International Conference on the role of NGOs
More than 300 actors of the international solidarity gathered
The first international conference organized by Handicap International took place in Lyon on 12th and 13th February 2008. These two days of exchanges and debates will be retranscribed in the acts of the conference, published at Editions Dalloz. The acts will be available in bookshops at the end of June. All needed information will be on line soon.
First assessments after two days of exchanges
Nathalie Herlemont–Zoritchak, the manager of Handicap International's Strategic Policy Unit outlines her initial assessment of the conference organised in February 2008.
In what ways was the conference a success?
More than 300 people from more than 35 countries gathered in Lyon to take part in the conference. It's rare to see representatives of NGOs, international institutions, unions, Southern partners and business leaders taking part in the same event. The participants themselves hailed from a variety of backgrounds, and included Jeremy Hobbs, the director of Oxfam International*, and Mamadou Cissokho, president of the West African Network of Farmers' and Producers' Organisations, a southern NGO, who attended alongside Nouzha Skalli, the Moroccan minister for social development, for example, and Bernard Doyle, from the HCR**, among others. This further enhanced the quality of the debate.
What issues were explored at the conference?
We managed to address the key issues in our own way, by which I mean without imposing limitations on ourselves, by considering the role played by NGOs in the new world governance in collaboration with each of the stakeholders affected by the issue. We showed that by calling ourselves Handicap International, it was possible to talk about the actions of NGOs as a whole, and highlighted the fact that disability is not an isolated question, but rather a major international solidarity issue.
What emerged from the debates?
We knew that we obviously couldn't come to any final conclusions on such a broad issue in just a couple of days. However, the conference did show that the role of NGOs is now well-established. We were keen to consider the role of NGOs not just in relation to the State and governments but also by taking into account all of the stakeholders that play a part in international solidarity: partners, companies, unions etc. We also explored the ways in which all of these stakeholders could work together.
We avoided the clichés and the mindset that glorify NGOs by saying that they can do everything.
What else stood out at the conference?
One discussion in Workshop 3 - “Playing a greater role in world governance: the current state of play” - comes to mind in particular. During these exchanges, we explored the dynamic changes taking place in the field of international solidarity, and adopted a more forward-looking approach to the possible emergence of new stakeholders in this area.
There's a sort of chessboard of international solidarity that exists at the moment, on which each organisation has its place. The NGOs take part in this, and they want to be part of the system in order to influence it, to take part in the debates, but also to reaffirm their desire to remain independent.
What was the central message put forward by southern NGOs?
Several representatives of southern NGOs explained that they expect us to reinforce the position held by NGOs in the system. You can clearly see the emergence of civil society in southern countries, and they are keen to gain the support of northern NGOs and to benefit from their expertise in the field of international negotiations, and their capacity to take part in forums etc. It's an interesting response to the allegations made over the last few years about the “all consuming” position occupied by northern NGOs. The discussions also showed that northern NGOs do not overshadow southern NGOs, but rather that together we can more effectively promote non-governmental action.
Will there be a “follow-up” to the conference?
It's still too early to say what form the next stage of this process will take. We're keen to think of ways of carrying on the debate generated by our partners.
*One of the most important international NGOs
**United Nations High Commission for Refugees
