participation

On this page are details regarding eligibility for attendance and rules for participation at Shelter Meeting

• eligibility criteria
• the Chatham House Rule
• past participants

^ eligibility criteria

The Shelter Meeting is not normally open to participants or observers from the commercial sector, or their representatives, however the work or products of commercial companies may be discussed. The Meeting is not normally open to participants or observers from the armed forces or foreign offices of governments as, in accordance with the Red Cross Code of Conduct, both the Shelter Meeting and Shelter Centre endeavour not to act as instruments of government foreign policy.

Attendees at the meeting take one of two roles: full participant or silent observer.

Participant
Participant status at the Shelter Meeting is open to the following groups operational in support of the humanitarian shelter sector, subject to registration by the secretariat at Shelter Centre:

• government representatives
• humanitarian bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors
• United Nations bodies
• International Organisations
• Non-Governmental Organisations
• Community Based Organisations

Organisations wishing to participate but which have not previously attended must register as observers: they will automatically become participants with their second attendance.

Observer
Observer status is open to organisations and individuals not meeting the criteria for participation, such as academic, non-for-profit policy and research groups, and potential participant organisations. Observers may not contribute to proceedings and will not be included in any voting on proposals made, or in the review of any projects presented.

Organisations and individuals wishing to participate in or observe at the Shelter Meeting are expected to respect the Red Cross Code of Conduct.

Eligible organsations and individuals are invited to complete the registration form. Note that there are separate forms for participants and observers.

^ the Chatham House Rule

Shelter Meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule, which reads as follows:

"When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed".

The Chatham House Rule originated at Chatham House with the aim of providing anonymity to speakers and to encourage openness and the sharing of information. It is now used throughout the world as an aid to free discussion.

All material published by Shelter Centre should be referenced appropriately, including material on all websites, such as the presentations that were made during Shelter Meeting sessions.

Participants are requested to aknowledge and respect the Chatham House Rule.

^ past participants

The following organisations have participated in, or observed at, previous Shelter Meetings:

government representatives

Government of Maharashtra, India

humanitarian bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors

Department For International Development Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs Department Operations Team (DFID CHAD-OT)
European Commission Humanitarian aid Office (ECHO)
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
United States Agency for International Development/ Office of the United States Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID OFDA)
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation/Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SDC/HA)

United Nations bodies

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR)
United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC)
United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN/OCHA)

international organisations

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
American Red Cross
Netherlands Red Cross
Norwegian Red Cross

non-governmental organisations

Architects for Aid
Architectes Sans Frontieres (ASF)
CartONG
Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD)
CARE International
CARITAS Austria
Catholic Relief Services(CRS)
Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF)
Engineers Without Borders (EWB)
GOAL
Habitat for Humanity
Islamic Relief
Medecins Sans Frontieres, Belgium (MSF-B)
Medecins Sans Frontieres, Netherlands (MSF-H)
Medecins Sans Frontieres, Switzerland (MSF-CH)
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF-International)
Muslim Aid
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
Oxfam GB
Practical Action
ProVention Consortium
Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief (RedR)
Save The Children Fund (SCF)
Shelter for Life (SFL)
The Sphere Project
Swiss Solidarity
Urbanistes sans Frontieres
World Vision

observing organisations

AMURT International
Architecture & Developpement
Australian Red Cross
Benfield Hazard Research Centre, UCL
Caritas Switzerland
Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE)
European Commission
French Red Cross
Norwegian Red Cross
Overseas Development Institute (ODI)
RESET
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
Spanish Red Cross
World Shelters