About the IDO

1) The following people or bodies can become members:

# All individuals and organisations that try to find an alternative to the current system of public debt which submits the destinies of governments and populations to the creditors' demands
# All individuals and organisations that analyse debt-related issues and the policies developed by various creditors (whether private, bilateral or multilateral).

2) Member individuals and organisations commit themselves:

# to supply other members of the Observatory with any information they might have and with the analyses they have developed
# to carry out research, produce analyses and update debt-related issues.

3) The main channel of communication will be via the Internet.

4) Depending on the material means that its members can bring together, it will organise international and local conferences and seminars.

5) The Observatory will share its data base and its research with individuals and organisations that either study debt-related issues or endeavour to set up an alternative to the creditors' rule, and it will use these data and results in its campaigns.

6) The Observatory will not try to supercede organisers of campaigns on the debt for its function is to support them with information and analyses. The Observatory will be mindful of the differences among the various debt campaigns.

7) The Observatory's secretariat is taken on by CADTM Belgium. Its function is: # to develop a website

# encourage collaboration among members
# stimulate research and help to publicize results.

IDO Platform, World Social Forum, Porto Alegre, January 28th, 2005.