Fwd: NGO Liason for the WCAR: Briefing Note No. 3
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Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2000 09:24:30 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Fwd: NGO Liason for the WCAR: Briefing Note No. 3
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Laurie Wiseberg <[email protected]>
Fwd: NGO Liason for the WCAR: Briefing Note No. 3.
..........
Briefing Note 3. August 24, 2000
NGO Liason for the WCAR
Friends:
Briefing Note 3 is intended to update you on new developments and to
provide information in response to frequently asked questions.
(1) Regional Meeting for the Americas
The Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) has decided
that Canada and the USA will be full participants in the Regional
meeting in Santiago, Chile, 4-6 December.
(2) Information Concerning NGO Participation in the Regional Expert
Seminars
NGOs wishing to participate in the regional expert seminars being
organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in
preparation for the World Conference against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) should note
the following:
a. 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.
b. If your organization has neither ECOSOC consultative status nor
accreditation to the WCAR, your representative(s) may follow the
seminar as from the public gallery. However, persons in the public
gallery do not participate in the seminar discussions; nor can they
distribute documentation.
c. In order to ensure access to the Seminar, any NGO wishing to
attend, must forward to our Office by mail or facsimile, on official
letterhead, the names of its designated representative(s) as soon as
possible.
d. For further inquiries on specific expert seminars, please contact
the following persons:
Expert Seminar for Asia (Bangkok), 5-7 September 2000. Theme:
"Migrants and Trafficking of Persons, with Particular Reference to
Women and Children" (Point Person: Gloria Nwabuogu. Email:
[email protected]. Tel. 41-22 917-9394.)
Expert Seminar for Africa (Addis Ababa), 4-6 October 2000. Theme:
"Preventing Ethnic and Racial Conflict" (Point Person: Aziz Ndiaye.
Email: [email protected]. Tel. 41-22 917-9826.)
Expert Seminar for Latin America (Santiago de Chile), 25-27 October
2000. Theme: Economic, Social and Legal Measures to Combat Racial
Discrimination, with Particular Reference to Vulnerable Groups (Point
Person:Sandra Aragon. Email: [email protected]. Tel. 41-22
917-9129).
(3) Financial Support for NGO Participation in the Regional
Preparatory Meetings
The Office of the High Commissioner has secured funding to subsidize
the participation of NGOs in the Regional Preparatory meetings for
Africa (Dakar, Senegal, 2-4 November 2000), the Americas (Santiago,
Chile, 4-6 December) and Asia (Teheran, Iran, 19-21 February). In each
case, NGOs will meet for at least one day prior to the Regional
Preparatory meeting.
For each region, one NGO has been asked to take charge of the
logistical arrangements for NGOs for that meeting, and to establish a
steering committee for the region (approximately 8-10 organizations,
representing all geographic sub-regions and relevant social sectors,
e.g., minorities, indigenous, women, youth). The regional steering
committees are presently establishing criteria for selecting the NGOs
to be subsidized in their region. They will then select the NGOs which
will receive financial assistance on the basis of these criteria.
NGOs wishing to attend the Regional Preparatory meetings and in need
of financial assistance should write to the organization charged with
logistical arrangements for that region (as noted below).
For Africa (in Dakar, Senegal, 1-4 November). Mr. Alioune Tine at
Rencontre africaine pour la d�fense des droits de l'homme (RADDHO)
<[email protected]> or fax. (221) 824-6052.
For the Americas (in Santiago, Chile, 3-6 December 2000). Ms. In�s
Reichel, at the Instituto Inter-Americano de Derechos Humanos (IIDH)
<[email protected]> or fax. (506) 234-0955.
For Asia (in Teheran, Iran, 18-21 February 2001. Ms. Nimalka Fernando
at the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and
Racism (IMADR) <[email protected]> or fax. (94-1) 682-505.
All NGOs wishing to attend the Regional Preparatory meetings have to
be accredited to the World Conference if they do not have Consultative
Status. (Please see Briefing Note 2 for details on accreditation.)
(4) Financial Support for NGO Participation in Other Regional NGO
Meetings
As noted in Briefing Note 3, the OHCHR is supporting four other
regional meetings at which NGOs will be able to plan their input into
the NGO Forum to take place in South Africa in parallel with the World
Conference. The dates and venues of these meetings are not yet firmly
established. However, the following organizations are charged with
organizing the regional consultations. In each case, regional steering
committees are being established to elaborate the criteria for
selecting NGOs to participate, selecting participants, and planning
the programme.
As is the case with the Regional Preparatory meetings described above,
if your NGO wishes to participate in these regional NGO meetings,
please contact the organizing NGO and describe (in a few paragraphs)
their NGO and its involvement in the struggle against racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia or related intolerance; why it is important
that a representative of their organization attend the NGO
consultation; and the contribution they expect to make. NGOs should
also feel free to nominate other organizations they think should
attend. Since time is short, if at all possible, use e-mail - if not,
use fax - as follows:
For Africa (in Botswana, probably in the week 21-26 January 2001).
Contact: Chantal Kisoon, Human Rights Centre, University of Pretoria,
<[email protected]> or Fax. (27-12) 362-5125.
For Asia and the Pacific (probably in Amman, Jordan). Contact: Mr.
Nizam Assaf, Arab Organization for Human Rights
<[email protected]>
or <[email protected]> or Fax. (962-6) 465-4262.
For the Americas (Quito, Ecuador). Contact: Ms. Irene Leon at Agencia
Latinoamerican de Informacion (ALAI) at <[email protected]> or Fax.
(593-2) 505-073; or contact Mr. Mark Hecht at Human Rights Internet
(HRI) at <[email protected]> or Fax. (1-613) 789-7414.
For Eastern and Central Europe (Warsaw, Poland, 13-18 November).
Contact, Mr. Marek Nowicki, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, at
<[email protected]> or fax. (48-22) 828-1008, 828-6996 or
826-9875.
(5) NGO Forum in South Africa
At this point in time, I have no further information on the NGO Forum
or on assistance to NGOs to attend the World Conference itself. The
OHCHR is working on this and, as soon as information is available, I
will share it with you.
(6) Information to Post on the Web
NGOs who have information concerning the World Conference that they
wish to post on the web, please send it to me electronically and it
will be posted on <www.hri.ca/racism>. Also, remember that all
official information is posted on the website of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights, <www.unhchr.ch> click on World Conference Against
Racism.
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