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!
On 17 April 2023, ISHR sent its annual submission to the report of the UN Secretary-General on reprisals and intimidation against defenders engaging or seeking to engage with the UN and its human rights mechanisms. The submission presents a disturbing pattern of intimidation and reprisals in 23 countries.
On 17 April 2023, ISHR submitted its annual submission to the report to the UN Secretary General on reprisals and intimidation against defenders engaging or seeking to engage with the UN and its human rights mechanisms.
The ECOSOC Committee on NGOs has just completed its Regular 2023 session. Despite change in the Committee’s composition, long standing issues of politicisation and systemic inefficiency remain.
Over 200 NGOs with consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council provide strong recommendations to enhance access and participation of NGOs with the UN.
A vote by States at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has granted consultative status to nine civil society organisations that had previously been arbitrarily deferred by the UN Committee on NGOs. The vote ends a record 15 years of deferral for one of the candidates.
