Meeting with the Bureau of the Sub-Commission with NGOs

(August 6, 2003)

Madame Warzazi started the meeting by thanking the NGOs for their contribution to the work of the Sub-Commission. She then gave them some advise about the way they should prepare their interventions: do not repeat the same statement, make solid declarations (as opposed to politicised ones, even if the item is intimately politically motivated), use an adequate language for the item, and show the problem from the humanitarian aspect only. In this way the interventions will be much more convincing, and the experts will listen more carefully. The NGOs have the duty to alert, sensitise, and motivate the experts and the international committees. The experts will try to introduce the preoccupations of NGOs in their declarations. Madame Warzazi announced that the NGOs are here to advise the experts, and to help them to make good resolutions and reports that will be transmitted to the Commission on Human Rights, and later to the General Assembly. Madame Koufa insisted that the declarations of the NGOs should be available for the experts and handed directly to them. She also outlined the importance of bringing new ideas for the Sub-Commission. Madame O'Connor commented the improvement of the work of the NGOs since last year.

The floor was then given to the audience. Several NGO representatives made comments about the importance of the interaction between the NGOs and Sub-Commission experts. They complained about the difficulty of transferring their statements to the experts, and suggested that an Internet forum be a part of solution. Madame Warzazi outlined that most of the experts already ask for the help of NGOs with their reports. NGOs who would like to speak with the experts should just ask, and they could then arrange a meeting. An NGO member congratulated the Sub-Commission for its excellent work, but regretted the lack of follow-up in regards to the recommendations. She expressed the need for an effective mechanism of implementation.
Madame Warzazi also reminded that the future of the Sub-Commission is threatened. Therefore, better work is reliant on the interaction between NGOs and the experts.
Madame Warzazi closed the meeting by recalling the availability of all the experts for any questions, and expressed her satisfaction with the work of all NGOs.

By : Melvina ARAMAN

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