During a gathering of NGO leaders worldwide, Nikhil Seth concurred with their views, stating in a keynote speech that “Multilateralism—the very foundation of the United Nations and the international system—stands at a crossroads…We meet today to reaffirm a simple but powerful truth: Multilateralism cannot survive—let alone thrive—without civil society.”
Mr. Seth is a former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations who served as the Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) from October 2015 to January 2025. He also served as the Director of the Division for Sustainable Development at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) within the United Nations Secretariat in New York.
Seth viewed civil society as the conscience of the global system. “You have raised the alarm when human rights were violated. You have delivered services where states have failed. You have empowered youth, defended the planet, and kept the flame of justice burning…Civil society should not be consulted as an afterthought. You should be co-creators of policy. Co-owners of implementation. Co-authors of accountability.”
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As the 28th General Assembly of CoNGO approaches (October 27–29, 2025, New York and online), a new initiative is asking members to help shape the organization’s future impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
TruMerit, formerly CGFNS International and a proud CoNGO member, has developed an SDG Survey designed to…
10 December 1922 – 25 March 2025
President of CoNGO 1976-1982
Many members of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) will have learned with deep sadness of the passing of our most highly esteemed and admired former President, Edith Ballantyne, at the age of 102.
NEW YORK CITY | 7 March 2025 | CoNGO News – More than one hundred NGOs joined the Conference on Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) and Soroptimist International in issuing a statement ahead of International Women’s Day 2025.
May the new year bring peace and good health to you, yours, your communities, and the planet. The year 2023 that just passed was CoNGO’s 75th anniversary. It has been unlike any other year in our organizational life. We reached nearly 4,000 of you who participated in our four global commemorative celebrations in Vienna, Bangkok, New York, and Geneva, and the…
