The ECOSOC Committee on NGOs concluded its 2025 resumed session amidst serious threats to effective civil society engagement at the UN. The call for concrete progress continues to grow.
In a report launched today, ISHR examines China’s efforts to restrict access for independent civil society actors and human rights defenders to UN human rights bodies. The report provides an analysis of China’s membership of the UN Committee on NGOs, the growing presence of Chinese Government-Organised NGOs (GONGOs), and patterns of intimidation and reprisals by the Chinese government.
In a new report, ISHR analyses China’s tactics to restrict access for independent civil society actors in UN human rights bodies. The report provides an analysis of China’s membership of the UN Committee on NGOs, the growing presence of Chinese Government-Organised NGOs (GONGOs), and patterns of intimidation and reprisals by the Chinese government.
The ECOSOC Committee on NGOs concluded its 2025 regular session today reiterating the need for reform to improve its working methods to enable effective civil society engagement at the UN.
Never have we needed a robust multilateral system so badly. One that can respond with efficiency and effectiveness to the great challenges of our times.
In this 2024 resumed session of the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs (‘Committee’), a reform decision led by members the United Kingdom (‘UK’) and Costa Rica was weakened amidst ongoing politicisation by members as well as the UN’s inability to support the Committee to fulfil its mandate.
On April 15 2024, ISHR submitted its annual submission to the UN Secretary General on intimidation and reprisals against defenders engaging or seeking to engage with the UN and its human rights mechanisms.
As the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs faces severe challenges in fulfiling its mandate on civil society participation at the UN, Costa Rica and the UK propose a draft ECOSOC decision to reform the Committee's working methods.
The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) voted in its Management Segment meeting to grant consultative status to seven NGOs that had been deferred for several years by the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs.
At the resumed 2023 session of the Committee on NGOs, several States continued to deny ECOSOC accreditation to NGOs seeking access to the UN for several years. This must change!
