Preparatory Meeting Report

Geneva, 18^th – 20^th July 2001
World Civil Society Forum
31, Chemin William Rappard
1293 Bellevue / GENEVA
SWITZERLAND
Fax: (41 22) 959 88 51
E-mail: admin@mandint.org
Website: www.mandint.org/forum  

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION
2. RESULTS OF THE PRELIMINARY CONSULTATIONS
3. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
   1. a) Preparatory Working Group of the Forum
   2. b) Association of the World Civil Society Forum and executive committee
   3. c) Steering committee of the Forum
   4. d) Regional process
   5. e) Secretariat
4. PREPARATORY MEETING
5. PANEL AND OTHER SESSIONS OF JULY 18^th
   1. a) Panel on the role of civil society
   2. b) Extra sessions
   3. c) Results of the consultations and organisation of the Forum
6. THEMATIC WORKING GROUPS – 19 JULY
   1. a) Digital Inclusion
   2. b) Civil Society cooperation – international organisations
   3. c) Health promotion
   4. d) Environment, commerce and sustainable development
   5. e) Indigenous women
   6. f)          Human rights and humanitarian law
   7. g) The right of peoples to self-determination in the prevention of conflicts
   8. h) NGO – Private Sector
   9. i)          Peace and disarmament
7. SESSIONS – 20^th JULY
   1. a) Presentation of the reports of the thematic working groups
   2. b) Organisational structure
   3. c) Constitution of the steering committee
   4. d) Confirmation of the aims, the place and the date of the Forum
   5. ORGANISATION OF THE PREPARATORY MEETING
   6. a) Secretariat
   7. b) Volunteers
8. THANKS
9. APPENDIX
   1. a) Members of the steering committee
   2. b) Members of the executive committee of the association of the WCSF

INTRODUCTION

The project of the World Civil Society Forum was initiated in May 2000, at the time of the Millenium Forum in New York on the reforms of the United Nations (UN), which highlighted the intention of the United Nations to associate its activities more closely with civil society and because of the demand of many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations system and themselves. The World Civil Society Forum intends to facilitate and strengthen cooperation between civil society (NGOs, indigenous peoples, research centres, etc.) and international organisations. It will cover the different fields of activity on the international scene (environment, health, human rights, humanitarian, education, peace, security, information technology, etc.) and aims, in each field, to promote cooperation. The Forum will pay particular attention to organisations from developing countries and indigenous peoples. 

Aims of the Forum: Strengthen international cooperation

Objectives of the Forum

• Facilitate cooperation between organisations of civil society and the whole of the United Nations system, including the specialised agencies and other international organisations.
• Promote cooperation between civil society organisations from different regions of the world and different fields of activity, notably from developing countries and indigenous peoples.
• Open a space for dialogue between the different stakeholders of the international arena, and notably between civil society organisations, international organisations, the authorities and the private sector.
• Consider the creation of a permanent forum allowing the strengthening of cooperation between civil society and international organisations.

Preparatory Meeting

In order to prepare the organisation of the World Civil Society Forum, a preparatory meeting was held at the International Conference Centre in Geneva from the 18^th to the 20^th July 2001. This report presents the results obtained from this preparatory meeting.

RESULTS OF THE PRELIMINARY CONSULTATIONS

Prior to the preparatory meeting, consultations were carried out via Internet on the relevance and usefulness of the Forum. We received responses from 214 organisations in about 70 countries.

The compilation of the responses brought out the following points:

• All the responses were in favour of the organisation of the Forum.
• Most of the organisations wish to improve the cooperation between civil society and international organisations.
• Many organisations want the Forum to be a network of communication and cooperation between civil society organisations and NGOs, between NGOs and indigenous peoples, as well as with international organisations.
• The organisations of indigenous peoples have underlined the importance for them of strengthening links with the other civil society organisations. Several consider that the Forum constitutes an initiative which will contribute to better integrating them in the international scene.
• To have a better organisation of the Forum, the designation of sub-regional coordinators has been proposed in order to distribute information and develop the network of member organisations.
• Many organisations have mentioned the difficulties that organisations based in developing countries face when wishing to attend international conferences and have asked that the organisers facilitate the participation of these organisations. The persons concerned hope that the Forum will be able to offer adequate financial support to meet the travel and accommodation costs.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Preparatory Working Group of the Forum

The process of consultation has led to the formation of a preparatory working group of the World Civil Society Forum gathering more than 220 organisations from approximately 70 countries, and all the fields of activity on the international scene. 

Association of the World Civil Society Forum and Executive Committee

At the time of the consultation phase it was decided to form a non-profit association to manage the preparation of the Forum and the preparatory meeting. The statutes have been through consultations and were adopted, after several meetings and revisions, in May 2001. All the members of the preparatory working group can become members of the association which is equally open to other organisations. At the time of the formation of the association an executive committee of about ten organisations was nominated. 

Steering Committee of the Forum

The steering committee of the World Civil Society Forum has the mandate to coordinate and to take important decisions for the organisation of the forum. The steering committee should represent the different geographic regions and the different fields of activity. It is made up of organisations appointed during the preparatory meeting, of members of the executive committee of the association and it can integrate other organisations that can contribute to the organisation of the Forum. 

Regional Process

It has been decided to favour the participation of all the regions and the preparatory work at the regional level. 

Secretariat

The secretariat, during the consultation phase and for the organisation of the preparatory meeting, was taken charge of by Mandat International and by volunteers.

PREPARATORY MEETING

The preparatory meeting organised from the 18^th to the 20^th of July 2001 in Geneva had as its goal, to adopt and to prepare the organisation of the World Civil Society Forum in 2002. The specific objectives of the meeting were to:

• Work on the organisation of the World Civil Society Forum.
• Form a steering committee representing the different fields of activity and the different regions.
• Adopt and organise the main thematic working groups.

Participation

122 persons participated in the plenary sessions and the working groups representing 91 organisations in 27 different countries (of which 17 were developing countries). More than 200 persons had subscribed, but several organisations contacted us to apologise because they were not successful in finding funding or the necessary visas for their participation.

PANEL AND OTHER SESSIONS OF JULY 18^th

Panel on the Role of Civil Society

In opening the preparatory meeting, a panel was organised on the role of civil society with five speakers:

• Ms. Raymonde Martineau formerly in charge of the UN office of liaison with NGOs and member of the International Union of Associations.
• Mr. Tony Hill director of the Non-Governmental Liaison Service of the United Nations (NGLS).
• Mr. Joseph Apedo of the United Nations Institute for Research in Social Development (UNIRISD).
• Mr. Mamadou Ndiaye of the African Office for Cooperation and Development (OACD).
• Mr. Tomas Alarcon of the Judicial Commission for the self-development of indigenous Andes villages (CAPAJ).

The panel has highlighted the present evolution of the international scene and the role of civil society in global governance. It has identified the principle issues that are facing the United Nations and the organisations of civil society. Several points have arisen:

• The United Nations and civil society have got noticeably closer and they have continued to strengthen their cooperation for several years.
• The contribution of civil society is important for the UN.
• New forms of cooperation have been developed, such as the permanent Forum of indigenous people, and in certain sectors civil society has been integrated in the decision-making process of the United Nations.
• The structure of the international scene has started to consist of different actors, notably civil society, the private sector and governments, the role of civil society organisations being to promote the public interest.
• The UN faces a problem of management; it has more and more mandates and less and less means.
• The events of Seattle have changed the perception of the role of civil society and have worried certain states. They have also revealed the emergence of new actors, different from the non-governmental organisations that usually work with the United Nations.
• Indigenous peoples and organisations based in developing countries have been called to play an increasingly important role on the international scene.
• The United Nations will have to work more and more with the civil populations, including in the field of conflict resolution.
• The World Civil Society Forum takes place at an important turning point and it can respond to important needs by:
  • Gathering together organisations and favouring cooperation.
  • Adopting clear and concrete objectives with an impact, not only at an international level, but also at a national level.
  • Working with the governmental actors concerned.

• How to strengthen cooperation between international and national levels?
• The ‘legitimacy’ of civil society organisations and how representative they are?
• What is going to be the role of the United Nations in the longer term and do we assist in the emergence of some sort of world parliament?
• The political independence of civil society organisations?
• Faced with the rise of the number of civil society organisations active on the international scene, how to improve the coordination and organisation between them? 

Extra Sessions

At the start of the afternoon, two sessions took place outside the ICCG:

World Conference on Sustainable Development

A session of information and discussion on the preparation of the World Conference on Sustainable Development was organised at the House of the Environment in cooperation with the Geneva Environment Network (GEN), the Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the NGLS and the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs. This has allowed them to meet the members of the preparatory committee of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which will take place a couple of months after the World Civil Society Forum and which directly concerns the theme of one of the working groups of the Forum.

Humanitarian Policy

A visit and a discussion were organised at the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in cooperation with the ICRC. The session allowed us to discuss the questions of humanitarian law and policy of the ICRC. 

Results of the Consultations and Organisation of the Forum

Along with the extra sessions, a plenary session was organised at the ICCG to present:

• The results of the consultations on the Forum (see preceding sections).
• The history and the steps accomplished so far.
• The number of member organisations of the preparatory working group on the Forum.
• The organisational structure of the Forum (see preceding sections).
• The general agenda proposed for the Forum in 2002.

THEMATIC WORKING GROUPS – 19 JULY

Each of the thematic working groups was divided into two parts. The objective of the first part was to give a general introduction of the subject. To this end, speakers were invited to briefly introduce the issue. During the second part, the participants had to concentrate on the organisation of the thematic working group for the Forum in 2002.

The thematic working groups presented their reports, summarised below: 

Digital Inclusion

The working group started with a presentation by Mr. Mohamed Harbi, of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), about the World Summit on the Society of Information, which will take place in 2003.  

Proposals:

• Participate in the World Summit on the Information Society in 2003.
• Create workshops on the Internet and new information technologies for delegates from developing countries, in collaboration with IUT.

1. Coordinate these workshops by region.
2. Nara University (Japan) offers to prepare a workshop on environmental issues.

• Study the possibility of creating a computer program to spread information technologies.
• Set up education and learning programs.
• Analyse the impact of the Internet on the balance of power in civil society.
• Create and sustain virtual communities for the exchange of information as well as collective action.
• Establish a website in order to coordinate the working group.

Civil Society Cooperation – International Organisations

The working group began with two presentations: the first by Audrey Esposito of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the second by Jeffrey Segall of the UNGA-Link of Great Britain on the historical evolution of the relation between civil society and the United Nations.

The working group decided to form two sub-groups that will meet at different times during the Forum:

• The first sub-group will concentrate on the “means to improve and to strengthen the cooperation between the civil society organisations and international organisations, including with the specialized agencies of the United Nations”. It will also examine the problems met by civil society organisations based in developing countries: access to information, policy implementation, etc. It was proposed that a questionnaire be developed intended for civil society organisations and international organisations, in order to identify “good practices”, as well as the contributions and the problems that must be resolved to improve the cooperation between civil society organisations and international organisations. The questionnaire will also evaluate the cooperation on the ground and the institutional cooperation (in the conferences).
• The second sub-group will be concerned with “the strengthening and the democratisation of the United Nations”. It will concentrate notably on the support that it can bring to civil society organisations in the United Nations system, on the participation of civil society organisations in the Assembly General of the United Nations and on the relationship between the World Civil Society Forum and the United Nations. It was proposed that a document be written on the evolution and the experiences, past and present, of the relationship between civil society organisations and international organisations (UN and others). The collection of documents on the cooperation between civil society and the United Nations will be coordinated by Ms. Edith Ballanthyne of the World International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).

It has been suggested that the financial crisis of the UN be discussed. It is also proposed to take into consideration the final report of the Millennium Forum as a reference document and to invite the main civil society’s movements to take part in this working group.

It was also proposed that an intermediate meeting be organised in Geneva towards the end of 2001. 

Health Promotion

In the course of this working group, a presentation was given on the action of the joint programme of the United Nations HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) by Mr. Calle Amedal.

The working group has proposed seven themes for work:

• Gender perspectives.
• Prevention and education.
• The role of culture in health.
• The role of the human environment for health.
• Physiological and psychological health.
• Social, political and economic aspects.
• The right to health.

A coordinating group based in Geneva has volunteered to receive collective feedback and proposals on how to develop these topics. The coordinating group will be made up of Ms. Maureen Aba, Ms. Deborah Glejser and Ms. Haile Messeret. 

Environment, Commerce and Sustainable Development

Within the framework of the working group, all the participants took part in the meeting of the preparatory committee of the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) organised by the Geneva Environment Network (GEN). The group began with a presentation by Ms. Aimee Gonzalez of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF International), in which she focused on the upcoming WTO Ministerial meeting in Doha.

The objectives proposed by this working group are to:

• Concentrate on four specific problems: poverty alleviation, environmental governance (both international and local), market access and the role of indigenous peoples.
• Make a declaration or a report that would be presented at the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) (Johannesburg 2002).
• Organise a meeting in relation with the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) (Johannesburg 2002) after the Forum.
• Transform the Forum into a permanent structure that would review the implementation of any commitments made at Johannesburg.
• Establish a committee that would finalise the selection of priority topics and draft papers and set a timetable for the group’s work. The committee will be comprised of: Dr. Alexander Daniel (Institute for Integrated Rural Development), Mr. Abdullatif Fakhfakh (Verité Action), Ms. Margarita Pacheco–Montes (New Synergies in Development), Mr. Rob Wheeler (Millenium Peoples Assembly Network), and Mr. Takeniko Uemura (The Network “Earth Village”). The committee will work in cooperation with GEN and WWF International. An invitation would also be extended to IUCN to join the committee.

The coordination of the working group is managed by Dr. Alexander Daniel. 

Indigenous Women

The group began with two presentations, one on the situation of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, presented by Ms. Charlotte Kashamura of the Initiative for the Development of Feminine Entrepreneurs (IDFE), and the other on the importance of the indigenous women in maintaining cultural and spiritual traditions of Costa Rica, presented by Ms. Paulina Diaz of ACONAMIC.

The group took several decisions: the problem of discrimination was chosen as the principle theme of the working with two sub-groups centred on the access to health and education. A network of representatives for the working groups on indigenous women is going to be developed in the course of the year and finally a meeting should take place before the Forum.

The objective of the working group for the Forum is to obtain a declaration and recommendations for the development of specific projects for indigenous women. 

Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

The working group started with a detailed speech on humanitarian law by Ms Louise Doswald-Beck, Secretary General of the International Commission of Jurists.

The participants proposed the creation of several working sub-groups:

• Increased awareness of available mechanisms that serve to protect human rights and humanitarian law as well as rendering them more universal, visible and effective.
• The role of civil society in promoting and ensuring the implementation of human rights and humanitarian law, and including the Treaty of Rome establishing the International Criminal Court.
• Cultural and regional dimension of human rights (regional conventions on human rights).
• Human rights and globalisation: how the process of globalisation is affecting economic and social rights and how to avoid the negative effects.

It was decided to consult NGOs specializing in human rights and humanitarian law so that they could help define the priorities to be dealt with by the working group, as well as the High Commission for Refugees and the ICRC.

It was also proposed that the Forum organise training sessions on human rights and humanitarian law. The Forum should plan for informal meetings and facilitate the distribution of documentation. 

The Right of Peoples to Self-Determination in the Prevention of Conflicts

The working group began with a presentation on Greenland by Ms. Marianne Jensen from the ILO, and then with a presentation on the Molucas by Ms. Pelpina Sahureka. They raised the importance of the right of peoples to self-determination in the prevention and resolution of conflicts.

The working group identified nine points which could be developed for the Forum in 2002, which specifically concerned indigenous peoples:

• To draw up a declaration which can be presented in the framework of the United Nations.
• To develop a network through the Internet in order to promote conflict resolution concerning indigenous peoples' right to self-determination.
• To produce a manual for indigenous people on how to negotiate in the international arena.
• To increase the participation of indigenous peoples in United Nations organisations.
• To invite indigenous leaders to participate in the Forum for 2002 - for example, international figures and representatives of indigenous peoples at the national level (parliamentarians).
• To call the attention of the media to indigenous peoples' issues.
• The creation of a publication for the Forum on 2002 containing indigenous peoples' historical stories, thoughts and experiences.
• To promote the ratification of the ILO Convention (169).
• To propose the creation of a working group on education.

The participants have elected two coordinators, Mr. Joshua Cooper (Hawaii Institute for Human Rights) and Mr. Nicolás Guerrero (Mandat International). 

NGO – Private Sector

The working group started the session with two presentations. The first presentation was given by Mr. Antoine Mach from Convalence who described the different types of NGO relations with corporations and Mr. Joseph Apedo of the UNRISD who presented a historical evolution of the private sector. The working group brought up several points:

• The border between the private sector and civil society is not very clear. Is the private sector part of civil society? The International Chamber of Commerce has consultative status with ECOSOC as an NGO. What about NGOs that work with micro-credit and businesses which protect the environment? There lacks a clear and consensual definition, at least for the Forum.
• All sorts of relations between the private sector and civil society organisations exist, including opposition, indifference, negotiation, cooperation and partnerships.
• One of the participants spoke of his personal experience as a national coordinator of OXFAM in his country and then as the head of a business. He underlined the fact that in his company they train hundreds of women and improve their social status, their level of education and their human development.
• Certain fields of economic activity present more problems than others: mineral extraction, forestry, food sector, textiles, etc.
• The private sector and civil society are interdependent: societies and human development depend in part on economic development and parallel to this the private sector depends on human development. In fact, economic evolution and the globalisation of exchanges generate numerous worries: the impact on the environment, on health, on human rights, etc. This evolution is at the origin of the anti-globalisation movement and risks leading to a profound split.

The working group has defined the following objectives:

• Clarify the definition of civil society, notably the question of where the border with the private sector lies. Therefore, it was proposed to research existing definitions and propose a common definition for the Forum.
• Collect examples of good practice between the private sector and civil society organisations.
• Identify the principle problems between civil society organisations and the private sector, notably vis-à-vis the multinationals. The working group could then work in sub-groups to propose solutions or paths to be followed.
• The working group should invite representatives from the private sector from different regions and different fields of activity. The working group could thus open a space for dialogue between civil society and the private sector in order to propose solutions, recommendations and/or paths to follow permitting the promotion of a sustainable economic development which takes into consideration the preoccupations of civil society and the constraints of the private sector.
• Plan a meeting in September 2001 which could gather more information on the position of civil society in relation with the private sector.
• Organise a second meeting towards the end of 2001 to review the role of civil society and its engagement with the private sector. At that point, the working group would identity the representatives of the private sector who will be invited under the framework of the working group on the private sector, at the time of the Forum in 2002. 

Peace and Disarmament

During the preparatory meeting the need for the setting up of a working group on disarmament issues arose. Because of the lack of any significant progress at the intergovernmental level (Disarmament Conference deadlocked) the participants felt that civil society organisations have an important role to play in restarting the process.

The participants proposed two main themes to be discussed in the Forum in 2002: nuclear weapons proliferation and education for peace. They planned sessions which would present the current situation on these themes. These would bring together a broad group of representatives from NGO networks working on disarmament. They particularly insisted on the importance of including youth organisations in the process.

In the preparation of these sessions different initiatives taken previously at the global level could be used. The chapter on security, peace and disarmament of the report made at the time of the UN Millennium Forum, and the proposals proposed in the Hague Agenda for Peace presented in the Hague in 1999, in particular, could be used as points of reference.

After the themes have been presented, suggestions will be made for actions; the outcomes of which will be presented in the plenary session.

The International Peace Bureau and the Swedish Peace Council have offered to assume interim responsibility to facilitate the organisation and the preparation of the working group.

SESSIONS – 20^th JULY

Presentation of the Reports of the Thematic Working Groups

The morning was devoted to the presentation of the reports of the thematic working groups (see preceding section). 

Organisational Structure

The organisational structure of the Forum was presented and discussed in plenary. It was specifically demanded that the term “Patronizing committee” not be used, as it has a negative connotation in English. 

Constitution of the steering committee

The assembly adopted some new members to the steering committee of the World Civil Society Forum. The new members of the steering committee will sit with the members of the executive committee to coordinate the organisation of the Forum. They were appointed in three groups:

• Some organisations were appointed to cover the different fields of activity on the international scene. The participants were invited to propose organisations and a list of organisations was adopted in plenary.
• Some organisations were appointed to cover the different geographic regions. The participants were invited to meet in caucus by geographic region to choose the organisations that can represent them in the steering committee. A list of organisations was adopted in plenary and will be completed. It was decided that certain regions could be represented by two organisations that sit alternatively. The organisations concerned will work equally for the organisation of the regional process of consultation.
• It was proposed to the indigenous people that they organise a consultation between them to appoint 5 representatives of 5 different regions in the steering committee of the Forum. These members will have to be proposed by the caucus of indigenous peoples of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the UN.

It was agreed that the members of the steering committee could continue the consultations to approach certain important organisations in order to invite them to join the steering committee. It was also decided that the new elections will be organised at the time of the World Civil Society Forum in 2002. The list of present members of the steering committee appears in the appendix of the report. 

Confirmation of the Aims, the Place and the Date of the Forum

Confirmation of the Aims of the Forum

The aims and objectives of the Forum have been confirmed in the plenary session:

Aims of the Forum: Strengthen international cooperation

Objectives of the Forum

• Facilitate cooperation between organisations of civil society and the whole of the United Nations system, including the specialised agencies and other international organisations.
• Promote cooperation between civil society organisations from the different regions of the world and the different fields of activity, notably with developing countries and indigenous peoples.
• Open a space for dialogue between the different stakeholders of the international arena, and notably between civil society organisations, the international organisations, the authorities and the private sector.
• Consider the creation of a permanent forum allowing the strengthening of cooperation between civil society and international organisations.

Confirmation of the date of the Forum

The Forum will meet in Geneva at the end of July 2002 during the week that precedes the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations and one week before the Sub-commission on Human Rights. These two UN conferences attract numerous delegates from developing countries. As their air tickets are being paid for by other organisations, this will facilitate their participation at the Forum. Besides this, these dates will permit the Forum to contribute directly to the World Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +10) and the preparation of the World Summit on Information. 

Confirmation of the place of the Forum

The Forum will take place at the International Conference Centre of Geneva (ICCG). It has a capacity of 1,800 places for a plenary session and offers many more smaller conference rooms permitting several sessions to take place simultaneously. It is close to the UN and other international organisations based in Geneva. As much as possible, any other related activities taking place will do so close to the ICCG.

ORGANISATION OF THE PREPARATORY MEETING

The preparation and organisation of the preparatory meeting for the World Civil Society Forum relied considerably on volunteer efforts. 

Secretariat

The secretariat and the coordination of the preparatory meeting was organised by Mandat International with the help of volunteers and members of the executive committee. The secretariat was responsible for:

• Preparing and distributing information to interested organisations.
• Creating and regularly updating a database established from a consultation questionnaire in order to identify the interests and expectations of organisations.
• Facilitating participants visits. The secretariat was in contact with the embassies in order to facilitate the obtaining of visas. It also arranged affordable accommodation in Geneva. It managed the fund received by Mandat International from the Swiss Development and Cooperation agency to provide support for some delegates from developing countries.
• Organising each working group, establishing the list of participants and inviting speakers to introduce each theme briefly.
• During the preparatory meeting itself, the team worked in several areas. It coordinated the volunteers of the International Civil Service. It also took care of registering participants, representing the association of each working group, and finally, helping the delegates in their work.
• After the preparatory meeting, the secretariat wrote, compiled and edited the final report and updated the database of contacts. 

Volunteers

The preparatory meeting would not have taken place without the involvement of many volunteers. As well as the volunteers of Mandat International, the preparatory meeting benefited from the help of:

13 volunteers who came through the Civil Service International (SCI), from 10 different countries (Asia, East and Central Europe, the United States), 10 days before the preparatory meeting. They helped with the preparation of information documents and the settlement of the final organisational details. During the preparatory meeting they were assigned different functions. Specifically, they helped with the welcome, giving out badges and general information to the delegates as well as taking notes during the working groups.

About thirty volunteers from International Conference of Volunteers (ICV) came to the meeting itself. Their help was invaluable, especially for welcoming delegates, for the logistical organisation, interpretations and the preparation of meals for the volunteers.

Finally, many volunteers and several professional interpreters came on an individual basis to lend a hand to the organisation of the meeting.

THANKS

We would like to thank:

• All the volunteers, as well as the volunteer interpreters, thanks to whom we were able to organise this meeting.
• The International Conference Centre of Geneva which put at our disposal its rooms and infrastructure free of charge.
• Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation which allowed us to cover the costs of accommodation of several delegates who came from developing countries.
• Foundation for Geneva which allowed us to cover part of the costs of the meeting: meals for volunteers, badges, sound technicians, etc.

All the organisations which have contributed to the organisation of the preparatory meeting.

APPENDIX

a) Members of the steering committee

Certain members of the committee must obtain the approval of their section director; they are indicated by an asterisk.

Internet and communication
Internet Society (ISOC)	Rosa Delgado
Humanitarian
OFADEC - African Office for Development and Cooperation	Mamadou Ndiaye (member of ICVA)
Promotion and cooperation with the UN
Mandat International	Sébastien Ziegler
UNGA - LINK U.K.	Jeffrey Segal
United Nations Association U.K.	Keith Hindel
* CONGO - Conference of NGOs	Renate Bloem + Leslie Wright
Economy and development
Geneva Federation of Cooperation (FGC)	Jean-Pierre Gontard
International Centre on Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD)	Ricardo Melendez
Health
EuroCASO / ICASO	Deborah Glejser
Human rights
Vérité Action	Abdullatif Fakhfakh
* World Council of Churches	Eugenio Poma
Environment and sustainable development
* Geneva Environment Network (GEN)	Aniket Ghai
* WWF International	Gonzalo Oviedo
Peace and disarmament
WILPF	Edith Ballanthyne
* International Peace Bureau (IPB)	Colin Archer
Women
Women’s World Summit Foundation	Maria Peñalosa
Youth
ISMUN	Jan Lonn + Fatima Mahfouz
WAGGGS - World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts	Lili Schürch
World Alliance of YMCA	María José Sarmiento
Elderly People
Pro GINA	Astrid Stuckelberger
Volunteers
ICV – International Conference Volunteers	Viola Krebs
Representatives of the regions
Africa
OFADEC	Mamadou Ndiaye
VASE	John Agbeli
Association Central African Women for Social Action	Georgette Anguimate
MAA – Masai people	Stephen Side Ole Timoi
Asia
IIRD - Institute for Integrated Rural Development	Dr. Daniel Alexander
Rural Reconstruction Nepal	Netra Timsina
The Network Earth Village	Takehiko Uemura
Latin America
CAPAJ	Tomas Alarcon
National Advice Association of Indigenous Women of Costa Rica	Paulina Diaz
North America
Millennium People's Assembly Network	Rob Wheeler

b) Members of the executive committee of the association of the WCSF

Other members of the executive committee:

• Mr. Mamadou N’Diaye (OFADEC)
• Mr. Jeffrey J. Segall (UNGA-LINK U.K.)
  Coreprésentant: M. Keith Hindell (United Nations Association U.K.)
• Ms. Viola Krebs (ICVolunteers)
• Ms. Edith Ballantyne (WILPF)
• Ms. Astride Stuckelberger (Pro GINA)
• Mr. Jan Lonn (ISMUN)
• Corepresentative: Ms. Fatima Mahfud (ISMUN)
• Mr. Abdulatif Fakhfakh (Vérité Action)
• Mr. Tomas Alarcon (CAPAJ)