Participants

Participants

The Congress will gather approximately 100 participants from Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russian Federation, Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Baltic States, INGOs, representatives of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe, the Council of Europe Secretariat and mass media, international experts, Lithuanian politicians.

Their travel, visa, accommodation costs and meals will be covered, subject to certain conditions.

Some 30 additional participants who cover their own travel and subsistence costs may be invited.

All applicants are required to fill in the website application form by 24 April 2010.

NGO selection criteria:

-          National NGOs should mainly be from Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russian Federation, with a smaller number of representatives from the Baltic States, Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and a number of selected international NGOs,

-          Selected NGOs should be competent and have concrete experience in the areas covered by the 4th Regional NGO Congress,

-          A broad array of NGOs will be selected, such as human rights, civil society development, education, monitoring, youth NGOs, service providers, advocacy groups, think tanks, etc.

The following outcome is expected:

-          Improved outreach of the INGO Conference to civil society in eastern Europe;

-          Increased awareness of Council of Europe instruments which are of relevance for the work of NGOs;

-          Strengthened regional co-operation among NGOs;

-          Intensified co-operation of national NGOs with INGOs;

-          Input to the next session of the Forum for the Future of Democracy on “The Council of Europe consensus on the principle of democracy” (Yerevan, October 2010);

-          Support to civil society in Belarus.