Programme

Draft Programme

The Fourth Regional NGO Congress

on

“The Role of NGOs in a Pluralist Democracy”

10-12 June 2010  – Vilnius, Lithuania

organised by

The Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe

In co-operation with

The Civil Defence Fund, Lithuania

With the support of

The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania

Lithuania’s Chairmanship of the Community of Democracies

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands

The Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs of the Council of Europe

10 June Venue: (tbc)
15.00

 Registration of participants
16.00 -19.00

 Side event:

The Promotion of human rights, democracy and rule of law in the areas affected by the August 2008 conflict: The role of NGOs
Moderators: Dieter von Blaerer, European Ombudsman Institute

Dessislava Roussanova, International Alert
16.00 – 16.30 Strasbourg Dialogue – follow-up to the round table meeting hosted by the Conference of INGOs on 16-17 February 2009 in Strasbourg
16.30 – 17.30 Needs and possibilities for action
17.30 – 18.30 Possibilities for joint initiatives and action by NGOs from the region
18.30 – 19.00 Conclusions

20.00

Dinner

11 June Venue: Parliament of Lithuania, Vilnius, Gedimino Ave. 53

09.00-09.30

Registration of participants
09.30 – 10.00 Opening of the Congress, words of welcome

Emanuelis Zingeris, Chairman of Committee on Foreign Affairs, Chairman of Seimas Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; President of the Parliamentary Forum of the Community of Democracies

Saulius Pečeliūnas, signatory of the 1990 ; Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania;

Jean-Marie Heydt, President of the Conference of INGOs;

Claudia Luciani, Director of Political Advice and Co-operation, Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs of the Council of Europe;

Stasys Kaušinis, Director of Civil Defence Fund
10.00 – 11.15 Plenary session 1:  Participation of NGOs in the decision-making process at local, national and international levels

Moderator: Danuta Przywara, President of Polish Helsinki Fund for Human Rights

Speakers: Ariane Rodert, Board Member of European Council for Non-Profit Organisations

Ihor Kohut, Director of the Agency for Legislative Initiatives

11.15-11.45

Coffee break

11.45-13.00

 Continuation of plenary session 1

Moderator: Danuta Przywara, President of Polish Helsinki Fund for Human Rights

Speakers: Aleh Hulak, President of Republican Human Rights Organisation ‘Belarusian Helsinki Committee’

13.00-14.00

 Lunch (Restaurant)

14.00-15.15

 Plenary session 2: The state of civil society: Relations between NGOs andf other actors of the state, media and economy

Moderator: Katarzyna Pisarska, Director of European Academy of Diplomacy

Speaker: Liudmila Alekseeva, President of the Moscow Helsinki Group

15.15-15.45

Coffee break
15.45-17.15 Continuation of plenary session 2

Moderator: Zbigniew Pisarski, Director of Casimir Pulaski Foundation

Speaker: Jean-Marie Heydt, President of the INGO Conference
17.15-18.00 Plenary session 3: Introduction to the workshops – topics, expected outcome

Stasys Kaušinis, Director of the Civil Defence Fund

19.00

Reception hosted by the Seimas and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania

12 June Venue: Parliament of Lithuania, Vilnius, Gedimino Ave. 53
09.30 – 11.00 Parallel workshops:

Workshop 1. Participation of NGOs in the decision-making process at the local level

Moderator: Wladimir Weisman, Coordinator of East-West Expert Group

Speakers: Mykhailo Nakhod, Chairman  of  the Centre for Political  Analysis and Electoral Consulting, Ukraine

Romualdas Povilaitis, Chairman of the Human Rights Protection Association of Lithuania


Workshop 2. Participation of NGOs in the decision making process at the national level (parliament and government)

Moderator: NN

Speakers: Petras Ancelis, Chairman of the Lithuanian Crime Victims Support Association;

Inta Šimanska, Civic Alliance Latvia;

Iryna Bekeshkina, Research Director of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation


Workshop 3. Participation of NGOs in the decision making process at international level (Council of Europe, European Union, OSCE, United Nations)

Moderator: Siarhiej Mackievic, President of the Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs of Belarus

Speakers : Cyril Ritchie, President of the Expert Council on NGO Law of the Conference of INGOs

Yury Chavusau, Assembly of Democratic NGOs of Belarus

Merle Haruoja, President of the Estonian Institute for Human Rights

11.00-11.30

 Coffee break
11.30-13.00 Workshop 4. Protection of human rights activists

Moderator: Veysel Filiz, Vice-Chair of the Civil Society and Democracy Committee of the INGO Conference

Speakers: Valentin Gefter, Memorial, Russia

Heather McGill, Amnesty International

Barys Zvozskau, President of Republic Public Union ‘Legal Initiative’, Belarus

Workshop 5. NGO legislation

Moderator: NN

Speakers: Maxim Latsyba, Program Director of the Ukrainian Center for

Independent Political Research

Mykolas Krivcovas, Project Coordinator of Lithuanian Trade Union Solidarumas

Cyril Ritchie, President of the Expert Council on NGO Law of the Conference of INGOs


Workshop 6. Role of NGOs in democratic elections

Moderator: Ales Bialiatski, President of Human Rights Center Viasna, Belarus

Speaker: Miraslau Kobasa, President of Leu Sapieha Foundation, Belarus

Serhiy Tkachenko, Chairman of the Board of the Donetsk Regional Organisation „Committee of Voters of Ukraine“

13.00 – 14.00

 Lunch
14.00 – 15.30 Parallel workshops

Workshop 7. Regional NGO co-operation

Moderator: Alexander Sokolov, Chairman of the National Youth Council of Russia

Speaker: Danil Meshcheryakov, Director of Moscow Helsinki Group


Workshop 8. Relations between NGOs and the media

Moderator: Zhanna Litvina President of Belarusian  Association of Journalists

speakers: Natalia Lyhachova-Chornolutska, Chairman of the Board of the Non-government Organisation „Telekritika“

Henry Loeser, Community Media Forum Europe

Antonina Fonari, Executive Director of the Centre “The Young and the Free: Training Resourse Center”, Moldova


Workshop 9. Relations between NGOs and business

Moderator: Andrey Vardamatski, Director of Laboratory “Novak”, Belarus

Speakers: Vytautas Budnikas, President of Lithuanian Human Rights Association

Viktor Gorbachev, Chairman of the Board “For free development of entrepreneurship“, Belarus

15.30 – 16.00

Coffee break
16.00 – 17.00 Plenary session 4. Workshop presentations

17.00 – 18.00

 Plenary session 5. Conclusions

Jean-Marie Heydt, President of the Conference of INGOs

Childerik Schaapveld, Director of Democratic Institutions, Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs of the Council of Europe

Stasys Kaušinis, Director of the Civil Defence Fund

19.30

Dinner
End of the Congress