The Global NGO Forum on Building Sustainable Societies: The Role of NGOs in Emergencies and Social Development was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during March 1994, jointly organized by the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), the Christian Relief and Development Association (CRDA) Ethiopia, and several African regional organizations.
25,000 people from 167 countries attended the NGO Global Forum held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (part of the Earth Summit and held parallel to the UN Commission on Environment and Development).