United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women
ECOSOC decides on procedure for NGOs accredited to the FWCW to participate in the 41st session of the CSW
On 14 November ECOSOC took the following decision: "The Economic and Social Council, invites, as an interim measure, in conformity with the provisions of para. 53 of Council resolution 1996/31, those NGOs which were accredited to the Fourth World Conference on Women or the World Summit for Social Development and which, no later than one month prior to the respective session, will have started the process of applying for consultative status, to attend only the forty first session of the Commission on the Status of Women and the thirty-fifth session of the Commission for Social Development respectively, and requests the Secretary General to draw the attention of the NGOs accredited to the Fourth World Conference on Women and the World Summit for Social Development to the provisions of the present decision and to the process established under Council resolution 1996/31".
NGOs who are in the process of applying for consultative status who wish to attend the 41st session of the Commission on the Status of Women which will meet from 10-21 March 1997 at UN Headquarters New York, will be invited to send the name(s) of their representative(s) to the
Division for the Advancement of Women, DC2-1204, United Nations, New York, New York 10017, Fax 212 963-3463 no later than 10 February, 1996. The cost of travel and per diem and arrangements for hotels and visas etc. must be taken care of by the participants themselves.
There will be an NGO consultation/briefing about the 41st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York on 9 March organized by the Women's section of the Committee on NGOs to which all participating NGOs are cordially invited.
All inquiries regarding application for Consultative status should be directed to the Chief, NGO Unit, Department of Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, Room DC 1-1076, United Nations, New York, NY 10017, Fax 212-963-4968.
Please be also advised that NGOs that "have the means and commitment to conduct effective information programmes about United Nations activities through publication of newsletters, bulletins, backgrounders and pamphlets; organization of conferences, seminars and roundtables; and enlisting the cooperation of print and broadcast media ", may request to be an associated organization with the United Nations Department of Public Information. This associated status provides NGOs, inter alia, access to all "open" meetings of United Nations bodies for their main and alternate representatives. If you wish to become an associated organization please contact the Chief of the NGO Section, Department of Public Information, Room S-1070 L, United Nations, New York NY, 10017, Fax 212 963 6914/2819.
Paragraph 53 from Resolution E/1996/31 49th plenary meeting 25 July 1996 on consultative relationship between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations53. Non-governmental organizations without consultative status that participate in international conferences and wish to obtain consultative status later on should apply through the normal procedures established under Council resolution 1296 (XLIV) as updated. Recognizing the importance of the participation of non-governmental organizations that attend a conference in the follow-up process, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, in considering their application, shall draw upon the documents already submitted by that organization for accreditation to the conference and any additional information submitted by the non-governmental organization supporting its interest, relevance and capacity to contribute to the implementation phase. The Committee shall review such applications as expeditiously as possible so as to allow participation of the respective organization in the implementation phase of the conference. In the interim, the Economic and Social Council shall decide on the participation of non-governmental organizations accredited to an international conference in the work of the relevant functional commission on the follow-up to and implementation of that conference.