WORLD CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM

Civil Society Caucus Meeting
July 14-19, 2002 -- Geneva, Switzerland
[ L I N K  http://www.mandint.org/forum/cforume.htm ]

The project of the World Civil Society Forum was conceived initially during the Millennium Forum on UN reforms (May 2000, New York), which recalled the desire of the United Nations to work closely with civil society in its activities, as well as the request of several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to strengthen cooperation among themselves as well as with the United Nations System. The World Civil Society Forum intends to reinforce cooperation between civil society (NGOs, indigenous peoples, research centers, etc.) and international organizations. It will encompass the different areas of the international arena (the environment, health, human rights, humanitarian rights, education, peace, security, information technology, etc.) and will allow, in each of these areas, the promotion of cooperation. The Forum will pay particular attention to those organizations in developing countries and of indigenous populations. It will also allow international organizations and interested specialized agencies to present their activities.

OBJECTIVES

+ Facilitate cooperation between organizations of civil society and the entirety of the United Nations system, including specialized agencies and other international organizations.

+ Promote cooperation among civil society organizations from different geographical regions and diverse domains of activity, including those form developing countries and indigenous peoples.

+ Open a space for dialogue among the different stakeholders of the international arena, including civil society organizations, international organizations, authorities, academics, parliamentarians, private sector, etc.

+ Consider the creation of a permanent forum that would reinforce the cooperation between civil society and international organizations.

The Forum will meet in Geneva in July 2002 during the week preceding the Working Group of the United Nations on Indigenous Peoples and one week before the Sub-Commission on Human Rights. These two conferences of the United Nations attract many delegates from developing countries, which indicates that their plane tickets will be covered independently and will thus facilitate their participation in the Forum. Moreover, the Forum can contribute directly to the World Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +10) and to the preparation of the World Conference on Information Technologies.