3. AGENDA OF THE MEETING

The agenda was adopted as follows:

4. Report from Durban by Myrna Cunnungham
5. Programme of the NGO Forum
6. Rules of Procedure for TCs and Drafting Committee

4. REPORT FROM DURBAN BY MYRNA CUNNINGHAM

Myrna was meeting SANGOCO and the Secretariat of the NGO Forum and discussing the division of tasks and responsibilities among them, ISC and the UN NGO Liaison Unit. The political responsibility remains at the ISC.

Myrna has also seen the facilities for the NGO Forum. There will be problems – it is necessary to hold the majority of the events in the main area in order to enable the communication between people.

Funding: there are still problems – Turners’ have not got money for the grantees of scholarships yet and they are afraid that they would lose the booked accommodation.

There will be 56 interpreters in different languages from the Cuban government. Interpretation in 6 languages will be provided in two main halls and 10 meeting tents – there are still financial problems. There is a space for 25 Thematic Commissions (TCs) but there may be placed in distant places. For the meetings of caucuses, interpretation will be provided just in the designed rooms daily 8 – 9 am and 5 – 6 pm. Caucuses may meet at other times in other places. There are only 4 rooms in the UNISA (university) at the other side of the street. Three of them may be used for TCs, one for the Drafting Committee. 11 rooms are in the City Hall area (for workshops), 15 minutes of walk from the stadium. All together 264 workshops are to be organized, also in the rooms designed for TCs after TCs will have finished. 5 rooms for caucuses are available at the Jewish Centre (5 – 7 minutes of walk). 5 other spaces with all technical equipment are available at the Marine Parade. Myrna advised the Secretariat to contract more tents, at least 8 of them all together. There will be no interpretation for workshops and caucuses even in premises with the appropriate technical equipment but in cases when they pay for it.

ISC advises to provide interpretation for the plenary sessions and TCs in 3 languages (EN, FR, SP) if the respective TCs will not ask for a specific language for them.

The Secretariat has registered ca 5500 participants, most of them from USA and Africa, more than 60 % of them have not paid yet. Those who have not paid yet are strongly advised to bring the registration fee (100 USD) with them to Durban and to pay it upon their arrival against their badge. There will be 21 registration tables available in Durban for the NGO Forum.

Accommodation: 850 beds for NGOs (in more expensive hotels) are available at a distance less than 30 km from the Convention Centre, the others (cheaper B&B) between 30 and 50 km. People arriving without previous registration will probably become an accommodation more than 50 km away.

More than 200 NGOs applied for the exhibition (and paid for it).

Medical, security, fire and similar aid will be provided by the South African government.

There will be a "March against Racism" on the 1^st September from the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium to another stadium (where a concert is to be held). Other marches and demonstration may be announced but it is becoming pretty late. Apply now (at the Secretariat)! Delia will communicate with the Secretariat the possibility of having demonstration near the City Hall, Durban Convention Centre (DCC) and in other areas. ISC asks the Secretariat to publish the governmental regulations on the public assemblies a.s.a.p.

5. PROGRAMME OF THE NGO FORUM

Tabled documents:

• Commissions at WCAR NGO Forum (Annex A)
• NGO Forum Drafting Committee (Annex B)

1. There will be eight panel discussions on the 28^th, 29^th, 30^th and 31^st of August (two parallel in the rooms A and B on the same theme each). The last day there will be a plenary session for the adoption of the NGO Declaration and Plan of Action.
2. The ISC contact persons for TCs are free to nominate one facilitators and one rapporteur by Friday the 10^th August – resource persons as well if possible: only from people already known as participants of the NGO Forum (no extra funding is available).
3. Intersectionality/multiple forms of discrimination have to be addressed in all TCs.
4. To reduce the interpretation costs, ISC agrees that each TC has interpreting in 3 languages available for one day, 6 hours long.
5. The last TC "Legal Measures, Policies and Practices" was been approved (no interpretation needed). No further TCs will be allowed (for lack of funding and space).
6. Interpretation costs: 355.000 USD for 10 sets of equipment for 2 days,

4. RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR TCs AND DRAFTING COMMITTEE

ISC discussed and adopted the documents in the annexes A and B. They have to be sent to the NGO Forum Secretariat, put to the websites and distributed to all delegates.