Council of Europe, 4-5 November 2002

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), vital components of civil society, are engaging in dynamic partnerships with governments in many Council of Europe member states. What are the conditions that will enable these partnerships to work? What structures and processes should be in place to help NGOs and public authorities reach a common position on the formulation and implementation of policies? What contributions do NGOs make to an increasingly responsive and accountable governance at local, national and international levels?

These are among the central questions that the Citizens’ Forum, to be held on 4 and 5 November 2002 at the Council of Europe’s headquarters in Strasbourg, will address. A starting point for the discussions will be the fundamental principles on the status of non-governmental organisations in Europe, adopted recently by a multilateral expert group of the Council of Europe.

Increasingly active and constructive participation of organised civil society in democratic policy-making in member states is a source of inspiration and an invaluable asset for the Council of Europe. Representatives of local, national and international NGOs, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, academics and members of government administrations present at the forum, will discuss ways of giving a greater and more effective role to NGOs in the work of the Council of Europe.

The Citizens’ Forum, co-organised by the Integrated project “Making democratic institutions work” and the NGOs Unit of the Directorate General of Political Affairs, will be opened by Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Ambassador Gérard Philipps, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg and Chairman of the Ministers’ Deputies.