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A. FROM THE DESK OF THE CIVICUS SECRETARY-GENERAL

For the first time since its formation CIVICUS was invited to participate in the World Economic Forum in Davos. I was there together with almost 70 civil society representatives from around the world. Included among these were several allies and partner organisations of CIVICUS, as well as CIVICUS members such as Transparency International, who was represented by its founding chairperson, Peter Eigen.

The Davos meeting coincided with the World Social Forum, which was held in Porto Allegre, Brazil at which CIVICUS was represented by Finn Heinrich, the Global Coordinator on the CIVICUS Index on Civil Society Project. This meeting, held for the first time, drew some 10 000 participants mainly from civil society organisations, but included government leaders and a few representatives from business. Here again were other members of CIVICUS. There were a few satellite link ups which allowed for people such as the administrator of UNDP, Mark Malloch Brown, and financier and philanthropist, George Soros, to debate development and economic issues with civil society activists at the Social Forum.

These debates were stormy and reflected the growing divide between many civil society activists and business leaders. Ironically perhaps, several speakers at Davos, mainly leaders from developing countries as well as global leaders such as the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, expressed similar concerns to those being raised at the World Social Forum. There is, and rightly so, deep concern about the growing inequities between the rich and poor in almost every country in the world and growing inequality between rich and poor nations. Many of the business leaders at Davos, conceded that this reality is making the planet unsustainable but unfortunately no viable solutions appear to be in sight. If anything, growth without equity, accompanied by such features as the persistence of jobless growth, threaten to lead to growing poverty, deeper social problems and growing instability.

In the sessions that I served as a panellist at Davos, business leaders raised concerns about the growing power of civil society organizations and raised questions about accountability. Several of us, including ILO Director General Juan Somavia, Oxfam Policy Director, Justin Forsyth, leaders from the World Wildlife Fund, GreenPeace, Save the Children and others, pointed out that there were several accountability measures that are already in place and most organisations are meeting the challenge for greater transparency and accountability. We did not suggest that we should not be trying harder, but as I tried to point out, unlike governments which are guaranteed a steady flow of revenue from taxpayers whether they are good, mediocre or outright incompetent (in between election periods), civil society organisations have a simple choice: Perform or Perish. Our resources come from voluntary contributions irrespective of the source and being good is rarely sufficient. Excellence is often called for and few organisations have a flow of revenue guaranteed beyond two years. We also noted that it is important to recognise the distinctions between questions of accountability, legitimacy and representativity.

Also, it is important to recognise that business and political leaders are concerned since a growing number of opinion polls now show that most citizens in the world are more likely to vest their trust and confidence in NGOs rather than government or business. By the time I arrived in Switzerland, I was not sure whether I was going to be allowed in. Since the day before hundreds had been turned back at train stations before they got near to Davos including an NGO representative who was invited to the Forum. The Swiss authorities had displayed what many believed to be an unnecessarily heavy hand in dealing with attempts at peaceful demonstration in Davos, earning the World Economic Forum the title of "Fortress Davos". In below freezing temperatures, protesters, including many from religious organizations, fell prey to water cannons.

The Secretary General of Amnesty International, Pierre Sane, led a delegation of NGO representatives, who met with the leadership of the World Economic Forum to raise our concerns that it was important that while some civil society leaders were invited to participate in the dialogue, it was equally important that the right to peaceful assembly be protected. This discussion culminated in a bruising press conference, where the Director General of the World Economic Forum, a Swiss National, proclaimed that his country did not need to be taught any lessons in democracy and that Switzerland was not a "banana republic". Pierre Sane responded by saying that he should visit the Amnesty website to familiarise himself with some of the human rights violations in Switzerland. Behind all of this exchange though, lies a bigger question. How can dialogue between business, governments and civil society proceed in such a manner that independence and autonomy is respected? It is important that there is a space for real, open, critical dialogue that does not degenerate into symbolism and unproductive conflict. The call for greater civil society involvement is, I believe, a valid one. If Davos was the World Business Forum, then the current arrangement would be acceptable.

The fact that Davos is a Forum to discuss the state of the world economy means that genuine attempts must be made to include the widest possible diversity of stakeholders. The increase in the number of civil society activists this year at Davos is to be welcomed. But more broader participation is needed. As much as the rights and safety of those who are inside must be protected, the rights of those who are outside, and who wish to exercise their right to peaceful assembly, must also be safe-guarded. Failure to create the space for this, I fear, will lead to growing frustration, which will drive those whose intentions are to register their concerns through peaceful protest, towards violence. Some argue that dialogue between government, civil society and business is irrelevant and a waste of time. I hope that all the efforts at dialogue to create a world of greater social, political and economic justice start to bear fruit, since the number of disillusioned grows steadily.

I also hope that the major impact made by the World Social Forum with only a fraction of the resources of the Davos organizers, will not only serve as a conscience but also as a space for creative and innovative thinking about how we meet the challenges facing humanity.

Ultimately though we should be looking forward to a combined World Social and Economic Forum which has representation from civil society, government and business. A Forum that recognizes that social and economic issues cannot be separated any longer. A Forum that creates the basis for dialogue; and courageous and thoughtful action, that begins to make a significant difference in the lives of ordinary people all over the world. From 19-23 August 2001 in Vancouver, Canada, the CIVICUS World Assembly will be applying itself precisely to these challenges guided by the theme: Putting People at the Centre: Voluntary Action Shaping Social and Economic Change. We hope that we are able to use this opportunity to drive for ward these debates with a healthy participants of people coming from business, government and civil society. I hope to see you there.
Warm regards, Kumi Naidoo Secretary General and CEO.

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