STRUCTURE OF NGO PARTICIPATION
WORLD CONFERENCE

NGOs present at the Geneva Preparatory Conference (PrepCon) for the World Conference against Racism (WCR) have set up a basic structure for NGO participation during the WCR and the preceding NGO Forum. Remember that all chosen representatives have an interim status, untill such representatives have had the opportunity to discuss it in their respective regions. However as there is a lot of work to do, a start had to be made now. Final representatives on the Co-ordination Committee (CC) have to be in place no later then November 2000. What follows is a summary based on a proposal by the NGO Committee.

All NGOs who wish to be involved with the WCR and the NGO Forum. This is the body that, in each region, elects the representatives to the Co-ordination Committee (CC) and provides issues to be brought forward by their representatives at the CC.

Committee with 63 representatives, responsible for content. Their job includes: to organize a NGO Planning Committee (PC) in their region, represent their region in CC meetings, bring the issues brought by their regional PC forward.

REGIONS*

• Africa                                         12 representatives
• Asia/Pacific & Middle East      12 representatives
• Americas                                    12 representatives
• Europe                                         7 representatives
• International NGOs                    7 representatives
• Indigenous People                       2 representatives

*see structure proposal on indigenous participation

EX-OFFICIO

• South Africa                3 representatives
• Senegal                       2 representatives
• Iran                             2 representatives
• France                         2 representatives
• Americas                     2 representatives

Criteria for representatives on CC

Based in the respective region
Representing communities experiencing exclusion
Working for the emancipation of those excluded groups
Network capability
Gender balance

The Facilitating Team (FT) is an administrative workgroup, to carry out tasks designated by the CC. The FT is not a decision making body.
The total FT will be 12 people.

The FT Secretariat will be based in South Africa.

General tasks of the FT are:

• fundraising
• liaising with UNHCHR
• dissemination of information,
• logistics
• programme of the NGO forum.

Apart from the above the FT is responsible for organizing CC meetings.

Composition of the FT:

• 2 representatives from each region
• 2 representatives from South Africa (secretariat)
• 1 representative indigenous people + 1 representative Dalits
• 1 representative for International NGO's
• 1 representative from a Youth organizations (possibly World Federation Democratic Youth or USA organization)

At this moment in time names of the members of the FT are not known, the secretariat in South Africa however is being set up right now. I CARE (Internet Centre Anti Racism Europe) will start with dissemination of information on their website and assisting regions by hosting Internet tools they need ( mailing lists, web space etc.)