Social Watch is an
international network of citizens organizations struggling to
eradicate poverty and the causes of poverty, to ensure an equitable
distribution of wealth and the realization of human rights. Social
Watch is committed to social, economic and gender justice, stressing
the right of all people not to be poor.
Social Watch holds
governments, the UN system and international organizations
accountable for the fulfillment of national, regional and
international commitments to eradicate poverty. Social Watch
promotes people-centered sustainable development.
Social Watch aims to
achieve its objectives through a comprehensive strategy of advocacy,
awarenessbuilding, monitoring, organizational development and
networking. Social Watch aims at strengthening the capacity of
national coalitions to effectively monitor and influence policies
with an impact over women, people living in poverty and other
vulnerable groups.
The Social Watch
network is committed to a democratic and non-hierarchical form of
organization; its operation and decision-making processes are based
on egalitarian principles and a high degree of respect for the
autonomy of its members. To better serve the changing needs of the
national coalitions, flexibility is considered key to its
structure.
The network is promoted
and developed by several hundred groups and organizations in more
than 60 countries. In principle, they are organized in national
coalitions. They build the fundament of all activities of Social
Watch. In addition to the national coalitions, the network is
structured around three bodies: The Social Watch Assembly, the
Coordinating Committee and the International Secretariat.
1.
National Social Watch Coalitions
National coalitions
organize the way they want or can according to the conditions in
each country. The membership of Social Watch coalitions can be very
diverse, including research institutes or centres, NGOs, grassroots
organizations, trade unions, womens groups, rural organizations and
others. Each of the organizations and coalitions that constitute the
Social Watch network is shaped and informed by its national context,
each determining its own structure, direction and development.
In order to become a
member of the network, a coalition has to sign the following
Memorandum of Understanding
with the Social Watch network (represented by the Coordinating
Committee and the International Secretariat). It frames the
relationship between the coalition and the network and defines
responsibilities in order to protect the integrity and functioning
of the network as a whole:
Memorandum of Understanding
(Updated September 2009)
1.
Coalitions must be based in the country and be active in
social development issues in that country (not exclusively as
academics or consultants).
2.
The basic commitment of each coalition to the international
network is to monitor and report on the internationally agreed
commitments and obligations around social justice and gender
equality, according to its own priorities and drawing its own
conclusions. The international network, in turn, commits to increase
the visibility and outreach of these reports, by including them in
the annual Social Watch report, its website and through other
available tools.
3.
The national coalitions are expected to use their national
reports and the global reports in advocacy and lobbying activities
and other forms of public action at a national level. They are also
expected to inform about their Social Watch related activities to
the rest of the network, as an essential part of experience-sharing
and learning from each others success, challenges and even failures
or difficulties.
4.
They must be inclusive towards other organizations, work
actively to broaden awareness of Social Watch and encourage the
participation of other organizations in the Social Watch activities
and their incorporation to the coalition.
5.
They are responsible for raising funds for their activities.
National coalitions are not dependent on funds provided by, or
financially accountable to, the Secretariat or any other
international Social Watch entity.
6.
Each coalition determines its own organizational structure.
It appoints one member/participating organization as focal point in
order to facilitate the communication with the International
Secretariat and the other organs of the network.
7.
The participation in a Social Watch coalition and the
exercise of governmental functions are absolutely incompatible. Only
Non-profit organizations can be part of the Social Watch network.
8.
Cooperation with other national platforms will be encouraged
at sub-regional, regional and global levels.
9.
In cases of conflicts between members/participating
organizations of a coalition on issues related to Social Watch (e.g.
nomination of the focal point, contribution to the Social Watch
Report, nomination of delegates to the Social Watch Assembly) all
parties involved have to demonstrate their willingness to solve the
problems at national level. If, in exceptional cases, an agreement
cannot be reached, the Coordinating Committee can take the necessary
decisions.
10.
In order to demonstrate their affiliation to the network all
coalitions are encouraged to use the Social Watch logo for national
activities directly related to goals and objectives of Social Watch.
They are requested to inform the International Secretariat about
these activities. In other cases they have to seek permission from
the International Secretariat or the Coordinating Committee in
advance for other uses of the Social Watch name and logo.
2.
Social Watch General Assembly
The General Assembly is
the Social Watch networks highest governing body. Policy discussion
and medium- to long-term strategic planning happens in its realm,
which serves as a decision-making forum. In addition, it is also a
space for reinforcing the sense of belonging and strengthening the
networks identity and unity.
The Assembly takes
place every two to three years. Up to now General Assemblies took
place in Rome 2000, Beirut 2003, Sofia 2006 and Accra 2009. The 5th
General Assembly will be held in Philippines in 2011.
Each national coalition
can nominate two delegates to participate in the Assembly. The
participation of coalitions in the Assembly is guided by the
following principles:
1)
The national coalition should have sent in at least one
national report for one of the last four Social Watch Reports.
2)
New coalitions who are already participating actively in
Social Watch (writing national reports, responding to other
initiatives) should be invited, in order to deepen their knowledge
of the network and encourage further participation.
3)
Potential new coalitions who have not yet written national
reports may not be invited to the Assembly but could be invited
instead to the regional capacity-building workshops.
4)
Situations in which there are doubts about the legitimacy of
the national focal point or the ability of that organization to
minimally meet the commitments agreed to in the MoU, must be treated
on a case-by-case basis by the Coordinating Committee.
In addition to setting
medium- and long-term priorities and strategies and identifying
potential alliances in advocacy, the Assembly elects members of the
Coordinating Committee to whom coordination and political leadership
between the assemblies are delegated.
3.
Coordinating Committee
The Coordinating
Committee (CC) is the key political body for the daily work of the
network, with an organizational structure, which requires fluid
communications, facilitated principally through an email list, plus
biannual face-to-face meetings and regular telephone conferences to
discuss specific issues.
The CC is composed of
up to 16 members, two from each of six regions (Africa, Asia,
the Arab region, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean,
Europe), plus a maximum of three members co-opted by the CC, and the
Social Watch Coordinator as ex-officio member from the International
Secretariat.
The 12 regional members
of the CC are nominated by the regional groups at the General
Assembly and elected by all attendees of the Social Watch Assembly.
They are therefore accountable to the network as a whole and they
are not formal representatives of their regions, as there is no
existing mechanism that would legitimate such representation. The
membership of the CC shall be composed with sensitivity to gender
balance, i.e., as a principle, from each region one woman and
one man shall be elected; cooptation of members by the CC shall also
be gender sensitive.
To insure renewal of
the membership of the CC and to provide participation opportunities
to different members, it is strongly suggested that each of the
regional members of the CC should not be re-elected more than once,
thus serving two following terms of up to six years. The term of
the co-opted members ends with the General Assembly. Co-opted
members can be selected by the new CC again.
The members of the CC
appoint at the first meeting after the election two co-chairs
(one man and one woman from different regions).
The effectiveness of
the CC depends on the active participation of all members of the CC.
Therefore, in order to guarantee the functioning of the CC, members
have to fulfill several basic requirements:
Ø
Capacity to
participate in two CC meetings per year, several conference calls
and the regular communication through the email list;
Ø
Willingness and
ability to represent Social Watch in international fora;
Ø
Ability to
communicate in English.
In between Assemblies
the CC should provide political leadership and guidance and
oversee the implementation of the decisions of the General
Assembly.
The CC ensures the
political visibility and participation of the network in relevant
fora and processes.
Based on proposals from
the members, the CC decides the principal theme for the annual
Social Watch Report.
The CC oversees and
supports the work of the Secretariat in between General
Assemblies. These include:
Ø
Review and
approve projects, activity plans and budget/financial proposals and
reports prepared by the Secretariat.
Ø
Oversee the
preparations for and the conduct of the General Assembly, including
the Report to the Assembly.
Ø
Work with
Secretariat to stimulate the emergence of new national Social Watch
coalitions and strengthen existing ones.
The CC reports about its activities to the General Assembly.
The CC decides the time
and place of the General Assembly.
4.
International Secretariat
The Secretariat is the
main executive body of Social Watch. The first external evaluation
of the network (1995-2000) noted that, Of the various roles in
the Social Watch network, that of the Secretariat has changed the
most. Originally the Secretariats function was limited to the
responsibility for the production of the Report, but due to the
networks growth it has subsequently incorporated a series of new
functions, including research, capacity building, campaigning,
promotion of the network, advocacy and its representation in
international fora.
The Secretariat is directed by the Social Watch Coordinator,
who both oversees the management of the Secretariat and represents
the network to the outside world. The Secretariat reports to the
Assembly and to the Coordinating Committee |