Regulations have recently been enacted to establish the criteria to be used for the composition of the Civil Society Committee of the MCESD, the way members are nominated and also rules of procedure for the proper functioning of such Committee. The regulations were published by way of Legal Notice 206 (2012).

The Civil Society Committee is made up of 12 persons representing sectors of activity within civil society, each of which nominates one representative and one substitute:

(a) consumer affairs,

(b) health, elderly and pensioners,

(c) gender equality,

(d) professions,

(e) youth and students,

(f) sports,

(g) agriculture, rural and fisheries,

(h) environmental protection and improvement, including the protection of animals, culture, arts and national heritage,

(i) persons with disability,

(j) education, social and community advancement,

(k) local councils, and

(l) other voluntary organisations which are enrolled which are not represented and which do not participate in any of the above sectors of activity within civil society.

An organisation is eligible to nominate or elect representatives to the Committee if:

i. it is a voluntary organisation; and

ii. it has been enrolled with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations for more than one year i.e. it needs to have been enrolled before the 15 th June 2011; and

iii. it registers with the Council under these regulations.

Organisations interested in participating in the nomination and election of representatives should register their interest with the Chairperson of the MCESD.

The procedure for the nomination and election of representatives to the Committee is outlined in the Regulations. Organisations that are included in the register, will then be invited to nominate representatives for the sector of activity to which it belongs. If more than two persons are nominated, or there is no agreement on their respective roles, an election will be held and the representative shall be the person with the highest number of valid votes cast and the substitute shall be the person with the second highest number of valid votes cast within that sector. In the case of the sector representing organisations involved with persons with disability, if an election needs to be held, preference is given to candidates who have a disability.

The Regulations stipulate that the Chairperson of the Committee is to be elected by the members of the Committee from among themselves by simple majority. The first appointment of all members on the Civil Society Committee, including that of the Chairperson, will be made until the 31 December, 2013. After this date, appointments, including that of the Chairperson, shall be made for a period of two years.

A copy of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development Act may be obtained from the following link: www.justiceservices.gov.mt/DownloadDocument.aspx?app=lom&itemid=8897&l=1.

Further information may be obtained from MCESD Offices in Republic Street, Valletta or by calling 2200 3300.

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