STATUS OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs) IN THE OAS

THE PERMANENT COUNCIL,

HAVING SEEN the Report by the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs (CAJP) on the status of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Organization of American States (CP/doc.2946/97);

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the existent Standards on Cooperative Relations and Standards for the Inter-American Specialized Conferences which accord status to NGOs in the OAS and govern relations between the Organization and NGOs;

RECOGNIZING:

That many NGOs make valuable contributions to the Organization;

That the above mentioned Standards provide NGOs a legal status in the OAS with appropriate flexibility; and

That the Miami Summit of the Americas, the Santa Cruz Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development and the Inter-American Programs acknowledge the important role of NGOs; and

CONSIDERING that the Working Group has fulfilled its mandate, but it is nevertheless useful to ensure consistency and the enhancement of relations between the OAS and NGOs,

RESOLVES:

1. To commend the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs (CAJP) and its Working Group to Study the Possibility of Granting Status to NGOs in the OAS, on having completed its mandate, and to express its special appreciation to the Chair of the said Working Group.

2. To instruct the General Secretariat to:

a) to prepare and submit to the Permanent Council, draft practical guidelines to ensure consistency and enhancement of relations between the OAS General Secretariat and NGOs, which include:

i. the definition of selection criteria with regard to NGO participation in programs, projects and activities;

ii. financing, and

iii. document dissemination;

b) present to the Permanent Council and Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI), a written report indicating the ways to improve relations between the OAS General Secretariat and NGOs and the role of the Department of Public Information in this process; and

c) prepare and periodically update a register of NGOs with which the OAS has relations and report to the Permanent Council and the CEPCIDI on its compliance with this mandate.

3. To transmit this resolution to the CEPCIDI and request information on NGO related matters to ensure appropriate coordination.

4. To transmit to the CEPCIDI the draft guidelines prepared under operative paragraph 2 above.