REC: The Bulletin 8/3: NGO Briefs

NGO Briefs

The NGO Working Group on the World Bank (NGOWG), created in 1984, is one of the oldest forums for advocacy-building among NGOs world-wide regarding multi-lateral banks. The World Bank-NGO Committee, created in 1982, is one of the oldest dialogue mechanisms between NGOs and the Bank regarding crucial development issues. Nearly 60 percent of each group's members come from developing and transitional countries.
The NGOWG is concerned with capacity-building for NGOs, the credit burden alleviation of heavily indebted countries, participation of local communities in Bank projects and monitoring of Bank activities. The Group insists on Bank project transparency and on an open dialogue with NGOs and aims to improve communications between north and south NGOs. During a meeting in October 1997, the NGOWG decided to restructure itself into regional assemblies. The fifth region, covering Europe and Central Asia (ECA), is under formation. The NGOWG is therefore now inviting all interested NGOs to join in this ECA Assembly. To find out more, contact: Igor Matutinovic at NGOWG@jsi.com, Tel: (385-1) 465-0080, Fax: (385-1) 455-0166.

A new funding programme for community-based organisations (CBOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has just started in Albania. The Global Environment Facility — Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP), coordinated from the UNDP office in Tirana, provides grants of up to USD 50,000 to CBOs and NGOs for community-level initiatives that address global environmental issues, namely biodiversity conservation, climate change, protection of international waters, ozone layer depletion and land degradation. Since its inception in 1992, the UNDP-launched GEF/SGP program has funded over 800 projects world-wide with operations now in 45 countries, including Poland and Kazakstan. Due to last year's riots in Albania, however, GEF/SGP activities were delayed until mid-1998. Jamarber Malltezi, the GEF/SGP National Coordinator in Albania, says that obstacles to the program include problems in funding projects in areas deemed unsafe as well as the massive western migration of Albanians. Nonetheless, Malltezi plans to have the first projects approved by December 1998. For more info: Jamarber Malltezi, Tel: (355-42) 33-122, Fax: (355-42) 32-075, or jamarber.malltezi@undp.tirana.al.