Dear event organizers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I welcome you from the suburbs of Geneva, where I, like all my UN colleagues in Geneva, work distantly because of COVID-19. I would like to thank the organizers of today's event for the invitation and the opportunity to talk about the importance of interaction between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations, as well as how this interaction is being implemented in practice in the framework of Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
This year we celebrate the United Nations’ 75th anniversary. NGOs have been actively interacting with the UN since its establishment in 1945. Since then, this interaction has undergone profound changes both in terms of the number and diversity of participants, as well as in terms of the depth of key issues and priorities.
The UN recognizes the importance of partnership with civil society; because this partnership helps achieve the organization’s goals of maintaining peace and security, promoting economic and social progress, and affirming fundamental human rights.
The institutionalization of the NGOs’ interaction with the UN was determined in Article 71 of the Charter of the United Nations, signed on June 26, 1945. Thanks to several NGOs that were present during the process of creating the organization, Article 71 appeared in the UN Charter, which stipulates that ECOSOC can take appropriate measures to consult with non-governmental organizations dealing with issues within its competence.
This situation has opened the door for cooperation and consultation with NGOs.
Let me remind you that ECOSOC is one of the six main organs of the United Nations along with the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, the International Court of Justice and the Trusteeship Council. ECOSOC is the main body for coordination, policy review, dialogue and development of recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for the implementation of internationally agreed development goals.
Today, ECOSOC remains the only major UN body that has an official framework for NGO participation in its work. Following a series of reforms, consultative relations between NGOs and ECOSOC are regulated by resolution 1996/31, which sets out the requirements for obtaining consultative status, the rights and obligations of NGOs, the procedures for revoking or suspending status, the role and functions of the ECOSOC NGO Committee, and the responsibilities of the UN Secretariat for supporting consultative relationships.
This accreditation system benefits both the United Nations and NGOs.
On the one hand, NGOs have the competence, practical experience and flexibility that are important to the UN. Having consultative status, NGOs can:
- conduct expert analysis directly on the basis of their field experience;
- act as an early warning agent;
- assist in monitoring and implementing international agreements;
- raise public awareness of relevant issues;
- promote the goals and objectives of the UN, and
- share information and experience at UN events.
On the other hand, consultative status with ECOSOC gives NGOs the opportunity to participate in global governance, be heard by a global audience and contribute to the UN agenda. Accredited NGOs in consultative status may:
- participate in international conferences and events;
- speak at these events with written and oral statements;
- organize your own and side events;
- have the opportunity to build relationships with other interested participants and promote issues that NGOs are involved in.
After receiving consultative status, NGOs can participate in the work of ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies - its eight functional commissions (such as the Commission on the Status of Women or the Commission on Sustainable Development, and etc.), five regional commissions (such as the Economic Commission for Europe), as well as other bodies, such as the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, as well as the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms.
Over the years, there has been an increase in the participation of NGOs in the work of the UN. In 1946, 41 NGOs had consultative status. In 1992, their number increased to 700. Currently, 5,451 NGOs have consultative status with ECOSOC. I counted 14 NGOs from Azerbaijan that have consultative status with ECOSOC, most of them have received it over the past 10 years. About 108 NGOs from Azerbaijan are registered in the database of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, possibly with the aim of further applying for status.
It would be appropriate here to make an important digression. In addition to the consultative framework through ECOSOC, there are other types of NGO participation in the UN. Disseminating NGOs may be accredited by the United Nations Department of Global Communications. NGOs can participate in high-level events and special events on the principle of “no objection” from UN member countries. In addition, engagement at the political and operational levels can be established directly with UN agencies, programs and funds, such as the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Development Program, the UN Environment Program, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Children's United Nations Fund (UNICEF). NGOs also collaborated with specialized UN agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNEXO and the World Health Organization, as well as with the International Labor Organization. NGOs also work closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and international human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies, special procedures of the Human Rights Council and the universal periodic review. At the national level, partnerships between NGOs and UN country teams contribute to global goals.
Over the years, civil society actors have made a significant contribution to the work of the UN by convincing UN member countries of the need for decisions and resolutions on disarmament, development, human rights and other issues. NGOs contributed to the development of new treaties and even UN institutions, such as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. They played an important role in the creation of the International Criminal Court. They initiated new topics on the UN agenda, such as the environment, women's rights, or anti-personnel mines. They provided humanitarian and refugee assistance and dealt with development issues in societies that survived violent conflict. NGOs contributed to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, and since 2015, within the framework of the universal agenda 2030 with its 17 goals of sustainable development, NGOs have been involved in assisting in their implementation.
At present, very rarely, intergovernmental decisions and agreements are adopted without specific participation and consultation with NGOs.
Let me give you a concrete example of how NGOs can use their consultative status in the field of international cooperation. Let's look at the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review. This is a unique process that includes a periodic review of the human rights situation in all 193 UN member states. The last time the human rights situation in Azerbaijan was considered in the framework of the UPR mechanism in May 2018. There is an opportunity for NGOs to directly provide information for review, and this is not limited to NGOs in Consultative Status with ECOSOC. For the review of Azerbaijan, about 18 reports were submitted, of which about two joint reports with the participation of national NGOs; the rest came from international NGOs. The very participation in the review is open only to NGOs in Consultative Status with ECOSOC. This gives NGOs the opportunity to organize side events for the exchange of information on the implementation of the recommendations of the previous UPR cycle and the promotion of new recommendations to the state under review. When adopting a country review at a subsequent session of the Human Rights Council, NGOs in Consultative Status can submit written reports, organize side events and make oral statements in plenary (10 statements made by international NGOs during the last review on Azerbaijan). Such participation of NGOs enriches both the UPR process itself and the subsequent implementation of the adopted recommendations by the state under review. By the example of the last review on Azerbaijan, it is clear that there is a need to increase the potential for participation of national NGOs in this process, and for this it is necessary to obtain consultative status with ECOSOC.
The current situation with COVID-19, which has affected all countries of the world, shows that the role of NGOs in the UN system will increase. Many NGOs are currently at the forefront of assisting communities affected by the pandemic. In fact, their experience in helping to deal with large-scale epidemics in developing countries, such as Ebola or malaria, has already proven their important role and relevance in supporting public health. The role of NGOs in the post-crisis period will be more significant in helping communities and groups affected by the economic downturn and the loss of jobs and livelihoods. We are already witnessing that some categories of the population are the most vulnerable, and are more affected by the current situation. These are women, the elderly, people with disabilities, the homeless, victims of domestic violence, persons deprived of their liberty, refugees, asylum seekers, and generally low-income people. NGOs could ensure that the needs of these segments of society are taken into account when developing national and international policies related to medical, economic and social issues after the pandemic. NGOs could also help authorities reach vulnerable groups as they are in direct contact with their target groups and have built trust with them. The UN Secretary General, who has issued several analytical reports since the outbreak of the pandemic to draw attention to the global challenges of the pandemic, emphasized the role of civil society in overcoming the current crisis.
Thus, the interaction of NGOs with the UN system will go on increasing. In our UN Office in Geneva alone, more than 1,500 NGOs are currently accredited annually - this is 4% more than last year, and such growth has been observed for several years. The active participation of NGOs makes international cooperation stronger, and I invite Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations to use the opportunities provided by Consultative Status at ECOSOC so that their voices can be heard at the decision-making table at the intergovernmental level, which, in turn, will help advance common goals and objectives at the national level.
Thank you.