During the 23rd CONGO General Assembly in
Geneva, Switzerland, held from 5 to 7 December, FORUM-ASIA was elected as one
of its 20 new board members, who in their first meeting agreed to establish a
regional committee for Asia to facilitate Asian non-governmental organisations’
participation in UN activities. The assembly also elected Liberato Bautista, a
Filipino national from United Methodist Church/General Board of Church and Society,
as the President for CONGO for the coming three years.
(Geneva, 17 December 2007) The Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO) elected FORUM-ASIA as a new board member of the conference during its 23rd General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, held from 5 to 7 December.
In the assembly, participants from about 500 CONGO member organisations elected the president and members of the board. The new president is Liberato Bautista, a Filipino national, from the United Methodist Church/General Board of Church and Society. Elected members of the board, including FORUM-ASIA and 19 other civil society organisations, will oversee CONGO's work until 2010, when the assembly next convenes.
In their first meeting, the board agreed to establish a regional committee for Asia to facilitate Asian non-governmental organisations’ participation in UN activities.
CONGO is a membership-based association of non-governmental organisations. Founded in 1948, CONGO has worked to ensure NGOs’ presence in governments’ discussions at the United Nations and to facilitate NGOs’ discussions. NGOs with full CONGO membership status include national, regional and international organisations in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
