The international NGO Coalition for an OP to the ICESCR 

Membership

The International NGO Coalition for an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights brings together individuals and organisations from around the world who support the development of an OP to the ICESCR. Our members including international NGOs, regional networks, grassroots activists, community based organizations, and individuals, all of whom have a common goal to promote an OP-ICESCR.

Aims

The Coalition aims to achieve its purpose of promoting the adoption of an effective OP to the ICESCR by:

• developing and providing information and materials which will facilitate the advocacy of individuals and organisations working for the adoption of an OP to the ICESCR

• mobilising national, regional and international organisations and individuals to engage in public education and  advocacy for an OP to the ICESCR

• facilitating communication between interested parties

• engaging in public education and direct advocacy as appropriate

• consulting with relevant individuals and organizations about critical issues in the development of an effective OP

• developing strategies and seeking funding as appropriate to secure the development and adoption of an effective OP to the ICESCR

Activities

The Coalition will make statements which reflect the core elements elaborated above, and members of the Coalition will be associated with these statements.

Organisations unable to join the Coalition will be able to associate themselves with a limited number of statements.

Commitment

Members of the Coalition commit to:

• sharing information about  the OP to the ICESCR campaign on their activities

• sharing resources which support the principles of the Coalition

• sharing strategies for lobbying

Steering committee of the NGO Coalition

The Coalition is directed by a volunteer Steering Committee comprised of national, regional and international organisations.  The Steering Committee is an operational group of individuals and organisations which coordinates the work of the Coalition. The current Steering Committee comprises of representatives from the following organisations:

• Amnesty International (AI), UK 

• Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), Geneva

• ESCR-Net, USA

• FoodFirst Information and Action Network (FIAN), Germany

• International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Geneva

• International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH), France

• International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia-Pacific (IWRAW Asia-Pacific), Malaysia

• Inter-American Platform of Human Rights, Democracy and Development (PIDHDD), Colombia

Bruce Porter (Canada) and Magdalena Sepulveda (Chile) are also members of the Steering Committee in an individual capacity. 

Membership of the Steering Committee will be reviewed after the 2007 Working Group.