Mandate and Work of the eGA Agenda Working Group

From SI Exco News

8th December 2005

Dear National Secretary and Area Coordinator

Mandate and Work of the eGA Agenda Working Group

1. The eGA Agenda Working Group will be responsible for preparing a draft agenda for approval by the President and EXCO and voting at the eGA. It will deal with both the Formal eGA sessions and for the Associated Working Groups sessions. Its work will thereby facilitate that all those agenda items get a fair hearing, so that the proposals submitted are clear and make logical and effective use of eGA time.

2. Tasks for the eGA Agenda Working Group include:

a. Sort the Agenda items already received for the eGA by October 2nd 2005 into four main groupings:

• Items that relate to the SI Statutes and/or the structure/operation of SI.

• Policy and Administrative items.

• Other types of decisions.

• Requests/proposals for discussion and/or education and training (these will be referred to a separate Education and Training working group, to be announced shortly).

b. Arrange the items into an agenda consisting of Formal eGA sessions, Associated Working Group sessions and Discussion Forums. A working draft copy of the proposed groupings of all the agenda items will be sent to submitting groups (and other National Secretaries on request) in advance to seek their support, and assistance in finalizing. The resulting Agenda will be approved by the President and EXCO and circulated by Jan 2nd 2006, and will be voted on at the eGA.)

c. The Working Group will assess submitted agenda items so as to identify:

• The "readiness" of items for effective discussion by delegates

• Ways of improving the wording of any proposals to provide clear decisions

• How each item might best be handled during the eGA

• Similar or related agenda items so they can be considered together

• Statute items needing legal review to ensure that they will meet legal requirements if they are adopted

• The need for additional background information and explanation.

3. The eGA Agenda Working Group will: proceed in the following ways:

a. Work in an open and transparent manner

b. Consult with submitting groups to reword agenda items where appropriate and to seek agreement on how the agenda item should be handled at the eGA

c. Consult with the President and EXCO to identify agenda items routinely required by SI Statutes, and to draft appropriate resolutions to be voted on by the eGA

d. Prepare a draft agenda, for the formal eGA sessions and Associated Working Group sessions, within the proposed Conference Programme timetable and in consultation with and approval by the President and EXCO, for distribution to National Groups.

In peace and friendship

Geoff Maltby

President - Servas International