Mr. Syed Ishtiaq Gilani, the Chief Executive Officer of an NGO “United Global Organization Of Development-UGOOD” was invited to attend Annual WANGO Conference at Washington D.C. on October 18-20, 2002 representing all the NGOs of Pakistan. This conference emphasized on the importance of Cultural responsibilities and NGOs role. Mr. Gilani was nominated as a General Secretary for WANGO-Pakistan Chapter during the WANGO Conference.

Leader of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from throughout the world, as well as select governmental, intergovernmental and corporate leaders, converged on Washington, D.C. from October 18-20, 2002 for WANGO Annual Conference 2002, the flagship event of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO). In all, 312 prominent leaders from 74 nations participated in this three-day gathering. Including WANGO staff, day guests, and speakers, a total of 353 individuals were involved in making this meeting of the Association one of the more memorable, unique and valuable programs since the organization’s founding.

WANGO’s Annual Conference is one of the world's leading meetings for NGOs dedicated to the ideals of service, world peace, and global well-being. The centerpiece of the Association’s activities, award presentations and professional development program, the forum offers a unique opportunity for WANGO to provide NGOs with the mechanism and support desired to assist them in addressing humanity’s problems. 

This year’s conference took place at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., two blocks from the White House, and was convened on the theme, Culture of Responsibility and the Role of NGOs. It provided a unique crossroads for representatives of civil society to meet, share innovative ideas and practices, and build strategic partnerships that can help NGOs better fulfill their missions. Its varied session formats included plenary sessions where leading authorities delivered presentations, panel sessions where NGO representatives introduced their organizations or discussed their activities or concerns, workshops where experts provided guidance on practical topics of importance to NGOs, and regional breakout sessions where NGOs could better network and explore regional concerns. This event was also the setting for the annual business meeting of the Association. Although WANGO has held other major programs, this was the first annual conference since the adoption of new bylaws on November 30, 2001, which established WANGO as a membership organization.

WANGO Annual Conference 2002 was particularly noteworthy in that it not only brought together major NGO leaders, but also involved them in interactive discussions with governmental representatives, designed to explore how the non-state and state actors could best cooperate to fulfill common objectives. Most of the attendees were executive officers of their NGO, with 194 serving in such a position (President, Secretary General, Director, Chairman of the Board, Founder, Deputy Director, etc.). However, the program also attracted 34 prominent governmental and intergovernmental representatives, including five Ambassadors. 

The program was also noteworthy for the diversity of NGOs represented. The 189 NGOs that sent representatives to the conference span the range from large NGOs, with millions of members, hundreds of staff, and multi-million dollar budgets to small NGOs with few staff. They are active in third world nations and industrialized nations, and represent all geographical regions: Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Oceania, Latin America, the Caribbean, Central America and North America. And the participating NGOs encompass the spectrum of human activity: humanitarian aid, conflict prevention and resolution, health care, the environment, economic and social development, indigenous people, religion, media, women, youth, and so forth. WANGO Annual Conference 2002 provided an unprecedented opportunity for networking across barriers of nationality, culture, speciality, and economic status.

Among the highlights of WANGO Annual Conference 2002 was the Awards Banquet, where recognition was accorded to NGOs that have shown remarkable leadership and sacrifice in their field of endeavor. In this way WANGO recognized the spirit of service among NGOs and acknowledged particularly effective groups.