[asia-apec 173] Asia Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress 1996
Boonthan T. Verawongse
boonthan at mozart.inet.co.th
Sat Oct 19 04:02:00 JST 1996
Dear Friends,
Warm Greetings!
Please find an enclosed invitation letter for our forthcoming Asia
Pacific Human Rights NGOs Congress and the annex documents. The Human
Rights Congress is a joint effort of various human rights and development
NGOs throughout the region in follow up the Vienna World Conference on
Human Rights (1993). The Congress will be held from 6 - 10 December 1996
in New Delhi, India. It is just one and a half week after the APEC
Summit in Manila.
Sorry if you may receive this invitation more than once from different
mailing list. We just want to make sure that this invitation reach you
properly. In case you cannot participate in the Congress, kindly send your
solidarity message to the Congress by the end of November 1996. Your
generous support will be very meaningful.
With best regards,
Boonthan T. Verawongse
Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFOD),
Liaison Coordinator,
for the Asia Pacific Human Rights NGOs - Facilitating Team
P.O. Box 26, Bungthonglang, Bangkok 10242, Thailand
Tel. (662) 377 9357, 370 2701
Fax. (662) 374 0464, 370 1202
Email: boonthan at mozart.inet.co.th
---------- Forwarded message ----------
INVITATION:
Asia Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress
Congress Secretariat:
South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC)
C-16/2, DDA Flats (SFS), Saket
New Delhi 110017, India
Phones: + 91-11-685 9622 & 686 5736
Fax: + 91-11-686 5736
Email: sadc at unv.ernet.in
4 October 1996
Dear friends,
The South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC), India,
on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights NGOs Facilitating
Team, Thailand, takes great pleasure in inviting you to the Asia-
Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress. The Congress is to be held in
New Delhi from the 6 to 8 December 1996. The venue of the
Congress is the Convention Centre, Jamia Hamdard University,
Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India.
The organisers are not in a position to pay travel costs of
participants. All participants are requested to approach their
donor agencies or funding partners for the requisite travel
assistance. Two tickets per country may be provided by the
Secretariat of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights NGO Facilitating
Team in Thailand subject to the availability of funds. Please
fill the appropriate column in the Registration Form.
No travel assistance will be provided for Indian participants.
All International participants are requested to apply for Tourist
visas at Indian diplomatic missions.
On the 9 and 10 December 1996, immediately following the
Congress, a Special Training Workshop on International Human
Rights Procedures will be held at the same venue. The Training
Workshop will be facilitated by the International Service for
Human Rights, Geneva. Please indicate in the Registration form
whether you want to stay on for the workshop.
The Congress Secretariat will be responsible for lodging
participants of all invited and registered participants from 12
noon of 5 December to 12 noon of 9 December 1996. Those
registering and accepted for the Special Training Workshop will
be able to stay on up to 12 noon of 11 December 1996.
The Asia-Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress will address four
important themes of human rights concern in the region - 1.
Reasserting Universality, 2. Integrating Womens' Rights in the
day to day activities of the human rights NGOs, 3. Human Rights
violations under the National Security Laws and 4. Developing a
qmodule for coordination amongst the Asia-Pacific Human Rights
NGOs.
The Congress Secretariat will be presenting resolutions for the
consideration of participants at the Congress. A package of
resolutions will be mailed to invited participants on receipt of
their registration forms. The Congress Secretariat will place
these resolutions before the Congress for formal adoption.
The Congress Secretariat will forward these resolutions to Asian
Governments and other concerned governments, inter-governmental
organizations, specialized agencies, bodies of the United Nations
and non-governmental organizations.
Invited and registered participants may submit resolutions for
the consideration of the Congress to the Conference Secretariat
on or before 15 November 1996.
If you need any further information or clarifications, please
contact the undersigned.
Yours in solidarity,
Ravi Nair on behalf of the Congress Secretariat
Encl: Annexure 1: Approach paper for the Asia-Pacific NGO Human
Rights Congress.
Annexure 2: Registration Form
Annexure 3: Provisional Agenda and Timetable
Annexure 4: Rules of procedure for Discussion and
submission on resolutions
----------------------------
Annexure 1
Asia-Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress
Congress Secretariat:
South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC)
C-16/2, DDA Flats (SFS), Saket
New Delhi 110017, India
Phones: + 91-11-685 9622 & 686 5736
Fax: + 91-11-686 5736
Email: sadc at unv.ernet.in
Approach Paper for the Asia-Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress
The Asia-Pacific Human Rights NGO Facilitating Team is a body of
Asian NGOs that participated in the Vienna World Conference on
Human Rights in June 1993. It was formed in 1994 during the Post-
Vienna Conference of the Asian NGOs in Bangkok, which evaluated
the outcome of the Vienna conference.
The members of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights NGO Facilitating
Team were elected for a period of two years to help coordinate
the Asian human rights movement in a more cohesive and concerted
manner. The members of Asia-Pacific Human Rights NGO Facilitating
Team presently are:
For South East Asia and Overall Coordination: Asian Cultural
Forum on Development, Thailand (Mr Boonthan Verawongse);
For South Asia: South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre,
India (Mr Ravi Nair);
For East Asia: Korea Human Rights Network, Korea, (Mr Anselmo
Lee);
For China and Coordination in North America: Human Rights in
China, USA, (Mr Xiao Qiang);
For the Pacific: Pacific Concern Resource Centre, Fiji, (Mr
Lopeti Sintuli);
For West Asia: Al Haq, Palestine, (Ms Merwat Rishmawi);
For Indigenous Peoples: Asian Indigenous Peoples Pact, Thailand
(Mr Luingam Luithui);
For Women: Asia-Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development,
Malaysia, (Ms Nimalka Fernando);
For Children: Child Rights Asianet, Thailand, (Prof Vitit
Muntarbhorn);
For the Workers: Asia Pacific Workers Solidarity Link, New
Zealand (Mr Robert Reid);
For Regional Organizations: Hotline/ACPP, Hong Kong (Mr Samydorai
Sinapan).
The Asia-Pacific Human Rights NGO Congress is an attempt of the
Asia-Pacific Human Rights NGO Facilitating Team to discuss the
human rights issues and challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and
set the agenda of the Asian NGO movement for the 21st century.
The Long Road from Vienna
The issue of human rights has never been so much in the forefront
of the international scenario as it is today. In a euphoric
spirit after the end of the Cold War, the member states of the
United Nations passed a resolution to convene the World
Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in June 1993. The Conference
was held after a span of 25 years since the first conference held
in Tehran, Iran.
The Preparatory Committee Meetings and the Vienna Conference
brought into sharp focus many facets of human rights reality.
Many authoritarian and totalitarian governments continue to rule
in Asia. Besides cultural cleansing of the Tibetans and Jummas of
the Chittagong Hills in Bangladesh, the East Timorese and the
Bougainvillaeans demand their independence. Northern and Eastern
parts of Sri Lanka continue to be in turmoil, democracy is gerry-
mandered in Indonesia, the Palestinian entity violates human
rights while the new Israeli Government scuttles the peace
process. India represents a miniature of the ethnic conflicts
taking place across the region, while Pakistan sanctifies
extrajudicial executions in Karachi.
There are more than a dozen major ethnic conflicts across the
Asia-Pacific region, all seeking varying degrees of self
determination. Most ethnic conflicts have a background of
domination, injustice and repression of one ethnic group by
another. The list is long and woeful.
Prior to the Asian Regional Inter-Governmental Meeting (March-
April 1993) in preparation for the Vienna Conference, regional
NGOs gathered at the Asia Pacific NGO Conference on Human Rights,
which took place from 25-28 March 1993 in Bangkok. The Bangkok
NGO Declaration on Human Rights reflected the true spirit of
Asian aspiration for fundamental freedoms and human rights. This,
despite the fact that the governmental document, the Bangkok
Declaration, attempted to trample upon the inalienable human
rights of Asians under the cover of cultural, historical and
regional particularities.
During the Third Preparatory Committee Meeting, Asia-Pacific
Human Rights NGOs formed a Coordinating Committee for follow up
of the Vienna Conference. After the Vienna Conference,
Asia-Pacific NGOs were the first to meet again to evaluate the
conference and set the agenda for the future. About 107 NGOs
participated in the meeting in 1994 in Bangkok and formed the
Asia-Pacific Human Rights NGO Facilitating Team for a period of
two years.
Building Asian Solidarity
The Asia-Pacific NGO Facilitating Team has been functioning on an
adhoc basis and has undertaken several activities. It campaigned
for human rights issues during the Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bangkok in
1994. It also helped organize the Asian Conference on National
Security Laws in Seoul from 22-25 November 1995.
The lack of institutional set-up or module for coordination have
stymied the activities of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights NGO
Facilitating Team. More and more NGOs have been expressing their
desire to join the Facilitating Team, however, expansion of the
Facilitating Team has been constrained by the necessity for
substantive discussion amongst the NGOs in the region.
There is an urgent need to convene an Asian NGO Congress in order
to frame and institutionalize a model or medium of coordination
for Asian solidarity and to face the emerging challenges of human
rights struggle in the region.
The Challenges Ahead
Asians face many challenges ahead. The most serious challenge is,
of course, as many government delegates say, " cultural
specificity," - the peculiar patriarchal Pattern of democracy in
which "an authoritarian Government considers itself as the sole
guardian of the State and which see its own good as public good
and equates all opposition and criticism as treason."
In a host of countries in Asia like China, North Korea and Burma
there are simply no independent NGOs. Singapore and Malaysia
represent the epitome of the Asian patriarchal pattern of
democracy. Democratic dissent is extremely restrictive and NGOs
face the brutal force of the State. In most of the countries,
international assistance to NGOs, with the exception of
"Government Organized" NGOs (GONGOs), is contingent upon the
whims of the intelligence agencies.
The right to freedom of association of NGOs is greatly curtailed
across Asia. Human rights NGOs have been facing denunciation,
vilification and physical assault by the State and its agencies,
whenever they take up the cause of the democratic rights of the
downtrodden, unorganized labourers, minorities and indigenous
peoples, and when they take up the case of ordinary citizens
caught in an armed conflicts. The State-sponsored hate campaign
against human rights NGOs, hitherto carried out by bureaucracy,
the police and a section of the media, has in recent years
received a fillip by the direct leadership provided the
authoritarian Governments.
Universality of Human Rights
Because of Asian Government's over-emphasis on cultural
specificities as a means to escape international scrutiny, the
need for regional human rights instruments like the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights, American
Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and African Charter
on Human Rights and Peoples' Rights to defend and promote human
rights, has not been realized. It reflects the hollowness of the
self proclaimed "Asian Concept of Human Rights". In fact, many of
the proponents of "Asian Concept of Human Rights" can not
articulate the difference with the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights except in terms of justifying human rights abuses,
legitimizing authoritarian laws and the patriarchal State.
Asian Governments have never shown any serious commitment to the
administration of justice, accountability to or compensation for
the victims of human rights abuses. Rather, the attempt by Asian
Governments to strengthen civil and democratic society has
excluded NGOs in the consultation process and has seen NGOs as an
enemy of the Government.
Attempts to Muzzle Asian NGOs
The conspiracy to exclude NGOs goes beyond the regional human
rights instruments for the Asia-Pacific region. During the 51st
Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in
February-March 1995, Asian Governments created stumbling blocks
to prohibit Indigenous Peoples' NGOs from participating in the
Commission-level drafting process of the Draft Declaration on the
Rights of the Indigenous Peoples. Their strategy: to simply deny
the existence of indigenous peoples in the region.
A similar attitude was displayed in the 52nd Session of the
United Nations Commission on Human Rights in March - April 1996
on the discussion on the Draft Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders.
Despite significant events in Asia, such as the release of
Burmese Nobel Laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and China's hosting
of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the human rights
situation in Asia has not improved. The illegitimate military
Government, the State Law and Order Restoration Council of Burma
is yet to hand over the power to the legitimate government of the
National League for Democracy and thousands of prisoners of
conscience continue to be detained in Burma. In China, the
controversial venue for the NGO Forum at the Beijing Conference
and the denial of visas to many Tibetan women spoke for itself of
the Chinese concern for human rights.
The Continuing Denial of Human Rights
Human rights violations across the Asia Pacific region continue
to be appalling. Arbitrary detention, torture, rape, custodial
deaths, disappearances, trafficking of women, sexual
exploitation, denial of freedom of expression continue unabated.
Workers rights and the International Labour Organization (ILO)
guidelines continue to be flouted. The treatment of migrants
workers in the Gulf States, Singapore and Malaysia is barbaric,
to say the least. Many of the migrants workers in Singapore and
Malaysia are victims of medieval savagery. Yet, Mr Lee Kuan Yew
and Mr Mahatir Mohammed point their fingers to the West crying
racial discrimination.
While human rights violations by any Government should be
condemned both nationally and internationally, there is no space
for domestic criticism of the Mahatir Mohammeds and Lee Kuan
Yews. This, despite the fact that the treatment of migrant
workers in both Singapore and Malaysia is akin to racism.
Asian Governments feel more confident arming themselves with
further draconian powers and clamping down on human rights, since
such measures gain sustenance from acquiescence, whether direct
or indirect by western powers. National Security Legislation,
with sweeping powers to arrest and prosecute, has been used as a
tool against political dissidents and to violate human rights of
the citizens.
Under the cover of national security, serious human rights are
violated in internal armed conflict situations. Security forces
violate basic principles of International Humanitarian Law by
resorting to indiscriminate arrests, killings of innocent people,
maltreatment of civilians and in many situations by using rape as
a weapon to intimidate, torture and degrade women. Such human
rights violations in extremely difficult circumstances have
caused large movements of refugees and internal displace peoples.
With geo-political equations determining the status of refugees,
involuntary repatriation have taken place consistently across the
region. The principles of the United Nations 1951 Convention
Relating to the Status of Refugees and 1966 Optional Protocol
however inadequate, have constantly been flouted. UNHCR in many
areas in the Asia Pacific region has not fulfilled its Protection
mandate.
Armed Opposition Groups
One of the main features of human rights violations in armed
conflict situations is the involvement of the armed opposition
groups. The armed opposition groups are responsible for serious
human rights violations like kidnapping, extortion and killings
of civilians. The need to draw guidelines for ethics of the human
rights community active in armed conflict situations is an issue
which requires wider discussion.
There has been no accountability for human rights abuses by the
State and non-state agents. Blanket immunity is being given to
State agents from prosecution for human rights abuses.
Legislation is being enacted to ensure that State officials are
not prosecuted for human rights abuses without the prior
permission of the Government. Across Asia, a climate of impunity
is being encouraged.
Civil and Political Rights Sacrificed for Economic Development
Asian countries led by Malaysia, Indonesia, China and others have
been espousing economic, social and cultural rights and have been
propagating that without attaining a certain level of economic
development, civil and political rights can not be fully
realized. It implies positioning of economic, social and cultural
rights over civil and political rights. This, of course, is
contrary to the Principles of the Vienna Declaration that all
human rights are indivisible, interdependent and interrelated,
to which they have all agreed. Moreover, most of these States,
which are allegedly concerned with economic, social and cultural
rights, have neither ratified the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights nor given their First
Periodic Report to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights.
There are many issues that need to be debated on the issue of
economic, social and cultural rights. There has been much debate
on the Bretton Woods institutions namely the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund (IMF). The need to streamline
guidelines on these institutions and to establish accountability
processes is of utmost importance, however, issues like the need
for equitable income distribution within the country and
institutionalization of equity have not been addressed so far.
The study undertaken by Mr Josse Bengoa, a member of the United
Nations Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and
Protection of Minorities, on the Human Rights dimension of income
distribution is an interesting one in this context. Unless, the
issue of income distribution within the country is addressed in
the right perspective, streamlining of guidelines for the World
Bank and IMF can not be the panacea for the ills of society.
The post-Cold war situation has also led to emergence of many new
nation States in Central Asia and East Asia. These countries like
Uzbekistan, Kazhakstan and Mongolia have been under the iron rule
of the Communists. There was and is little respect for human
rights in these regions. The notion that NGO's can contribute to
strengthening civil society is still emerging. Fledgling NGOs
from these regions must be brought into the mainstream NGO
movement in Asia. This can help widen their understanding and
contribute in strengthening the civil society in their countries
in a more substantive way.
The initiative to hold the Asia Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress
is being undertaken by the representative bodies of the Asia
Pacific NGOs. This is the first initiative being undertaken by
the Asian NGOs to discuss the human rights issues and the
challenges the human rights community face in the region. While
human rights are universal and there is a need for international
solidarity, the time has come for Asians and Oceanians to express
their opinion on many human rights issues against their own
repressive governments. Only a concerted and cohesive initiative
by the Asian and Oceanian NGOs can face the challenges. The Asia-
Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress is an attempt in that
direction.
-----------------------
Annexure 2
Asia Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress
Congress Secretariat:
South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC)
C-16/2, DDA Flats (SFS), Saket
New Delhi 110017, India
Phones: + 91-11-685 9622 & 686 5736
Fax: + 91-11-686 5736
Email: sadc at unv.ernet.in
REGISTRATION FORM FOR PARTICIPANTS
NOTE: TO BE RETURNED TO THE CONGRESS SECRETARIAT ON OR BEFORE
15 NOVEMBER 1996
1. Name of the delegate/observer : ............................
(strike out as applicable)
2. Postal Address : ...........................................
...........................................
...........................................
...........................................
3. Telephone: (OFF) : ...................(RES) :...............
4. Fax : .....................5. Email:........................
6. Organizational affiliation if any : ........................
7. Arriving on (date) : ............. (time) :.................
8. Leaving on (date) : ..............(time) :.................
9. Do you require accommodation : Yes/No
10. Any other special requirements : ...........................
...........................
11. I would like to attend Working Group ....... on 6 December,
and Working Group ....... on 7 December 1996. (Delegates
may choose to attend two out of four of the Working Groups)
12. I wish to attend the Special Training Workshop on
International Human Rights Procedures on 9 & 10 December
1996 : Yes/No
Signed : ...................... Date : ...................
NOTE: There will be a registration fee of Indian Rs 300/- for
each individual participant. This is towards lunch,
dinner and tea to be provided on the three days, as
well as accommodation arrangements for out-station
participants. All participants are required to make
their own travel arrangements.
------------------------
Annexure 3
Asia Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress
Congress Secretariat:
South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC)
C-16/2, DDA Flats (SFS), Saket
New Delhi 110017, India
Phones: + 91-11-685 9622 & 686 5736
Fax: + 91-11-686 5736
Email: sadc at unv.ernet.in
PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND TIMETABLE
Day 1 : Opening Plenary (Open to invitees, observers and the
media)
6 December 1996 Chairperson for the day: Mr Ravi Nair
Rapporteur : Mr Adilur Rehman Khan
Minutes : Ms Nina Mishra
9.30 am to 11 am
9.30 am to 9.45 am : Welcome and practical announcements
Confirmation of appointment of
Chairperson and Alternate Chairperson of
the Congress.
9.45 am to 10 am : Introduction of participants and
Observers.
Report of the Credentials Committee.
Adoption of Standing orders for conduct
of meeting.
Approval of the agenda and timetable.
10 am to 10.15 am : Asia Pacific Human Rights Facilitating
Team's spokesperson's address
Speakers :
10.15 am to 10.40 am : Speaker A from Country C
10.40 am to 11.00 am : Speaker B from Country D
(Speakers have been invited by the Congress Secretariat, as
confirmations have not been received, the final list of Speakers
will be notified with the Resolutions package).
11 am to 11.15 am : Tea
Open Session ends
CLOSED SESSIONS : OPEN ONLY TO PARTICIPANTS
11.15 am to 11.30 am: Constitution of Working Group Sessions in
Plenary
11.30 am to 1 pm : Working Group Sessions
Working Group 1 : Reasserting Universality
Chairperson : Dr Fateh Azzam
Rapporteur : Ms Maja Daruwalla
Working Group 2 : Integrating Womens Rights in the work of
Human Rights NGOs
Chairperson : Ms Mervat Rishmavi
Rapporteur : Ms Ratna Kapur
1 pm to 2 pm : Lunch
2 pm to 4 pm : Working Group Discussions continue
4 pm to 4.30 pm : Tea
4.30 pm to 6 pm : Plenary :
- Presentation by Special Invitees and Reports from specific
participants
- General discussions and constitution of drafting committee
for resolutions
6 pm to 7.30 pm : Meeting of only Drafting Committee
Members
Other participants may wish to use this
time for fringe meetings
7.30 pm : Dinner for Participants
Informal discussions to continue after dinner. Participants
wishing to organize fringe meetings may contact the Congress
Secretariat in writing before 15 November 1996.
9 pm : Meeting of Drafting Committee members to
continue
Day 2
7 December 1996
Chairperson for the day : Ms Cecilia
Jimenez
Rapporteur : Mr Boonthan
Verawongse
9.30 am to 10.30 am : Report back by drafting committees
10.30 am to 11.30 am : Working Group Sessions
WORKING GROUP 3 : Human Rights Violations under National
Security Laws
Chairperson : Mr Anselmo Lee
Rapporteur : Mr Xiao Qiang
WORKING GROUP 4 : Developing a module for Coordination
amongst the Asia Pacific Human Rights
NGOs
Chairperson : Mr Sivarasa Rasiah
Rapporteur : Ms Nimalka Fernando
11.30 am to 11.45 am: Tea
11.45 am to 1 pm : Working Group continue
1 pm to 2 pm : Lunch
2 pm to 3 pm : Working Groups continue
END OF CLOSED SESSION FOR THE DAY
(Drafting Committee Members to meet at this point separately)
3 pm to 3.15 pm : Tea
3.15 pm to 6 pm : Special session of South Asian
Parliamentarians on East Timor
To be presided over Mr Jose Ramos Horta,
Special Representative, National Council
of Maubere Resistance (CNRM).
7.30 PM TO ? : Social Evening
Day 3
8 December 1996
Plenary :
9.30 am to 11.00 am : Report back by drafting committees
11 am to 11.15 am : Tea
11.15 am to 1 pm : Discussion on Working Party resolutions
1 pm to 2 pm : Lunch
2 pm to 3 pm : Adoption of Resolutions
3 pm to 4 pm : Constitution of the Asia Pacific Human
Rights NGO Facilitating Team for the
next two years.
Closed Session ends
4 pm to 4. 15 pm: Tea
4.15 pm to 5.30 pm : Formal Concluding Session and Meeting open
to invitees, observers and the media)
Valedictory Address by ....
Vote of Thanks
7.30 pm : Dinner for All Participants
9.30 pm : Meeting of new Asia Pacific Human Rights
NGO Facilitating Team
NOTE : All participants are requested to indicate their
preference for attending one Working Group on each day
on the registration form. (Annexure 1). This is only a
preference, the Preparatory Committee reserves the
right to assign individuals to specific Working Groups.
----------------------
Annexure 4
Asia Pacific NGO Human Rights Congress
Congress Secretariat:
South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC)
C-16/2, DDA Flats (SFS), Saket
New Delhi 110017, India
Phones: + 91-11-685 9622 & 686 5736
Fax: + 91-11-686 5736
Email: sadc at unv.ernet.in
Rules of procedure for Discussion and submission on resolutions
1. English shall be the working language of the Congress.
2. Participants wishing to submit resolutions should ensure
that the resolutions are not more than one page each in A4
size and each resolution should be accompanied by another
page that could be circulated along with your draft
resolution as an explanatory memorandum. This will
facilitate an informed discussion. The Congress Secretariat
reserves the right to edit as appropriate, if the stipulated
length is not adhered to. It would be possible to circulate
your draft resolutions to all participants in advance if you
could ensure that they reach the Congress Secretariat by 15
November 1996.
2.1 Each resolution should be related to the four themes of the
Congress.
2.2 Each resolution should have an approximate financial
computation for it's implementation. There should also be
mention of the proposed implementing agency.
3.1 Each resolution included in the agenda shall be proposed at
the meeting either by a delegate attending the consultation
proposing the resolution or in writing by the Congress
Secretariat. All resolutions should be seconded. Should any
resolution not be so proposed and seconded when called, a
vote shall taken immediately on the question of whether the
resolution should remain on the agenda. If the vote is
carried, any delegate may propose the resolution.
3.2 An amendment to a resolution may be proposed by any two
delegates subject to the following conditions:
(a) that it is submitted in writing to the Chairperson of
the Congress.
(b) that it does not constitute a direct negative to the
original resolution.
(c) that it is relevant to the resolution to which it is
moved and is framed so as to form with it an
intelligible and consistent sentence or sentences.
3.3 If the proposer of the resolution accepts an amendment, then
the resolution as amended shall become the substantive
resolution with the same proposer as for the original
resolution. If the amendment is not accepted by the
proposer, the amendment shall be put to the meeting before
the resolution and, if carried, the resolution as amended
shall be put to the meeting.
3.4 The proposer of the resolution shall have the right to sum
up immediately before a vote is taken.
4.1 Points of order may be raised by participants and shall have
precedence over all other business, except during the act of
voting unless they relate specifically to the procedure of
the vote.
4.2 Points of order shall relate specifically to the conduct of
the meeting or the debate, shall not refer to the subject
matter under debate and should contain no argument.
4.3 The following matters may be raised as a point of order:
a) a request for the chairperson's ruling
b) a challenge to the chairperson's ruling
c) a motion of no confidence in the chair, which must be
seconded
d) that a vote be taken immediately. The motion shall be
considered at the discretion of the chairperson
e) that a vote not be taken on the resolution
f) that the matter be referred to the Congress Secretariat
or any other committee formed by the Congress
4.4 Points of information may be raised by participants and may
consist only of information offered to or asked of the
chairperson or the speaker. They shall contain no argument.
5.1 The chairperson of the Congress and an alternate shall be
proposed by the Congress Secretariat and confirmation sought
from the Congress. The Chairperson of the Congress shall
take the chair when meetings of the Congress begin, declare
the meeting open and conduct the business of the meeting. In
the absence of the chairperson or the alternate, the
Congress Secretariat, or such other person appointed by it,
shall perform the duties mentioned while a chairperson is
elected by the Congress.
5.2 The chairperson confirmed by the Congress shall be
responsible for the order and conduct of the meeting.
5.3 As and when required, the chairperson shall rule on the
interpretation of these Standing Orders and on all other
disputed questions of procedure relating to the conduct of
the meeting.
5.4 In the event of a dispute with regard to a ruling by the
chairperson, the ruling shall be submitted to the meeting
for an immediate decision by a simple majority vote of
delegates.
5.5 The chairperson may at any time propose the imposition of a
limit for speeches. The chairperson may also inform the
meeting of the number of delegates or observers wishing to
speak and recommend that the list of speakers be closed.
5.6 The chairperson may at any time propose the imposition of a
time limit for the discussion on a particular item on the
agenda and on the expiry of that time limit put the issue to
the vote or declare the discussion closed. The adoption of
this procedure should not infringe the rights of a person in
presenting a report or in proposing a resolution to be
entitled to a reply before the vote is taken.
NNNNNN
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