Section Six
NGO Activities and Strategies to Influence the Outcome of the Five-year Review Process

Preparing to Attend the Five-Year Review or its Preparatory Meetings

NGO Accreditation

To be able to participate in UN reviews or official preparatory meetings, NGOs need to be accredited. For the Beijing +5 process, accreditation will be limited to:

• NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC
• NGOs that were accredited to the official Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. 5

NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC can contact the Beijing +5 Secretariat and the NGO Section of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) for additional information and grounds passes (if necessary).

NGOs without ECOSOC status but accredited to the FWCW must contact the Beijing +5 Secretariat concerning the process of their accreditation to the Special Session. They must also identify their representative(s) to the Secretariat.

Once accredited and registered, these NGOs receive:

• a grounds pass to enter the buildings where the UN Special Session is being held
• access to documents
• access to the main conference rooms where governments meet
• the possibility to deliver oral and written statements
• the opportunity to discuss issues and positions with relevant delegates, other NGOs, and staff

Planning Your Participation

If you plan to participate in a regional meeting, a PrepCom, or the Special Session, here are some ideas to help you prepare your on-site strategy in advance. It is useful to consider the following:

• Define what you want to achieve at the meeting.
• Be aware that many aspects important to you may not be explicitly on the UN agenda.
• Be well-informed about the agenda and the issues of Beijing +5.
• Think strategically about who should attend and how many representatives your organization might send. Who in your organization has relevant experience and is interested in attending these types of meetings? Who will be best at lobbying, participating in caucuses and coalitions, and representing your organization's interests? Remember that many of the decisions will be made at the final PrepCom (March 2000) rather than at the Special session itself.
• Collect the meeting documentation that is available in advance. Use UN and NGO materials as a way of researching the international dimensions of the issues. Check key websites such as WomenWatch (particularly for UN documentation),WomenAction 2000, Women's Human Rights Net (whrNet), as well as regional sites such as Asian Women's Resource Exchange (AWORC). Most of the meeting documentation is available on these electronic communication networks. Have your name placed on the mailing list of the conference Secretariat as well as with other organizations that regularly provide conference information. (See list in Annex One.)
• Explore working with NGOs within your country to prepare alternative reports about implementation of the PFA.
• Contact other NGOs working nationally, regionally, and internationally about their priorities and preparations. Regional collaborative preparations by NGOs often help to generate political momentum, add impact to your statements, and avoid unnecessary duplication of work. Are other organizations from your area sending representatives with whom you can work? Can a number of organizations work together to raise funds for one person to attend and represent all? Are you participating in any national, regional or global networks that are also engaged in monitoring the review? Are these networks trying to establish common positions and lobbying points?
• Cooperate with NGOs that are working on the same issues but will not be able to travel to the Special Session or preparatory meetings. Being physically present at an inter-governmental meeting is not the only effective way to influence the process. Much of the national-level work (see Section Four) can be carried out very effectively through networking and information sharing.
• Prepare position papers. These are very useful conference tools. Keep them short--from 2-5 pages if possible. Each paper should clearly state your proposals for action to be taken by governments and the UN system.
• Send your position papers and reports to the relevant government departments and other NGOs, both in your region and elsewhere, and to the Conference Secretariat. NGOs are increasingly using electronic communication networks to disseminate their reports.
• Work with the media to help mobilize public support for your views and encourage governments to accept them. Media activities (press releases, contact with journalists, etc.) should be integrated into your preparation.
• When attending a Special Session, plan to stay at least 24 hours beyond the official end of the meeting as they frequently run late.
• Bring a portable office to the meeting. While limited on-site facilities and computer access are sometimes available to NGOs, it is likely that you will need additional capacity.
• Important: To ensure that you satisfy the accreditation procedures when you register, bring a copy of the letter sent by your organization to the conference Secretariat identifying you as their official representative, as well as a passport or some other photo identification to be used for the issuing of a UN grounds pass.

Working with Government Delegates

At all UN meetings--whether international or regional--influencing the outcomes depends upon the ability of NGOs to identify government delegates who are sympathetic to their views and willing to work collaboratively. It is also important to identify and interact with delegates who have views very different from your own. In working with delegates, it is important to keep the following in mind:

• Some delegates are highly qualified experts in their field or skilled negotiators from a country's diplomatic service, while others might be attending an international meeting for the first time. Some delegates are used to working closely with NGOs, while others have little or no experience of doing so.
• The beginning and end of daily sessions are good times to interact with delegates. Delegates can be identified by noting the country sign at their seat. Some social functions, receptions, lunches, coffee breaks, etc. can provide a good opportunity to talk to delegates informally.
• Delegates are often willing to use NGO proposals if these are presented in UN style. If delegates include your concerns or take up your suggested amendments in their positions, do not forget to express your appreciation.
• Government delegates can also be invited to speak at caucus meetings and other NGO events to elaborate their national, regional or negotiating group priorities and positions.

Working with Other NGOs

Working with other NGOs, especially with women's NGOs and caucuses, is one of the most important strategies for influencing an international or regional UN meeting. Even NGOs that disagree about certain approaches and priorities may find areas of common interest and be able to work together to include their concerns on the agenda. As an NGO representative at an international or regional meeting, you could consider the following:

• There is frequently an NGO meeting room. Find out where this is and visit frequently to obtain up-to-date information.
• Meet regularly with NGOs to exchange information. By working with others, you can cover multiple simultaneous meetings, help each other monitor government positions, and coordinate lobbying efforts.
• Find NGOs from your country and organize together to hold a meeting with your government delegation. You can also arrange briefings open to all NGOs to attend.
• Share official conference documents, which are frequently in short supply or less readily available to NGOs.
• Circulate useful NGO statements and materials widely to the conference Secretariat, Member State delegations, and other NGOs.
• Organize with NGOs from your region into regional caucuses or organize around specific issues or thematic areas. You can develop common strategies, prepare statements, and suggest amendments to government negotiating texts.
• At UN world conferences and preparatory meetings, NGOs often organize to produce a daily newspaper. This is usually an excellent source of information and opinions. You might contribute an article to it or have your position paper printed.

Working through a Caucus

At many UN meetings, NGOs form caucuses or groups of organizations and individuals interested in similar issues. Caucuses meet regularly (often daily) to exchange information, hold briefings, and formulate positions or statements relevant to the proceedings. A caucus can also meet with policy-makers who will be responsible for implementing the program of action produced by the Special Session. In addition, caucuses are often formed around a wide range of issues covered by a given meeting's agenda and on a regional basis.

Working with the Secretariat

The Secretariat plays an important role in the review process: it prepares the background documents for a review, drafts programs, and may be involved in implementing the results of the review. The Secretariat also handles accreditation, registration, and space for activities during the PrepCom and the Special Session. In addition, the Secretariat usually assigns at least one officer to work with NGOs. This person will answer enquiries from NGOs and keep them informed about recent developments.

Working with the Secretariat can include the following:

• Establishing contact with the Secretariat staff responsible for information dissemination and liaison with NGOs.
• Identifying Secretariat staff who are writing reports on substantive issues, and enquiring about how to submit useful and relevant information.

Making Statements

NGOs accredited to participate in the Special Session have some limited opportunities for making statements by requesting a place on the speakers' list, which is handled by the Secretariat. If you are going to make a statement:

• Keep it brief and to the point. Be polite, but make your points clearly. If the meeting has interpretation, speak slowly enough for the interpreters to keep up with you. If there is a time limit for statements, keep within it.
• Avoid general statements. Be relevant to the agenda item. Aim for concrete proposals for action.
• Have written copies of your statement available for delegates, interpreters, and the Secretariat.
• Think about the pros and cons of making a statement. You can often approach delegates individually.

NGOs often present joint statements at meetings or circulate joint position papers. These can have an influence on the negotiations and are a way for NGOs to express their solidarity.

When presenting any statement, joint or otherwise, do not say that you are speaking on behalf of all the NGOs at the meeting unless you are sure that every NGO at the meeting supports your statement.

Working with the Media

Journalists from nationally and internationally circulated newspapers, television, and radio, as well as representatives from the alternative media, attend major UN meetings. Media work (press releases, contacts with journalists) could be integrated into your organization's overall strategy for attending the review and mobilizing public support for your position.

How to Participate without Leaving Home

Ideas for NGOs working at the national level
A great deal of important work can be done without being physically present at a PrepCom or a UN meeting. In fact, it could be said that the work at the international level counts for little without corresponding and complementary work at the national and local levels. Here are some ideas on what can be done at the national level:

• Identify the government ministries and staff preparing your government's position. Suggest consultations as they prepare their reports, responses and recommendations.
• Find out who will be on your national delegation to the regional and international preparatory meetings and the Special Session. Establish contact with them. Set up meetings with government representatives before they attend PrepComs and reviews in order to have input into the policy-formulation process and national reports.
• Provide your own reports or position papers.
• Prepare information on the upcoming conference in order to mobilize awareness among your country's citizens. Try to convince the local and national press to cover stories about the meeting, its importance, and your government's participation.
• Encourage gender balance and participation of NGOs on the delegation.
• Inquire about and seek input into the government's responses to the questionnaires sent by the Secretariat to solicit governments' views. National responses are usually coordinated domestically by the foreign or relevant ministry.
• Link up with other organizations to achieve greater influence.
• Work with parliamentarians who can monitor government preparations and provide information on issues being debated. Where feasible, arrange for parliamentary discussions on your government's policies.
• Ask for copies of your government's UN statements. These are public documents and are available from foreign ministries and UN Missions. (See Annex One.)

The regional preparatory process
In order to most effectively influence the regional process, you should establish contact with the relevant Regional Economic Commission. You might also consider the following:

• Collaborate with groups at the national level before the regional preparatory meeting.
• Develop a regional NGO position or program for the conference.
• Work with other NGOs in your region to prepare regional alternative reports.
• Explore the possibilities of having representatives of women's organizations and other NGOs appointed to your national delegation.
• Organize or participate in caucuses and other relevant meetings.