Citizens Advice International
Citizens Advice International is a non-governmental international body, representing interests of the NGOs providing services of information and advice.
CAI Mission is to:
- Promote throughout the world the provision, by independent non-governmental bodies, of free, impartial and confidential advice and information to the public about their rights;
- Represent the interests of its members with all supranational bodies, including the European union and other international institutions;
- Provide a mechanism for information exchange, cooperation and joint projects among citizens advice associations.
The CAI Board of Directors:
· Pili Rodriguez – Citizens Advice Bureau Gibraltar, President
· Kaliani Lyle – Citizens Advice Scotland, Vice-President
· Hynek Kalvoda – Association of Citizens Advice Centers Czech Republic, Treasurer.
Among the existing members of CAI, there are:
· Association of Citizens Advice Centers - Czech Republic
· Citizens Advice Scotland
· Citizens Advice - UK
· Citizens Advice Northern Ireland
· European Citizen Action Service - Belgium
· Gibraltar Citizens Advice Bureaux
· Legal-Information Centre for NGOs - Slovenia
· Lithuanian Citizens Advice Union - Lithuania
· New Zeeland Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux Inc
· Rights Protection - Nigeria
· The National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux - Romania
· The National Association of Citizens Information Centers - Ireland
· Union of Citizens Advice Bureaux - Poland
The creation of Citizens Advice International follows a wave of interest internationally in the establishment of citizens’ advice services. The model of citizens’ advice comes originally from the UK, where the first Bureaux were set up 65 years ago. The value of this type of community service has become recognized and today it is well established across UK. Similar services are springing up in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in other parts of the world.
Following a European Forum of Citizens Advice Services held in Brussels, the idea of creating a more permanent “umbrella body” was born. In 2002 individuals representing advice services in eight different countries formed a steering group to create an international umbrella body representing the interests of citizen advice organizations.
In March 2004 the steering committee met in London, where the statutes of the new association were signed. Citizens Advice International was created and functions with technical assistance from the European Citizens Action Service - ECAS - Brussels.
Registered Office:
82 Rue du Prince Royal, B-1050
Brussels, Belgium, Tel: 0032 2 512 01 13.
Mailing Address:
Citizens Advice Scotland, 1st Floor
Spectrum House, Powderhall Road,
Edinburgh EH7 4GB
Tel: 0131 550 1003
Fax: 0131 550 1001
E-mail: cai@citizensadvice-international.org
Web: www.citizensadvice-international.org
Contact person: Janet Davidson, CAI Secretary.