Resolutions
The following resolutions were drafted by Mr. Zia Rizvi (Director General,
Independent Bureau for Humanitarian Issues) at WANGO Annual Conference 2003
in Bangkok, Thailand, and were presented at the Closing Plenary Session,
where they were approved by the WANGO members in attendance. Dr. Thomas J.
Ward (Dean of the International College, University of Bridgeport), Taj Hamad
(WANGO Secretary General), and other participants also provided some editorial
assistance.
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Resolution
Toward an Ethical and Caring Global Community
We, the Representatives
of non-governmental organizations from countries belonging to all continents
and regions, assembled in Bangkok, Thailand from 25 to 28 September 2003,
in the context of the Annual Conference of the World Association of Non-Governmental
Organizations (WANGO), hereby adopt the following resolution on the theme
of the conference: "Toward an Ethical and Caring Global Community":
Being aware of the dramatic increase
in recent years of the number, importance and diversity of non-governmental
organizations,
Recognizing the vital role that
non-governmental organizations can play to promote, on the basis of the growing
scale and scope of their activities, the well-being of fellow human beings
as well as the welfare of communities and countries around the world,
Realizing the increasing importance
of non-governmental organizations, needed by governments as well as international
organizations, as implementing agencies,
Recalling the purposes of the United
Nations which, as stated in Article 1 of the Charter, include "taking effective
measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace and the suppression
of acts of aggression...", as well as achieving "international cooperation
in solving international problems of economic, social, cultural or humanitarian
character,"
Emphasizing that the relationship between the rich and the poor, the
powerful and the powerless, should be based on the twin concepts of human
fraternity and equality,
Bearing in mind the urgent need to make every effort
and take every step "Toward an Ethical and Caring Global Community," and
to act as advocates and agents for such a community,
1. Call upon all
governmental and non-governmental organizations to promote empathy, fairness
and justice at the global level as well as at local and national levels in
the context of their activities;
2. Urge
governmental and non-governmental organizations to link ethics to action
at all levels and to promote a "new international humanitarian order" capable
of meeting the new challenges facing humankind, as suggested by the UN General
Assembly in a series of resolutions;
3. Appeal
to all fellow human beings to treat humankind as one large family living
in the "global village" where each person's duties, responsibilities as well
as happiness should be linked to helping and caring for fellow human beings;
4. Request
the United Nations System as well as regional organizations to help governments
to develop national "social policies" and promote social protection of all
citizens while taking fully into account the role that non-governmental organizations
can play in this regard;
5. Further
request governments to provide the necessary human and financial resources
to the intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to act effectively
in the social field and to protect human rights;
6. Stress
the need for governments to adopt more liberal, transparent and supportive
legislation in favor of non-governmental organizations and to adapt and adjust
governmental practices accordingly;
7. Appeal
to all non-governmental organizations to follow an ethical code of conduct
and serve as role models in terms of morality, efficiency, transparency,
diligence and tenacity while fully respecting universally accepted norms
and principles;
8. Call
upon all governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations
to promote humanitarianism as an attitude for individuals and a framework
for policy-makers;
9. Decide
to build and consolidate through their mandates and activities, a nexus between
human rights and humanitarian issues leading to tangible results in the field
of human welfare "without distinction as to race, gender, language or religion";
10. Decide further
to make every effort to assist in local capacity building in order to enable
communities and countries to be self-sufficient and to preserve human dignity
and self-respect.
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Resolution
Symposium A: Trafficking in Women and Children in Asia
We, the Representatives
of non-governmental organizations from countries belonging to all continents
and regions, assembled in Bangkok, Thailand from 25 to 28 September 2003,
in the context of the Annual Conference of the World Association of Non-Governmental
Organizations (WANGO), hereby adopt the following resolution on the theme
of a special symposium organized during the Conference relating to "Trafficking
in Women and Children in Asia":
Taking note with deep concern of the increasing
number of women and children victims of illegal and immoral human trafficking,
Realizing that, in view of its magnitude and frequency,
trafficking in humans can now be considered the third largest source of organized
crime after drugs and arms,
Recognizing also that human trafficking constitutes
a serious violation of fundamental human rights as well as the rights of
women and children,
Being aware that the number of women and children
victims of illegal trafficking could rise from hundreds of thousands to millions
every year within the foreseeable future if adequate measures are not taken
in time to stem the tide of trafficking,
Recognizing that in recent years in South and Southeast
Asia, there has been not only an increase in the illegal trafficking of women
and children, but also a decrease in the average age of the victims,
Recognizing further that human trafficking is a
slavery-like process involving bonded labor, forced prostitution and domestic
servitude,
1. Decide
to analyze the overall situation with a view to eliminating the root causes
of this illegal and immoral activity at the national and regional levels;
2. Urge the
governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned to intensify their
efforts to put an end to human trafficking;
3. Request
governments of the producing and receiving countries in the trafficking process
to take urgent measures to adopt appropriate legislation and take administrative
as well as law enforcement measures designed to punish the criminals involved;
4. Invite
the governmental and non-governmental organizations in the producing and
receiving countries to establish systems to monitor and combat the illegal
and immoral process of human trafficking;
5. Call
upon all non-governmental organizations concerned to make every effort
through the media, public symposia and other available means to enhance public
awareness of these illegal activities and to influence the policy-making
process at national and regional levels;
6. Appeal
to governments and the international donor community to increase their support
to the efforts of the non-governmental organizations concerned;
7. Decide
to undertake regular review of the efforts being made at the national and
regional levels and to pursue tenaciously the efforts to eliminate the problem
while providing appropriate material and psychological assistance to the
victims.
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Resolution
Symposium
B: Towards an Inter-religious Council at the United Nations
We, the Representatives
of non-governmental organizations from countries belonging to all continents
and regions, assembled in Bangkok, Thailand from 25 to 28 September 2003,
in the context of the Annual Conference of the World Association of Non-Governmental
Organizations (WANGO), hereby adopt the following resolution on the theme
of a special symposium organized during the Conference relating to "Towards
an Inter-religious Council at the United Nations":
Recognizing that the United Nations is facing at
present one of the greatest crises since its inception, and is in dire need
of strengthening through collective support of the international community;
Recalling that in the Millennium Declaration of
18 September 2000, the Member States of the United Nations decided, inter
alia, that they "will spare no effort to make the United Nations a more
effective instrument," including the provision of "greater opportunities
to the private sector, non-governmental organizations and the civil society
to contribute to the realization of the Organization's goals and programmes,"
Being aware of the fact that the United Nations
System as a whole depends in large measure on non-governmental organizations
for the implementation of most of its projects and programmes,
Realizing that traditionally all issues of peace
and security are dealt with at the state level through diplomatic, political
or military means,
Realizing further that in recent years, developments
around the world have clearly shown that religious and ethnic considerations
must also be taken into account in addressing global peace and security issues,
Recognizing that all religions in all parts of
the world plead for peace and against violence,
1. Take
note of the efforts being made to strengthen the United Nations and to
provide it with the necessary means to meet the new challenges facing humankind;
2. Decide
to analyze all options for action on the part of the governmental and non-governmental
levels to strengthen the regional and international systems designed to promote
peace and security;
3. Decide
further to explore the possibilities for establishment of an Inter-religious
Council within the United Nations System in order to provide it with additional
means to resolve conflict, promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue
and international cooperation and thus to eliminate the root causes of tensions
and conflicts.
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Resolution
Symposium C: Microcredits
and NGOs
We, the Representatives
of non-governmental organizations from countries belonging to all continents
and regions, assembled in Bangkok, Thailand from 25 to 28 September 2003,
in the context of the Annual Conference of the World Association of Non-Governmental
Organizations (WANGO), hereby adopt the following resolution on the theme
of a special symposium organized during the Conference relating to "Microcredits
and NGOs":
Being aware that millions of impoverished people,
especially women, in all parts of the world have benefited from microcredit
schemes and that their number continues to increase,
Recognizing that microcredit
systems are effective means not only to reduce poverty, but also to promote
self-sufficiency,
Realizing that assistance through
microcredit systems is complementary to infrastructural and developmental
aid and that one approach does not necessarily exclude the other,
Noting with satisfaction that
non-governmental organizations have a vital role to play in the implementation
of microcredit projects due to their closeness to common people and their
community-based participatory approach to development,
Being convinced that in war-torn
societies and countries affected by armed conflicts, extensive support to
the deprived through microcredit projects can play a decisive role in the
peace-building process while preserving the dignity and self-respect of the
beneficiaries,
1. Appeal
to governments and the international donor community to increase their support
to microcredit projects and to non-governmental organizations involved in
their implementation;
2. Call upon all concerned
to take fully into account the religious and cultural traditions of the beneficiaries,
in the elaboration and implementation of microcredit projects;
3. Decide to spare no
efforts to further strengthen the role of non-governmental organizations
in helping the impoverished at the grassroots level, particularly in countries
affected by natural or man-made disasters;
4. Decide further to
keep this subject and the related efforts under constant review within the
non-governmental community with the aim of facilitating mutual help and
support.
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Resolution
Symposium
D: Humanitarian Efforts and NGOs
We, the Representatives
of non-governmental organizations from countries belonging to all continents
and regions, assembled in Bangkok, Thailand from 25 to 28 September 2003,
in the context of the Annual Conference of the World Association of Non-Governmental
Organizations (WANGO), hereby adopt the following resolution on the theme
of a special symposium organized during the Conference relating to "Humanitarian
Efforts and NGOs":
Being aware of the vital role of non-governmental
organizations in the humanitarian field including, in particular, the implementation
of projects on behalf of governments and intergovernmental organizations,
Realizing that the work of non-governmental organizations
involves direct experience of realities on the ground and first-hand experience
of humanitarian problems and challenges,
Realizing further that non-governmental organizations
play a central role in the provision of assistance during armed conflicts
and particularly in the post-conflict period of reconstruction and rehabilitation,
Recognizing that humanitarian efforts should be
geared to promoting self-sufficiency instead of creating dependency and that
humanitarian assistance must not have a negative impact on local economies,
Recognizing further that it is better to act before
a crisis than to react after it has taken its toll and that humanitarian
efforts should be made to address the root causes of crises and not just
concentrate on providing relief and emergency aid,
1. Call
upon governments and intergovernmental organizations to support and further
strengthen the role of non-governmental organizations in the humanitarian
field;
2. Decide
to promote self-sufficiency and undertake capacity-building at the local
level;
3. Call
upon local non-governmental organizations to play a more active role
in the advocacy as well as the mobilization of resources at the national
level;
4. Urge
international non-governmental organizations to make it an essential part
of their duty to establish and strengthen national non-governmental organizations
so that locally available human resources can be more fully utilized, thus
promoting self-sufficiency and cost effectiveness;
5. Request
all those involved in humanitarian efforts to develop empathy as well as
knowledge and understanding of local realities and, in the case of man-made
disasters, always bear in mind that "prevention is better than cure";
6. Develop
a detailed code of conduct and basic tenets of humanitarian action in emergency
situations in order to maximize the impact of humanitarian aid and to overcome
problems encountered in the field.
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