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ECOSOC- Make Your Voice Heard

Want to amplify the voices of civil society at the UN? Apply for ECOSOC consultative status!

Ever since its inception in 1945, the United Nations has been actively engaged with NGOs and has recognized the importance of partnering with them to advance the organization’s ideals and help support its work. In 1946, only 41 NGOs were granted consultative status by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). But this number has grown and today, thousands of NGOs enjoy this status with the Council. These organizations are represented all over the world and work in many different areas including with education, health, poverty eradication, human rights, gender equality and indigenous issues.

Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, NGOs also play an important role as partners on the ground, helping the international community deliver this ground-breaking agenda. This fact was also recognized by UN DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin at a recent Civil Society Forum when he reiterated UN DESA’s “commitment to a genuine partnership with civil society in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”. 

“No one has all the answers, but one thing we do know is the importance of partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders. Governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector need to work together to promote sustainable development,” Mr. Liu said.

Consultative Status is a formal relationship between non-governmental organizations and the United Nations to allow NGOs to participate in the work of the UN. ECOSOC is the only main entry point into the UN system for NGOs with a formal framework for NGO participation.

So, what are the benefits for NGOs having this status? NGOs that are accredited with ECOSOC can participate in many events, including, but not limited to, regular sessions of ECOSOC, its functional commissions and its other subsidiary bodies. They may:

  • Attend official meetings;
  • Submit written statements prior to sessions;
  • Make oral statements;
  • Meet official government delegations, UN officers and other NGO representatives;
  • Organize and attend parallel events that take place during the session;
  • Participate in debates, interactive dialogues and panel discussions. 

For more information: 

About Us

The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.

The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations.

Wide view of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber during the special meeting on the topic of "Ebola : A Threat to Sustainable Development". UN Photo/Amanda Voisard

Coordination within the UN

ECOSOC links a diverse family of subsidiary bodies and UN entities (Organigram) dedicated to sustainable development, providing overall guidance and coordination. These include regional economic and social commissions, functional commissions facilitating intergovernmental discussions of major global issues, expert bodies establishing important global normative frameworks, and specialized agencies, programmes and funds at work around the world to translate development commitments into real changes in people’s lives.

Reforms over the last decade, particularly General Assembly resolutions 68/1, 72/305 and 75/290 A, have strengthened ECOSOC’s leading role in identifying emerging challenges, promoting innovation, and achieving a balanced integration of the three pillars - economic, social and environmental- of sustainable development. The 2021 review, which was undertaken together with the resolutions on the High-level political forum on sustainable development (HLPF), bolstered ECOSOC’s Charter mandate as a coordinator, convener and specialized body for policy dialogue, policy-making and forger of consensus towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as other major UN /conferences and summits under its purview, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to address other major global challenges and new issues. Resolution 75/290A thus strengthened the coordination role of the Council, and it also reinforced its deliberative nature. Furthermore, resolutions 75/290A and 75/290B enhanced the coordination between the work of ECOSOC and the HLPF.

Partnership with the rest of the world

Building on its coordination role within the UN system, ECOSOC is a gateway for UN partnership and participation by the rest of the world. It offers a unique global meeting point for productive dialogues among policymakers, parliamentarians, academics, foundations, businesses, youth and 3,200+ registered non-governmental organizations.

A spotlight on global issues

Each year, ECOSOC structures its work around an annual theme of global importance to sustainable development. This ensures focused attention, among ECOSOC’s array of partners, and throughout the UN development system. 

By emphasizing combined economic, social and environmental concerns, ECOSOC encourages agreement on coherent policies and actions that make fundamental links across all three.

ECOSOC’s annual High-Level Segment includes:

  • High-Level Political Forum provides political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development, and reviews progress in implementing sustainable development commitments.
  • High-level Segment, held on an annual basis, represents the culmination of ECOSOC's annual cycle of work and convenes a diverse group of high-level representatives from Government, the private sector, civil society and academia.

Other segments, forums, and meetings encompass:

Segment

Forums

Meetings