Bridging the Gap
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3 February 2005, U Thant International HallInvolving Citizens' Movements and NGOs in the Democratic ProcessSocio-economic change and the growth in political awareness have seen the role that the non-profit sector plays in democratic societies increase over the past two decades. Citizens' movements and NGOs are seeking better representation in the political process and governments have begun to encourage more actively participation by citizenry in the decision-making process at the local, national and supranational levels. The UN's Global Compact brings together UN agencies, civil society, workers and private companies in the areas of human rights, labour and the environment. The EU works closely with NGOs across a range of issues, from policy dialogue and service delivery, to project and programme management. In Japan, the Kobe earthquake in 1995 and the reform of the NPO law in 1998 helped nurture organised citizen participation in government policy-making. However, Japanese NGOs still have to overcome significant obstacles to develop and attract support and are smaller and understaffed in comparison with their European counterparts. At the beginning of the 2005 EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges, this conference looks at how the EU and Japan can exchange views on how to optimise the role that civil society plays in supporting the democratic system of government. The fifth in a series of forums organised by the Delegation of the European Commission and the United Nations University, the conference will look at ways to define "organised civil society", to ensure that NGOs act responsibly and to create best practices that can be applied to NGOs the world over.
 Opening Remarks and Session 1: NGOs and Human Rights
Session 2: NGOs and Humanitarian Assistance and Development.
Session 3: NGOs and Environmentt
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