Ministers' Deputies / Rapporteur Groups
GR-DEM
Rapporteur Group on Democracy
GR-DEM(2014)9 6 November 2014[1]
Annotated agenda
Meeting of 18 November 2014
1. The role and functioning of NGOs in the Council of Europe – follow-up to the Ministers’ Deputies’ thematic debate
1. It is recalled that, at their 1202nd meeting (10 June 2014), the Ministers’ Deputies held a thematic debate on “the role and functioning of NGOs in the Council of Europe”. Subsequently, the Deputies instructed the GR-DEM to “examine the general proposals concerning the strengthening of interaction with NGOs and to report back in due course” (see CM/Del/Dec(2014)1203/1.5).
2. To that end, the Secretariat has prepared a document setting out various proposals with a view to enhancing interaction between the Council of Europe and NGOs (see document GR-DEM(2014)10). At the end of the presentation of that document by the Secretariat, Mr Jean-Marie Heydt, President of the Council of Europe Conference of INGOs, will pass on his comments.
3. Furthermore, with the agreement of the Bureau of the Deputies, the Chair has invited representatives of various NGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe to participate in an exchange of views with the Group on their relations with the Council of Europe and on means of enhancing interaction. In the event that the NGOs concerned are able to accept this invitation, the members of the GR-DEM will be informed of this prior to the meeting.
4. At the end of the various presentations, the Group will be invited to hold a discussion on the action to take on the Deputies’ request.
2. Georgia : Report on the implementation of the assistance programme for local government elections in 2014
5. It is recalled that, at their 1197th meeting (16 April 2014), the Deputies approved an assistance programme for the local government elections of 15 June 2014 in Georgia (document DGII/Inf(2014)5). They instructed the Secretariat to implement that programme in close co-operation with the Georgian authorities and in coordination with the other relevant international organisations, and to report back in due course to the GR-DEM.
6. The Group is invited to examine the report on the implementation of this programme, which is set out in document DGII/Inf(2014)18. Following the oral presentation of that document by the Secretariat and any comments that the delegation of Georgia might wish to make, the Group will be invited to hold an exchange of views and to take note of the report.
3. World Forum for Democracy – Outcome
7. The Secretariat will orally present the main results of the Forum, which was held in Strasbourg from 3 to 5 November 2014. The delegations will then have an opportunity to express their views.
4. Any other business
8. None.
5. Date of the next meeting
9. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 9 December 2014, at 10 a.m.
[1] This document has been classified restricted at the date of issue; it will be declassified in accordance with Resolution Res(2001)6 on access to Council of Europe documents.