6TH INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCILS AND SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS IN PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS, 1-2 JULY 1999

More than thirty councils and institutions similar to South Africa's Nedlac have agreed to form an International Association of Economic and Social Councils and similar institutions. This decision was taken at the 6th International meeting of economic and social councils and similar institutions held in Port Louis, Mauritius, last week.

South Africa's delegation to the meeting comprised: Wendy Dobson, Nedlac Acting Executive Director and head of the delegation; Les Kettledas from government, Teboho Loate from community and Raymond Parsons from business.

The purpose of the association is to promote an ongoing dialogue between economic and social councils around the world. The process was started at the last meeting held in Caracas in 1997. Nedlac participated in this meeting and had a representative on the extended monitoring committee. This committee drafted the articles of association for the new association.

The meeting was attended by representatives from social and economic councils from, amongst others: France, Algeria, Russia, China,Netherlands, Portugal, Cameroon, Belgium, Hungary. There were also representatives from the social committees of the European Union and Mercosur.

South Africa has a seat on the board of the new association. The Netherlands occupies the presidency of the board for the next two years as the next meeting will be held in the Hague in 2001. The preliminary work programme of the new association has three items:

• Compiling the records of the meeting
• Compiling a comprehensive directory of all social and economic councils
• Developing an electronic network for the ongoing and easy sharing of information between councils.

"In an increasingly integrated world, it isimportant that a forum is established that seeks to bring together representatives of governments, business, labour and civil society, " said Wendy Dobson, acting Executive Director of Nedlac.