Partnership for Human Security and Sustainable Development,” the leaders of civil society and government present committed to finding practical methods to make the world a safer and more humane place.

As UN General Assembly president Jan Eliasson reminded conference participants, such goals require immense commitment. “We have such huge tasks now that I sometimes ask myself, ‘Will we make it?’” But he was quick to add that they could certainly be accomplished. “Working together, creating international structures, creating strong and effective international cooperation, strengthening the United Nations, is a good thing for the world.”

Eliasson also had a message for the delegates from non-governmental organizations. “We need your voices; we need your contribution. I want you to feel that you are partners with us in the work on development, security and human rights, and the basic pursuit that we must work for a life of dignity for all.”

“Adventists are committed to social action, recognizing that our interest is in the whole being of what makes us human—mental, physical, social, and spiritual,” said Gallagher. “Consequently we are very much involved in making this world a better place through humanitarian action that includes health, education, disaster relief, development aid, social development programs and so on. We believe that by so doing we are following the example of Jesus in caring for all the needs of humanity.”

The three-day UN-sponsored conference concluded with definite plans of action that seeks to make talk a reality by practically contributing to the Millennium Development Goals, a blueprint for bettering the world agreed upon at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000 by all the world’s countries and leading development institutions. The eight goals include tackling poverty, political instability, HIV/AIDS, gender inequality, and violence.