Resources by Issue: NGOs in the UN System
The participation of NGOs in the UN system in very diverse and every agency, UN principal or subsidiary organ has - or has not - its way of interacting with NGOs. However, article 71 of the UN Charter gives the right to NGOs to be consulted by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) which, in turn, has laid down the modalities of this consultation in several ECOSOC resolutions, the latest of which is resolution 1996/31, still in force. According to this resolution, the "consultative status" can be granted to national, sub-regional, regional and international NGOs by the Committee on NGOs, an ECOSOC standing committe made up of 19 Member States. Currently, there are around 2800 NGOs "in status" and among those more and more are from developing countries. CONGO is an umbrella association of NGOs in consultative status and its aim is to facilitate the participation of civil society in the activities of the UN, notably on the basis of art. 71 of the Charter and ECOSOC resolution 1996/31.
CONGO has been actively contributing and providing inputs into the on-going reform process within the United Nations. The organisation, while celebrating its 60th anniversary in September 2005, hold a high-level plenary meeting with Heads of States and Governments at the beginning of the General Assembly's 60th session on 14-16 September 2005.[more]
CONGO's primary function is to facilitate the participation of NGOs in the UN System. Making sure that NGOs have adequate access to UN meetings, conferences, special events, and documentation is a vital part of our work.[more]
- Documents and response by civil society
In his report to the 57th General Assembly (A/57/387), the Secretary-General highlighted the engagement of civil society as an aspect of the UN Reform.[more]
- Report on UN-NGO relationships and comments by CONGO (1998)
This document has been posted online by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).[more]
Sorry, no summary is available.[more]
- Background information on WSIS and its follow up and implementation process
The statement from civil society on the World Summit on the Information Society entitled "Much More Could Have Been Achieved" is now available in English (Word and html versions) and French (Word and html versions.)[more]
- CONGO follow-up to HR multilateral bodies
CONGO activities in the human rights field is focused on the transition fromthe Commission to the Human Rights Council and on the institution building of the Human Rights Council. CONGO contributes to information exchange on the on going developments and assist NGOs in the participation to the Council.[more]
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) form a plan agreed to by all the world's countries and leading development institutions, aimed at mobilizing unprecedented efforts to meet the need of the world's poorest by 2015.[more]
- Building UN NGO partnership for Democratic Governance through MDGs
Sorry, no summary is available.[more]
- Human Rights Council to replace the 53-nation Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Commission
The UN General Assembly approved by 170 votes against four (USA, Israel, Palau and the Marshall Islands) with three abstentions (Iran, Venezuela, Belarus) the Draft Resolution A/RES/60/251 creating a new body, the Human Rights Council, to replace the discredited Commission on Human Rights. Find more information provided by CONGO.[more]
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World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
Human Rights
MDGs / Millennium + 5
Asian Civil Society Forum 2004, Bangkok