The United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the main organs of the UN. It is responsible for coordinating the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, their functional commissions and five regional commissions. ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the UN system.
ECOSOC favors the participation of civil society in support of its work, and has instituted a Committee charged specifically with coordinating the participation of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in support of ECOSOC objectives. The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations recommends candidate NGOs for Consultative Status with ECOSOC. Obtaining the Consultative Status provides NGOs with access to not only ECOSOC, but also to its many subsidiary bodies, to the various human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, ad-hoc processes on small arms, as well as special events organized by the President of the General Assembly. See News and Events for samples.
The Committee on NGOs reviews new applications for consultative status twice a year, in January (‘regular session’) and in May (‘resumed session’). After an open discussion, in which participate Country representatives of all UN member states, the Committee recommends –or not– a given candidature to the ECOSOC. The latter then reviews these recommendations and makes a final determination in July every year.
The 2015 resumed session of the Committee on NGOs took place from 26 May to 3 June 2015 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. FRAmericas had submitted its Candidacy for Consultative Status earlier this year, and had been included in the list of the 212 new applications that were reviewed by the Committee in the 2015 May-to-June session.
After a short presentation and session of questions and answers, the Committee on NGOs decided by consensus to RECOMMEND the concession of Consultative Status with ECOSOC for FRAmericas. We, at FRAmericas, are enormously proud of this result and look forward to a confirmation by ECOSOC in July this year.
