A new correlation between the international NGOs and the Council of Europe

From consultative into participative status

The created "Quadrilogue"  - an expression of the democratic pluralism and a basic element for further development of civic Europe.  

PhD Mirko Spiroski - Chairman of the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation

Last year, more precisely on its 861st meeting that took place on 19 December 2003, the delegates, vice-Ministers from the Council of Europe adopted certain changes of the resolution "Participative status of the international NGOs in the Council of Europe" [Res (2003) 8]. The European Union Ministerial Committee adjusted the new changes and published the refined version of this resolution whose basic meaning is the change of the international NGOs consultative status in the Council of Europe into a participative status.

The resolution was brought on the basis of several elements of which most important are:

-The Council of Europe Mission (Bigger Europe without borders) cannot be accomplished without a constant sensitivity of the public opinion and the leading forces of the European society, which are constantly being created.;

-The existence of an active civil society and its non-governmental organizations that are vital parts of the European society are important and essential democratic element;

-The initiatives, ideas and suggestions rising from the civil society can be regarded a real opinion of the European citizens;

-The system of cooperation introduced with the consultative status  (of the international NGOs, introduced in 1952) enabled to develop and strengthen the cooperation between the Council of Europe and the volunteer sector to a great extent, giving positive and encouraging results for both sides;

-It is an unbeatable fact that the correlations between the Council of Europe and the NGOs have progressed from participation of the international NGOs in the organizational policy and the working programmes to encouraging the INGO's participation, approach to the consultative committees and the government expert committees, as well as approach to the consultative bodies of the Ministerial Committee. This participation will make possible for the INGO to pay more attention to the Council of Europe on the effects that result from the changes in the European society and the problems it comes across;

-The development and strengthening the cooperation between INGO and the Ministerial Committee (and its bodies), as well as the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities from Europe, led to the constitution of "Quadrilogue", which is an expression of the democratic pluralism in the Council of Europe and a basic element for the further development of the civic Europe;

-The need for rules for active and constructive NGO role, for clarifying, encouraging and intensifying the cooperation between the Council of Europe and INGO, especially emphasizing their participative character;

-The important role of the Representative Committee as a democratically elected representative body of all INGOs with participative status in the Council of Europe, with thematic groupings in the INGO as their collective voice, and from there to millions of European citizens, working in each of these fields and representing them;

-The importance of the cooperation between the Council of Europe and the national NGO, regulated with the resolution [Res (2003) 9 ) on the partnership status between the Council of Europe and the national NGO.

-The resolution defines: the conditions that the international NGO need to fulfil, the ways of cooperation with the Council of Europe, the procedures for giving participative status, abandoning the participative status and transitional decrees.

 

This Resolution is of great importance and it is necessary to be introduced to all participants in the quadrilogue.

 

In the next issue, the Civic World will publish the translation of the above-mentioned resolution.