THE 'PREHISTORY' OF Social Watch

8 - NGO Networking

8.1 - The power of electronic communication

The organisation of NGOs participation took a new shape in the Social Summit process. Two developments contributed to this. Firstly, new electronic communication technology could ensure that any NGO in even the remotest area could have access to any information of what was happening in New York or anywhere else. Moreover, the appointment by Novib on request of El Taller of an ITeM representative as an information broker in New York for the Social Summit ensured that a truly interactive process could begin between the UN and NGOs. Consequentially NGOs were no longer predominantly consumers of information from the Summit, but they could also send information back. They became active players in the process and hence could influence the outcome.

8.2 - Review of rules for Consultative Status for NGOs

During the preparatory process of the Social Summit, the UN was also formally recognising that its relationship with NGOs should be reviewed and updated. Within the UN there was a recognition that:

"[t]hey [the NGOs, MvR] have increasingly assumed the role of promoters of new ideas, they have altered the international community to emerging issues, and they have developed expertise and talent which, in an increasing number of areas, have become vital to the work of the United Nations, both at the policy and operational levels."43

The UN established an open-ended working group, which would hold a first substantive session in May 9-13 1994, and would complete its work by 1995.

NGOs already in Consultative Status with ECOSOC were organised in the Conference of Non-Governmental Organisations in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (CONGO). CONGO objected to changes to drastically increase the number of NGOs in consultative status. It argued that:

"treating the representatives of all NGOs equally lowered the rights and privileges of status NGOs while increasing pressure on already thinly spread resources and services."44

At the same time regional and national NGOs continued to press for rules that would give them access to the United Nations system and its conferences. The UN Commission on Sustainable Development mandated to oversee the implementation of 'Agenda 21' agreed on rules that invited all the 1.400 NGOs who had participated in the UNCED Conference to be accredited in order to "continue participation in the work of the Commission".45 The majority of these NGOs, and also Southern NGOs participating in other UN conferences found increasingly that CONGO-arrangements made for them were becoming an obstacle to effectively participating in the UN rather than a facility.

8.3. Facilitating NGO participation in the Social Summit

The situation of numerous national and regional NGOs engaging more directly with the UN processes, clearly created tension between CONGO, which had traditionally provided for information and access to the UN, and the majority of non-CONGO NGOs. On November 3 1993 CONGO wrote to Ambassador Somavía and reported its internal agreement to establish a 'Facilitating Committee' to which it invited: Education International, the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), the International Council of Social Welfare (ICSW), the World Federation of UN Associations, ATD Fourth World, the International Council of Social Sciences and the Society for International Development (SID). CONGO also stated that it expected to add more members "in order to ensure outreach to more constituencies".46

In further contacts between Novib and ICVA the intentions of the IFC were explored.47 ICVA was already planning to organise regional meetings and in Geneva it was playing a key role together with the ICSW and Education International in negotiating the terms of an IFC. Novib, which did not have Consultative Status with ECOSOC, sent the International Service for Human Rights as an observer to the meetings in order to be kept informed.

Within the deliberations on this matter ITeM, speaking for TWN, stressed again the importance of interaction at the national level:

"The national debate and preparatory process is (..) the key aspect where the Social Summit can be a contribution in the Third World, where the debate among government, NGOs and social movements is still far from being a standard practice on any issue. We should see that our actions encourage this debate and the participation of civil society at a national level whenever possible, and not substitute that with a top-down approach."48

TWN suggested that NGLS would be asked to coordinate the acquisition and distribution of financial resources.49 Consultations with NGLS clarified that it was not willing, in the first instance, to take this responsibility. NGLS also pointed out that some responsibility was required to work out some framework of operations for the NGOs. Reluctantly, after various interventions of CONGO inviting TWN and Eurostep for discussion during the first PrepCom, negotiations to broaden the IFC were started to ensure that the interest of a broad representation is ensured.50

Following further discussions on the issue of an IFC, ITeM/TWN and Novib/Eurostep decided to negotiate on the basis of the following principles:

1. Organisations, which represent broad constituencies and are active in the Social Summit, should be represented in the IFC;

2. Preferably the IFC should not handle any requests for money. The "objective" UN Non Governmental Liaison Committee (NGLS) should be asked to handle financial support for Southern participation offered by donors on behalf of the NGOs;

3. The IFC should not take any political position and not be engaged in any substantive debate;

4. The mandate of the IFC should be clearly limited to logistical matters;

5. The IFC should not be engaged in organising regional meetings or raising money for those.

This position was confirmed and agreed with the People's Alliance and WEDO. It was also agreed that TWN, Eurostep, People's Alliance and WEDO should all become members of the IFC. If CONGO organisations would not agree, NGLS could be asked to 'fill the gap' and take responsibility for financial matters and logistical support.51

8.4. Establishing a 'loose facilitating committee'

In response to the requests put on the table by ITeM/TWN and Novib/Eurostep CONGO presented a proposal on the 2nd February 1994 in which it proposed a new structure for an IFC. This structure would include the seven proposed CONGO members (including ICVA, ICSW and SID) as well as Eurostep, TWN and the People's Alliance for Social Development, representatives of the Women's Caucus and Regional representatives. In its proposed mandate fund-raising for the IFC and for broader NGO participation was included. There was much disagreement with the proposal among the NGOs, including those proposed as members. A wide number of NGOs did not believe that the involvement of CONGO in the Committee was justified on the basis of its constituency. A consultation of Southern NGOs endorsed the 5 principles on the basis of which negotiations were started by TWN and Eurostep. With no rapprochement between CONGO and other groups on the definition of the mandate negotiations on an International Facilitating Committee were basically stalled.

On January 9, 1994 it is agreed that a general meeting of all NGOs attending the first PrepCom would be convened. This meeting was attended by over 50 organisations. All decisions were taken by consensus and included:52

1. Several NGOs and institutions were already actively disseminating information through newsletters, press releases electronic networks and other media and this should be stimulated;

2. Before the second PrepCom an information meeting for NGOs should be convened, and NGLS and the Danish platform would be requested to facilitate the organisation of such a meeting;

3. NGLS would be requested to assist travel assistance and other means to promote Southern NGO participation.

In the rest of the process loose co-ordination between all the actors ensured the continuously increasing participation of NGOs (see annex 3 ).

8.5. Accreditation

During the first PrepCom it was decided that NGOs, which had attended the first PrepCom, would automatically be accredited for future sessions, as well as to the Summit itself. All NGOs not in consultative status with ECOSOC should become accredited before the second PrepCom and also NGOs from the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) should be accredited to the Social Summit and its PrepComs.53 This decision was a further extension of the broadening of NGO engagement in the UN Conferences, particularly UNCED.