Over 40 organizations from around the world have recently joined the newly formed CIVICUS Affinity Group of NGO Associations, which was launched at the CIVICUS World Assembly in Botswana in March this year.

Among the members are the Botswana Council of NGOs (BOCONGO), the Concertation Nationale de la Societé Civile du Togo (CSNC-Togo), the Fundación de Iniciativas para el Desarrollo Social (FIDES) in Argentina, Independent Sector in the US, the NGO Federation of Nepal, the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organizations (SCOVO) and the Confederation Colombiana de ONG in Colombia.

The latest member to join is COCIDE (the Coalition for Citizen’s Development), a group of six Burundian NGOs which aims to strengthen NGO capacity in Burundi and to provide a space for them to function and advocate on behalf of the wider community.

By creating a global network of NGO associations, the Affinity Group seeks to strengthen the key role that these associations play in fostering a strong and vibrant civil society. It will also provide a strong national and regional presence for civil society, acting as a key interlocutor with government and business and helping to create a strong enabling environment for civil society organizations, for democracy, and for the rights of citizen action and participation.

Aside from managing relations with government and business, some of the specific objectives of the Affinity Group include the promotion of accountability and self-regulation; shaping and influencing non-profit law; and raising the profile of NGO associations.

The Affinity Group is managed by a steering committee of CIVICUS members and partners. This committee is made up of representatives of NGO associations from Colombia, Estonia, Ghana, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Scotland, Tanzania, and the United States.

For more information on the Affinity Group, please contact CIVICUS Membership and Campaigns Coordinator Ephrem Tadesse at ephrem@civicus.org

For more information about CIVICUS, contact Florence Kiff, Media and Publications Manager.

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
CIVICUS House, 24 Pim Corner Quinn Sts, Newtown, 2001 Johannesburg, South Africa
Tel+27 11 833 5959
Fax +27 11 833 7997
Email florence@civicus.org
Website http://www.civicus.org