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Accreditation for Preparatory Meetings
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must obtain UN accreditation
to attend the global and regional preparatory meetings for
the World Conference Against Racism. To obtain accreditation,
a complete application should be received by the World Conference
Secretariat by the deadlines noted below. Please refer to
Section IV of the Report of the PrepCom (appended to the
end of this update) for more information on the accreditation
process.
Deadline:
4 September 2000 (unconfirmed) for the Africa Regional Conference
in Dakar, Senegal (1-4 November 2000)
Deadline:
4 October 2000 for the Americas Regional Conference in Santiago,
Chile (3-6 December 2000)
Deadline:
15 November 2000 for the Inter-sessional Working Group Meeting
in Geneva, Switzerland (15-19 January 2001)
Deadline:
15 December 2000 for the Asia Regional Conference in Teheran,
Iran (18-21 February 2001)
Deadline:
28 March 2001 for the Second Session of the Preparatory
Committee (PrepCom) in Geneva, Switzerland (28 May -8 June
2001)
Deadline:
31 June 2001 for the World Conference Against Racism in
South Africa (31 August ñ 7 September 2001)
For
each regional preparatory conference, a regional NGO Forum
will be held one day prior to the conference. For information
on the European Conference Against Racism in Strasbourg,
France (11-13 October 2000), visit the European Commission
Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) website: www.coe.int/ecri
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Funding for Regional Preparatory Conferences
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
has secured funding to subsidize the participation of NGOs
in the regional preparatory conferences. For each region,
an NGO has been asked to take charge of the logistical arrangements
for NGOs at that conference, and to form a steering committee
for the region. The regional steering committees are presently
establishing criteria for selecting which NGOs to subsidize
in their region.
NGOs
in need of financial assistance to attend regional preparatory
conferences should write to the organization charged with
arrangements for that region, as noted below.
Africa
Preparatory Conference in Dakar, Senegal (1-4 November 2000)
Contact: Mr. Alioune Tine
Rencontre Africaine pour la DÈfense des Droits de Líhomme
(RADDHO)
Email: raddho@telecomlus.sn
Fax: 221-824-6052
Americas
Preparatory Conference in Santiago, Chile (3-6 December
2000)
Contact: Ms. InÈs Reichel
Instituto Inter-Americano de Derechos Humanos (IIDH)
Email: ireichel@iidh.ed.cr
Fax: 506-234-0955
Asia
Preparatory Conference in Teheran, Iran (18-21 February
2001)
Contact: Ms. Nimalka Fernando
International
Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination
and Racism (IMADR) Email: imadr@slt.lk
Fax: 94-1-682-505
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Regional
Expert Seminars
If your organization has ECOSOC consultative status
and/or World Conference accreditation, representatives can
attend the regional expert seminars as observers, and will
be able to participate in the discussions and distribute
information. If your organization does not have ECOSOC
consultative status or World Conference accreditation, representatives
may observe the proceedings from the public gallery.
All
NGOs wishing to attend the regional expert seminars should
write a letter, on their organizationís official letterhead,
to the World Conference Secretariat contact person responsible
for the seminar, as noted below. The letter should specify
the name of the NGO representative(s) who will attend the
seminar. The Secretariat will provide further details on
the seminar.
Regional
Expert Seminar for Asia (Bangkok, Thailand)
on the theme of migrants and trafficking (5-7 September
2000)
Contact: Gloria Nwabuogu
Email: gnwabuogu.hchr@unog.ch
Tel: 41-22-917-9394
Regional
Expert Seminar for Africa (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
on the theme of ethnic and racial conflict (4-6 October
2000)
Contact: Aziz Ndiaye
Email: andiaye.hchr@unog.ch
Tel: 41-22-917-9826
Regional
Expert Seminar for Latin America (Santiago, Chile)
on the theme of economic, social and legal measures to combat
racism (25-27 October 2000)
Contact: Sandra Aragon
Email: saragon.hchr@unog.ch
Tel: 41-22-917-9129
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Other
Regional NGO Meetings
Other regional NGO meetings will be sponsored by
the OHCHR.
The dates and venues are not confirmed, but plans are to
hold the following meetings:
Africa
NGO Meeting in Botswana
Contact: Chantal Kisoon
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
Email: ckisoon@hakuna.up.ac.za
Fax: 27-12-362-5125
Americas NGO Meeting in Ecuador
Contact: Irene Leon
Agencia Latinoamerican de Informacion (ALAI)
Email: ddhh@alainet.org
Fax: 593-2-505-073
Contact: Mark Hecht
Human Rights Internet (Canada)
Email: hechtma@hri.ca
Fax: 1-613-789-7414
Asia
and Pacific NGO Meeting in Jordan
Contact: Nizam Assaf
Arab Organization for Human Rights
Email: achrs@joinnet.com.jo
Fax: 962-6-465-4262
Email: aohr_jo@yahoo.com
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Eastern
and Central Europe NGO Meeting in Poland
Contact: Marek Nowicki
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
Email: jacquel@hfhrpol.waw.pl
Fax: 48-22-828-1008 or 6996
NGO
Forum
An NGO Forum will be held parallel to the World
Conference Against Racism in 2001. The Organizing Committee
for the NGO Forum will be led by the South African National
NGO Coalition (SANGOCO). For more information, contact:
Mr. Moshe More
Email: moshe@sangoco.org.za
INTERNATIONAL
HUMAN RIGHTS LAW GROUP
Report on the World Conference Against
Racism
First Preparatory Committee (PrepCom)
Meeting
II.
Officers of the World Conference
The PrepCom elected Ambassador Absa Claude Diallo (Senegal)
as its Chairperson. The members of the Bureau are as follows:
Senegal (Chair), Tunisia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia,
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Brazil,
Mexico (Rapporteur), France, USA and South Africa as ex
officio.
The
Secretary-General of the World Conference Against Racism
is the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson,
who has established a Secretariat headed by Jos( L. G(mez
del Prado (Senior Coordinator) and Robert Husbands.
III.
Rules of Procedure and NGO Participation
The PrepCom adopted the provisional rules of procedure
for the World Conference Against Racism. Rule 66 provides
that representatives of accredited NGOs may participate
in the World Conference meetings, committees and working
groups as observers. They will be able to make oral and
written statements (ìinterventionsî) within established
guidelines. If the number of requests to make statements
is too large, NGOs will be requested to make joint statements
in coalition with other NGOs.
NGOs
wishing to have their statements circulated for the second
PrepCom meeting in May 2001 must submit them 10 weeks prior
to the meeting. The statements should be submitted via e-mail,
but also may be mailed or faxed. The statements must be
no longer than 1,500 words and should be translated into
English, French and Spanish if possible.
The
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has
been charged with drawing up a draft Declaration and Programme
of Action to be considered at the inter-sessional Working
Group meeting in January 2001. NGOs wishing to submit written
materials and suggestions for the draft World Conference
documents should send their submissions to the World Conference
Secretariat as soon as possible.
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Contact
information for the World Conference Secretariat is provided
in Section IX.
IV.
NGO Accreditation
All NGOs must obtain UN accreditation in order to participate
in the World Conference meetings. The process for obtaining
accreditation depends on whether the NGO is in consultative
status with ECOSOC (the Economic and Social Council). Special
procedures also have been adopted for NGOs representing
indigenous peoples.
NGOs
that are accredited to participate in a regional preparatory
conference will automatically be accredited to the World
Conference.
A.
NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC:
NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC that wish
to attend the PrepComs and the World Conference Against
Racism must send a written request for accreditation to:
Ms.
Catherine Br(mont
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations, Room PW 1-051
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 917-9262
Fax: (41-22) 917-0111
Email: cbremont.hchr@unog.ch
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B.
NGOs not having consultative status with ECOSOC:
Applications from NGOs that do not have consultative
status with ECOSOC first will be reviewed by the World Conference
Secretariat to ensure that they meet the requirements of
ECOSOC resolution 1996/31. The Secretariat will periodically
circulate a list of NGO applicants to all Member States
of the UN.
Governments
will have 14 days to review the list and raise any concerns
about an NGOís application. If no concerns are raised, the
Secretariat will forward the names of the applying NGOs
to the Bureau for accreditation. If any government raises
a concern, the Secretariat will inform the NGO which will
have an opportunity to reply. The governmentís concerns,
the NGOís reply and the Secretariatís own recommendation
will then be forwarded to the Bureau. The Bureau will decide
whether or not to accredit the NGO. If the Bureau does not
accredit the NGO, the matter will go to the Second PrepCom
in April/May 2001 for final decision.
NGOs
that do not have consultative status with ECOSOC, must apply
for accreditation to the PrepCom meetings and the World
Conference Against Racism by providing the following information:
Purpose
of the organization.
2- Information on the programmes and activities of the organization
in areas relevant to the World Conference and its preparatory
process and the country or countries in which they are carried
out. NGOs seeking accreditation shall be asked to confirm
their interest in the goals and objectives of the World
Conference, which are contained in UN General Assembly resolution
52/111.
3-
Confirmation of the activities of the organization at the
national, regional or international level.
4-
Copies of the annual or other reports of the organization
with financial statements and a list of financial sources
and contributions, including governmental contributions.
5-
List of members of the governing body of the organization
and their countries of nationality.
6-
Description of the membership of the organization, indicating
the total number of members, the names of organizations
that are members and their geographical distribution.
7-
Copy of the constitution and/or by-laws of the organization.
Applications
should be sent to:
Ms. Sandra Arag(n-Parriaux
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations, Room PW-RS181
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 917-9129
Fax: (41-22) 917-9050
Email: saragon.hchr@unog.ch
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An
alternative method for obtaining accreditation is to affiliate
with an NGO that has consultative status and that will include
you on its list of representatives when it applies for accreditation.
A list of NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC can be
found on the United Nations Office at Geneva website: www.unog.ch
(click on The UN and the NGO's), or by contacting:
Ms.
Raymonde Martineau, NGO Liaison Office
United Nations, Room 153
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 917-2127
Fax: (41-22) 917-0583
UN
Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS)
United Nations, Room 346, 304 East 45th Street
New York, NY 10017 USA
Tel: (1-212) 963-3125
Fax: (1-212) 963-8712
C.
Organizations Representing Indigenous Peoples:
The PrepCom has decided that indigenous representatives
that are accredited to the UN Working Group on the rights
of indigenous peoples, pursuant to ECOSOC resolution 1995/32,
will be accredited to the World Conference upon submitting
an application. Indigenous representatives may apply for
accreditation to the World Conference by becoming accredited
to the Working Group, pursuant to ECOSOC resolution 1995/32,
in which case the decision will be taken by ECOSOCís Committee
on NGOs and not the Bureau of the PrepCom. Additionally,
indigenous representatives may follow the normal accreditation
procedures for NGOs that do not have consultative status
with ECOSOC.
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XII
NGO Liaison for the World Conference
For general information on the World Conference, NGO participation
and the accreditation process, NGOs should consult
the World Conference website: www.unhchr.ch
(click on World Conference Against Racism). In addition,
Laurie S. Wiseberg has been designated to serve as the liaison
for the NGO community and to facilitate NGO participation
in the World Conference and preparatory meetings. Her contact
information is as follows:
NGO
Liaison for the World Conference Against Racism
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations, Room 4-025
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 917-9393
Fax: (41-22) 917-9050
Email: Lwiseberg.hchr@unog.ch
VI.
NGO Coordination for the World Conference and NGO Forum
The PrepCom meetings included strategy sessions for
the establishment of an NGO committee to coordinate the
NGO Forum and to disseminate information about the World
Conference throughout the various regions of the world,
primarily through e-mail. The NGO representatives who attended
the PrepCom adopted the following three-tiered structure
for NGO coordination: (1) a Planning Committee, (2) a Coordinating
Committee, and (3) a Facilitating Team.
(1)
Planning Committee
The Planning Committee will be comprised of organizations,
groups and movements that wish to participate in the World
Conference process.
(2)
Coordinating Committee
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The
central task of the Coordinating Committee will be outreach
and mobilization to ensure that the people, groups and communities
that need to be involved and that want to participate in
the World Conference have enough information and awareness
to do so. The Coordinating Committee will be comprised representatives
of regional NGOs, representatives of international NGOs,
and representatives of indigenous peoples. Each region is
to establish its own criteria and selection process for
members of the Coordinating Committee.
A
Membership of the Coordinating Committee (as proposed
by NGOs at the PrepCom):
12 representatives from Africa + 3 ex officio members from
South Africa and 2 ex officio members from Senegal
12
representatives from the Americas + 2 ex officio members
from the host country of the regional preparatory conference
12
representatives from the Asia, Asia-Pacific and Middle East
region + 2 ex officio members from Iran
7
representatives from Europe + 2 ex officio members from
France
6
international NGO representatives + 1 international indigenous
representative
(3)
Facilitating Team
The Facilitating Team will be designated by the Coordinating
Committee to carry out various administrative and logistical
tasks. The Team will include a Secretariat, which will be
based in South Africa.
B.
Interim NGO Coordination (as proposed by
NGOs at the PrepCom):
Representatives for the NGO Coordinating Committee
and Facilitating Team were selected on an interim basis
at the PrepCom in order to initiate the process of establishing
a structure for NGO participation. These interim representatives
will serve only until November 2000, and have been charged
with spreading the word throughout their regions about the
World Conference and the opportunities for NGO involvement.
By November 2000, a regional NGO consultation process should
have taken place for the selection of representatives to
the Coordinating Committee and Facilitating Team.
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VII.
Themes on the Agenda
The PrepCom adopted five broad themes for the World
Conference Against Racism, which are listed below. It should
be noted that the term ìcompensatoryî in Theme 4 is in square
brackets [ ] because the governments, after extensive debate,
could not reach consensus on its inclusion.
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, recourses, 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 UN and other international
mechanisms in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance, and follow-up.
The
PrepCom decided not to include sub-themes at the present
time. However, the inter-sessional Working Group is expected
to develop a more comprehensive agenda when it meets in
January 2001.
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VIII
Slogan for the World Conference
The slogan adopted by the PrepCom for the World Conference
Against Racism is:
United
to Combat Racism: Equality, Justice, Dignity
IX.
Resources and Contact Information
NGO Liaison for the World Conference Against Racism:
Laurie S. Wiseberg
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations, Room 4-025
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 917-9393
Fax: (41-22) 917-9050
Email: Lwiseberg.hchr@unog.ch
World
Conference Against Racism Secretariat:
Jos( L. G(mez Del Prado (Senior Coordinator)
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 917-9829
Fax: (41-22) 917-9020
Email: gomezdelprado.hchr@unog.ch
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Websites:
www.unhchr.ch
Click on World Conference Against Racism (website of the
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and official
website of the World Conference)
www.hrlawgroup.org
website of the International Human Rights Law Group
www.hri.ca/racism
website of Human Rights Internet
Publications:
The International Human Rights Law Group has produced
an NGO guide entitled: Combating Racism Together: A Guide
to Participating in the UN World Conference Against Racism.
The Guide is available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese,
and can be downloaded from: www.hrlawgroup.org/site/-programs.html.
Also available in four languages is the Law Group's Report
on the Bellagio Consultation on the World Conference Against
Racism.
To
request a hard copy of the NGO Guide and/or the Bellagio
Report, please contact:
Alison
N. Stewart
Special
Projects Coordinator
International
Human Rights Law Group
1200
18th Street, NW, Suite 602
Washington,
DC 20036 USA
AlisonS@HRLawGroup.org
www.hrlawgroup.org
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Timeline for the World Conference Against Racism
(as of August 2000)
5-7
July 2000, Warsaw, Poland
Regional Expert Seminar for Europe on the theme:Protection
of Minorities and Other Vulnerable Groups and Strengthening
Human Rights Capacity at the National Level
5-7
September 2000, Bangkok, Thailand
Regional Expert Seminar for Asia and the Pacific on the
theme: Migrant Workers and Trafficking of Persons, with
particular reference to Women and Children
4-6
October 2000, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Regional Expert Seminar for Africa on the theme: Preventing
Ethnic
and Racial Conflict
11-13
October 2000, Strasbourg, France
European Conference Against Racism (Preparatory Conference)
19-20
October 2000, Geneva, Switzerland
Informal Consultations
25-27
October 2000, Santiago, Chile
Regional Expert Seminar for Latin America and the Caribbean
on the theme: Economic, Social and Legal Measures to Combat
Racial Discrimination, with particular reference to Vulnerable
Groups
1-4
November 2000, Dakar, Senegal
Regional Preparatory Conference for Africa
3-6
December 2000, Santiago, Chile
Regional Preparatory Conference for the Americas
15-19
January 2001, Geneva, Switzerland
Inter-sessional Working Group Meeting
18-21
February 2001, Teheran, Iran
Regional Preparatory Conference for Asia
28
May - 8 June 2001, Geneva, Switzerland
World Conference Preparatory Committee Meeting (Second PrepCom)
29
August - 2 September 2001 (unconfirmed), South Africa
NGO Forum
31
August, 7 September 2001, South Africa
World Conference Against Racism
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