Commonwealth Civil Society Project
Research by: Dr Manisha Diedrich
Updated: June 16, 2004
June 2004 - Civil Society Project complete - No further postings will be made to this board.
For further information about the Civil Society Project, see http://www.cpsu.org.uk/civil/civil.htm
For further information about the CPSU, see http://www.cpsu.org.uk/index.htm
KEY OPPORTUNITIES FOR CIVIL SOCIETY INTERACTION
Accreditation to the Commonwealth
The Commonwealth Secretariat has announced its new procedure for civil society organisations (CSOs) wishing to be accredited to the Commonwealth. There are a number of changes to the previous procedure in terms of entitlements, criteria and accreditation mechanisms. The announcement document is available below or see the Commonwealth Secretariat website
Bi-annual deadlines for receiving applications are 31 December and 30 June. However the deadline for organisations wishing to be accredited to the 2003 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is 31 August 2003. For more information please contact the Civil Society Liaison Officer (Sharon Robinson) located at the Strategic Planning and Evaluation Unit of the Commonwealth Secretariat by email or telephone +44 (0)20 7747 6125.
Civil Society Events at the 2003 CHOGM
The Commonwealth Foundation has re-activated its website CommonwealthPeople which outlines their plans to facilitate civil society activity before and during the Abuja Commonwealth summit (scheduled for 5-8 December 2003). Activities planned as part of the Foundation's Commonwealth Peoples' Forum 2003 (to be run from 1 - 7 December 2003 with the theme "Citizens and Governance") include:
- a Commonwealth Civil Society Meeting involving 150 civil society organisations (regional meetings in India, Kenya, Barbados, Papua New Guinea and Gambia are being held in May and June),
- Commonwealth roundtables of government/civil society/business representatives,
- field visits with Nigerian civil society organisations,
- a Commonwealth market place for exhibitions, cultural displays, networking etc.,
- meetings organised by civil society organisations (as opposed to the Foundation).
For further information please contact the Commonwealth Peoples' Forum Team at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Expert Group on Democracy and Development
Following the desire by Heads expressed at Coolum for the "Secretary-General to constitute a high-level expert group to recommend ways in which we could carry forward the Fancourt Decleration", an Expert Group on Democracy and Development has been established. The Expert Group will focus on how best democracies might be supported in combating poverty. A report from the Group will be submitted by the Secretary-General to the 2003 CHOGM in Abuja.
The Group will meet three times in London in October 2002, April 2003 and July 2003, The Commonwealth Secretariat is responsible for the arrangement of these meetings and preparing the draft report of the Group. Arrangements are being co-ordinated by the Economic Affairs Division (EAD). For further information about the Group , how to interact with it and its membership, please contact the Head of EAD, Indrajit Coomaraswamy.