ICH NGO FORUM CODE OF CONDUCT
General Principles
ICH NGO Forum shall:
•
engage with UNESCO and other international organizations, State
Parties to the
2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (the
Convention), the public, funders, donors, partners, beneficiaries, and other
interested parties that share common values and objectives in safeguarding
intangible cultural heritage (ICH);
•
represent, in a fair and unbiased way, accredited NGOs in its
interactions with
the Convention’s governing organs (General Assembly of the States Parties and
the Intergovernmental Committee) and the Secretariat;
•
work beyond borders of politics, religion, culture, race,
ethnicity, gender and
other power differentials;
•
be accountable for its actions and decisions to the
communities, groups and, if
applicable, individuals that it serves in safeguarding ICH, to its member NGOs,
partnering organizations and the public at large;
•
assure its member NGOs of confidentiality in bringing evidence
to members of
the Steering Committee of claims of misconduct by anyone associated with ICH
NGO Forum;
•
exercise prompt action whenever a breach of this Code of
Conduct is discovered
among its Steering Committee, member NGOs and partners.
•
All official texts shall be in English and French, and general
communications
preferably in both languages.
Integrity and Public Trust
•
ICH NGO shall be open and accessible to public scrutiny
regarding its
governance structure, listing of officers and partnerships, activities, projects,
policies it proposes or opposes, and the origin and use of its resources.
•
ICH NGO Forum is organized and operated as a not-for-profit
association of
NGOs accredited to the Convention. Any surplus generated through its
operations is to be utilized solely to help its mission and objectives. No part of
ICH NGO Forum's earnings is to inure to the benefit of its Steering Committee,
Working Groups, member NGOs or any private persons.
•
ICH NGO Forum shall not be controlled by, or determined by any
intergovernmental or governmental entity or policy. It shall act independently yet
collaboratively with all other ICH stakeholders, in accordance with the principles
and objectives of the Convention. It shall govern itself autonomously, according
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to its governance structure, and control its own activities, which shall be
consistent with its mission.
•
Each member NGO will have one vote in elections of Steering
Committee
members and any other governing body to be constituted. Representatives of
member NGOs who are at the same time members of delegations of State
Parties at the sessions of the Convention’s governing organs may not serve on
the Steering Committee.
•
Members of the Steering Committee and any other governing body
to be
constituted are to serve in a voluntary capacity, for no pay.
•
Members of ICH NGO Forum are expected to support and adhere to
the Ethical
Principles for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage.
•
Through its website, the ICH NGO Forum shall make available to
the member
NGOs and general public the annual report on its programmes, services and
partnerships, the annual financial report, and the annual plan of its activities, as
approved by its governing organs.
Financial Matters and Fundraising
•
Financial procedures shall be established for the receiving and
disbursement of funds, including a protection against a person having the power to issue
a check to himself or herself, such as requiring an additional signature.
•
Members who are not a member of the Steering Committee can be
reimbursed for participation in an event or another purpose only by decision of the
Steering Committee.
•
ICH NGO Forum shall only accept funding that is consistent
with its mission, does not compromise its principles, and does not restrict its ability
to address relevant issues freely, thoroughly and objectively. Programs shall never be
designed simply to meet the needs of a funding source.
Partnership and Collaboration
•
ICH NGO Forum shall collaborate with other entities only if the
relationship is
consistent with its mission.
•
ICH NGO Forum shall enter into a partnership agreement with a
governmental or
intergovernmental body only when it is beneficial to its objectives and does not
compromise its independence or self-control.
This Code of Conduct was adopted by the General Meeting
of the ICH NGO
Forum in Bogotá on 11 December 2019. It may be amended when necessary by a
two-thirds majority of designated representatives of accredited NGOs present at
the General Assembly of the ICH NGO Forum.