Mandat International
Mandat International, also known as the International Cooperation Foundation, is an international non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland with consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the UNDPI, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development).
Aims
It is independent from any political or religious affiliation, and aims:
- To promote international dialogue and cooperation.
- To welcome, inform and facilitate the participation in international conferences.
- To support and provide budget accommodation to delegates from developing countries.
Activities
Increasingly, non-governmental representatives are invited by international organizations to attend conferences because of their expertise, grass-roots knowledge and the vital role they play in the elaboration and implementation of international policies. But this participation is often complicated and difficult for grass root organizations. It is the main reason why Mandat International was created in 1995. Its main activities include:
- The Welcome Centre for Non-Governmental Organizations and Delegations, which provides information and budget accommodation to non-governmental representatives and delegates attending international meetings in Geneva.
- The Welcome Centre for International Conferences Participants (Delegates' Centre), which provides information and a work infrastructure to all the delegates attending international meetings in Geneva.
- Several multilingual information websites: Legal search engines on Human rights and humanitarian law, Information and cooperation platform, Calendar of international conferences, Geneva international portal with over 1'000 useful links, information guides, etc.
- A documentation centre with over 10'000 reference documents from both NGOs and international organizations
- Educational programmes to explain the United Nations System and other international organizations to teenagers and students.
- Indigenous Peoples' Cultural Day, organized every year in the framework of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, in cooperation with the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, the UNESCO Swiss Commission and Traditions pour Demain.
- Volunteers and Internship programmes
As well as various projects to bringing the various stakeholders and sectors of the international arena closer together.