141 The Beijing Conference on Women would have permitted fifty out of the two thousand non-governmental organizations involved to present their statements orally. Because the Bahá’í International Community had received this privilege at previous conferences, most notably that in Rio de Janeiro on the environment and that in Copenhagen on social and economic development, the Community’s representatives yielded the slot that had been accorded them, in favour of the Moscow Centre for Gender Studies. 142 A full account, including the text of the decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court, can be found in _The Bahá’í World_, vol. XX (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1998), pp. 571-606. _ 143 Sessão Solene da Câmara Federal_, Brasília, 28 de Maio, 1992, (reprinted, with English translation by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Brazil, 1992). _ 144 Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,_ _op. cit._, pp. 34-36, (section 15). _ 145 United Nations General Assembly, Fifty-Fourth Session, Agenda Item 49 (b) United Nations Reform Measures and Proposals: the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations_, 8 August 2000, (Document no. A/54/959), p. 2. 146 See _Commitment to Global Peace_, declaration of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, presented to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 29 August 2000 during a summit session at the UN General Assembly. 147 United Nations General Assembly, _Fifty-Fourth Session, Agenda Item 61 (b) The Millennium Assembly of the United Nations_, 8 September 2000, (Document no. A/55/L.2), section 32. 148 The respective purposes of the three Millennium gatherings, as well as the involvement of the Bahá’í community in these meetings, were summarized in a letter from the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies dated 24 September 2000. 149 Shoghi Effendi, _The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh,_ _op. cit._, p. 42. _ 150 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh_, _op. cit._, p. 297, (section CXXXVI). 151 Bahá’u’lláh, _The Kitáb-i-Íqán_, _op. cit._, p. 34. 152 Bahá’u’lláh, _Prayers and Meditations_ (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1998), p. 295, (section CLXXVIII). 153 Shoghi Effendi, _The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh,_ _op. cit._, p. 193. _ 154 ibid._, p. 196. 155 Bahá’u’lláh, _The Kitáb-i-Aqdas_, _op. cit._, paragraph 186. _ 156 ibid._, paragraph 54. 157 Shoghi Effendi, _Messages to the Bahá’í World_, _1950-1957_, _op. cit._, p. 74. 158 Isaiah 2.2 Authorized (King James) Version. 159 Shoghi Effendi, _The Advent of Divine Justice_, _op. cit._, pp. 82-83. _ 160 Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,_ _op. cit._, p. 317, (section 227.22). _ 161 The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh _(Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1967), p. 67.