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UPDATE #4 FLASH!! The UN World Conference Against Racism will be held in Informal Meeting Originally Scheduled for October The Informal
Meeting that was originally scheduled for 19-20 October, will most likely be held in mid-December (possibly the week of 11 December). We have been told that the main agenda items will probably be:
1. Discussion of the draft Declaration and the draft Programme of Action. 2. Preliminary discussion on sub-themes for the World Conference and possibly a discussion of the word
"compensatory" which is now bracketed in Theme 4. 3. Agenda for the Inter-Sessional Working Group meeting scheduled 15-19 January 2001.
NGO Input into Draft Programme of Action and Declaration These are the two documents that will be discussed, debated and revised during the preparatory process leading up to the
World Conference. As noted before, it is important to get wording on your issue in the document as soon as possible. Mr. Robert Husbands of the WCAR Secretariat has indicated that the Secretariat is still
accepting comments and suggestions from NGOs that may be taken into account/incorporated in the first draft. The very last date for submission is 31 October 2000. NGOs must have ECOSOC status to submit a statement.
NGO Shadow Reports on US Compliance with CERD The US government finally submitted its first report on their compliance to the International Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination (ICERD) on 21 September 2000; 5 years late. It is expected that the Committee that reviews government reports, the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, will consider the US report
at its meeting in January 2001, in New York. Shadow reports from NGOs should be received by the Committee's secretariat in Geneva by 15 December 2000. Send statements to Ms. Carmen Rueda, (
Americas Regional PrepCom and NGO Forum Dates 3-4 December 2000 NGO Forum Venue Diego Portales Convention Center Contact Person for NGO Forum Mr. Francisco Estevez Valencia Executive Director Website for NGO Forum www.confciudadana.cl At this time the information is just in Spanish, but they plan to have all information in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Registration for NGO Forum There will be a form to complete on the website, but it is free to attend the NGO Forum and you do not need to have ECOSOC status or have special accreditation for the World Conference.
Accreditation for Americas PrepCom
Your NGO must have ECOSOC status or be accredited to the World Conference to attend this meeting. It is too late to get accreditation through the High Commissioner for Human Rights office in Geneva. People interested in attending the Americas PrepCom must go under a NGO that already has accreditation or has consultative status with the UN.
Credentials to attend Americas PrepCom A letter must be sent to: Ms. Catherine Bremont The letter should include a list of the people that will be attend the Americas PrepCom, it should request that they be credentialed for that purpose and it
needs to be signed by the appropriate person in the organization. The letter should state that the organization has consultative status with ECOSOC or has been accredited, and it should be faxed to Ms. Bremont
at: 011 41 22 917-9011. Scholarships to attend PrepCom
There are a very limited number (3-5 for the U.S.) of travel scholarships available for NGOs wanting to send a representative to Chile. The information and application for the scholarships can be found in the other file attached to this message.
The deadline for submission is October 31st. Hotels
There is no information at this time concerning hotels closest to the venue in Santiago, but we have been assured that the information will be on the website, Format of the NGO Meeting
The NGO Meeting (3 & 4 December) will be organized and work will be done in three forms; Caucuses, Commissions and General Plenary. The six 1. People of African descent 2. Indigenous Peoples 3. Migrants & Refugees 4. Displaced Persons 5. Other Ethnic Groups 6. Those suffering from other forms of intolerance The eight Commissions 1. General racism and discrimination 2. Judicial and Criminal Justice System 3. Democracy, Globalization Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 4. Communication, Education and the Internet 5. Land Rights and land issues 6. Civil and Political Rights and basic Freedoms 7. Civil Society and International Cooperation 8. Children, Youth and Older adults will meet on the second day to also discuss and make recommendations to the NGO Declaration and the Plan of Action. General Plenary
sessions will be held throughout the two-day period. Plenaries include all participates. The NGO Declaration and Plan of Action will be adopted in General Plenary session.
Format of the Americas PrepCom
This information is based on a conversation with Mr. Alejandro Salinas, Human Rights Director for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chile. He indicated that there will be two simultaneous processes during the Americas PrepCom. One process involves
That concludes this IPU Update. We hope that it is helpful as you plan your participation in the 2001 UN World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
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