ECI Granted Special Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC

We are pleased to announce the accreditation of ECI as an NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The decision followed an application by ECI in 2019 and was communicated by UN’s Non-Governmental Organizations Branch, Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development in a letter dated 17^th August 2020.

ECOSOC is the central mechanism for coordination of the activities of the United Nations system and its specialized agencies and supervision of subsidiary bodies in the economic, social, environmental and related fields. It lies at the heart of the UN system with the goal to achieve a balanced integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development. It is the principal body for the coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on issues of economic and social development and for implementation of the international development goals agreed at the major United Nations conferences and summits, including the Sustainable development Goals.

ECOSOC remains the only main UN body with a formal framework for NGO participation. The ECOSOC accreditation framework benefits both the United Nations and the accredited NGOs. While ECOSOC has the opportunity to avail itself of valuable and expert advice from accredited NGOs such as ECI, the NGOs in turn also have the opportunity of expressing their views and influencing the work of the Council. For instance, an accredited NGO could:

Provide expert analysis on issues directly from its experience in the field;
Serve as an early warning agent;
Help monitor and implement international agreements;
Help raise public awareness of relevant issues;
Play a major role in advancing United Nations goals and objectives; and
Contribute with essential information at organization events.

The accreditation with special consultative status will enable ECI to actively engage with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, as well as with the United Nations Secretariat, programmes, funds and agencies in a number of ways. Henceforth ECI’s designated officials will be able to: