| United Nations | E/C.2/1996/2 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
14 March 1996
ENGLISH
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH/FRENCH/
SPANISH
COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS
13-17 May and 26-30 August 1996
Item 4 of the provisional agenda*
* E/C.2/1996/1.
REVIEW OF QUADRENNIAL REPORTS SUBMITTED BY NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS IN CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH THE ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL COUNCIL, CATEGORIES I AND II
Quadrennial reports, 1990-1993
Reports submitted through the Secretary-General pursuant
to Economic and Social Council resolution 1296 (XLIV) of
23 May 1968
CONTENTS
Page
1. Church World Service, Inc. ...................................... 3
2. Fundacio'n de Ayuda contra la Drogadiccio'n ..................... 4
3. International Institute of Administrative Sciences .............. 6
4. Latin American Iron and Steel Institute ......................... 9
5. International League of Societies for Persons with Mental
Handicap ........................................................ 11
6. Islamic African Relief Agency ................................... 14
7. Society of Comparative Legislation .............................. 17
8. Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities .......................... 18
9. International Association of Judges ............................. 21
10. World Organization of the Scout Movement (World Scout Bureau) ... 23
1. CHURCH WORLD SERVICE, INC.
(Category II)
Church World Service (CWS) is an international relief and
development assistance organization, headquartered in the United
States, through which 32 member church bodies and 10 affiliated
churches work in partnership with Christian bodies world wide.
Together they carry out programmes in mission, relief, refugee
assistance, community development and advocacy.
During the period 1990-1993, Church World Service participated
actively in several international policy forums convened under the
aegis of the Economic and Social Council. Church World Service sent a
five-person delegation to the World Conference on Human Rights, held
in Vienna in 1993. The delegation worked on behalf of a number of
issues, including the rights of indigenous peoples. CWS participated
in the first and second preparatory committees for the World Summit on
Social Development as well as the regional preparatory meeting of the
Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) for the Fourth World Conference
on Women. Church World Service attended the final preparatory meeting
for the United Nations Conference on Population and Development and
cooperated with the NGO Committee on Ageing for participation and
presentation of information on the problems of the ageing at that
meeting. Church World Service representatives also met with Lisbet
Rubenstein of the secretariat for the World Summit for Social
Development to discuss the place of ageing issues within the
deliberations.
The Human Rights Office of Church World Service has been actively
involved during the period in promoting, through a campaign of
education at the local level, the ratification by the United States
Congress of the United Nations human rights conventions: Convention
on the Rights of the Child, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women, International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The campaign
included production of materials explaining the content of the
conventions and their relevance to all concerned citizens.
Protecting and assisting refugees is a high priority for CWS,
which works with councils of churches in countries that host refugee
populations, assisting the resettlement of 10,000 refugees in 1993
alone. This work also involved cooperation with the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees.
The CWS Office of Development Policy works to improve the quality
of development assistance and the alleviation of problems like debt.
In this connection the Office was involved in the United nations
review of development in Africa.
2. FUNDACION DE AYUDA CONTRA LA DROGADICCION
(Category II)
The Fundacio'n de Ayuda contra la Drogadiccio'n (FAD) was
established in 1986 to carry out activities at the level of civil
society to combat the pernicious effects of substance use and abuse.
Its activities are devoted essentially to:
(a) Primary prevention;
(b) Postgraduate university training;
(c) Consciousness-raising among the general public;
(d) Documentation and information.
Although the organization operates primarily in Spain and other
European countries, it has also carried out activities in Spanish-
speaking countries in Central and South America by way of
international cooperation.
To date, these activities have been financed with the
organization's own resources. FAD has promoted the establishment of
similar institutions in other Spanish-speaking countries, with which
it collaborates on equal terms; it also establishes and maintains
close contact with existing institutions.
Specialized postgraduate university training is offered in two
directions by:
(a) Training Latin American postgraduate students in Spanish
universities, using the curriculum designed by FAD;
(b) Sending Spanish experts to Spanish-speaking universities in
the Americas.
International activities
FAD regularly attends the Vienna meetings of the United Nations
International Drug Control Programme and was a member of the Committee
on Non-Governmental Organizations from 1990 to 1993.
Through its Documentation Centre, FAD disseminates nationwide the
documentation on drugs issued by all United Nations organs.
From 1990 to 1993, FAD contributed regularly to the feasibility
study conducted by the European Drug Trends Observatory and
participated in the Observatory's REITOX information exchange network,
based in Lisbon.
FAD has been a member of the European Federation of Development-
Oriented Non-Governmental Organizations since 1992.
FAD is a founding member of the European Foundation of Helpline
Services (FESAT); since 1989, it has maintained a free nationwide
helpline offering referrals on therapeutic services to treat drug
problems.
Since 1989, FAD has conducted Spain's only ongoing mass-media
campaign to prevent drug abuse, involving both the public and private
radio, television and print media.
FAD is a founding member of the European Libraries and Information
Services on Alcohol and Drugs, in which it has participated since
1990.
FAD is an associate of the RADAR (Regional Alcohol and Drug
Awareness Resource) network run by the Center for Substance Abuse
Prevention (CSAP) of the United States Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental
Health Administration.
FAD is a member of the Substance Abuse Librarians and Information
Specialists (SALIS), based in the United States.
FAD offers specialized postgraduate university training in the
field of alcohol, tobacco and drugs in eight Spanish universities, and
regularly admits Spanish-speaking applicants from other countries
(Israel, Brazil, Europe and Spanish-speaking countries in the
Americas).
In 1992, FAD launched a programme of substance abuse prevention
training for primary-school teachers in the Argentine Republic; the
programme was subsequently taken over by a private foundation in
Argentina (Fundacio'n de Ayuda contra las Drogas de Argentina (FADA)),
the establishment of which was promoted by FAD.
3. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES
(Category II)
The main aims of the International Institute of Administrative
Sciences (IIAS) are to promote:
(a) The better operation of public administration agencies;
(b) The improvement of administrative methods and techniques;
(c) The progress of international administration;
(d) The development of the administrative sciences.
IIAS is represented in 70 countries (Algeria, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil,
Burundi, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Co^te d'Ivoire, Cyprus,
Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holy See,
Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait,
Latvia, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg, Malta,
Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea,
San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United
Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Yemen, Zaire,
Zimbabwe). IIAS members include corporate members, national sections,
States, and international organizations, including the Commission of
the European Communities (CEC), the World Bank, the European Space
Agency, the European Patent Office, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the
Arab Administrative Development Organization and the Arab Urban
Development Institute, the African Association for Public
Administration and Management, the Latin American Centre for
Development Administration and the Central American Institute of
Public Administration.
The activities of IIAS are carried out in three main areas:
(a) Scientific activities involving the convening of
international or regional working groups consisting of experts
selected from both administrative personnel and university and
research staff;
(b) Information and documentation concerned with the collection,
processing and dissemination of administrative information at the
international level. In this connection, IIAS has a documentary
archive on comparative administration which is undoubtedly one of the
richest in the world;
(c) Advisory services consisting of responses to requests from
Governments or international organizations and participation in joint
advisory activities; IIAS brings to such activities (apart from its
international character and its neutrality) the possibility of access
to a broad network of very high-level experts who are concerned
primarily with action to be carried out and results to be achieved.
Participation in United Nations meetings
Informal consultations on the metropolitan governance programme
organized by the Governance and Public Administration Branch, Division
of Public Administration and Development Management, Department for
Development Support and Management Services (DPADM/DDSMS) of the
Secretariat, New York, 22 August 1994;
Preparatory Committee for the World Summit for Social Development,
New York, 22 August to 2 September 1994;
Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in consultative
status with the Economic and Social Council, preparatory meeting for
the World Summit for Social Development, Geneva, 13 September 1993;
Eighth session of the High-level Committee on the Review of
Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC), New York, 25-
28 May 1993;
World Conference on Metropolitan Governance, Tokyo, 20-23 April
1993 (United Nations/Tokyo metropolitan government);
High-level expert group meeting to assess the applicability of the
strategic management methodologies to the industrial restructuring
process in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe, 28 January-2 February 1991;
International seminar on management development and economic
restructuring, Ulan Bator, Mongolia, September 1990;
Committee on Population and Social Development of the Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Bangkok, 19 and 20
November 1990.
Relations with the United Nations and contribution
to the achievement of its objectives
A. Cooperation within the framework
of United Nations programmes
The Development Administration Division of the former Department
of Technical Cooperation for Development of the United Nations
Secretariat requested IIAS to prepare a report on the administrative
modernization of four Central and Eastern European countries:
Bulgaria, the former Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland (September
1990).
Budapest (Hungary), 17-19 April 1991: Meeting of experts convened
by the United Nations in cooperation with IIAS to analyse the results
of the research on administrative modernization in Central and Eastern
Europe requested from IIAS by the Development Administration Division
and to explore other avenues of cooperation. Publication of the
report of the seminar on administrative modernization in Central and
Eastern Europe: a case study on decentralization and public
administration (document DESD/SEM.92/2).
B. Other activities on topics developed by the
United Nations
IIAS has established working groups in areas of activity covered
by the United Nations, for example:
(a) Organization of a seminar in Jerusalem on the role of women
in public life and in the decision-making process, from 24 to 26
October 1994, intended for Palestinian women;
(b) Establishment in 1994 of an international working group on
public policies to benefit women;
(c) Establishment in 1993 of a working group on the protection of
human rights and the role of international and national
administrations;
(d) Organization since 1991 of a series of seminars on the role
of non-governmental organizations in economic development (in Asia,
the Middle East, Latin America and North America);
(e) Establishment in 1991 of a working group on the
administrative management of environmental protection;
(f) Organization of four international conferences bringing
together more than 400 public administration experts and specialists:
(i) 1990: Madrid: International conference on the
administrative implications of regional economic integration:
the example of the European Economic Community (EEC). A
comparative approach;
(ii) 1991: Copenhagen: Round table on the management of social
services;
(iii) 1992: Vienna, Twenty-second International Congress of
Administrative Sciences, on public administration in the
1990s: trends and innovations;
(iv) 1993: Toluca (Mexico), International conference on
redefining the profile of the State with a view to socio-
economic changes.
C. Synergy between IIAS and agencies of the
United Nations system
The synergy is being maintained on an in-depth and personalized
basis owing to the fact that the Director-General of IIAS is a member
of the International Civil Service Commission.
4. LATIN AMERICAN IRON AND STEEL INSTITUTE
(Category II)
The aim of the Latin American Iron and Steel Institute (ILAFA) is
to support the sustainable development of the iron and steel sector in
Latin America through the study of the economic, marketing, technical
and scientific aspects of the steel industry and of the raw materials
used in steel production.
The Institute has both active and associate members, which are
companies producing iron, steel or inputs of the industry, service
providers, equipment manufacturers, and research and development
institutions in Latin America and the rest of the world. The number
of members declined between 1990 and 1993 as a result of the
restructuring of the sector over that period, which involved the
reorganization, merging or suspension of the operations of many firms
in the region and the globalization of activities, especially with
respect to markets and product marketing.
1990 1993
Number of active members 92 74
Number of associate members 80 59
The Institute's sources of financing, however, remained relatively
stable, as set out below:
1990 1993
TOTAL: US$ 1 027 100 US$ 1 220 300
Members 589 600 609 100
Notices and publications 146 500 154 600
Exhibitions 49 600 157 600
Attendance at congresses, seminars, etc. 241 400 299 000
The following are some of the activities carried out in
cooperation with United Nations bodies:
(a) A regional meeting on computerized systems of maintenance
management in the iron and steel industry, co-sponsored by the United
Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), was held in
Moncolva, Mexico, in November 1991. It was attended by 54
participants and 22 observers, in addition to 5 UNIDO experts and
officials of the Organization from Mexico and Austria;
(b) Establishment of the Environmental Advisory Committee
(CADIMA) of the ILAFA Executive Committee in 1991, and organization of
the constitutive meeting of that Committee in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. The meeting was attended by an observer from UNIDO, which
offered to sponsor an international congress on the topic "Environment
and the Iron and Steel Industry";
(c) CADIMA held its second meeting in Santiago, Chile, in 1992,
at which it analysed, inter alia, the national reports prepared in
response to UNIDO questionnaires. The Committee also discussed its
programmes of work, which would receive support from UNIDO through the
UNIDO-ILAFA regional programme of environmental management in the iron
and steel industry;
(d) In August 1992, an ILAFA-UNIDO seminar on total quality in
the iron and steel industry was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The
seminar was attended by 90 participants and 21 papers were presented,
which were later published by ILAFA;
(e) An ILAFA-UNIDO regional meeting on liquid effluents in the
iron and steel industry was held in Santiago, Chile, in October 1992.
It was attended by 29 participants from Latin America and the rest of
the world, who discussed four technical papers and five national
reports and heard a presentation, given by a UNIDO expert, on the
UNIDO-Industrial and Technological Information Bank (INTIB)-REED
information system;
(f) An ILAFA-UNIDO-Instituto Venezolano de empresas sideru'rgicos
(IVES) regional meeting on waste reduction and recovery in the iron
and steel industry, sponsored by ILAFA and UNIDO, was held in Ciudad
Guayana, Venezuela, in June 1993, and was attended by 60 participants.
UNIDO paid for the travel and accommodation of six experts (two from
Austria and the rest from Argentina and Brazil);
(g) The Instituto Argentino de Siderugia (IAS) coordinated a
UNIDOu-ILAFA-IAS meeting on gaseous effluents, which was held in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December 1993. It was attended by some 50
participants from Latin America and consultants from UNIDO;
(h) ILAFA has frequent contacts with officials of the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) on issues
concerning iron and steel industry operations and the exchange of
information, particularly statistical data;
(i) ILAFA continues to exchange information on iron mining and
related topics with the Trust Fund for the Dissemination of
Information on Iron Ore.
5. INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE OF SOCIETIES FOR PERSONS
WITH MENTAL HANDICAP
(Category II)
Aims and purpose of ILSMH
1. The International League of Societies for Persons with Mental
Handicap (ILSMH) is the sole organization that speaks for the world's
50 million persons with mental handicaps, or for their families and
those who work with them. ILSMH now includes 172 member societies in
102 countries of the five continents.
2. The main objectives of ILSMH are: to promote the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons and its
implementation so that persons with mental handicap may lead as close
to normal lives as possible; to encourage the creation of new
societies of parents and friends of persons with mental handicap and
of persons with mental handicap themselves, to fight against abuse and
discrimination; to fight for the inclusion of persons with mental
handicap in all aspects of day to day life; to disseminate information
through publications, symposia, conferences and world congresses; and
to develop contacts with international organizations in order to speak
on behalf of persons with mental handicap and their families.
3. ILSMH has consultative status with the Economic and Social
Council, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), and the World Health Organization (WHO)
(through the Joint Commission on International Aspects of Mental
Retardation) and is on the special list of the International Labour
Organization (ILO).
Representation at meetings of the United Nations
and its agencies
4. As during the previous years, ILSMH has been represented at nearly
all the annual general conferences of UNESCO; at the World Health
Assemblies and Board meetings of WHO; at the regular meetings of
UNESCO's NGOs Standing Committee; at meetings of the NGO Committee of
the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and of the NGO/UNICEF
Coordinating Committee of Activities for Children in Eastern and
Central Europe; at most of the annual meetings of the WHO Regional
Offices; and at the annual United Nations inter-agency meetings.
5. ILSMH was also officially represented at the following meetings:
United Nations International Meeting on the Roles and Functions of
National Coordinating Committees on Disabilities in Developing
Countries (Beijing, 5-11 November 1990)
United Nations Ad Hoc Working Group to Elaborate Standard Rules on
the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
(Vienna, 25-28 August 1991) and in the two further meetings of
this group
UNESCO Eighth Collective Consultation of NGOs on Literacy:
Education for All (Paris, 9-13 December 1991)
United Nations General Assembly at its forty-seventh session (New
York, October 1992): the President of ILSMH and the Chairperson
of the ILSMH Committee on Self-Advocacy were invited to speak at
the special meeting to mark the end of the United Nations Decade
of Disabled Persons on 12 October 1992
Meeting of the Commission for Social Development (Vienna, February
1993) to discuss the Standard Rules on the Equalization of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities and the Long-term
Strategy to further the Implementation of the World Programme of
Action concerning Disabled Persons to the year 2000 and beyond
UNESCO meeting on Education for All (Cairo, November 1992)
UNESCO NGO World Forum on Families (Malta, 28 November-2 December
1993)
United Nations World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, 14-25
June 1993): ILSMH presented a statement.
Cooperation with programmes and bodies
6. On 12-13 October 1992, during the forty-seventh session of the
United Nations General Assembly, ILSMH was awarded a testimonial in
recognition of dedicated service in support of the United Nations
Programme on Disability by Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
Other relevant activities
7. The following actions were taken in implementation of United
Nations initiatives:
(a) In 1992, ILSMH published Making the Most of the United
Nations, which describes the United Nations system, gives examples of
United Nations initiatives in the field of mental handicap and invites
ILSMH member societies to contribute to the implementation of United
Nations programmes;
(b) At the beginning of 1993, ILSMH created a Task Force on the
International Year of the Family (IYF), which issued "Learning
Messages"; these were sent to all Ministers in charge of family
affairs all over the world;
(c) ILSMH asks its member societies from time to time whether
their Governments had signed the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child;
(d) On the occasion of the ILO/ILSMH seminar on employment (held
in October 1993; see para. 9, below), ILSMH asked all its member
societies to make sure that their Governments had signed ILO
Convention 159 on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled
Persons (1983) and to inquire on the changes proposed in their
respective countries.
8. The following papers and/or other material were prepared at the
request of the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies,
or of the United Nations Secretariat:
Final Report of the forty-third session of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights (Sub-commission on Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection of Minorities), which reproduces
information on discrimination provided by ILSMH.
9. Other examples of consultative and substantive activities were:
(a) During the Xth World Congress of ILSMH (Paris, August 1990),
a symposium was organized on international organizations with the
participation of representatives of the United Nations Centre for
Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs (Vienna), ILO, UNESCO and
WHO. The theme of the Symposium was the Reaffirmation of the Rights
of Persons with Mental Handicap, based on the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons;
(b) From 11 to 13 October 1993, in Turin, Italy, ILSMH organized,
jointly with ILO an international seminar on "The Road to Equality -
Opportunities for Persons with Mental Handicap to enter the Regular
Workplace". A common statement was published and distributed as ILSMH
policy.
6. ISLAMIC AFRICAN RELIEF AGENCY
(Category II)
The Islamic African Relief Agency (IARA) is a charitable
non-governmental organization founded in 1981 in Khartoum, Sudan.
IARA offers assistance to the less fortunate, such as refugees and
persons who are displaced, handicapped, elderly or orphaned,
irrespective of religion, culture, language, race or colour.
IARA's areas of activities include relief, development,
rehabilitation, social welfare, health care, women, energy and
education.
Since 1990, branches have been opened in Bangladesh, Ethiopia,
Germany, Romania, the Russian Federation and Croatia.
Meetings and activities
Over 150 meetings of United Nations organizations were attended by
IARA representatives between 1990 and 1993, for example:
Urgent meeting of the Executive Committee of the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Geneva,
1990
Meeting of medical officers qualified in addiction rehabilitation
with the United Nations Drug Control Programme, Philippines, 1991
Conclusion of letter of understanding between Operation Life Sudan
(OLS), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World
Food Programme (WFP); United Nations/Non-Governmental
Organizations donors' monthly meeting, Nairobi, 1991
Annual meetings of the Governing Council of the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), Nairobi, 1991-1993
International Seminar for Afghan Refugees, established by UNHCR,
Tehran, 1992
UNICEF Conference for the Future of the Child in Africa, Dakar,
1993
Role of Islamic non-governmental organizations in support of the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA), Cairo, November 1990
UNOSOM: 2nd and 3rd Coordination Meetings on Humanitarian
Assistance for Somalia, Addis Ababa, 1992 and 1993
Forty-ninth session of the Commission on Human Rights, Vienna,
1993
World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 1993
UNHCR Executive Committee, Geneva, 1993
Regular weekly meetings with United Nations specialized bodies on
relief activities, chaired by WFP for the displaced (Operation
Life Sudan, OLS), Khartoum, 1990-1993
In addition, IARA annually presented to the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) "The development cooperation report -
Sudan", 1990-1993. The agency also participated with FAO/WFP/NGO
(Sudan) Crops and Needs Annual Assessment, Western and Southern Sudan,
1990-1993.
Projects
Rural Development Department, Pakistan, 1990-1993
Agriculture Training of Afghan Refugees, Peshawar and Afghanistan;
Funds: Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian and Economic
Assistance Programmes relating to Afghanistan (UNOCA)
Maize Seed and Rice Seed Multiplication, Kunar and Nangarhar;
Funds: UNDP, UNOCA, Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO)
Irrigation project: Jangly and Nurgal Canals at Kunar; Funds:
FAO
Growing Fruit Trees and Saplings, Kunar (Asadabad and Nuristan),
Nangarhar and Wardak; Funds: FAO
Wheat Seed Production, Wardak, Loggar, Paktia, Nangarhar and
Kunar; Funds: UNDP, UNOCA, FAO
Agriculture Training, Peshawar and Nangarhar; Funds: UNDP, UNOCA
Fruit Nursery Growing, Wardak; Funds: UNDP, UNOCA, FAO
Fruit Tree Growing, Kunar, Nangarhar, Loggar, Paktia and Wardak;
Funds: FAO
Social Forestry Project, Kunar; Funds: FAO
Community Mental Health Training for Afghan Primary Health Care;
Funds: World Health Organization (WHO)
Training Courses for Religious Leaders on Drug Abuse Prevention;
Funds: UNDCP
Anti-Drug Campaign Through Anti-Drug Outdoor Publicity Boards;
Funds: UNDCP
Three Emergency Drop-in Centres and Two Outreach Centres for
Vulnerable Children; Funds: UNICEF
Pesh Imam Training Course in Drug Abuse Awareness; Funds: United
Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control (UNFDAC)
Training of Health Workers for Treatment of Drug Addicts; Funds:
UNFDAC
Training Programme in Field of Psychiatry; Funds: WHO
Afghanistan, 1992, Six training courses for Afghan doctors in
mental health; Funds: WHO, UNDP
Bangladesh, 1993, Relief of Arkan Areas; Funds: UNHCR
Bangladesh, 1993, Health Training Program for Refugees; Funds:
UNHCR
Projects in the Sudan, 1990-1993
Production Workshop for the Disabled, Khartoum; Funds: ILO,
Government of Sudan
Ongoing projects on health assistance to Ethiopia, Eritrea and
Tchadian refugees in FAO 5; Wad Elhileo and Asserni with UNHCR
Emergency Relief for Khour Yabousa and Elkurmuk; Funds: WFP
Family income-generating projects, Juba Equatoria; Funds: UNDP
Operation Life Sudan; Southern sector activities outgoing from
Khartoum; Assessment Missions 1993, Bor, Pibor, Torit, Kapiota,
Yirol, Gogrial, Poshall with WFP, UNICEF, UNDP; Emergency food
distribution in Southern Baria, Juba with WFP
Somalia projects, 1992, health centres and schools construction;
Funds: UNICEF, IARA, Emergency relief, Mogadishu area; Funds:
WFP, UNICEF (ongoing)
Croatia project, 1993, Food relief, Istrarka; Funds: UNHCR
7. SOCIETY OF COMPARATIVE LEGISLATION
(Category II)
During the last four years, the Society has endeavoured as in the
past to send reports, answer questionnaires and focus its work, both
at meetings and in publications, on questions of particular interest
to the United Nations.
Society publications
Since 1979, we have been issuing an annual publication, Journe'es
de la Socie'te' de le'gislation compare'e, including all the reports
given at congresses held the previous year, and in 1994 we published
volume 15 of the series.
Also, in the Revue internationale de droit compare', which we
publish, we feature articles on subjects under consideration at the
United Nations.
Since 1989, we have published several monographs, including a
recent one in collaboration with the International Association of
Legal Science (which is related to the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)): La responsabilite'
des prestataires de services (The responsibility of service
providers).
Relations with the United Nations
The Society has a representative at the United Nations in New York.
Response to questionnaires and surveys at different times
We have not been able to satisfy United Nations requests as fully
as we would have liked, for several reasons:
(a) We have received only very few United Nations communications
inviting us to take part in meetings;
(b) When we did receive them, there was often not enough time for
us to designate a representative;
(c) Our modest means do not permit us to pay for travel;
(d) We have not received any requests for completion of surveys
or questionnaires in our field.
All the United Nations documents we receive are entered, filed and
made available to our members and to the many readers in our extensive
library.
We are also prepared to publish summary records of United Nations
meetings if we receive copies.
8. UNION OF IBERO-AMERICAN CAPITAL CITIES
(Category II)
The Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI) is a municipally
based non-profit international non-governmental organization, the main
aim of which is to try to develop a moral climate that can serve as a
model of peaceful coexistence and development in solidarity, and to
foster the kind of awareness that makes for better understanding and
cooperation among Ibero-American peoples.
The objectives of the Union are:
(a) To promote citizens' participation in the empowerment and
development of their cities;
(b) To favour exchanges of experience and conduct studies on
common municipal problems;
(c) To encourage relations between Ibero-American capital cities,
and their integration.
1990 Programme of activities
Date Programme Location
March Spain-Panama meeting Panama City
March Seminar on municipal archives Madrid
March Second Tourism Committee meeting Lisbon
May Spain-Paraguay meeting Asuncio'n
June Third municipal cooperation programme Madrid
June Eleventh Executive Committee meeting Madrid
August First Statistical Committee meeting Panama City
August First Cultural Committee meeting Mexico City
October First PYME Committee meeting Buenos Aires
November First municipal police meeting Madrid
November First photography awards Madrid
1991 Programme of activities
Date Activity Location
January Third Tourism Committee meeting Madrid
March First meeting of Southern Cone mayors Buenos Aires
March Second Cultural Committee meeting Bogota'
March Twelfth Executive Committee meeting Buenos Aires
May Fourth municipal cooperation programme Madrid
July Seminar on urban development Mexico City
August Second Statistical Committee meeting San Juan
August Second meeting of Southern Cone mayors Montevideo
September Thirteenth Executive Committee meeting Caracas
October Second PYME Committee meeting Buenos Aires
October CIDI [information services] presentation Madrid
October Extraordinary Cultural Committee meeting Santiago
November Second local police meeting San Jose',
C.R.
December Second photography awards Madrid
1992 Programme of activities
Date Programme Location
January Fourth Tourism Committee meeting Havana
March First Environmental Committee meeting Santiago
April Fourth Cultural Committee meeting Madrid
April Fourteenth Executive Committee meeting San Jose'
June Fifth municipal cooperation programme Madrid
October Fifteenth Executive Committee meeting Madrid
October Fifth Plenary Assembly Madrid
November Fifth Cultural Committee meeting Buenos Aires
1993 Programme of activities
Date Programme Location
March Sixteenth Executive Committee meeting Quito
March Fifth Tourism Committee meeting Mexico City
May Sixth Cultural Committee meeting Managua
June Sixth training programme Madrid
June Conference on 21st-century cities Rio de
Janeiro
June UCCLA (Unižo das Cidades Capitais di Lingua Guimaraes
Portuguesa) Assembly (Port.)
August Fourth Local Police Committee meeting Mexico City
October Sixteenth Executive Committee meeting Santiago
October Third Statistical Committee meeting Brasi'lia
November Second Meeting of Andean Zone mayors Quito
November OICI (Ibero-American Organization of Havana
Inter-municipal Cooperation) anniversary
November Sixth training programme (2nd phase) Madrid
9. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JUDGES
(Category II)
In 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993, the International Association of
Judges continued to publicize the activities to which it had devoted
its first 45 years of existence, with a view to attaining the
objectives set forth in its Statutes, principally to safeguard the
independence of judges and the constitutional and moral position of
the judicial power, as an essential condition of the judicial function
and a guarantee of the rights and freedom of all persons.
Each year, at the Association's annual conference, the three Study
Commissions examined and discussed law-related themes with a bearing
on matters of criminal and civil procedure and on the various
functions of judges.
The discussions, which were held at the invitation of the national
associations in Finland, Switzerland, Spain, Brazil, and, just
recently, Greece, were attended by dozens of judges from all parts of
the world.
Each delegation described its country's experience with regard to
the subjects considered.
All the national reports presented emphasized the essential
aspects that were of relevance to the countries concerned and proposed
practical solutions to what in some instances were intractable
problems.
The conclusions that were adopted following discussion were
published in various law journals in the countries of the member
associations.
By these means the Association carried on its tradition of
contributing effectively to bringing about a greater awareness of
solutions to a great many issues in a wide range of countries on four
different continents, and indicating practical means of enabling the
judicial function to play an incisive role in modern pluralistic
societies.
The Association also cooperated in reaffirming the need for
ceaseless vigilance in safeguarding fundamental human rights.
Violations of human rights are sometimes to be found even in
advanced legal systems and, as it is essential to correct this
situation, careful investigation and constant effort are required in
order to ensure the primacy of law.
In the course of the past three years, at least 30 judges from
Western European associations have gone to Eastern European countries,
at the invitation of the Council of Europe, for purposes of
cooperation, giving courses (consisting of lectures followed by
discussion) on the democratization of the judicial power.
These courses, in particular, have illustrated the standards set
forth in the United Nations Covenants of 1966 (the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) and the European Convention on
Human Rights.
The judiciaries visited belong to the following States: Bulgaria,
Albania, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Poland, Latvia,
Lithuania and Estonia.
The International Association of Judges has also cooperated with
the European Union in organizing seminars, especially with a view to
investigating problems arising in connection with the transparency of
the law and government action, and in connection with the codification
of Community law.
On three occasions a group of delegates from the Association was
heard by the Legislative Commission of the European Parliament on the
outlook for the unification of standards relating to the judicial
function.
Another noteworthy development was the establishment of three
working groups within the Association for the purpose of examining
legal problems specific to various regions of the world: the European
group, the African group and the Ibero-American group.
With regard to the latter group, it should be noted that the
International Association has paid particular attention to a number of
associations in Latin America which have long sought to resist the
dictatorial power of the State.
The associations of Chile, Peru and Venezuela have been admitted
to observer status, and financial assistance has been made available
to the families of Colombian judges murdered by drug-runners.
The Association has also considered Africa's legal and social
problems, and a fourth study group has recently been established to
examine matters of relevance to the African countries.
At present, the International Association of Judges has 37 member
associations from every part of the world, including Australia and
Japan.
10. WORLD ORGANIZATION OF THE SCOUT MOVEMENT
(WORLD SCOUT BUREAU)
(Category II)
Aims
Scouting is a non-formal educational movement aimed at young
people and based on the work of volunteers.
The movement is non-political and is open to all regardless of
race, origin or creed.
Its purpose is to contribute to the full development of young
people both as individuals and as responsible citizens.
The aim of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) is
to promote, throughout the world, the Scout movement and its
educational ideals of personal progress, community development and
world peace.
To that end, WOSM seeks to:
(a) Strengthen the development of Scouting as a non-formal
educational tool serving to promote respect for human dignity and
cultural identity and for the protection of nature and environmental
quality;
(b) Stimulate international cooperation among national Scout
organizations by encouraging communication and joint action between
young people and Scout leaders from different countries;
(c) Enhance international understanding and cultivate a spirit of
peace among as many young people as possible, primarily through the
programme of world and regional gatherings launched in 1920.
Geographical scope
WOSM has member associations in more than 136 countries and
territories.
Applications from 47 other countries for admission to WOSM are
currently pending.
Main activities
WOSM plays a general coordinating role, fosters active cooperation
on the part of its members, and seeks to promote Scouting throughout
the world while preserving its unity and respect for its basic
principles.
WOSM publishes an official newsletter, in French and English,
every two months. In addition, the regional offices publish regular
newsletters in the common languages of their respective regions
(French and Arabic, among others). WOSM also issues many educational
publications. Among the most recent of these are two reference
manuals: Scouting and Youth Involvement and Trends in the world
today. How they affect young people. Questions and challenges for
Scouting. Mention should also be made of an acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS) training manual, Action for Youth, and a leaflet on
leprosy, Scouts can help cure leprosy.
WOSM has three specialized committees to promote its world-wide
growth policy: the World Adult Resources Committee, the World
Programme Committee and the Research and Development Committee. Its
activities are highly decentralized: the regions organize many
seminars and leadership training courses, to say nothing of the
various young people's gatherings that foster international
friendship.
In this connection, every four years WOSM organizes the World
Jamboree, an event which brings together more than 20,000 young people
from some 100 countries in one camp. The next World Jamboree will be
held in the Netherlands in 1995, and the following one will be in
Chile in 1999.
WOSM also organizes the Jamboree-on-the-Air, which brings together
over half a million participants every year, the World Moot for young
adults (Sweden, 1996) and the Young Persons' Forum, the next one to be
held in Oslo in 1996.
Special events are also organized, such as the International Scout
Symposium on the theme of Scouting: "Youth without Borders",
Partnership and solidarity, which was held in 1994 in Marrakech, under
the gracious patronage of His Majesty King Hassan II of Morocco. This
event was attended by 450 representatives from some 100 national
associations and 12 international organizations.
WOSM also has a World Scout Foundation, presided over by His
Majesty King Carl XVI Gustof of Sweden, the aim of which is to raise
funds to strengthen the operational capacity of the movement at the
world level.
Relations with the United Nations system
WOSM has formal, active relations with the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the
Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the United
Nations Office at Vienna, the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization
(WHO), the International Bureau of Education (IBE), the Office of the
United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator (UNDRO), the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). It maintains these relations through
its permanent representatives in New York, Nairobi, Rome, Vienna,
Paris and Geneva.
Relations with other international non-governmental
organizations
WOSM is a member of the Working Group of the UNESCO Collective
Consultation with Youth NGOs accredited to UNESCO and is serving as
one of its co-chairmen for the period 1993-1995.
WOSM participates actively in most Youth NGO coordination meetings
at the world or regional level. It maintains bilateral consultative
relations, and, above all, effective cooperation with several
organizations including the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl
Scouts (WAGGGS), the International Planned Parenthood Federation
(IPPF), the International Catholic Child Bureau (ICCB), the Rainbow
Days Movement, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, the International Union of Pioneers, the Young
Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and the Young Women's Christian
Association (YWCA).
WOSM coordinated the International NGO Youth Consultation that was
held in Cairo between 31 August and 4 September 1994 on the occasion
of the International Conference on Population and Development.
WOSM is also participating actively in preparations for the World
Summit for Social Development and the Fourth World Conference on
Women, both of which are to be held in 1995.
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