For the first time in the history of the Forum, its report to the Intergovernmental Committee captured a separate agenda item – 15COM 6.
Naila Ceribašić during the speech
It was presented by Naila Ceribašić (International Council for Traditional Music) in her capacity of a member of the Forum’s Steering Committee who coordinated the preparation of the report, accomplished through broad-based consultation process involving the entire membership of the Forum, and coordinated by an ad hoc working group and the Forum’s Steering Committee.
In her speech, she emphasized views and positions of the Forum concerning the indentification of advisory functions of accredited NGOs to the Committee, the strengths and challenges that a great diversity among accredited NGOs brings to the Convention in general, and to the Forum in particular, the strengthening of the Forum’s governance as well as participatory principle of its operations, the relationship between NGOs and other stakeholders on national and international levels, the issue of unbalanced geographical distribution of accredited NGOs, a need for capacity-building tailored specifically for NGOs, a challenge of the Forum’s exclusively volunteer, unpaid mode of operations, and a challenge of how to enhance the role of NGOs in the deliberations of the Committee.
Excluding the last one, all these aspects were also reflected in the proposed Draft decision, which the Committee duly adopted, after a series of Committee Members and other States Parties commended the report, ICH NGOs and the Forum. Judging from this event, the Forum can be content about its bright present and future.
Download and read the Report of the Ich Ngo Forum for 15COM.
