The importance of civil society's participation in decisions of national importance has long been of concern to the National Council of Women.
As members of the European Economic and Social Committee, our council has been studying ways to ensure that non-governmental organisations express their opinions and concerns on matters of national importance, such as pensions, health, the environment, youth, gender, the labour market, the public service, consumer rights etc., in a forum where their voice can be heard.
The current legislation on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development - Article 6 1(2) - makes provision for the appointment of a standing civil society sub-committee to be "consulted by the council on all those issues which the council may in its discretion refer to it".
In short, the council sets the agenda for the civil society committee. On the setting up of the MCESD, the Local Councils' Association, the National Youth Council, the Consumers' Association, the National Commission for Persons with Disability and the Commission for the Advancement of Women were nominated as ex officio permanent members of this committee.
Several times, the National Council of Women, as a non-governmental "umbrella" organisation, had submitted its request to represent women on the council, to ensure that the gender perspective is mainstreamed in all areas.
Six months after the Act came into force, the NCW was invited to sit on the civil society sub-committee, together with the Alliance of Pensioners' Organisations and the Malta Federation of Professional Associations.
On this committee, the representatives of civil society are seeking to strengthen existing coalitions and building new ones. They are informing, educating and empowering people and acting as catalysts for other organisations.
However, the present structure lacks interaction between the council and the civil society committee.
There is dire need for feedback to and from both bodies and this can best be done through face-to-face discussion.
The general feeling of "up-stairs and downstairs" or "second-class citizens" is an obstacle that is blocking communication. It is only on two occasions that the civil society committee was invited to attend the meeting of the council.
The representation of civil society in the MCESD is long overdue. This requires amendments to the current MCESD legislation. Increasing the number of members on the council should not be a problem. A well-managed meeting is the result of good chairmanship, not of numbers.
Civil society has an important role in the council in that it can act as a "wedge" among the present bodies.
Much will depend on the involvement of civil society to attain the quality of the reforms that our country needs to take and their acceptance by the public.
An MCESD made up of equal shares of representatives of the government, employers, em-ployees, NGOs and other interested groups will pave the way for social and civil dialogue in a more participatory democracy.
Mrs Attard is president, National Council of Women.