ECOSOC Committee on NGOs recommends Wild Migration Consultative Status

26th May 2016

Wild Migration has been recommended for Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), during the 66th Day of Session (25th May 2016). Wild Migration extends our gratitude to each of ECOSOC Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations members for support of our application.

Wild Migration’s Consultative Status will be decided by ECOSOC in July.

The ECOSOC Committee on NGOs

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations is a standing committee of ECOSOC, established by the Council in 1946. It reports directly to ECOSOC, and the two reports of its annual regular session (usually at the end of January) and resumed session (in May) include draft resolutions or decisions on matters calling for action by the Council.

The Committee has 19 members who are elected on the basis of equitable geographical representation:

• 5 members from African States;
• 4 members from Asian States;
• 2 members from Eastern European States;
• 4 members from Latin American and Caribbean States; and
• 4 members from Western European and other States.

The term of office of its members is four years. For the period 2015-2018, members of the NGO Committee are the following: Azerbaijan, Burundi, China, Cuba, Greece, Guinea, India, Iran, Israel, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russian Federation, South Africa, Sudan, Turkey, United States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela (Bolivarian Rep.). Wild Migration extends our gratitude to each of these committee members for support of our application.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

ECOSOC is one of the 6 principal organs of the United Nations System established by the UN Charter in 1945. It consists of 54 Members of the United Nations elected by the General Assembly. ECOSOC coordinates economic, social, and related work of the fourteen United Nations specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions. It serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the United Nations system.

In carrying out its mandate, ECOSOC consults with academics, business sector representatives and more than 3,200 registered non-governmental organizations. The work of the Council is conducted through several sessions and preparatory meetings, round tables and panel discussions with members of civil society throughout the year, to deal with the organization of its work. Once a year, it meets for a four-week substantive session in July, alternating between New York and Geneva.

ECOSOC Consultative Status

Consultative status is an accreditation framework that benefits both the United Nations and the NGOs. As stated by resolution 1996/31: “... Consultative arrangements are to be made, on the one hand, for the purpose of enabling the Council or one of its bodies to secure expert information or advice from organizations having special competence in the subjects for which consultative arrangements are made, and, on the other hand, to enable international, regional, sub-regional and national organizations that represent important elements of public opinion to express their views”. - ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, part II, paragraph 20

Special Consultative status is for NGOs that have a special competence in, and are concerned specifically with, specific fields of activity covered by ECOSOC.

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.

In addition to contributing to the work of ECOSOC directly, Wild Migration looks forward to contributing to the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and to becoming an active participant in the NGO Major Group