NPO Research Center of Renmin University of China

In recent years, NGO accountability has received wide attention in the international community.

In mainland China, while the social organizations and NGOs are growing vigorously, their self-discipline and accountability issues have caught attentions too. In the past several years, some abuses have emerged in the process of public interest service provision by the foundations, public interest organizations and voluntary organizations. These involve illegal operations, financial abuses, and self-dealings that have led to the public’s doubts over the credibility of the NGOs, and have reduced people’s enthusiasm in participation in charity or public interest causes. Now that the lack of credibility has seriously limited the NGO development, it is about time to establish an NGO accountability system.

At the same time, there have been calls for NGO accountability in the society. Legislators, government agencies, researchers and practioners have all gradually realized the significance and urgency in this issue and put forward requirements of setting up NGO accountability system.

However, the level of attention to this comprehensive issue in China is still very low. There has been little understanding about the basics of the accountability system, let alone specific and effective solutions to the problems. Therefore, there is an urgent need for related organizations and people to adopt various effective measures to draw the attention from the entire society to NGO accountability issues, to learn from international practice, to generalize domestic experiences, to develop collaboration and to explore solutions.

The holding of the Conference is exactly a responsive action taken up by the Research Center of the Renmin University of China (NPORUC).

The title of the Conference is called “International Conference on NGO Accountability”.

The Conference will focus on the NGO accountability issue in mainland China. It is expected that through the Conference, (1) international academic and experience sharing will be enhanced; (2) attention to this issue from the government decision-makers, researchers, NGO practioners and media will be drawn upon; (3) successful experiences will be analyzed, problems uncovered, and solutions put forward; (4) related policies and laws improved so as to support the civil society development, promote the construction of a harmonious society, and enhance human welfare.

 

 

 

      Session Topics

 

Credibility is very important to the development of the NGOs. At present, what role of the credibility situation is playing in term of the organizational development in mainland Chinese NGOs? From the perspective of promoting NGO development, what kind of NGO accountability system should be established and how?

 

The session focuses on the impact and role of state behavior and law on NGO credibility construction. To set up a sound NGO accountability system, what should the government do? What kinds of legal and regulatory framework to be established? What kinds of adjustment need to be made to the current state behavior and legal framework?

 

Through sharing, best practices from domestic China will be disseminated, and successful experiences brought in from overseas. It’s expected that mutual learning and best practice sharing will help enhance accountability development among the mainland Chinese NGOs, and further promote the civil society development.

 

This session will review the history of NGO credibility issue, organizational culture and associational self discipline; analyze and evaluate current situation; discuss the impact of organizational culture and associational self discipline on accountability development; and to promote organizational credibility development, what kinds of organizational culture should NGOs develop? What kinds of associational self discipline should be executed and how?

 

This session will discuss what impact of the NGO accountability situation in mainland China is making on the construction of the harmonious society; what are the problems. And to build a harmonious society, what kind of NGO credibility system should be established and how? What efforts need to be made?

 

Based on international experience sharing, the session will analyze the characteristics of the state-society relationship in China and focus on ideas and practices that may suit NGO accountability system development in mainland China, and discuss their feasibilities and key points for operation.

Date	Hours	Schedule
April 26, 2008 Morning Conference	9：00-9：10	Official opening and key guest introduction
	9：10—9：30	Addresses
	9：30—10：30	Conference presentations
	10：30-10：45	Tea break
	10：45-11：30	NGO Accountability Chinese version book launch
	11：30-12：00	Delivery of Study Report on NGO Accountability Situation in China
	12：00	End of morning session
April 26, 2008 PM Sessions	14：00	Beginning
	14：00-15：30	Sessions 1, 2 and 3
	15：30-15：45	Tea break
	15：50-17：00	Sessions 1, 2 and 3
	17：00	End of the day
April 27, 2008 AM Sessions	9：00	Beginning
	9：00-10：30	Sessions 4, 5 and 6
	10：30-10：45	Tea break
	10：50-11：30	Sessions 4, 5 and 6
	11：30	End of morning session
April 27, 2008 PM Conference	14：00	Beginning
	14：00-14：30	Introduction of NGO Self Discipline Alliance
	14：30-15：30	Conference presentations
	15：30-15：45	Tea break
	15：45-17：00	Wrap-up and addresses
	17：00	End of the Conference