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Doc. 9211
21 September 2001
Implementation of Committee of Ministers Resolution (93) 38 on relations between the Council of Europe and international non-governmental organisations
Communication of the
Secretary General of the Council of Europe
1. In accordance with the revised rules for consultative status as set out in Committee of Ministers’ Resolution (93) 38 1, the Secretary General has the honour to communicate to the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly the names of the international non-governmental organisations to which he has decided to grant consultative status.
They are as follows:
- Association of Central and Eastern European Electoral Officials (ACEEEO);
- Association of Women of Southern Europe (AFEM);
- Centre International de Droit Comparé de l’Environnement (CIDCE);
- Disabled People’s International (DPI);
- European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF);
- European Drama Encounters (EDERED);
- European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM);
- Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES);
- International Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care (ISTAHC);
- Médecins du Monde;
- Partners for Democratic Change;
- Simon Wiesenthal Centre;
- Transparency International;
- World Organisation of Talented Children (WOTC).
2. The information on which the Secretary General based his decision to add these organisations to the list of NGOs enjoying consultative status with the Council of Europe is appended. In the absence of any objection founded on the conditions set out in paragraph 9 of the appendix to Resolution (93) 382, the above organisations will be added to the list of those enjoying consultative status at the end of a period of three months following the date of this document.
3. Since the last communication of 16 October 2000 to the Committee of Ministers and to the Parliamentary Assembly on the implementation of Committee of Ministers’ Resolution (93) 38 (CM(2000)149/Doc 8873), the Secretary General has given thorough consideration to the files of some forty or so non-governmental organisations seeking consultative status with the Council of Europe.
4. In deciding to grant consultative status to the NGOs listed in paragraph 1 above, the Secretary General took account of the following reports and regulations:
- the provisions of the revised rules for consultative status as set out in paragraphs 2, 5, 7 and 8 of the appendix to Committee of Ministers’ Resolution (93) 38;
- the fact that the great majority of the organisations interested in having consultative status have already established working relations with different Council of Europe departments on an ad hoc basis. Moreover, both the quality of these working relations and the review of these NGOs' files show that the latter are in a position to make a useful contribution, through their activities, to the work of the Council of Europe in particularly important and topical areas;
- on the other hand, the Secretary General took account of the fact that at their 593rd meeting of 27-28 March 1997, the Ministers' Deputies called upon him "to apply scrupulously Committee of Ministers’ Resolution 93 (38) on relations between the Council of Europe and international NGOs in order that the Council may take greater advantage of its relations with NGOs in the pursuit of its aims".
5. As for the NGOs to which the Secretary General decided not to grant consultative status:
i. The Secretary General rejected ex officio the applications for consultative status from fourteen NGOs which did not meet the conditions set out in paragraph 2 of the appendix to Committee of Ministers’ Resolution (93) 38.
They are as follows:
- Assistance Pédagogique International (API);
- Bosnia-Herzegovina Heritage Rescue;
- Centre for Turkish Studies;
- Corps Mondial de Secours;
- Croatian World Congress;
- Czech Co-ordinating Office;
- Droiture, Indépendance, Transparence;
- Institute of Human Rights;
- Slovenska Flinatropija;
- Society of Peace with Nature;
- SOS Prisons la Dignité Humaine;
- Transnational Radical Party;
- Victoria Fer, Fondation Internationale pour l’Assistance aux Enfants Hospitalisés.
ii. Furthermore, the Secretary General considered it appropriate to postpone examining the files of six NGOs seeking consultative status for a period of two years.
They are as follows:
- Association Internationale des Educateurs Sociaux;
- Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions;
- European Foundation for Culture;
- Fédération Européenne de Psychanalyse et Ecole Psychanalytique de Strasbourg;
- International Communication Society;
- Organisation Internationale de Psychomotricité et Relaxation.
Although these NGOs do not fully meet the requirements for consultative status at the present time, they nevertheless appear to be in a position to contribute to certain Council of Europe activities. Consequently, these NGOs have been invited to establish initial contacts with the operational directorates concerned on an ad hoc, pragmatic basis.
Arrangements for possible future co-operation with these NGOs might be determined, in years to come, on the basis of the results of those contacts.
iii. A number of NGOs have been invited to complete their files in conformity with the provisions of Committee of Ministers’ Resolution (93) 38.
6. Moreover, a number of NGOs have sought details of the procedure for the granting of consultative status and have already given the Secretary General an initial overview of their activities. They have not yet submitted a formal application for consultative status in conformity with Resolution (93) 38, paragraph 7, of the appendix.
7. In October 1999, the NGOs enjoying consultative status with the Council of Europe were requested to submit a biennial report in accordance with paragraph 5c of the Appendix to Committee of Ministers’ Resolution (93) 38. As a result of this exercise, the following five NGOs requested their name be withdrawn from the list:
- European Federation of Community Radios (EFCR);
- European Working Group of Practitioners and Specialists in Free Practice;
- International Commission of Agricultural Engineering;
- International Dental Federation;
- International Literary and Artistic Association.
In view of the establishment of a different type of institutional relationship with the Council of Europe, Socialist International has asked to be removed from the list of NGOs enjoying consultative status.
Following a change in name and the adoption of new statutes, the dossiers of the World Family Organisation, formerly the International Union of Family Organisations, of the International Association for Counselling, formerly the International Round Table for the Advancement of Counselling, and of the Standing Committee of European Doctors, formerly the Standing Committee of Doctors of the European Union, have been examined and consultative status granted.
Furthermore, in accordance with paragraph 10a to the Appendix of Resolution (93)38, the Director of External Relations informed, in writing, a number of NGOs of the Secretary General’s decision to remove their names from the list of NGOs enjoying consultative status due to their failure to comply with the obligations under the rules set out in paragraph 5 of the Appendix to Resolution (93) 38, ie failure to submit a biennial report for the period 1998-1999. Following the statutory period of two months during which those NGOs could present their observations to the Secretariat, the Secretary General, having received no comments from them, recommends the following 55 NGOs be withdrawn from the list of those enjoying consultative status:
- Association of European Journalists (AEJ);
- Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE);
- Association MAP.TV (Memory-Archives-Programmes);
- Association of European Pharmaceutical Inspectors;
- Association of European Research Libraries;
- Association Internationale de la Mutualité (AIM);
- Committee of National Institutes of Patent Agents (CNIPA);
- European Academy of Environmental Affairs;
- European Association for Adult Education (AEEA);
- European Association for Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL);
- European Association of Advertising Agencies (EAAA);
- European Committee for Young Farmers' and 4H Clubs;
- European Confederation of Agriculture;
- European Conference of Music (CEM);
- European Dyslexia Association (EDA);
- European Federation for Transport and Environment (T & E);
- European Federation of National Engineering Associations (FEANI);
- European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries' Associations (EFPIA);
- European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians (EFAD);
- European Forum on Development Service (FORUM);
- European Group of Television Advertising (EGTA);
- European Industrial Space Study Group (EUROSPACE);
- European Nursing Group (ENG);
- European Showmen's Union (ESU);
- European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI);
- European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE);
- European Training and Development Centre for Farming and Rural Life (CEPFAR);
- European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS);
- Federation of Air Transport User Representatives in the European Community (FATUREC);
- Federation of European Direct Marketing (FEDMA);
- Foundation of the Europe of Sciences and Cultures (FESAC);
- International Association Autism-Europe (IAAE);
- International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE);
- International Association of Art (IAA);
- International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism (AIEST);
- International Centre for European Training (CIFE);
- International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA);
- International Community Education Association (ICEA);
- International Federation of Resistance Movements;
- International Federation of the Periodical Press Limited (FIPP);
- International Good Templar Youth Federation (IGTYF);
- International Prevention of Road Accidents (PRI);
- International Society for History Didactics (ISHD);
- International Union of Architects (UIA);
- International Youth Federation for Environmental Studies and Conservation (IYF);
- Northern Nurses' Federation (NNF);
- Organisation for International Economic Relations (IER);
- Property Owner International Union (UIPI);
- Society of Comparative Legislation (SLC);
- The National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB);
- Tourism in Rural Europe (EUROTER);
- Union of European Foresters (UEF);
- Union of European Historic Houses Associations;
- Union of European Practitioners in Industrial Property (UEPIP);
- Youth for Development and Co-operation (YDC).
8. The Secretary General has been informed that the following two NGOs enjoying consultative status have ceased their activities:
- European Advertising Tripartite;
- International Federation for School Correspondence and Exchange Organisations (FIOCES).
Appendix
Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials
(ACEEEO)
Application for consultative status:
27 September 2000
Founded:
1991
Headquarters:
Balazs Béla u. 35, H – 1094 BUDAPEST, Tel: (36-1) 456 65 14, fax: (36-1) 456 65 27, e-mail : [email protected]
Aims:
- Promotion of open and transparent elections through an exchange of experiences and information relating to election law and procedure, technology, administrative practice, voter education;
- Promotion of the training and further education of election officials and international observers;
- Promotion of the principle of independent and impartial election authorities and administrators;
- Development of professional election officials with high integrity, strong sense of public service, knowledge of electoral practice, and commitment to democratic elections;
- Promotion of the principle of participation in electoral processes by citizens, political contestants, and non-partisan civic organizations; and
- Development of resources for election-related information and research.
Structures:
Organs:
The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Association. It is composed of all its members and elects members to the Executive Board of the Association.
The Executive Board shall be composed of representatives of Institutional Members from different States elected by the General Assembly (Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Ukraine) and the Secretary General. One member shall be elected as President.
The Secretariat is composed of the Secretary General and other personnel necessary for the execution of the functions entrusted to it. The Secretariat is the permanent organ of the Association and is located in Budapest, Hungary. It performs the functions assigned to it and carries out the duties entrusted to it by the General Assembly and the Executive Board. It performs its duties in cooperation with the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), a private, non-profit organization headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Members:
European, particularly Central and East European, election organs as determined by each Institutional Member State’s domestic legislation.
Activities:
ACEEEO has a wide range of activities including:
- yearly conferences,
- a Documentation Centre,
- international observation of elections,
- education and training courses for electoral officials,
- international co-operation,
- setting up of electoral committees and
- exchange of experience between electoral experts.
Representation:
ACEEEO is represented in the 16 member states: Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, “the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine.
Personalities:
Secretary General: Zoltan TOTH
President of the Executive Board: Marijan RAMUSCAK
Funding:
The budget of the Association is financed by contributions of the members and funds solicited by the Secretariat, on behalf of and with the approval of the Executive Board, from external sources.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
The Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials has already successfully co-operated with the Council of Europe in the Kosovo elections. Furthermore, a particular focus will be given to elections in the Council of Europe’s integrated project on “Democratic institutions at work” to which NGOs enjoying consultative status will be encouraged to contribute.
Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of democracy, one of the core values of the Council of Europe, as such, the Secretary General is in favour of granting consultative status to this organization.
Association of Women of Southern Europe
(AFEM)
Application for consultative status:
29 December 2000
Founded:
1996
Headquarters:
48, rue de Vaugirard, F - 75006 PARIS, Tel: +33 (0)1 43 25 80 95, fax: +33 (0)1 43 25 80 95, e-mail: [email protected]
Aims:
The association brings together women and women's associations from the countries of southern Europe to:
- constitute a network of its members, who come from a wide variety of areas, to exchange information and ideas, develop activities and offer mutual support, particularly with a view to fostering European integration and achieving genuinely equal rights and opportunities between women and men in all spheres of activity, including access to decision making;
- contribute to the development of a co-ordinated strategy for making their voices heard, particularly for defending cultural diversity, multilingualism and the concepts they encompass;
- develop joint action projects, studies and research, particularly concerned with Euro-Mediterranean policy, drawing on their cultural identities.
Structures:
Organs:
The Governing Board consists of the founder members, who are members as of right, and elected members and meets at least once a year. All the nationalities represented in the association must have at least one elected member.
The Bureau consists of a Chair, several deputy chairs, who must be of different nationalities from the Chair, a Secretary General and a Treasurer.
Activities:
- organising conferences;
- publications (books and videos);
- awareness campaigns.
Representation:
The AFEM is represented in 8 Council of Europe member countries: Andorra, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Sweden.
Personalities:
Chair: Ana COUCELLO.
Secretary General: Ita MALOT.
Funding:
The association's funds come from subscriptions, grants from the European Community, central governments, regions and other local authorities and donations and legacies.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
The association unites women's associations from southern European countries. It seeks to foster European integration and equal rights and opportunities between women and men. It is becoming very active in the field of fundamental rights and reflects closely the work of the Council of Europe.
The Secretary General therefore supports the granting of consultative status to this organisation.
Centre International de Droit Comparé de l’Environnement
(CIDCE)
Application for consultative status:
28 February 2001
Founded:
1982
Headquarters:
Hôtel de la Bastide, 32, rue Turgot, F – 87000 LIMOGES, Tel. (33) (0)5 55 34 97 24, fax. (33) (0)5 55 34 97 23, e-mail. [email protected]
Aims:
- Bring together associations specialising in environmental law from various countries to foster a better mutual understanding of environmental law, exchanges of information and harmonisation of the law in order to improve environmental protection;
- Organise teaching sessions on comparative environmental law and colloquies and seminars to consider progress and setbacks in environmental law throughout the world;
- Carry out studies and research in comparative environmental law and publish works and reviews on the subject;
- Take part in colloquies, meetings and conferences organised by governments, universities, international organisations or any other public or private institution.
Structures:
Organs:
The General Assembly meets at least once every two years. It elects the members of the Governing Board by secret ballot for a four-year term of office.
The Governing Board comprises at least eight members, who represent the various regions of the world in as balanced a fashion as possible. It appoints its own Chair and four deputy chairs, the Treasurer and the Secretary General. It meets at least once a year or at the written request of a quarter of its members.
The Scientific Steering Committee establishes guidelines for the Centre's educational and scientific activities and proposes measures to be adopted at the General Assembly.
Activities:
The CIDCE sets out to develop the role of environmental law in the world by means of international meetings, training and research. For example, it has encouraged the establishment of some ten national or regional environmental law associations, including in particular the European Environmental Law Association, thus leading to the emergence of a range of NGOs with common objectives in the fields of environmental information, protection and education.
Representation:
The CIDCE is represented in 18 Council of Europe member countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Personalities:
Chair: Michel PRIEUR.
Secretary General: Ali MEKOUAR.
Funding:
The association's funds come from members' subscriptions, various grants and income from the publications of reviews and other studies.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
The organisation's activities contribute to the advancement of environmental law and sustainable development in Europe. They make a useful contribution to the Council of Europe's activities in the field of sustainable development as it relates to regional and landscape planning and to the environment and natural heritage.
The Secretary General therefore supports the granting of consultative status to this organisation.
Disabled Peoples’ International
(DPI)
Application for consultative status:
15 March 2001
Founded:
1992
Headquarters:
11 Belgrave Road, UK - LONDON SW1V 1RB, Tel: (44) 20 7834 0477, fax: (44) 20 7821 9539, e-mail: [email protected]
Aims:
- To actively promote equal rights and opportunities for disabled people;
- To increase the participation of disabled people in the social and economic development of their countries and regions;
- To promote measures for the full participation, integration and equality of disabled people in all societies;
- To promote the development of organisations through training and support;
- To ensure that the voice of disabled people is heard.
Structures:
Organs:
Regional Assembly meets at least once every two years; elects a chairperson, vice-chairperson(s), secretary, treasurer, and other officers; elects World Council Members in accordance with the procedures in operation at the time; reviews activities and decides the programme of action; deals with membership and observer questions; debates motions that have been proposed by the Regional Council and national assemblies; decides DPI Europe policy and establishes priorities; ensures maximum possible participation by all categories of disabled persons in the activities of DPI Europe; advises other relevant bodies on matters relations to the activities of DPI and DPI Europe; decides on rules of procedure for the Regional Assembly and the Regional Council; deals with questions of amendments to these Internal Rules; furthers the objectives of DPI and DPI Europe.
Regional Council: manages and carries out the business of DPI Europe in accordance with the DPI Constitution; has responsibility for the day-to-day management of staff and the Secretariat.
Members:
Membership: registered DPI national assembly of a country in Europe, a majority of the members as well as of the governing body of the organisation must be disabled people.
Within the Regional Assembly, full members exercise voting powers and can nominate persons as officers of the Regional Council.
All countries in Europe shall be eligible to participate in DPI Europe.
Activities:
DPI:
- promotes disabled people’s interests throughout Europe;
- advocates legislation to outlaw discrimination;
- lobbies for resources to fund disabled people’s self-help programmes;
- informs organisations of disabled people about the political, economic and social developments that affect their lives;
- strengthens the voice of disabled people through the growth of their own organisations;
- debates with the media about how they portray disabled people;
- challenges the public perception of disability.
Representation:
DPI is represented in 30 member states of the Council of Europe: Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, and United Kingdom.
Personalities:
Chairperson: Giampiero GRIFFO.
Funding:
Grants; membership fees; voluntary contributions; marketing services; any other income, including grants arising from fund-raising.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
DPI is very active in the field of rehabilitation and integration of persons with disabilities. It has been co-operating with the Council of Europe for many years; indeed DPI plays a major role in consultation procedures launched by committees.
The Secretary General is therefore in favour of granting consultative status to this organisation.
European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation
(EGLSF)
Application for consultative status:
19 June 2000
Founded:
1989
Headquarters:
Postbox 10.668, NL - 2501 HR DEN HAAG, Tel: (31) 70 3642 442, e-mail: [email protected], www.gaysport.org/eglsf
Aims:
The objectives of the EGLSF are:
- to fight for a respectable place for gays and lesbians in regular sport, as a human right (participation in sport).
- to oppose discrimination in sports (on sexual orientation; gender included).
- to promote integration and mutual understanding in sports among regular and gay/lesbian sport organisations in Europe (including co-operation with regular sport authorities and governmental organisations).
Structures:
Organs:
General Assembly: highest decision-making and highest-ranking body of the Association, constituted by the delegates.
Board: consists of at least two co-presidents, a general secretary and a treasurer. It manages the Association.
Members:
Legal entities, which take part in, sport matters.
Activities:
EGLSF collects and spreads information, publishes articles referring to gay/ lesbian sport issues, publishes a newsletter and investigates situations in sport in different countries.
Representation:
EGLSF is represented in 13 member states: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
Personalities:
Co-President: Ben BAKS
General Secretary: Clarissa BUCHER
Funding:
Annual member subscriptions
Opinion of the Secretary General:
The aims of the EGLSF to promote tolerance and combat discrimination in sports coincide with the objectives of the Council of Europe. Co-operation has already been established with various departments of the Secretariat.
For this reason, the Secretary General is in favour of granting consultative status to this organisation.
European Drama Encounters
(EDERED)
Application for consultative status:
22 November 1999
Founded:
1979
Headquarters:
Universitätsplatz 5-6, D – 49808 LINGEN, Tel: (49) 591 9 16 63 65, fax: (49) 591 9 16 63 19.
Aims:
The aim of the association is to promote intercultural work through drama and theatre with children and youth in Europe. This is achieved through:
- the organisation and realisation of international Encounters, theatre workshops, meetings, seminars and conferences;
- the establishment of an international network to exchange information and experience;
Structures:
Organs:
The executive bodies of the association are:
the General Assembly, held at least once a year. Its’ tasks include: Election of the board ; Resolutions regarding the working plan.
the Board, which consists of: the President (chair); two Vice-Presidents; the Treasurer; the General Secretary.
The Board is responsible for all matters of the Association in so far as they meet the decisions made by the General Assembly.
Members of the Association are individual persons who have been engaged in support and work for European children and youth theatre projects and institutions, organisations and associations of countries which have already organised a European children and youth theatre project or which have been instructed by resolution of the General Assembly to organise such an event.
Activities:
EDERED organises Drama Encounters for Children (12-14) and young people (17-19) to foster bonds of friendship, to build bridges to exchange good practice in drama, to facilitate children and youth mobility and to foster respect for different cultures through the medium of drama.
Representation:
EDERED is represented in 20 member states: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom.
Personalities:
President: Maire SAURE.
General Secretary: Alfred MALLIA.
Funding:
Membership subscriptions and grants.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
EDERED has already co-operated with the Council of Europe and indeed was founded as a result of the hosting of a Council of Europe seminar. The events organised by EDERED foster European citizenship amongst young people. For this reason, the Secretary General is in favour of granting consultative status to this organisation.
European Federation of Internal Medicine
(EFIM)
Application for consultative status:
27 June 2001
Founded:
1996
Headquarters:
Department of Cardiology, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, BRIGHTON, East Sussex BN2 5BE, Tel: (44) (0) 1273 696955 Ext 4642, fax: (44) (0) 1273 684554, e-mail: [email protected]
Aims:
- To promote internal medicine on a scientific, ethical and professional level.
- To establish communication between European specialists in internal medicine, and to organise meetings and European congresses.
- To provide information to private or public organisations about internal medicine.
Structures:
Organs:
Executive Committee: President, Vice President, Secretary General, Treasurer, and Past President.
Administrative Council: two representatives from each of the member organisations. Meetings held at least once a year, currently 27 member organisations.
General Assembly: meetings held annually.
Activities:
- European congresses held biennially.
- European School of Internal Medicine held annually.
- European Journal of Internal Medicine.
- Working groups: Postgraduate Education; Scientific Committee; EFIM-4 Steering Committee; UEMS (Union of European Medical Specialists) Working Group; European Exchange Scheme; Development of the White Book; Network of Young Internists.
- Foundation for the Development of Internal Medicine in Europe.
Representation:
EFIM is represented in 26 member states: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom.
Personalities:
President: Jaime MERINO.
Secretary General: Christopher DAVIDSON.
Funding:
Subscription by member organisations based on number of members of individual societies (capitation fee).
Opinion of the Secretary General:
EFIM’s purpose is to re-emphasize the importance of Internal Medicine in patient care in a world of increasing specialisation. Its aims include the promotion of internal medicine on a scientific, ethical, and professional level. Its activities include a European exchange scheme of doctors and the creation of a European School of internal medicine.
The Federation commits itself to provide the expertise of its members in planned studies or reports in the health field and to publish any collaborative work with the Council of Europe through its journal or newsletters.
EFIM’s expertise may also be called upon by means of a hearing in the framework of the future work on the trafficking of organs of the Social, Health and Family Affairs’ Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly.
As such, the Secretary General is in favour of granting consultative status to this organisation.
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
(FES)
Application for consultative status:
12 June 2001
Founded:
1925
Headquarters:
Godesberger Allee 149, D – 53170 BONN, Tel: (49) 228 883 0, fax: (49) 228 883 396,
e-mail: [email protected], www.fes.de
Aims:
The Association’s aim is to promote the democratic education of the German people and international cooperation in the spirit of democracy. It
- grants scholarships to German as well as foreign students and young scientists,
- sets up educational centres and provides practical civic education by means of lectures in order to foster the democratic idea and international cooperation,
- finances seminars and studies abroad,
- supports scientific research,
- promotes art and culture as elements of a living democracy.
Structures:
Organs:
The Board of Directors consists of the Chairman, two Vice-Chairmen, the Executive Chairman of the Board and other members, not exceeding eleven members in total.
It is elected by the General Assembly of Members for a term of two corporate years.
The Board of Directors shall conduct the business of the Association and administer its assets. It shall be responsible for all tasks unless they have been assigned by these Statutes to the General Assembly of Members or the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees consists of at least ten members. Members need not be members of the Association. They may not simultaneously be members of the Board of Directors. It is elected by the General Assembly of Members for a term of two corporate years. It advises the Board of Directors on important affairs of the Association; assists the work of the Foundation; takes final decisions on disagreements.
The General Assembly of Members is held each year.
Activities:
FES organises national and international seminars and conferences; promotes social groups; and supports social minorities.
Representation:
FES has representations in 29 member states: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine.
Personalities:
President: Holger BÖRNER.
Secretary General: Jürgen BURCKHARDT.
Funding:
Members’ subscriptions, grants.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung promotes democratic education and international co-operation. It has already established active co-operation with the General Secretariat of the Council of Europe in the organisation of joint conferences in the social field and on topical political issues. Through its vast network Europe wide, it will be able to make known the activities of the Council of Europe to the European public.
As such, the Secretary General is in favour of granting consultative status to this organisation.
International Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care
(ISTAHC)
Application for consultative status:
2 April 1999
Founded:
1985
Headquarters:
759 Square Victoria RC 4, MONTREAL QC, H2Y 2J7, Canada, Tel: (1) 514 844 30 33, fax: (1) 514 844 38 23, e-mail: [email protected], www.istahc.org
Aims:
The society's purpose is to encourage the development and use of the best medical evidence for effective health care throughout the world.
Structures:
Organs:
The Executive Committee is composed of the four elected officers, and chaired by the President.
Members:
Four categories of membership: Individual, Student, Non-Profit Institutional and Corporate. Member-ship is available to persons interested in furthering the objects of the Corporation
Activities:
ISTAHC establishes partnerships throughout the world concerned with researching and teaching the clinical, economic and social implications of health technologies. Since 1985, the society has acted as a multilingual international forum for researchers and clinicians concerned with the scientific evaluation of an ever growing range of health care technologies. These technologies include medicines, instruments and medical and surgical operations, as well as organisational, administrative and support systems in which health care is provided.
Representation:
ISTAHC is represented in nine Council of Europe member countries: Germany, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Spain and United Kingdom.
Personalities:
President: David BANTA.
Executive Director: George TOMBS.
Funding:
Grants from governments, companies and foundations, and members' subscriptions.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
The evaluation of technology is today considered as an essential element in ensuring quality and containing costs. Some technology can be very costly and its benefits minimal. Proper evaluation of technology and guidelines on its appropriate use are therefore needed.
The Council of Europe has already co-operated with this Society. All the lecturers at a Seminar on Health Technology organised by the Health Division in 1997 were members of ISTAHC. A second seminar was organised jointly with ISTAHC in Budapest in 1998.
As such the Secretary General is in favour of granting consultative status to this organisation.
Médecins du Monde - International
Application for consultative status:
16 May 2001
Founded:
1980
Headquarters:
62, rue Marcadet, 75018 PARIS, Tel. (33) (0)1 44 92 14 14, fax. (33) (0)1 44 92 14 55, e-mail : [email protected]
http://www.multimania.com/medecinsdumonde/international
Aims:
Médecins du Monde International is an international association whose purpose is to care for the most vulnerable groups of the population when faced with crisis and exclusion, throughout the world and in the twelve countries where it has delegations.
Structures:
Organs:
The association is administered by:
the Board, composed of 12 members elected by secret ballot for a three-year term of office by the General Assembly. The Board chooses from among its members, by secret ballot, a Bureau, composed of the President, two vice-presidents, the Secretary General and the Treasurer. It meets at least once a month;
the Advisory Council, which meets every two months and to which are invited the officials of the regional delegations and offices.
the General Assembly, which includes all the association's members and meets at least once a year.
Members:
The membership comprises founder members, ordinary members and honorary members.
Activities:
Médecins du Monde brings relief to vulnerable persons throughout the world, cares for the victims of natural disasters, war and political repression, refugees, minorities at risk, street children, drug users and those excluded from health care, and combats all diseases.
Representation:
It is represented in 12 member countries: Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
Personalities:
President: Bernard GRANDJON.
International Secretary: Alexandre KAMAROTOS.
Funding:
The association's annual receipts are made up of:
- members' contributions and subscriptions;
- grants from central governments, regions, local authorities and other public bodies.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
Médecins du Monde is an international association which as well as bringing care and assistance to the most vulnerable highlights obstacles to access to care and infringements of human rights and dignity, all Council of Europe objectives.
The Secretary General therefore supports the granting of consultative status to this association.
Partners for Democratic Change
Application for consultative status:
9 September 1999
Founded:
1990 – Foundation of the first country office
1998 – Foundation of the Regional Partnership
Headquarters:
Keleti Károly str. 15/b, H – 1024 BUDAPEST, Tel: (36-1) 3151477, 3151333, fax: (36-1) 3165721, e-mail: [email protected]
Aims:
The mission of Partners for Democratic Change Foundation is the prevention and peaceful, negotiated resolution of conflicts that may arise during the transition to democracy and market economy. The basic objective is to develop conflict and change management skills and procedures essential to the success of a democratic society.
Structures:
- Nine independent country centres with local legal personality.
- Regional Partnership: coordinating body
- Director’s Meeting: directing body, which meets twice a year.
- Board of Trustees: managing a decision-making body.
Activities:
Each Partner’s national Centre expands the field and application of conflict resolution and change management through a multi-tiered platform of priorities and programs:
- Training government, non-government, market sector leaders and community citizens in conflict and change management skills and processes (communication, negotiation, facilitation, mediation, cooperative, planning, and citizen participation).
- Implementing mediation processes for specific conflicts and facilitating cooperative planning processes for specific in-country issues, including municipal tax restructuring, labour/management mediation systems, environmental preservation, ethnic conflict, community-police relations, and civic education.
- Promoting public policies that create mediating structures and incorporate conflict and change management processes into civil society, in areas such as human rights, ethnic rights, labour, privatisation, land use planning and economic development.
- Furthering academic research and study of conflict and change management, through the development of university-level courses in democratic decision making and conflict management, in law, business, psychology, and sociology curricula..
- Training indigenous professionals as trainers in conflict and change management skills and processes, promoting sustainability of the field and the utilisation of conflict resolution and change management.
Representation:
"Partners for Democratic Change" has Centres in 9 countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Personalities:
President: Raymond SHONHOLTZ.
Representative of Regional Partnership: Kinga SZULY.
Funding:
Mainly international grants, although each Centre has a certain amount of private income resulting from services to market, local governmental and governmental entities.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
This organisation covers a number of areas of concern to the Council of Europe in particular, minorities, local government, media, transfrontier co-operation, etc, and its project seems overall well thought-through and community oriented. The activities correspond very well to the Council of Europe’s objectives and Partners for Democratic Change has become involved in the Organisation’s Confidence-Building Measures Programme. Scope for possible co-operation can be explored. As such, the Secretary General recommends that consultative status be granted.
Simon Wiesenthal Centre - Europe
Application for consultative status:
18 January 2000.
Founded:
1988 (Mother organisation founded in Los Angeles in 1977)
Headquarters:
64 Avenue Marceau, F - 75008 PARIS, Tel : (33) (0)1 47 23 76 37, fax : (33) (0)1 47 20 84 01, e-mail : [email protected]
Aims:
The aim of this organisation is to conduct and maintain programmes of investigation and research into the causes of the Holocaust and contemporary social problems, with particular emphasis on new media.
Structures:
Board of Trustees, International Advisory Council
Activities:
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s mission in Europe is to combat anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial, extremism, and neo-Nazi activity, and to bring these issues to the attention of government leaders, members of the communities throughout Europe. It
- monitors and combats the growth of neo-Nazi activity in Europe;
- organises and participates in conferences throughout Europe on themes such xenophobia and anti-Semitism in Russia, fascism, Holocaust denial, Jewish-Moslem relations, and the search for Nazi gold and looted art;
- keeps a watch over the many concentration camps throughout Europe ensuring that the memory of the Holocaust and the sanctity of these sites are preserved;
- distributes educational materials to schools, universities, conferences;
- regularly addresses different organisations on issues of concern to the Wiesenthal Centre.
Representation:
The SWC is represented in 13 member states: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
Personalities:
Director for Europe: Shimon SAMUELS.
Funding:
Donations, subscriptions.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
The primary role of the Centre is investigation and research into the causes of the Holocaust. It also investigates and researches contemporary social problems and is engaged in the fight against racism. For this reason, the Secretary General is in favour of granting consultative status to this organisation.
Transparency International
(TI)
Application for consultative status:
8 August 2000.
Founded:
1993
Headquarters:
Otto-Suhr-Allee 97-99, D – 10585 BERLIN, Tel: (49) 30 34 38 20 0, fax: (49) 30 34 70 39 12, e-mail: [email protected], www.transparency.org
Aims:
Transparency International is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to increasing government accountability and curbing both international and national corruption.
Structures:
Organs:
Board of Directors: central governing body democratically elected at the Annual General Meeting.
Advisory Council, consisting of prominent individuals of international standing, advises and assists in developing programmes.
Council on Governance Research, consisting of prominent academics and practitioners in the fields of corruption and governance, contributes to research projects and proposals supported by TI.
International Secretariat supports National Chapters and implements the international agenda.
Activities:
TI’s activities include:
- securing the support of parties involved in international business transactions for the application of standards of conduct designed to promote transparency and accountability in such transactions and ensuring the highest level of integrity amongst all parties involved in international transactions;
- informing the general public about the manifestations and problems of corruption in international transactions, particularly through convening meetings of experts, publishing studies, issuing reports and collecting and disseminating information;
- providing assistance and expertise to parties involved in international trade, investment and economic and social development in applying the provisions of standards of conduct;
- monitoring compliance with standards of conduct, and investigating serious contravention of them.
Representation:
TI is represented in 32 member states.
Personalities:
Chairman: Peter EIGEN.
Funding:
Donations.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
Transparency International is very active in combating corruption and works closely with the Council of Europe in this area. Its experts provide valuable information on recent developments in corruption in certain countries.
The Secretary General therefore supports the granting of consultative status to this association.
World Organisation of Talented Children
(WOTC)
Application for consultative status:
6 July 2001
Founded:
1992: first project
1995: WOTC foundation
Headquarters:
24 Puskin str., 2012, CHISINAU, Republic of Moldova, Tel: (373-2) 22 66 75, fax: (373-2) 22 66 75, e-mail: [email protected]
Aims:
The WOTC’s strategic objectives are to promote the ideals, objectives and programmes of United Nations and of the Council of Europe through international activities and projects, particularly in the following areas:
- to promote a culture of peace, to support co-operation and development of people and cultures;
- to defend the rights of children;
- to protect cultural diversity and to promote intercultural dialogue;
- to promote the participation of young people in a Europe of co-operation, democracy and solidarity;
- to promote the first Council of Europe Clubs.
Structures:
Organs:
General Assembly: highest authority regulating all matters that are not foreseen in the Statute; elects an Executive Board composed of the President, three Vice-Presidents, members of the Board, the Executive Secretary and the Treasurer for a period of five years; establishes the main directions for activities; composed of delegates appointed by each active member.
Executive Board: is accountable to the General Assembly for the accomplishment of the objectives of the WOTC; applies the decisions of the General Assembly; examines, submits and recommends to the General Assembly the draft of programme and budget.
Children Board.
Secretariat.
Activities:
Organisation and co-ordination of the International Festival Contest of Talented Children “Little Prince” promoting intercultural dialogue; promotion in Eastern Europe of young journalists through the European Conference of the Young Journalists and the first journalistic schools for children and teenagers; development of the programme Children World Forum through the project “You speak my language, I speak your language” and other projects; organisation of camps, exhibitions and meetings for talented children, creation of press-agencies by young journalists; development of the programme “Le Petit Tour d’Europe” – a Caravan of the Culture of Peace and Non Violence to promote dialogue between East and West.
Representation:
The WOTC is represented by members and affiliated organisations in 16 member states: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Ukraine.
Personalities:
President: Renata VEREJANU
Vice-presidents: Victoria LUKINA (Russian Federation), Tatiana IATSENKO (Ukraine), Mariana MARZAVAN (Romania)
Executive Secretary: Galina CODREANU
Funding:
Funding is from membership fees, donations, subsidies and sponsorships from public sources or organisations.
Opinion of the Secretary General:
The World Organisation for Talented Children’s aims match those of the Council of Europe, promotion of cultural diversity, the rights of children, democracy and solidarity, but works to achieve these aims amongst children and young people, the future of Europe. The Organisation also aims to help in the creation of “Council of Europe Clubs” across the continent, grouping together people who share the Council’s ideals to make them known to the European public.
For these reasons, the Secretary General is in favour of granting consultative status to this Organisation.
1 Paragraph 8 of the appendix to Resolution (93) 38.
2 Paragraph 9 of the appendix to Resolution (93) 38.