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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published
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Africa: Racism Conference
Africa: Racism Conference
Date distributed (ymd): 001008
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +political/rights+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains excerpts from a briefing note from the NGO
Liaison for the World Conference Against Racism scheduled for South
Africa in September 2001. The NGO Liaison is based at the Office
for the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.
The full version of this briefing note contains additional details
on procedures for participation, and, for some meetings,
applications for funding to participate. It is available in the
archived version of this posting at:
http://www.africafocus.org/docs00/wcar0010.php>
or by writing to lwiseberg.hchr@unog.ch.
To be added to a list to receive future briefings from the NGO
Liaison, send a message to lwiseberg.hchr@unog.ch with the
subject line: Subscribe OHCHR-NGO
Other sites with background information on the conference and
related issues include:
UNHCHR Official Conference Site
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism
UN Press Kit on the Conference
http://www.un.org/WCAR
Report from Bellagio Consultation convened by International Human
Rights Law Group (in English and French)
http://www.hrlawgroup.org/site/programs/engdoc.html
and
http://www.hrlawgroup.org/site/programs/frereport1.html
AntiRacism Net (Project Change, Institute for Global
Communications)
http://www.ngoworldconference.org
Human Rights Internet (includes documents posted by NGOs)
http://www.hri.ca/racism
Internet Centre / Anti-Racism Europe
http://www.icare.to
Women's Caucus Website for World Conference against Racism
http://cwgl.rutgers.edu/wc/wc.htm
Human Rights Watch Race and Human Rights
http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/race
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NGO Liaison, World Conference Against Racism
26 September, 2000
Introduction:
These briefing notes are prepared to assist NGO representatives
who wish to participate in the World Conference process. Feel
free to circulate as widely as possible.
This note updates the previous three notes. Please pay particular
attention to new meeting dates and deadlines. For further
information or for clarifications, feel free to contact the NGO
Liaison WCAR using the following coordinates:
Laurie S. Wiseberg, Room 4-025 OHCHR, Palais Wilson, Geneva
Mailing address: OHCHR, Palais des Nations, CH 1211 Geneva 10,
Switzerland Tel. (41-22) 917-9393 Fax. (41-22) 917-9050
lwiseberg.hchr@unog.ch
I. Dates and Venue for the World Conference and NGO Forum.
The WCAR will take place in South Africa from 31 August to 7
September 2001. The dates for the NGO Forum have now been set.
The Forum will take place from 28 August-1 September 2001. There
is still no decision on the venue (i.e., the city).
II. Organizing Committee for the NGO Forum
The Organizing Committee for the NGO Forum is being led by the
South African National NGO Coalition, SANGOCO. The Committee is
currently setting up offices and hiring core staff. For the
present, contact Mr. Moshe More at the following e-mail for
further information: moshe@sangoco.org.za.
III. Secretariat for the World Conference
The High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson is
Secretary-General of the World Conference. A team at the Office
of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) is doing the preparatory work
for the Conference. It has recently been augmented by the
appointment of an Executive Coordinator, Mr. Jyoti Shankar Singh.
IV. How to find documentation for the Conference and the
Preparatory Process
Relevant reports and documents for the World Conference are
available on the website of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights. <http://www.unhchr.ch> Click on World Conference Against
Racism at the top of the Home Page. A great deal of additional
information for NGOs has been posted on an NGO Website for the
World Conference: < http://www.hri.ca/racism> This has links to
many other sites dealing with racism. NGOs wishing to post their
documentation on this site should send an electronic version to
the NGO Liaison, WCAR.
V. Slogan and Themes of the Conference
The First Session of the PrepCom adopted the following World
Conference Slogan: "United to combat racism: Equality, Justice,
Dignity"
It also adopted the following 5 broad themes of the Provisional
Agenda.
(1) Sources, causes, forms and contemporary manifestations of
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance;
(2) Victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance;
(3) Measures of prevention, education and protection aimed at the
eradication of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance, at the national, regional and international
levels;
(4) Provision of effective remedies, recourse, redress,
[compensatory] and other measures at the national, regional and
international levels;
(5) Strategies to achieve full and effective equality, including
international cooperation and enhancement of the United Nations
and other international mechanisms in combatting racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and
follow-up.
Note that the word "compensatory" in theme 4 is in square
brackets because there was no general agreement for including
this term.
VI. Decisions of the First Session of the PrepCom regarding the
structure of the conference
The First Session of the PrepCom elected Ambassador (Mme) Absa
Claude Diallo of Senegal as its Chairperson. Ambassador Diallo
chaired the sessional working group of the 55th Session of the
Commission on Human Rights (1999) on the preparation of the World
Conference.
Other members of the Bureau are the following: Tunisia, Islamic
Republic of Iran, Malaysia, FYR of Macedonia, Georgia, Brazil,
Mexico (Rapporteur), France, USA and South Africa as ex-officio.
In the Rules of Procedures adopted at the First Session of the
PrepCom, it was decided that the Conference would establish one
Main Committee and one Drafting Committee, and these Committees
may set up their own subcommittees or working groups. NGOs will
be permitted to participate in the work of both of these
Committees (and any subcommittees or working groups they
establish) on questions within the scope of their activities.
This means that NGOs will be able to make oral statements as well
as to submit written statements to the Conference.
If written statements of NGOs are to be circulated at the
Inter-sessional Working Group meeting or during the Second
Session of the PrepCom, they must be submitted 10 weeks prior to
the respective meeting. It helps if the statements are submitted
electronically, and especially if text can be provided in
English, French and Spanish. Length is restricted to 1,500 words,
except that NGOs which have "general" consultative status may
submitted up to 2,000 words.
VII. Preparatory Process
The report of the first session of the Preparatory Committee
(PrepCom), which took place in Geneva from 1-5 May 2000, is
available as A/CONF.189/PC.1/21 (in English, French, Spanish,
Arabic, Russian and Chinese) on the website of the High
Commissioner. The second session of the PrepCom will take place
in Geneva from 21 May - 1 June 2001.
In addition, there will be an Open-Ended Inter-Sessional Working
Group Meeting in Geneva, 15-19 January 2001. The Inter-Sessional
Working Group will have before it a document prepared by the
Secretariat of the World Conference (i.e., a draft Declaration
and Programme of Action).
There will also be an Informal Meeting, to plan for the
Inter-Sessional Working Group and to begin discussion on the
sub-themes of the five major conference themes. (Originally
scheduled for October 19-20, it is now likely that the meeting
will be moved to the week of November 13.)
NGOs with Consultative Status with ECOSOC or which are accredited
to the World Conference, can attend these meetings as observers.
VIII. Regional Preparatory Meetings
There have been changes in the dates for some of the Regional
Preparatory meetings since the last Briefing Note was prepared.
The Regional Preparatory meetings and the associated NGO meetings
will now take place as follows.
Regional Preparatory Meeting for Europe (in Strasbourg, France),
organized by the Council of Europe, 11-13 October 2000. On 10-11
October, there will be a European NGO Forum. For further
information about these meetings, see the website of the European
Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI):
<http://www.ecri.coe.int/en/07/01/e07010001.htm>. Note that the
rules of NGO participation at the European meetings have been
determined by the Council of Europe, in consultation with NGOs,
and they are not the same as those which will govern the other
regional meetings. The rules, and why they were adopted, are
explained on the ECRI website. The deadline for registering to
participate in the NGO Forum was September 8.
Regional Preparatory Meeting for Africa (in Dakar, Senegal). This
meeting was initially scheduled for 2-4 November 2000. It is
likely that the meeting now take place 22-24 January 2001.
However, no decision has as yet been taken and these dates are
still tentative. An African NGO Forum will be held one or two day
prior to the meeting. For details about that NGO Forum, contact
Mr. Alioune Tine at Rencontre africaine pour la defense des
droits de l'homme (RADDHO) <raddho@telecomplus.sn>.
Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Americas (in Santiago,
Chile), 5-7 December 2000. An NGO Forum will be held 3-4
December, just prior to this meeting. For details, contact Ms.
Ines
Reichel, at the Instituto Inter-Americano de Derechos Humanos
(IIDH) at <ireichel@iidh.ed.cr> .
Regional Preparatory Meeting for Asia (in Teheran, Iran). This
meeting will now take place 19-21 February 2001. An NGO Forum
will be held 17-18 February. For details, contact Ms. Nimalka
Fernando at the International Movement Against All Forms of
Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) <imadr@slt.lk>.
IX. NGO Participation in the Preparatory Process
NGOs wishing to participate in the preparatory meetings (whether
in Geneva or in the regions) must either have Consultative Status
with ECOSOC or be accredited to the World Conference. The
procedure for getting accreditation to the WCAR is noted below.
In response to frequently asked questions, please take note of
the following:
(a) NGOs which have Consultative Status with ECOSOC, or which
have been accredited to the WCAR, may participate in the Regional
Preparatory meetings. For each meeting at which the organization
will be represented, the NGO must send a separate letter on
letterhead, signed by the person authorized to do so, stating
which persons will be attending. This letter should be addressed
to Catherine Bremont, OHCHR 1-051, Palais des Nations, CH-1211
Geneva 10, Switzerland. It can be sent by fax to: (41-22)
917-9011. E-mail communications are not acceptable for this
purpose.
(b) Any NGO which has been accredited to attend a Regional
Meeting (i.e., a governmental, not an NGO meeting) is considered
accredited to the entire process and may attend the World
Conference or any other associated meeting.
(c) NGOs which wish to attend the Inter-Sessional Meeting, the
Second Session of the Preparatory Meeting, or the World
Conference itself (if the NGO has Consultative Status or is
accredited to the WCAR) needs to send a letter (a separate one
for each meeting), on letterhead, signed by the person authorized
to do
so, listing the names of the representatives who will be
attending
and asking that credentials be prepared for them. See (a) above
for
details on where to send this letter.
There are some funds available to assist NGO participation at
these Regional Preparatory meetings and there will be some funds
available to assist NGOs to go to South Africa. See XIII below
for information on how to apply for financial assistance.
X. Regional Expert Seminars
A number of expert regional seminars have been organized in the
context of the World Conference to spur consideration of
important issues, culminate in effective suggestions to the
second
Preparatory Committee and the World Conference itself, commence
a distillation of the issues and suggest practical strategies,
and create a groundswell of governmental, institutional and
public
support for the World Conference and its objectives. The
following seminars have already taken place:
Expert Seminar for Western Europe, Geneva, 6-8 December 1999 on:
"Racism, Refugees & Multiethnic States." Expert Seminar for
Western Europe, Geneva, 16-18 February 2000 on: "Remedies
Available to Victims of Acts of Racism, Racial Discrimination,
Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and Good National Practices in
this Field." Expert Seminar for Eastern Europe, 5-7 July 2000,
Warsaw on: "Protection of Minorities and Other Vulnerable Groups
and Strengthening Human Rights Capacity at the National Level".
Expert Seminar for Asia, 5-7 September 2000, Bangkok on: "Migrant
Workers and Trafficking of Persons, with Particular Reference to
Women and Children."
Two others regional expert seminars are scheduled as follows:
Expert Seminar for Africa, 4-6 October 2000, Addis Ababa on:
"Preventing Ethnic and Racial Conflict" (Point Person: Aziz
Ndiaye. Email: andiaye.hchr@unog.ch. Tel. 41-22 917-9826.)
Expert Seminar for Latin America, 25-27 October 2000, Santiago,
on: "Economic, Social and Legal Measures to Combat Racial
Discrimination, with Particular Reference to Vulnerable Groups".
(Point Person: Sandra Aragon. Email:saragon.hchr@unog.ch. Tel.
41-22 917-9129.)
NGOs wishing to participate in these regional expert seminars
should note the following:
If your organization has consultative status with the United
Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) or has been
accredited to the WCAR, your NGO will receive an invitation to
participate as an "observer". Observers may take part in the
Seminar discussions and distribute documents.
If your organization has neither ECOSOC consultative status nor
accrediation to the WCAR, your representative(s) may attend the
Seminar as a member of the public gallery. Members of the public
gallery do not participate in the Seminar discussions nor can
they distribute documentation.
In order to ensure access to the Seminar, any NGO wishing to
attend, must forward to our office by mail or facsimile (41-22)
917-9050 on official letterhead, the names of its designated
representative(s) as soon as possible. Address the letter to the
point person noted above. If you have questions concerning these
seminars, also direct yourselves to these designated.
Note that there are no funds available to assist NGOs which wish
to participate in these regional seminars.
XI. Other Regional NGO Meetings
The Secretariat of the OHCHR is also planning to support four
regional NGO meetings intended to feed into the NGO Forum.
(Details on how to apply for funding are noted in XIII below.)
While the dates and venues have not yet been confirmed, the plans
at present are for meetings:
For Eastern and Central Europe, in Warsaw: contact, Mr. Marek
Nowicki, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, at
<jacquel@hfhrpol.waw.pl>. Dates: 14-18 November 2000.
For Africa, in Botswana: contact Ms. Chantal Kisoon at the Centre
for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
<ckisoon@hakuna.up.ac.za. Tentatively set for 21-26 January 2001.
These may change, depending on the dates selected for the African
regional meeting.
For Asia, in Amman, Jordan: contact Arab Organization for Human
Rights (AOHR), Mr. Nizam Assaf, <achrs@joinnet.com.jo> or
<aohr_jo@yahoo.com>, probably in March 2001.
For the Americas, in Quito, Ecuador: contact Ms. Irene Leon at
Agencia Latinoamerican de Informacion (ALAI) at
<ddhh@alainet.org> or contact Mr. Mark Hecht at Human Rights
Internet (HRI) at <hechtma@hri.ca>. Probably in January 2001.
XII. Accreditation of NGOs
NGOs which have Consultative Status with ECOSOC may participate
in the World Conference and its preparatory processes.
Representatives of Indigenous Peoples or Indigenous Peoples
Organizations which have been accredited under Resolution 1995/32
to participate in the Working Group of the Commission on Human
Rights on the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous
peoples, may participate in the World Conference and its
preparatory processes.
NGOs which have been accredited to any of the Regional Meetings
for the World Conference (i.e., Strasbourg, Dakar, Santiago,
Teheran) will be considered accredited to the World Conference
and its preparatory processes.
NGOs which do not have Consultative Status can be accredited to
the World Conference under Resolution 1996/31, and Decision PC
1/5 of the First Session of the PrepCom as follows:
(a) An NGO applies to the Conference Secretariat with required
documentation (see information note for NGOs not having
Consultative Status, on the website of the OHCHR and/or
questionnaire on the web).
(b) This documentation is reviewed by the Secretariat to ensure
that it is complete and that the NGO meets the criteria for
accreditation.
(c) When 10 applications have been received, the Secretariat
sends a note verbale to all governments with a list of the NGOs
applying and its recommendation. Governments have 14 days to
raise any concerns they have.
(d) Where no concerns have been raised, the Secretariat will
forward the name of the applying NGOs to the Bureau of the
PrepCom for accreditation.
(e) If concerns are raised about an NGO, the Secretariat will
inform the NGO about the government's comments and give the NGO
the opportunity to reply. It will then forward the government's
concerns, the NGOs comments and its own recommendation to the
Bureau for action. The Bureau, in consultation with the regions,
will decide whether or not to accredit the NGO.
(f) If the Bureau decides not to accredit, the matter will go to
the Second Session of the PrepCom (in May 2000) for final
decision.
As a general rule, to participate in the Regional preparatory
meetings, NGOs must either be accredited to the World Conference,
have Consultative Status with ECOSOC, or be an indigenous
organization accredited under Resolution 1995/32. However, the
different regional groups have established their own criteria for
accrediting NGOs to their Regional meeting.
Thus, the Council of Europe has its own criteria (set out on the
website of the European Commission <http://www.ecri.coe.int> )
for
accrediting NGOs to the Strasbourg regional meeting.
The African Group has agreed to consider any NGO which has
Observer Status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples'
Rights as accredited to the Dakar regional meeting.
The Group of Latin American and Caribbean states will similarly
be accrediting NGOs.
Once an NGO has been accredited to participate in a Regional
Preparatory Meeting, it is automatically accredited to
participate in the World Conference itself and any other
preparatory meeting.
Since accreditation is a complicated/lengthy process please apply
for accreditation as early as possible. A minimum of a 6 weeks is
generally required by the Secretariat to process an application.
You should send your applications to: Ms. Sandra Aragon, OHCHR,
Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland. Tel. (41-22)
917-9129. Fax. (41-22) 917-9050. Email: saragon.hchr@unog.ch
XIII. Funding NGO Participation in the World Conference Process
The Office of the High Commissioner has secured funding to
subsidize the participation of NGOs in the Regional Preparatory
meetings for Africa, Asia and the Americas (see VIII above) and
in four NGO networking meetings (see XI above). The OHCHR also
hopes to raise funds to assist NGOs in getting to the NGO Forum
in South Africa and to the World Conference. This is
unprecedented in the history of the UN's World Conferences, as
NGOs have always had to raise their own funds for this purpose.
To ensure that these funds support a broad range of NGO input
into the World Conference and its preparatory processes, and are
distributed in a transparent and fair manner, the following
procedure has been established.
While for each meeting, one NGO has been asked to take charge of
the logistical arrangements, for each region in which meetings
are being organized (Africa, Asia, Americas, Eastern and Central
Europe) a steering committee of approximately 8-10 organizations
has been established, with representation from geographic
sub-regions and relevant social sectors (e.g., minorities,
indigenous, women, youth). These regional steering committees are
currently in the process of establishing criteria for selecting
the NGOs to be subsidized in their region. As soon as these
criteria are determined in the regions, they will be posted on
the web and disseminated by this ListServe, together with the
names
of the organizations which comprise the steering committees.
NGOs wishing to be subsidized to attend a regional or networking
meeting should fill out the application form below and send it to
the relevant coordinating organization as noted in VIII and XI
above.
The criteria for selecting NGOs to subsidize to attend the NGO
Forum and World Conference will be established at a later date by
SANGOCO (the NGO coordinating the NGO Forum) together with an
international steering committee whose composition and rules of
procedure still need to be determined.
Questionnaire for NGOs which wish to request financial assistance
to attend a regional or networking meeting (Draft 27 September
2000)
If you are applying for funding to attend more than one meeting,
fill out a separate application for each meeting.
(This questionnaire may be amended. If so, a new version will be
sent out on the ListServe.)
Provide the Following Information
A. Please indicate for which meeting you are seeking funding:
Regional Meeting Africa (Dakar, Senegal)
Regional Meeting Americas (Santiago, Chile)
Regional Meeting Asia (Teheran, Iran)
Networking Meeting Africa (Botswana)
Networking Meeting Americas (Quito, Ecuador)
Networking Meeting Asia (Amman, Jordan)
Networking Meeting Eastern and Central Europe (Warsaw, Poland)
B. Basic Information about your organization
1. Name of Organization:
2. Full Address of the Organization:
3. Telephone Number (include country and city code):
4. Fax Number (include country and city code):
5. E-mail address:
6. Chief Executive Officer of the Organization:
7. Name of Person Making this Application (name and
title/function):
8. Year your organization was established.
9. Does your organization have:
- consultative status with ECOSOC?
- status under ECOSOC Resolution 1995/32 as an indigenous
peoples' organization?
- observer status with the African Commission on Human and
Peoples' Rights?
- consultative status with the Council of Europe?
Or, has your organization been accredited to the World
Conference?
10. What is the preferred working language of your organization?
English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian or Chinese?
Information Specific to the World Conference Process
11. If your organization represents a particular sector or
community (e.g. an indigenous group, a minority, women,
refugees, migrants, etc.) please indicate the nature of your
community.
12. Does your organization belong to any networks and, if so,
which ones?
13. In two to three paragraphs (no more than half a page), please
describe your organization's main areas of activity with respect
to combatting racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance, and what role (if any) it has so far played
in the World Conference process.
14. Please indicate in which countries or regions your
organization works.
15. Please describe (in one or two paragraphs, no more than half
a page) what type of contribution your organization will make to
the meeting you are asking to attend and to the World Conference
process.
16. Does your organization intend to go to the World Conference
in South Africa? What efforts have you made (or do you plan to
make) to raise funds for this purpose?
17. Does your organization intend to go to the NGO Forum in South
Africa? What efforts have you made (or do you plan to make) to
raise funds for this purpose?
18. Any additional comments (no more than half a page).
XIV. How Individuals, Academics and Others Can Participate in the
WCAR Process
There are a number of ways that individuals can participate in
the preparatory process for the World Conference.
First, an individual can observe the proceedings of the second
Preparatory Committee or the regional experts seminars simply by
writing to us requesting permission to do so. For these meetings
there is a public gallery where individuals can observe without
accreditation. However, they cannot make written or oral
statements.
For a deeper involvement in the World Conference process, there
are other ways in which individuals can participate. First, they
can work with, or become affiliated to, an NGO -- a
non-governmental organization (this could be an educational
centre or association, a community based organization, a human
rights group, etc.). That NGO could apply to become accredited to
the World Conference. If the NGO is successfully accredited, then
its representatives can take part in any of the meetings leading
up
to the World Conference, including the World Conference itself.
In such a case, NGO representatives can present both written and
oral statements to the Preparatory Committee and the World
Conference, and participate fully in the proceedings.
Secondly, individuals can become active with a non-governmental
organisation which has consultative status with ECOSOC, and which
is thereby fully accredited to the World Conference, and
participate in the conference proceeding as a representative of
that NGO.
Third, there are some governments which permit individuals (often
academics) to join the government delegation to world
conferences. You would have to talk to your government were you
interested in this route.
Fourth, there will be an NGO Forum in South Africa parallel to
the World Conference. While there will be a registration process
for the NGO Forum, it will not require the same formal
accreditation that is needed for the World Conference process.
There will be many activities offering opportunities for
individuals to give papers, lead discussions, hold workshops,
etc.
Finally, there are many activities that can be done at the
national and regional level, including organizing satellite
meetings, that can have an impact on the World Conference,
including the Declaration and Plan of Action which will emerge,
which do not require any formal accreditation to the World
Conference process.
XV. Youth Participation
There is likely to be a youth component to the NGO Forum and
World Conference. However, at this point, there are no definite
plans in place. We will keep you posted as developments unfold.
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the
Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC provides
accessible information and analysis in order to promote U.S.
and international policies toward Africa that advance economic,
political and social justice and the full spectrum of human
rights.
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