UIA Round Table in Brussels

There is no doubt – people want to meet other people. The feeling of energy and enthusiasm, the lively conversation in breaks followed by quiet attention to presentations and prompt response to participate in workshops at the UIA Associations Round Table in Brussels on 21 November all demonstrated the value of meeting in person. Online and hybrid meetings have become useful tools, but face to face events have a special quality. Renewing old friendships and forging new is part of their merit, another is the inspiration of listening to experts.

The Secretary-general of UIA Jacques de Mévius welcomed the participants and was succeeded by UIA President Cyril Ritchie with a thought-provoking Keynote. The relationship of associations and governments in the rapidly changing world of today is unpredictable, and the role of citizens joining together in associations is essential. Associations may wish to avoid politics but this is usually not possible, they find themselves in some relation to governments.

Mr Ritchie, as First Vice-President of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, led a workshop considering the interaction of associations with the UN, the ultimate international organization, in the present, and possible future changes.

Financial considerations have to be faced by all associations, regardless of their particular aims and purposes – which are of an extraordinary variety and range. The ‘funding landscape’ was reviewed by Joost Visser, TIAO (Trust is an Outcome), and Jan Lichota, Coordinator of The Association Place: they shed light on the changing situation for associations and how resilience can be developed to manage this. Highly practical advice was provided by Bori Csala, Conferli, in her sessions on the connection of associations and destinations in terms of subventions, to understand how support may be accorded. Value Added Tax was the specific topic for Philippe Noirhomme, Ryan Tax Consulting: another area in which the knowledge and advice of experts is invaluable to associations.

Association activities can be carried out by employees, but also by volunteers, subcontractors or self-employed workers, and the liability law in Belgium governing this has been radically changed, explained Marijke Roelants, Managing Partner of BoldLAW. Although the role of directors is clearer, the protection of an appointee or an auxiliary agent should be carefully studied as appropriate insurance cover may be required, the situation needs investigation.

Two different but related workshops based on academic research into the history of international organizations were presented by Jessica Reinisch and Ria Kapoor, University of London, and Daniel Laqua and Gordon Barrett, Northumbria University: the former focussed on Learning from the Past, and the latter on Conflict and Creativity. Both sessions on the two subjects were well attended by participants who responded with alacrity to requests for groups to discuss provocative questions linking their own experience to the historical context.

The core activity of compiling the database of the UIA and its vast collection of information on international organizations and their conferences was described by Ryan Brubaker Web and Database Developer for UIA, with practical examples, showing the ways in which the database can be used.

The UIA appreciates the support of its partners in the Round Table: platinum partners Lucerne Convention Bureau and Switzerland Convention Bureau, silver partners visit brussels and Stuttgart Convention Bureau and our technology partner Conference Compass. The conference facilities and fine catering of Marriott Grand Place provided an excellent setting for our event.

The Round Table closed with a cocktail reception sponsored by Lucerne Convention Bureau and Switzerland Convention Bureau as an introduction to the next UIA Round Table Europe to be held in November 2026 in Lucerne – we look forward to seeing you there.