2nd Informal Meeting of the Alliance for Vienna-based Representatives of International NGOs

Minutes

The informal meeting was opened by the Chair of the Alliance, Anna Alvazzi del Frate, by welcoming the participants and giving a short summary of recent activities.

14th Crime Congress in Kyoto

Many rumors are currently floating around concerning the status of the Congress. The recent rise in Covid-19 cases around the world, has led to several conferences, convention, etc. to be cancelled or postponed. The Commission on the Status of Women, which should have taken place in New York from March 9th to 20th, has been cancelled for this reason. For the moment, the Alliance will move forward with its preparations for the Crime Congress, this includes the work of the working group on the Civil Society statement. For the UNODC Civil Society Team, represented by Billy Batware, the preparations will continue, as long as there are no official communications by the Japanese Government on the status of the Congress. Mr. Roque Jorge, President of OFAP and Alliance member, advised the members to bring face masks to Japan, as it will most likely be a requirement for travelers.

Tour de table

The participants introduced themselves, their organizations, and presented their events at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Participants acknowledged the wide range of themes being dealt with the organizations. This type of meetings provides the chance to strengthen the cooperation among the members and with the Alliance.

Updates on the Alliance by the Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary

Inge Geyer, in her function as treasurer, introduced some budgetary considerations, the proposed budget for 2021 will be included in the invitation to the General Assembly. Tobias Krachler, the secretary, talked about the website, which is being updated continuously. New functions have been added since the launch, such as online registration forms for organizations and individuals. Members can ask to have their events promoted on the website. Business cards have been printed for the Chair, the Treasurer, and the Secretary. The invitations for the upcoming General Assembly will be sent out by April 22nd. The General Assembly will elect two additional Vice-Chairs, as well as four members of the Board. It will take place on Wednesday, May 20th at 15:30 at the VIC in Room M7, during the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

Date of next meeting

The next Informal Meeting of the Alliance, with a possibility to connect remotely will take place on April 2nd, 2020 at 15:30 at the VIC in Room E1175.

The meeting ended 13:30