[CS Bureau] Re: Provisional agenda for CSB

[Robert Guerra]

I have several ongoing issues with the bureau that some of which 
recommendations address, some of which they don't.

a big issue is that important items such as the ones you are raising 
tend to be not discussed openly, but among a small group when decisions 
are perhaps already made. What you mention could have been mentioned in 
cape town, could have been mentioned online on the bureau list. Why now 
just 3 days before the precom. I just like having time - to discuss, 
consult and come up with options.

to be frank -  I don't see just simply getting each  caucus to appoint 
one member will solve anything.  The CSB was created in the same way 
you mention - that is  getting caucuses to elect people to serve on the 
bureau. It took a lot of time and energy - consuming almost a week and 
a half of the precom2 of the first phase.  Do we need to repeat the 
same process? Isn't there a better way?

Commitment of bureau members to actually do anything has been and will 
continue to be an issue. People might think it's cool or politically 
important to be on the bureau  and will want to be elected - and then 
proceed to do nothing at all. Not even a 1/4 of the bureau really does 
anything  - having more people on the bureau will only make it less 
effective and less able to accomplish anything. frankly - i'd rather 
have no bureau at all than a large ceremonial one that doesn't do 
anything.

I will say this - one of the criticism of the bureau is that it keeps 
to itself, and is more a club than anything else. I don't think that's 
the case  - but it is how we are seen. If we want to clear up that 
misconception, then there needs to be a frank and open discussion as to 
what currently DOES work, what doesn't and how we could reform things . 
This must not be done among 2, 3 or 5 persons but much more openly in a 
way that gives people time to reflect and propose numerous options.

The whole idea to create the CSB was created by a small group of people 
who got together before Prepcom II (feb 03) and then sprang it on the 
Prepcom sucking time, energy away from other items that needed 
attention at the time. The discussions related to finance, governance 
and preparations for the Tunis summit are VERY important and i 
personally would be quite upset if instead CS spent it's time talking 
about bureau elections and bureau reform.

As my theme for the prepcom is - from words to action - i would propose 
that we spend time on developing concrete details, roles, 
responsibilities that should be done by the bureau and a timeline with 
specific commitments that need to be accomplished. If bureau members  
don't meet targets, and can't comply with and commit to CS values of 
openness, transparency, responsibility and human rights then they 
should be off the bureau.

that's how i feel

robert


--
Robert Guerra <rguerra at privaterra.org>
Managing Director, Privaterra <http://www.privaterra.org>


On 11-Feb-05, at 10:53 AM, Jeanette Hofmann wrote:

> Hi, I think this needs to be discussed in public. My guess is most 
> people would agree on the broad picture.
>
> je
>
> Renata Bloem wrote:
>
>> Dear all
>>  Please see attached for comments. After talking to Ramin and 
>> Jeanette and
>> some others earlier and after comparing what caucuses exist and 
>> function and
>> what families will remain on the Bureau, (very much overlapping 
>> except for
>> the human rights caucus) let me say in a nutshell:
>> *	it would make so much sense to have each caucus appoint one member
>> to sit on the Bureau. This would at least give somehow relevance and
>> legitimacy back to the Bureau, which as an institution in CS-UN 
>> relations we
>> all have a great interest to keep and up-value. CONGO, NGLS and ICV 
>> can
>> serve as secretariat, resource etc.
>>  *	Decisions on who speaks on what subject should be up to the
>> caucuses.  *	Ct should only facilitate and coordinate time management 
>> in any
>> given slot for CS.  *	Plenary in my opinion should be informed or 
>> reported to on all
>> decisions, so that those who participate can make informed decisions 
>> how
>> best and where to participate. Plenary should not given a vote on any 
>> caucus
>> decisions.  As CONGO we have been asked to form a WG on GFC (or 
>> whatever it will be
>> named after PrepCom) to have more systematic input into ongoing
>> deliberations. That for today    Best
>> Renata
>>  Renate Bloem
>> President of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO)
>> 11, Avenue de la Paix
>> CH-1202 Geneva
>> Tel: +41 22 301 1000
>> Fax: +41 22 301 2000
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>> and
>> decisions. Founded in 1948, CONGO's major objective is to ensure the
>> presence of NGOs in exchanges among the world's governments and United
>> Nations agencies on issues of global concern.  For more information 
>> see our
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>> We will soon be unable to receive mail at our old address at the 
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>>