Annex 2: List of those submitting information, consulted, or responding

A plan of action

As noted in Chapter 1 (paragraph 1.3) the Guidelines set out in the previous chapters should be seen not as a prescription but as a set of principles and goals to which those involved in or with NGOs can aspire. They represent a common foundation on which individual organisations and countries can build their own unique policies and practices. How can this be done?

Implicit or explicit in the Guidelines has been the principle of partnership. It is essential for any programme of implementation of the Guidelines to be guided by the same principle. The final Guideline concerns implementation.

Guideline 18: Implementation

18/1 Collaborative action:

Working in partnership, NGOs, government, funders and (where appropriate) externally-based operational agencies working in each country should work towards the implementation of the Guidelines by establishing a representative working party to consider and report on:

- how existing policies and practices concerning NGOs in the country compare to those proposed in the Guidelines;

- how the Guidelines would need to be developed in order to be relevant and appropriate in the country;

- what changes to existing policies and practices of all parties concerned would be needed, how such changes could be achieved, and over what time-scale.

18/2 Individual action:

Working in close association with the national working party and in line with its report, the government, individual NGOs, funders and externally-based operational agencies should adopt and implement the Guidelines relevant to them.

18/3 Action by the Commonwealth Foundation:

As well as publishing this document in full, the Commonwealth Foundation should:

- seek the endorsement and commitment of the 1995 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to the document and Guidelines it sets out;

- seek the endorsement and commitment of international agencies and non-Commonwealth governments to the document and the Guidelines it sets out;

- promote, support and make financial assistance available to enable NGOs and other relevant parties, including governments, to carry out the implementation proposals set out in 18/1 and 18/2 above and take such other actions as may assist in the implementation of the
Guidelines;

- prepare, publish and disseminate a booklet which distils the essence of the full document and Guidelines.

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