Respecting civil rights

Speaking in September 1999 at the Conference of the International Council of Social Welfare, Giampiero Alhadeff, President of the Platform of European Social NGOs, declared: "development, social, environmental and human rights NGOs must make alliances with trade unions and politicians to make sure that the EU has an enforceable Bill of Rights which brings together civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. NGOs must also unite to demand that the EU establish a legal framework for the civil dialogue between us and the institutions of the EU". He then recalled that "NGOs represent hundreds of thousands of group across the EU. The Council of the Union must recognise our role and make legal provision for our involvement in important debates like that on the Bill of Rights".