DRAFT PROGRAMME OF ACTION
AN AGENDA FOR PEACE, SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
We, more than 1,000
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have gathered in Seoul, Korea on the eve
of the new millennium to:
·
Continue
and build upon the work begun at the United Nations world
conferences of the 1990s;
·
Forge
a common vision for the 21st Century;
·
Organize
our collective energy and experience to make this vision a reality.
The
work of the conference was organized in 10 plenary sessions and 180
workshops. Our deliberations and
dialogue in these meetings provided the foundations for our declaration,
“Achieving our Vision for the 21st Century” and the basis of the Draft Programme of Work that follows. At the outset, we wish to stress that this is
a draft, and not a final product. Our
intention has been to begin a process. Which, over the next months, will provide an opportunity for further reflection and
contributions, before this document is submitted for consideration at the NGO
Millennium Forum in May 22-26,
2000. We invite all interested NGOs to
submit their comments to:
The
Conference of NGOs
777
United Nations Plaza, 8th Floor
FAX: (212) 986-0821
Phone: (212) 986-8557
E-Mail: congongo@aol.com
Website: www.conferenceofngos.org
The
draft plan includes recommendations by the themes that were chosen for the
conference, reflecting in large part the major themes of the United Nations
conferences of the 1990’s. In each case
the theme refers to a major concern of these conferences and one for which many
extensive interventions have been proposed for actions by the United Nations,
by regional entities, by governments, local communities and citizens. Those included in this action plan emphasize
actions by NGOs and are actions of such high priority that they merit special
attention by an international audience. Through dialogue with NGOs in the coming
months, it is hoped that the Final Programme of Action will be a powerful
vehicle for focusing attention of NGOs on areas where action is most urgently
required. It will also alert United
Nations agencies and governments of these priorities may facilitate their
cooperation and support.
The plan is organized by themes of the Conference. In the coming months, these themes may be adjusted, as more
NGOs respond to this draft and participate in the process.
We
are keenly aware, however, that the choice of any theme is an inadequate reflection of the
complex and interrelated reality of our world, a world in which almost no activity or
issue can be seen is an act in isolation. Who can speak of social and economic
development where there is no peace? How can there be lasting peace where there are systematic violations of
human rights. And we are learning that
definitions of real human rights are far more embracing than mere political
rights. The same can be said for gender,
sustainable environment, health and education. In the coming months, these
interrelationships will need to be considered carefully so that the final plan
can be a better reflection of the
world in which we all live.
A. PEACE AND SECURITY
The
world is emerging from the bloodiest, most war-ridden century in human history.
Recent
years have seen outbreaks of genocide in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Kosovo,
brutal attacks against civilians and the spread of horrendous weapons of mass
destruction capable of ending life on much or all of the planet. Indigenous
populations continue to be denied their rights to self determination. Children
are being used cynically as instruments of war. In a great many cases, the
world’s government have manifestly failed to fulfill their responsibility to
prevent conflict, protect civilians, and war, guarantee human rights and create
the conditions of permanent peace. The twentieth century has also seen the
creation of a set of universal norms which, if implemented, would go a long way
towards help us to abolish the institution of war. We have witnessed inspiring
and successful experiments with active non-violence in struggles for
independence and civil rights by un-armed people’s movements including children
and Youth. We have witnessed the fall of authoritarian regimes and the growth
of democratic governments with an increasing role of civil society in the
affairs of governance.
As NGOs we commit ourselves
to the following actions:
1. To endorse the Hague Agenda
for Peace and Justice for the twenty-first century;
2. To actively participate in
the following international campaigns;
-
The
ratification and implementation of the Ottawa Treaty to ban landmines;
-
The
abolition of nuclear weapons;
-
The
Optional Protocol for the Convention on Rights of the Child to raise the
minimum age of military recruitment from 15-18 years;
-
The
ratification of the Rome Statute for the establishment of an independent
International Criminal Court;
-
An
end to the trade and traffic in small arms;
-
The
“Appeal by the Nobel Prize Laureates For the Children- International decade for
a culture of peace and non-violence for the children of the world”;
3. To promote active
non-violence and respect for the dignity of all people;
4. To create positive “Peace
Zones” in all places now called “neutral” where people of all ages may engage
in activities which promote peace;
5. To call upon member
states of the United Nations to establish a standing UN police force;
6. To urge the United
Nations to engage in speedy and effective intervention of humanitarian forces,
subject to the prescriptions of the United Nation Charter, when civilians are
threatened by genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and natural
disasters;
7. To promote peace through
education programs in schools and universities as well as to engage in an
intergenerational dialogue and awareness raising towards the promotion of a
culture of peace;
8. To advocate the creation
of an effective mediation/conflict prevention panel in the United Nations
General Assembly with the task to promote specific peace initiatives;
B. HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights provide the
values, principles and standards essential to safeguard the most precious of
all rights – the right to be human, of which the right to be a woman is an
essential and integral part. Many world conferences which took place in the
1990’s emphasized that human rights are indivisible, universal and
interdependent. They are both
individual and collective. Across
centuries, civilizations, religions and regions, human rights have existed for
all human beings and for all peoples. Human
rights carry with them four correlative duties for States:
1. The duty to respect, which requires refraining from interfering with the enjoyment of the right;
2. The duty to protect which requires the prevention of violations of such rights by authorities of the State as well as by third parties;
3. The duty to promote which requires the raising public awareness as to the right and procedures for asserting and protecting the right;
4. The duty to fulfil which requires the State to take appropriate measures towards the full realization of the right;
As we enter the new
millenium the key challenges we confront are:
The unprecedented increase
in poverty; the resurgence of racism, xenophobia, hate crimes and ethnocide;
the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of massive and systematic violation of
human rights ; the resurgence of patriarchy that threatens to erode the gains
that women have made in securing the recognition the rights of women; the
continued insulation from human rights accountability of non-state actors such
as transnational corporations, international financial institutions and
extremists and fundamentalist civil society organizations.
The discussion on human
rights at the 1999 Seoul International Conference of NGOs reaffirms that:
All human rights are
universal, indivisible, inter-dependent and interrelated; women’s rights are
human rights; special recognition and protection must be given to the rights of
children, indigenous peoples, elderly persons, people with different sexual
orientations, minorities, persons living with HIV/AIDS, refugees and internally
displaced persons, persons with disabilities, as well as vulnerable and
marginalized groups; the need for universal ratification of all international
human rights instruments; the need for universal fulfillment of the human
rights commitments and obligations set out in the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action, and in declarations and programmes of action of the UN
Global Conferences from Rio to Rome.
1.
A
number of special situations and considerations were presented, demanding
action from the global community of NGOs: North Korean refugees, especially
those in China; the people of Taiwan; the human rights to emergency relief and
humanitarian assistance; the situation of Comfort women; the situations of
Palestinian Arabs in Israel; the people of Kashmir; Dalits in India; the
trafficking in women; the trafficking in children; the abuse of migrant workers
and their families; the exclusion on the basis of language; selectivity and
abuse of power in international human rights policy and practice.
2.
The
crucial importance of strengthening the existing UN system, regional and
national mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights was
strongly reiterated. In particular, the need to strengthen:
l
The
independence and effectiveness of UN special procedures and mechanisms on human
rights.
l
The
effectiveness of the UN human rights treaty bodies.
l
Regional
mechanisms, where they exist, and accelerate the creation of appropriate
mechanisms in regions where they do not exist.
l
National
incorporation of international human rights standards and effective
implementation thereof.
l
The
independence and effectiveness of NGOs, peoples’ organizations, social
movements and civil society.
As NGOs we commit ourselves
to the following actions :
1.To urge governments to ratify
the core Human Rights Conventions without reservations and fulfill their
obligations under such conventions;
2. To advocate for the establishment
of independent and effective national institutions for the promotion and protection
of human rights, such as Human Rights Commissions and Ombudspersons;
3.To ensure that governments
undertake full implementation of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders by
safeguarding freedom of association and
creating effective monitoring mechanisms regarding restrictions on the work of
human rights defenders and violations of their rights;
4.To advocate the acceleration
in the process of setting binding international and national human rights
standards relating to indigenous peoples, minorities, and internally displaced
people;
5.To advocate for the development
of international and national mechanisms for holding international institutions
of trade, finance and development; corporations, both transnational and
national; and other non-state actors fully accountable to universal human
rights standards;
6.To propose effective
redress and remedies (including preventive remedies) for those facing human
rights denials or violations;
7.To urge governments to ratify
the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, support existing international
criminal tribunals, and ensure against all forms of impunity;
8.To ensure that the human
rights policy and practices of governments fully comply with the principles of
universality and non-selectivity;
As NGOs we undertake to
accomplish the following:
1.To mobilize social
movements and civil society for the promotion and protection of human rights;
2.To create and strengthen
linkages at and between local, national and international levels among all
actors and across all sectors;
3.To continue to monitor,
document and publicize human rights violations by all actors, both state and
non-state;
4.To continue to promote a
culture of human rights by raising awareness of human rights and enhancing their
promotion and protection;
5. To encourage the efforts
of the United Nations to establish a permanent forum for indigenous peoples
within the United Nations;
6. To prepare fully for the
United Nation World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and
Related Intolerance, in South Africa, in 2001;
C. GENDER EQUALITY
Since the First World
Conference on Women in Mexico in 1975, there has been increasingly strong
advocacy for political commitment and programmes for women’s empowerment. In
Vienna, in 1993, the historic declaration that “women’s rights are human rights”
was made. In 1995 in Beijing, full commitment of 189 governments was made to 12
critical concerns as the very basis for securing gender equality.
Despite some progress, real
effort to operationalize these commitments is seriously inadequate, especially
in the areas of leadership and decision-making in the economic, political and
administrative spheres. Activities have concentrated on improving the positions
of women without changing the underlying structures that perpetuate
discrimination. There is consistent denial that gender disparities are
political in origin and sustained by systematic gender discrimination embedded in
statutory and customary laws and religious and administrative regulations and
practices.
Effective strategies must be
based on a realistic recognition of the current situation and obstacles, not
unrealistically optimistic situations. We encourage women to remain committed
and engaged, particularly in addressing gaps between gender legislation and the
implementation of that legislation. It is only the full engagement of women in
all regions that will allow us to address the challenges that lie ahead. We
also intend our commitment to be inclusive of all women, irrespective of sexual
orientation.
As NGOs we commit ourselves
to the following actions:
1. To monitor government
implementation of their commitments at the world conferences through mobilizing
women’s and other groups to submit alternative reports regarding government
progress and that of other actors, such as development agencies and civil
society;.
2. To urge governments and
the United Nations to make special efforts to recruit and include women in
peace and conflict resolution process;
3. To urge United Nations
agencies to commit themselves to gender balance as a fundamental principle of
their work;
4. To urge governments, NGOs
and UN agencies to allocate increased resources for building capacity of women
running for, and serving in elected offices;
5.
To mobilize communities and urge governments
to recognize and take concrete measures to
address and further prevent
the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS infections among women and girls, as well as
lessen the enormous impact on families, especially women and girls who become
heads of households;
6. To ensure that women’s access to resources include factors
relating to the control over those resources;
7.
To
ensure that our activities are based on the issues identified by women and men
in
grassroots communities;
8.
To
ensure that women within NGOs play an equal role in decision making and
leadership;
9.
To
create opportunities for building inter-regional coalitions around common
critical gender
issues, such as violence,
trafficking adolescent pregnancy, HIV/AIDS;
10. Ensure that
communications technology is equally controlled by women and men;
D. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
The devastating social and
economic impact of the global financial crisis which marks the end of this
century is only the latest in a long series of onslaughts that current patterns
of economic globalization have inflicted on the basic human rights of people
around the world. Gross violations of economic and social human rights have
also been manifest through the debt crisis and the draconian structural
adjustment programmes imposed by international financial institutions such as
the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Our government
representatives have negotiated and solemnly agreed on ambitious global agendas
for social progress, particularly the 1995 Social Summit commitments and the
Beijing Platform for Action These politically binding agendas, which include
commitments to poverty eradication, full employment, a more stable and
equitable international economic and financial system, women’s empowerment,
gender-sensitive policy and programme formulation and implementation, have been
negotiated in the United Nations with our active participation. In parallel,
however, our same governments have been implementing economic liberalization
and deregulation policies, and signing on to international trade and investment
agreements, which have achieved precisely the reverse.
These economic policies have
led to the shrinking of social services ranging from health to education. They
have indiscriminately liberalised international capital movements -- which
makes it virtually impossible to establish equitable (let alone progressive)
fiscal redistribution, and was a perfectly predictable recipe for the phenomenal
increase in financial speculation, instability and crises that we have
witnessed in recent years. They have created a global trading regime under the
World Trade Organization(WTO) which is unequivocally skewed against the
interests of the developing countries. They have concomitantly put in place a
trade dispute settlement system at the WTO which poor countries cannot afford
to use, and which almost invariably subordinates widely held social and
environmental objectives to narrow commercial interests. Through unbridled deregulation
and privatization, they have enabled transnational corporations to grow ever
more powerful and dominant, politically and economically. As has been
documented in numerous UN reports, we have also witnessed alarming increases in
income inequalities within and between nations and widespread persistence of
extreme poverty despite dramatic increases in global wealth; and we have seen
women and children to be the most adversely affected by economic austerity.
All these “parallel” policies
and rules have been developed under the purview of global and regional economic
institutions such as the IMF, the WTO and the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), that are in practice not accountable to the United Nations
and even less so to the populations whose future economic and social prospects they
determine. They have been developed without the participation of civil society
-- and typically without the knowledge and informed consent of our parliaments
and our ministries dealing with social affairs. It is clear that this other
agenda is the result of dominant commercial and financial interests in the G-7
rich country club and among the narrow elites of developing countries. In view
or this, when we engage with the UN’s social and economic development agenda, we
must understand poverty and social exclusion in terms of power relations and
speak the language of social and economic justice. In other words, to give
teeth to our collective campaigns and to what our governments have committed themselves
to do through the UN World Conferences, we must vigorously turn to the
legally-binding human rights treaty obligations that our governments have
entered into, and bring economic, social and cultural rights on a par with those
concerning civil and political. We believe globalization has many facets, and
carries with it the promise of greater prosperity and justice for all. The
“globalization” of people’s awareness of their inherent human rights can and
must be the first liberating and empowering factor. On the basis of our common
human rights platform, we shall, within our respective areas of specialization
and through strategic synergies between us, campaign for the following
objectives:
1.
To ensure that global and regional economic institutions are held accountable to
international
human rights principles and
standards, in conformity with UN treaty obligations; our governments
(particularly those who claim to be champions of human rights) cannot, even in
the realm of economic decision-making, condone or advocate policies contrary to
human rights without violating their human rights obligations;
2.
To make such institutions more democratic and transparent by opening them up
to NGO
scrutiny and by ensuring
that full public and parliamentary debates are conducted at the national level
and comprehensive social, economic and environmental impact assessments are
carried out before any major decision is taken; and by ensuring that
alternative analyses and policy recommendations by UN bodies, such as UNCTAD, UNDP,
the Office
of the High
Commissioner for Human
Rights(OHCHR) and UNICEF, are fully and
transparently integrated into the decision-making process; this also means that our finance ministries and
other centres of national economic decision-making are
made equally
transparent, democratic and accountable to human rights prerogatives;
3.
To support the growing number of NGOs that are calling for
a moratorium on future WTO
negotiations pending a
comprehensive impact assessment of existing WTO rules and arrangements in the
areas of food security, the right to development, environmental sustainability,
biosafety and other human rights;
4.
To support similar calls by NGOs and many developing countries that
investment and related
financial issues should not
be negotiated at, or governed by, the WTO;
5.
To ensure that governments and regional arrangements take measures to control,
prevent and
counter speculative capital
movements and attacks on our currencies, through Tobin-type taxes, capital
controls, and prudential and transparency measures imposed on large financial
players, particularly hedge funds; this means also supporting NGO campaigns to
halt current reform attempts at the IMF to include capital account
convertibility as part of its Articles of Agreement;
6.
To support the international Jubilee 2000 campaign on unconditional
cancellation of
developing country debt;
7.
To develop new taxation arrangements and structures at national, regional
and international levels to ensure that governments can administer equitable
taxation on rich individuals, corporations, financial markets and other large
capital holders without facing capital flight; this also means revoking
bilateral and other investment agreements which de facto impose ceilings on
corporate taxes and, instead, develop tax structures
which favour long-term job-creating investment, and foreign direct investment
that genuinely supports domestic economic capabilities consonant with the right
to development, and which provides incentives for the transfer
of environmentally-sound technologies to developing countries;
8.
To inculcate a human rights culture of social responsibility among corporate
leaders, while
simultaneously working with
those parts of the UN system and governments that are developing regulatory
frameworks to ensure compatibility between human rights and the activities of
TNCs;
9.
To ensure that our national governments fulfill their international obligations
to guarantee
workers’ rights, particulary the core
labour conventions they have agreed to at the ILO;
10.
To make progress in the development of an optional protocol to the
International Covenant
on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights which would provide formal mechanisms for individual and group
complaints related to economic and social rights violations;
11.
To ensure the equal right to work and pay for women, including the provision of
child care and other
support services, and making
visible the extent of women’s “invisible” contributions to national economies through
un-remunerated and domestic work;
12.
To
promote the organizational capacity and rights of the rural poor, particularly
through enhancing
their access to, and control
over, natural resources and agricultural services within the local, national
and global processes and structures which affect to their livelihoods;
13.
To reduce military spending, the production and trade of arms, and expose corrupt government and
corporate practices in both
developed and developing countries which promote militarisation and the
diversion of public revenue away from social spending;
14.
To ensure that these issues are brought before
governments conducting the reviews of the World
Summit
for Social Development(Copenhagen) and the Fourth World Conference on
Women(Beijing) in 2000;
We look forward to
developing and consolidating partnerships with the United Nations around this
collective NGO and civil society agenda. In turn, we expect the United Nations
to show courage and leadership in confronting the realities of power which
underpin growing social and economic injustice in today’s world.
Much
progress has been made for children in the last decade. Most importantly, the
world has recognized that children are subjects and holders of rights. And
never before in history have youth been recognized this strongly as independent
actors and equal partners in the shaping of policies on matters of their
concern. Yet many children continue to suffer from denial of their most basic
needs such as health care, adequate nutrition, education, shelter, etc. Adverse
social and economic conditions in many parts of the world perpetuate poverty
and adversely affect their well-being. Intolerable forms of abuse take place in
all regions of the world, such as sexual exploitation, trafficking of children,
child labor, the use of child soldiers. Adolescents are particularly affected
by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, early marriage and teenage pregnancy. The situation
is not likely to improve, unless all actors in development collaborate
effectively to address these issues.
We
commit ourselves to the following actions:
.To put pressure on
governments to implement their commitments to children stemming from their
ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), through national legislation and policies as
well as child-friendly institutional structures and procedures.
To promote local
understanding and ownership of the CRC. This includes translation into local
languages, addressing resistance to child rights with open dialogue and to support
local participatory action that includes children and youth.
1.
To
coordinate and take follow-up action on child and youth-related issues
addressed in
Platforms and Agendas for Action,
such as Rio, Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing, Stockholm, Oslo, Istanbul. We will
reconcile language and the concepts of the conferences strategies and actions
with the realities of local communities through innovative partnerships with community
organizations, farmers associations, cooperatives, traditional media, religious
leaders etc.;
2.
We
NGOs have a highly important and influential role in raising awareness and
mobilizing
support to combat the worst
types of child rights abuses and violations. We must collaborate with
governments and UN agencies to promote collaborative action towards the
prevention of all child abuse, whether by promoting social and economic justice
and respect for human values, fighting poverty, and promoting life-skill
education, etc. In particular, we commit ourselves to
- Support ratification and
proper implementation of ILO Convention 182 on the elimination of the worst
forms of child labor;
-- Support the campaign to
adopt the Optional Protocol on the CRC in relation to child soldiers that calls
for raising the age of military recruitment from 15 to 18;
-- Disseminate and support
Security Council Resolution 1261 that deals with specific incorporation of
children’s issues in all negotiated peace agreements. (specific language to
come.);
3.
Central
to a child rights agenda for NGOs must be a continued focus on the elimination
of all
forms of discrimination
against girls, who continue to be the most vulnerable in many parts of the
world. In particular, we will collaborate on the implementation of Section L of
the Beijing Platform for Action which calls for the elimination of all
discrimination against the girl child;
4.
To
ensure that in all inter-governmental discussions on liberalization of trade
and economic
deregulation, etc. careful
attention is given to the impacts on children and youth of such policies and
procedures. Increasing globalization holds enormous promises, but it also
threatens to have negative impacts on the lives of the poor, in particular
children and women, and marginalized populations. We must keep a watchful eye
on the evolution of the global economy;
5.
To
strongly encourage UN agencies to be more outspoken on the worst forms of child
rights
violations with their
government partners;
6.
To
widely support the “Appeal by the Nobel Peace Prize For the Children –
International
decade for a culture of peace
and non-violence for the children of the world.”;
7.
To
make space for youth beyond tokenism by facilitating an active role in the
design,
implementation, monitoring
and evaluation of policies and programs that affect their lives. Peace
movements, anti-aids activities and other relevant campaigns should be
supported;
8. To urge the United
Nations to sponsor youth conferences in countries where freedom of speech is
not a right thereby creating “peace zones” where such freedom is available to
all;
9.
To
support the presence of active youth representation in all United Nations for a and
youth presence from every
member state, including conflict areas;
10.
To
support the Youth Action Plan and Declaration from the Braga (Portugal) Youth
Conference in 1999;
F. PUBLIC, REPRODUCTIVE, AND MENTAL HEALTH
Health gains have been
recognized as one of the biggest social transformations of our time. Primary health care, as key to attain Health
for All, is based on practical, scientifically sound, socially acceptable and
affordable methods of health care delivery. It has vastly improved the lives of
millions of people.
Yet as we approach the new millennium, more than one billion have been left behind, due to the lack of political will. With globalization, the feminization of poverty is increasing, and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Those who lack access to essential health information suffer from information poverty, one of the most serious inequities in resources. National financial crises have led many countries to decrease their public health spending, leaving no health care coverage for women and men in poverty.
Old and new health threats
challenge current systems. The pandemic of HIV/AIDS, accompanied by
tuberculosis, will enter the 21st century in full force. AIDS is one
of the leading causes of death in Africa, and is on the rise in Asia and in
Eastern Europe. AIDS causes huge social and economic setbacks because it takes
the lives of those in their most productive years. In Africa alone, the AIDS epidemic
has left 10 million orphans in its wake. Malnutrition, diarrhea, dehydration,
malaria, and other infectious diseases are still major killers.
Women’s health has been
neglected in research and practice. Gender-based violence, including female
genital mutilation, armed conflict and war, domestic violence, and other
traumatic experiences contribute to chronic physical and mental disorders.
Women in the developing world have 200 times greater risk of dying during
pregnancy and childbirth than women in richer countries.
Discrimination against the
girl child, including son preference, prenatal sex selection, and other harmful
traditional practices such as female genital mutilation, profoundly affect the
lives and health of many girls and women. To improve the health and quality of
life of older women, who are living longer than ever before, the life cycle
approach to health is most productive. Discrimination is cumulative and affects
the quality of the entire life span and influences the next generation.
We, as NGOs, call upon the
NGO Community:
1. To adopt a rights-based
approach to health as a basic human right;
2. To advocate for universal
ratification and full implementation of all UN human rights instruments as they
relate to health worldwide, including, but not limited to the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention for the Rights of the Child, the
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, the
International Covenant on Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights, and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
3. To monitor and hold
governments accountable for commitments made at world conferences, including,
but not limited to the Cairo International Conference on Population and
Development and the Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women;
4. To advocate for vastly
increased resources and research into public health and preventive approaches
to the most common physical and mental health conditions worldwide;
5. To recommend that women’s
health remain a designated area within WHO, health ministries, and other
institutions, while recognizing the contribution of gender mainstreaming in
health;
6. To advocate for the right
to responsible, holistic, sexual and reproductive health information, services,
and life skills programs for young women and men;
7. To use and promote
effective approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention and care, including the empowerment
of women to have more say in sexual decision-making and more control over their
exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases;
8. To provide models of the
most effective policies, strategies, and technologies, known as “best
practices.” This is especially necessary for controversial approaches requiring
broad social mobilization;
`
9. To develop strategic alliances and strengthen cooperation
between NGOs at the local community, national and international levels;
10. To support the process of creating a global network and database to
monitor and hold governments accountable to improve the rates of mental and
physical illnesses, and decrease violence against women and boys and girls;
11. To disseminate
information to policy makers, health care professionals, and the general public
regarding health promotion and disease prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation;
12. To advocate for the
adoption of national and international legislation that ensures the protection
of human rights in the best interest of public health;
To come full circle, this is
a rights-based approach. It empowers NGOs to have the greatest influence and
effectiveness in improving health in the years to come.
The 20th century has seen enormous progress in education and literacy. Yet, millions of adults are illiterate, and 130 million children of school age are not in school.
Great importance has been attributed to the area of education in such UN Conferences as the 1990 World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand; the 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, Denmark; the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing; and the 1998 World Conference on Higher Education in the 21st Century in Paris. In light of this, and discussions held at the 1999 Seoul International Conference of NGOs, we as NGOs make a commitment to revitalize our efforts to assure educational opportunities for all people, and to form partnerships when appropriate among NGOs and with governments, international agencies, donors, and international financial institutions.
We as NGOs commit ourselves to the following actions.
1. To
promote a concept of education and learning that goes beyond reading, writing
and
numeracy to include media, electronic literacy, global citizenship, human rights, life skills and moral education, and to advance a clearer understanding of the critical need for strategic integration of education into the pursuit of development, full employment and peace;
2. To accelerate our work to strengthen educational opportunities for, and respect for the diversity of, all marginalized groups, including racial, ethnic and religious minorities, girls and women, migrants, the internally displaced, immigrants, and refugees;
3. To ensure that primary school education shifts from a focus on enrolment to learning, completion, and relevancy with special attention to working children, girls, indigenous children, children with disabilities and other excluded populations of children;
4. To
establish a workable framework for international alliances of NGOs to
strengthen their individual and collective voices;
5. To
undertake advocacy with institutions of government and governance at the
national, local and international levels to develop innovative programs,
curricula and model projects, implement public education activities, and
promote intensive inter-sectoral collaboration;
6. To ensure
that all national strategies include significant roles for stakeholders,
including NGOs, educators, parents, and students, as a pre-condition for
international support; to define and agree on appropriate and diverse stakeholder
roles, and the facilitation of their responsibilities;
7. To fully incorporate adult and continuing education, and the inclusion of educational opportunities for marginalized groups;
8. To advocate aggressively with multi-lateral financial institutions to facilitate the elimination of the debt burden in developing countries, coupled with dedication of resources to education and other social service sectors;
8.
To
give priority attention to funding of programs relating to gender equality and
equity with a focus on gender-sensitive teachers, curricula, and textbooks, and
to include marginalized males or economically and socially excluded groups;
The
world is facing unprecedented demographic change. In the next thirty years the world’s population of older persons
is expected to triple, with much of this increase, taking place in developing
countries. Older
persons are the repositories of tradition, culture, knowledge and skills. The vast majority of older persons make
vital contributions to their societies, families and communities as workers,
caregiver, volunteer, mentors and as active citizens. Many older persons throughout the world lack access to the
essentials of life and have their rights violated as a result of discrimination
on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, race, gender or religion, or
because of employment practices and legislative barriers. Women, as majority of the aging population,
suffer disproportionately from poverty, poor health and isolation.
We NGOs will undertake the
following actions:
1. To call upon governments and international
entities to include older persons in poverty reduction strategies/programs and
will collaborate in the development of appropriate indicators to measure
progress;
2. To urge all development agents--including
governments, civil society and multi-national institutions--to include older
persons in the development process at all levels including research and
decision-making and will offer models of good practice to demonstrate how this
can be accomplished;
3. To call for actions to ensure the entitlement of
older persons to personal security and freedom from abuse at all times and to
special protection in times of conflict;
4. To advocate for equal access to scientific and
technological advances for older persons;
5. To promote substantive and meaningful dialogue
and partnerships on issues affecting older persons among civil society,
governments, financial institutions and transnational corporations;
6. To call upon the United Nations to encourage and
enable a legal and enforceable charter of rights for older persons; and,
include aging issues as a priority throughout the UN system and its specialized
agencies. These issues should be included
on all agendas, such as the Human Rights Agenda;
7. To advocate for the creation of a position of Special
Rapporteurs on aging by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and study
the question of ageing in the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection of Minorities;
9.
To
cooperate closely with the United Nations and its specialized agencies to
ensure that the multi-generational relationships of society are taken into account
in policy and program development;
As the millennium approaches, the concept of ethics and human values is struggling to
remain alive. Fifty years ago the nations of the world proclaimed the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. Today, wars fueled by racial and religious hatred
are widespread; human rights violations and atrocities continue unabated in
most parts of the world. Violence and crime result in huge social, economic and human costs. Our criminal and
justice system has failed to find effective and humane ways to deal with
offenders. We see pervasive family
conflict and violence, children raised
in poverty by single parents, an alarming rate of suicide among the young, ,
widespread drug use, the presence of children and young people as perpetrators
as well as the most vulnerable victims of violence. There is often a wide imbalance between science and
technology and human values and in many places materialism and consumerism have
replaced true family and community values.
Universal rights and peaceful co-existence cannot
come about until hatred and intolerance are eradicated and a feeling of
belonging develops among all people, irrespective of differences of race,
religion, or ethnic background. Laws alone cannot be fully effective in
achieving a peaceful just society. A
fundamental shift in attitudes and values is required. Violence will only cease
when there is an authentic understanding of how precious every life is. Hatred
will only cease when we feel a sense of
real community. Peace on the planet and universal rights cannot come about
without restoring and nurturing human justice.
The importance of the issue is noted by the
prevalence of concern for ethics and
values has been its presence in all the
United Nations conferences of the 1990’s.One of the prominent themes raised in
the 1999 Seoul Conference of NGOs was
the necessity of a unifying vision of a peaceful, prosperous world society, and
the oneness of humanity that produces a sense of responsibility for the fate of
the planet and for the well being of the entire human family.
As NGOs we commit ourselves
to the following actions:
1.
To
make ethics and values a part of every agenda, and to be accountable to our own
code of
ethics in
our programmes, operations, governance, human resources, financial
management and fundraising.;
2.
To
play the role as vehicles of discovery and teaching of human values and ethical
standards;
Improvement in
human relationships, love, sense
of justice and personal responsibility,
respect for rights and diversity of others,
solidarity, serving the common good with honesty, fairness, respect,
trust, integrity should be an integral
part of our mission.;
3.
To
promote forums and conferences to ease the process of dialogue, mutual learning
and
understanding in order to bring the ethical issue to
the forefront of our work;.
4.
To
assue a special responsibility to support and promote human value in all sectors
of society;.
5. To promote and support education as the most effective way to shape values, attitudes, and
behaviours that will equip children and adults to
act in the long-term interest of humanity;
6.
To
restore a balance between
“rationalistic” science and technology on the one hand and
indigenous, local, age-old wisdom and philosophy on
the other;
7.
To
develop and implement national and
international Ethics and Human Values Awards in different sectors, Ethics and
Human Values education centers and curricula for professionals, and to
create Ethics and Human Values
Parliaments in school, colleges and universities.
J. ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN
SETTLEMENT
Environmental sustainability requires both the
strong grassroots activism and effective national and international campaigns.
It is often the most disproportionate burden of the impact of environmental
degradation falls on the most marginalized groups. Iissues of class and race
are extremely relevant because it is near working-class and indigeneous
communities that most toxic and nuclear dumps are planned and where factory
fumes are the greatest. Environmental and social justice are two sides of the
same coin; both need to be addressed.
The planet earth is in trouble, but this trouble is neither inevitable
or irreversible. As a recent UNEP report says, the present course is
unsustainable and postponing action is not longer an option.
But NGOs should not only criticize; they should
develop viable and persuasive alternatives. In the area of human settlement it
is necessary to support networking and a process of sharing experience among
community-based development organizations. Grassroots shelter movements should
directly work in partnership with civil society to improve the quality of life
of socially excluded and marginalized. NGOs may follow the South African
slogan, “homeless and landless, but not hopeless.” Fight against forced
eviction and for the right of women to
own and inherit land, the right to a healthy and clean environment for all
should engage the attention of NGOs. A
staggering increase in the number of homeless people has been the result of a
market economy and Strategic Adjustment Programmes of the International
Financial Institutions.
The lack of interest among many about environment is
a matter of deep concern. And in most cases NGOs and governments work
separately, like islands. It was agreed
at the Seoul Conference that the international effort to restore and
preserve the damaged ozone shield is the
most effective accomplishment among all that has been achieved since the
UNCED Conferences and treaties related to the environment so far. Ten years of
negotiations have produced an nternational environmental regime.
As the human
race thinks most about developing the economy at the start of the 21st
century we have no choice but to shift our attention to the preservation of
resources. In the future, nature will be the basis of human life and only
nature guarantees.
Deep concerns were expressed over continued release
of greenhouse gases. At the 1992 UN Environment Conference in Rio, world
leaders promised to work for bio-diversity and the preservation of species. In
the next 50 years, 50% of the creatures on earth will become extinct and 14
million hectares of forest will disappear from the tropical regions, if changes are not made.But international
efforts failed because of individual nations’ self interest.
1.
To
take up programmes for strong grassroots activism and effective national and
international
environmental campaigns;
2. To
organise pressure groups to launch campaigns in their respective countries;
3.
To fight against forced eviction and for the right of women to own and inherit
land;
4.
To advocate for and demand a healthy and clean environment as a
fundamental human right in the
form of environmental justice.
5.
To protect the poor and excluded populations
who suffer most from environmental degradation.
K. EMPOWERING/STRENGTHENING NGOS
The last few decades have
witnessed enormous growth in the number and variety of non-governmental
organizations(NGOs) worldwide, and we
fully expect this trend to continue
into the next century. Through their policy advocacy work, the implementation
of projects and programmes in a wide range of fields, and the delivery of
humanitarian assistance, NGOs have developed significantly their stature and
influence. Their role in global diplomacy reached new heights in successful
international campaigns for the Ottawa Convention to ban landmines, the
establishment of the International Criminal Court, the stalling of negotiations on the Multilateral Agreement on
Investment (MAI) and the Jubilee 2000 Campaign to cancel debt.
In addressing issues related
to the equitable distribution of resources, the resolution of conflicts, the
achievement of full human rights and responding to acute human needs, NGOs have
a vital role to play as catalysts that motivate other parts of civil society
and bind together the different groups
whose participation is vital if progress is to be made. With growing influence
and power, comes greater responsibility and public scrutiny. It is essential
that NGOs maintain the highest standards of conduct.
1.
To
strengthen our strategies for securing access to “all areas” of work of the
United Nations
including the General
Assembly and the Security Council;
2.
To
act as catalysts for the empowerment of the constituencies on whose behalf we
act and to
facilitate their direct and participation in advocacy, policy dialogue as
well as the implementation of projects and programmes;
3.
To
act according to the principles we espouse and demand in others, such as
democracy,
gender equality,
transparency and accountability;
4.
To
be vigilant about establishing and maintaining our autonomy and independence
from
governments, UN
agencies, the corporate sector, donor
institutions and other actors while working in constructive partnership with
them;
5.
To
develop a clear mission and holistic
vision that is consistent with the
interconnectedness of the
issues we work on and to reflect periodically on these for the purposes of
our renewal and empowerment;
6.
To
explore holistic rights-based
frameworks in working for peace, gender equality and
economic and social
development in order to develop a unified approach and achieve greater impact;
7.
To
explore appropriate forms of networking at the local, national, regional and
global levels
with a view to building
alliances and partnerships with a broad range of civil society organizations
and to uniting the local with the global and vice versa;
8.
To
develop policies and strategies for working with the media in order to ensure
accurate
and balanced coverage of local,
national and global problems;
9.
To
convince governments to fully respect the role of NGOs as legitimate partners
of
effective
governance and representatives of the
public interest;
10.
To influence governments to assure NGO
participation in policy-setting, legislation and
evaluation
of governmental performance; to create and/or strengthen an enabling
environment for the growth and development of the NGO sector including
appropriate supportive legal frameworks which should include appropriate tax arrangements
and other subsidies;
11.
To
strengthen strategies to persuade
governments to enter into partnership agreements with
NGOs
and guarantee all forms of civil rights as the basis of NGO activities
including, freedom of association and speech and freedom of fundraising; governments should make institutional
provisions for NGOs to have access to information in particular policy
documents pertinent to NGO concerns;
12.
To
develop genuine partnerships between
Southern NGOs and NGOs based in the North to
support the development
of institutional capacity for policy
advocacy for the implementation of
long-term sustainable development programmes and in order to ensure
effective delivery of humanitarian assistance;
13.
To
avoid being driven by donor priorities and to ensure that programmes and
policies of
NGOs are based on the wisdom
and aspirations of our constituencies;
14.
In
view of the complexity of many of the issues and problems, we should strive to
develop
closer complementarity and
synergy between our own work at the local, regional and global levels;
15.
NGOs
that choose to work with the private sector should make a special effort to
ensure that
our moral and ethical
integrity are not compromised; in working with large multilateral corporations,
we should always insist on corporate accountability and transparency;