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NGO Branch - UN Department of Economic & Social Affairs

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UN ECOSOC NGO CONSULTATIVE STATUS - BASIC FACTS

 

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Basic facts about ECOSOC UN NGO status

  • 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.
  • Currently 3,536 NGOs enjoy consultative status with ECOSOC. See list, PDF.
  • ECOSOC accreditation is separate and distinct from NGOs who are associated the UN Department of Public Information (DPI). These organizations generally have far fewer privileges to participate in intergovernmental meetings of the United Nations. See list of DPI-associated NGOs as of September 2011 here. See website here.
  • You can sort and review all NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status in an online database. Access the database here.
  • There are three types of consultative status: General, Special and Roster. Most new accreditations are in the Special category.
  • General and special status NGOs are required to submit a 'quadrennial report' every four years. Learn more.
  • The Committee on NGOs reviews new applications for consultative status twice a year, in January ('regular session') and in May ('resumed session').
  • The Committee does not decide but recommends. These recommendations, contained in one report each of the January and May session, are reviewed by ECOSOC in July every year. See past reports here.
  • In most cases, ECOSOC decides to approve the recommendations. In very rare cases, it does not.
  • The deadline for applications is 31 May of the year before the Committee reviews the application.
  • Therefore the next deadline for new applications is 31 May 2012. The Committee will review those applications in 2013.
  • Annually some 400 organizations apply for consultative status. On average between 100 and 150 applications are recommended by the Committee in each of its two sessions per year.
  • Roughly one-third of all new recommendations are recommended by the Committee immediately. Two-thirds are deferred to the next session of the Committee. Most applications get approved within two or three sessions of the Committee.

Download our new brochure "Working with ECOSOC - an NGOs Guide to Consultative Status" here:
(Full PDF, 4.3 MB) | (Low-Res PDF, 0.9 MB)