Information You Can Use:
A Bi-monthly Service for the UN and Civil Society
Volume I, Issue 5, October-November 2004

Civil Society Observer is a bi-monthly package of documentation of various kinds from all political persuasions to keep you informed of developments related to NGOs and civil society.
It is divided into four sections:

• In the Press – snapshots of how NGOs and civil society are being portrayed by the media and news outlets around the world;
• Trends and Debates –this features academic and scholarly discourse on the role and significance of NGOs and civil society in the contemporary world;
• CSOs and the Multilateral System – position papers, statements and other documents delivered by civil society and NGOs at multilateral and international meetings and events. It also carries documentation relating to NGOs and civil society emanating from the multilateral system.
• CSO Research – featuring analysis and research originating from civil society and NGOs.

These articles offer a snapshot of how NGOs and civil society are being portrayed and profiled in the press around the world.

China to Open its Doors to Foreign NGOs
AsiaNews.it - 19 October 2004

Traditionally, NGOs wanting to operate in China have had to face many requirements set by the State, which has served, in many cases, as a deterrent to their engagement at a national level. Recognizing the contribution of NGOs in delivering social programmes, however, the Chinese Government has decided to ease its obligations for NGOs by eliminating their need to be sponsored by a government department. (read)

New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD):
State Opens Up to Civil Society
The East African Standard - 2 October 2004
Mutahi Rukanga

To ensure that NEPAD projects have a direct impact on the livelihood of African communities, the NEPAD Secretariat has recently decided to allow civil society organizations to determine which projects governments will implement in certain countries. (read)

Charlemagne: A Rigged Dialogue with Civil Society
The Economist - October 2004

The European Commission is looking to increase civil society participation within its activities, but many of the NGOs involved in this dialogue are in large part financed by the EU. This article examines whether these so-called dialogues with civil society reflect the actual views of European citizens or those of pseudo-NGOs that work in the interest of the EU. (read)

Partnerships in Development
Daily Times (Pakistan) - 11 November 2004
Syed Mohammed Ali

Partnerships between NGOs may sometimes harbor an imbalance in the distribution of authority within a project due to sources of funding coming largely from one partner, usually an international NGO. These lopsided dynamics can often have a perverse effect on development efforts, but this author believes these inequalities can be overcome. (read)

Brazilian NGOs Forum removes itself from the WB consultation
Amazônia - 29 September 2004

In response to what some NGOs point to as the World Bank's failure to uphold its promise to conduct an environmental evaluation for one of its pending projects, a group of Brazilian NGOs along with the Social Movements Forum removed their representatives from the civil society consultations organized by the World Bank in Rio de Janeiro. (read)

Rajasthan to Involve NGOs in Water Projects
The Hindu (India) - 25 October 2004

After making a significant contribution in water conservation efforts, Indian NGOs are invited by a provincial government in India to play a more active role in the management of water projects. (read)

Statements and positions from NGOs and civil society are featured here to demonstrate how these actors relate to the UN system and use multilateral fora to advance the issues they champion. Also featured is documentation on civil society and NGOs emanating from the multilateral system.

NGOs have expressed their concern about the limited opportunity for civil society to participate during the Millennium +5 Summit, to be held in September 2005, as outlined by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his report (A/59/545) Modalities, format and organization of the high-level plenary meeting of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly. On 12 November 2004, NGOs sent an open letter to Secretary-General Annan, calling for the “effective and genuine involvement” of civil society in the Summit process. (read)

UNEP'S Global Women's Assembly on Environment
Women As the Voice for the Environment : Manifesto
Nairobi, 11-13 October 2004

Under the banner of "Women As the Voice for the Environment" (WAVE), the first Global Women’s Assembly on the Environment (sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization) was held in Nairobi from 11-13 October. The Assembly aimed to put women’s issues at the centre of the global environmental effort to deliver the Millennium Developments Goals (MDGs) and the World Summit on Sustainable Development’s (WSSD) Plan of Implementation. Participants developed a Manifesto on Women and the Environment.
(read the Manifesto)
(read the final report of the Global Women's Assembly on Environment)

NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security: Letter to Security Council Members on Upcoming Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security.
13 October 2004

In response to an open debate by the Security Council, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security urged Member States on the Council to take further action in the implementation, monitoring and reporting of Resolution 1325, which addresses the impact of war on women, and women's contribution to conflict resolution and sustainable peace. (read)

For Years On: An Alternative Report and Progress Check on the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325
NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security - October 2004

This report provides United Nations (UN) Member States insight into the ways in which women's civil society organizations have been utilizing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (SCR 1325) since its unanimous adoption four years ago. Based on qualitative information collected from civil society, governments and UN agencies and programmes, this report makes five central recommendations to advance the systematic implementation of SCR 1325. (read)

The Future of the World Intellectual Property Organization
September - October 2004

On October 4, the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) agreed to adopt a "Proposal for the Establishment of a Development Agenda for WIPO." This proposal was strongly supported by developing countries, as well as by a large contingent of civil society. Prior to the meeting, hundreds of nonprofits, scientists, academics and other individuals had signed the "Geneva Declaration on the Future of WIPO," which called on WIPO to focus more on the needs of developing countries, and to view Intellectual Property as one of many tools for development - not as an end in itself.

- Geneva Declaration on the Future of the World Intellectual Property Organization. (read)
- Prior to signing the Geneva Declaration on the Future of WIPO, NGOs submitted a statement to the General Assembly of WIPO expressing their support for a "Proposal on the Establishment of a Development Agenda." (read)

NGO Joint Statement: Can a Legally Binding Agreement for Forests make a Difference?
September 2004

In this statement to Member States of the United Nations Forum on Forests, a group of 25 NGOs express their reservations vis-à-vis the creation of a legally binding forest convention, or other possible agreements on forests. For these NGOs, existing agreements - Chapter 11 of Agenda 21, Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the Statement of Forest Principles, etc. - are sufficient to halt the current crisis facing global forests. (read)

Missing the Forest: A Position Paper about the Need to Keep Environment on the Population and Development Agenda
National Wildlife Federation (USA) - August 2004

The American National Wildlife Federation recently released a position paper on the importance of multi-sectoral initiatives, which integrate policies on population and environment, in the achievement of the goals and promises agreed upon at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The paper includes a series of recommendations on how Member States can support and implement effective multi-sectoral approaches to development. (read)

Civil Society Statement on the Role of International Financial Institutions in Promoting Trade Liberalization
29 September 2004

Prepared for a meeting of Commonwealth Finance Ministers, this statement includes a series of recommendations on how international financial institutions, namely the Bretton Woods Institutions and the World Trade Organization, can promote trade liberalization processes that are equitable, rules-based and multilateral to better support pro-poor development and democracy. (read)

Greenpeace Addresses United Nations General Assembly Debate
16 November 2004

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the United Nations General Assembly held an open debate at which Greenpeace, on behalf of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, was invited to address the Assembly. In their statement, Greenpeace urged Member States to take immediate action to further protect the planet's oceans by recommending a temporary moratorium on high seas bottom trawling. (read - heavy pdf file)

This section draws on the scholarly/academic discourse on the significance of NGOs and civil society in both international and national political landscapes.

Reflections on Civil Society & Human Rights
International Journal on Human Rights (SUR) -- 2004
Oscar Vilhena Vieira and Scott Dupree

Progress in human rights requires the establishment of conditions conducive to their respect. The authors of this essay suggest that these conditions cannot solely consist in national and international legal structures. An engaged civil society is needed in order to promote human rights and advocate for their application. (read)

NGOs: Fighting Poverty or Hurting the Poor?
Foreign Policy - September/October 2004
Sebastian Mallaby

In developing countries, Western NGOs have been successful at blocking development projects deemed harmful to the environment. The halting of these projects sometimes prevents millions of people from having access to clean water and electricity. This article offers a reflection on the actions of some NGOs and questions whether they are doing more harm than good in the war against poverty. Using case studies in Uganda and China, the author argues that zealous NGOs sometimes undermine the will of the people and mislead the general public by mounting campaigns that serve nothing but their own cause. (read)

Moral and Practical Challenges to NGO Neutrality
The International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC) - September 2004
Barbara Brubacher

The political nature of humanitarian aid, coupled with the new context of insecurity, militarization, privatization and the merging of developmental and security aims, has created dilemmas that are plaguing NGOs' sense of neutrality. Read how NGOs are adapting themselves by abandoning or pursuing their humanitarian principles. (read)

The African Union - Civil Society Contract: An Act of Democracy?
Afrodad -- 2004
Charles Mutasa

If the African Union (AU) wants to expand democracy and stimulate economic development in Africa, Charles Mutasa is convinced that it will need to include the voices of its intended beneficiaries - the African people. The author suggests that top-down approaches emanating from intergovernmental summits without the people will not change the face of Africa; rather, the AU must become a space where civic actors can dialogue with governments. (read)

African Civil Society: Prospects for Raising Awareness on Priority Issues
Partnership Africa-Canada - October 2004
Françoise Nduwimana

Francoise Nduwimana looks at the mobilization of civil society organizations across Africa as the force building hope and bringing forth positive change to the continent. According to the author, civil society organizations offer the primary insight to the issues facing Africans today and provide solutions through local knowledge. (read)

Liberia's Journey from Civil War Toward Civil Society
The International Journal of Not-For-Profit Law - September 2004
J. Peter Pham

This essay discusses the role of civil society through Liberia's long history of civil war by examining the contributions it has made, or tried to make, in the country's democratization, peace-building, and national reconciliation. Against this background, the author argues that Liberia will need to actively engage civil society in its reconstruction process in order to successfully emerge from its years of conflict. (read)

Advocacy is a feature often associated with NGOs and civil society, but many also have the capacity to produce compelling and valuable research, which underpins their advocacy work. This section carries examples of recent civil society and NGO research.

World Disasters Report 2004
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - November 2004

The 12th edition of the World Disasters Report examines the capacity of disaster-affected people to cope with apparently hopeless situations and argues that a more inclusive approach to creating disaster resilience is needed. This approach would dispel the myth of the helpless victim and the infallible humanitarian by putting communities in charge of defining their needs and crafting the right solutions when faced with a crisis. According to the report, this paradigm shift can only occur by tapping into local knowledge, skills, determination, livelihoods, cooperation, access to resources and representation. (read)


DÉJÀ VU: Diamond Industry still Failing to Deliver on Promises
Global Witness and Amnesty International - October 2004

This report presents the results of Global Witness and Amnesty International's survey into the diamond jewellery retail sector's implementation of self-regulation to support the Kimberley Process. Focusing on retailers in the US and the UK, the report shows a continued lack of systematic monitoring to prevent trade in conflict diamonds, and that companies are falling short in their implementation of voluntary self-regulation. (read)

Ambiguity and Change: Humanitarian NGOs Prepare for the Future
Alan Shawn Feinstein International Famine Centre - August 2004

This study seeks to provoke reflections among NGOs regarding their work and ambitions for the coming decade. It encourages NGOs to be more assertive in areas where they have the capacity to influence and instill change - environment, urbanization, migration and HIV/AIDS - while recommending that they be more comprehensive and holistic in their approach, more mutual in interactions with southern institutions, more cautious in their use of government resources, and more disposed to raising awareness in northern constituencies. (read - heavy pdf file)

Beyond the Continuum: the Changing Role of Aid in Protracted Crises
Humanitarian Policy Group (Overseas Development Institute) - July 2004

This report, the third in HPG's annual series looking at trends in the international humanitarian sector, focuses on the increasing engagement of the international development aid system in situations which have been traditionally seen as the preserve of the humanitarian community. The report reviews the changing relationship between the ideas, instruments and financing of the humanitarian system and of mainstream development cooperation in situations of protracted crisis. (read)

Up in Smoke? Threats from, and Responses to, the Impact of Global Warming on Human Development
New Economics Foundation -- October 2004

In its latest report, the New Economics Foundation argues that global warming is threatening the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, and may even reverse human development achievements, as climate change is being felt most by the world's poorest people. Climate proof and climate friendly models of development are identified as viable options to alter the current trends damaging the livelihoods of poor people. (read)

If We Return, We Will be Killed - Consolidation of Ethnic Cleansing in Darfur
Human Rights Watch -- November 2004

Based on two research missions -- North Darfur (July-August 2004); Khartoum and Darfur (September-October 2004) - Human Rights Watch has released a report documenting and analyzing the continued violence by all parties in the conflict, obstacles to the return of displaced people, the government's efforts to end impunity and the international community's response so far to the ongoing human rights crisis. Emanating from this analysis is a series of recommendations to the UN, the African Union, the Government of Sudan and the rebel groups. (read)