What's the Connection Between WFWP and the United Nations? — Mika Deshotel

The Women’s Federation for World Peace is an NGO (non-governmental organization) with general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.

What does this mean? There are three categories of consultative status granted by the United Nations to NGOs: general, special and roster and the general status is the highest one. Out of thousands of NGOs who have consultative status, less than 150 worldwide are granted this highest status. It requires the organization to submit an activity report every four years, in particular regarding their contribution to the work of the United Nations (to learn more about how NGOs apply to receive consultative stature, click here.)

With all the effort that it takes to acquire and maintain it, the general consultative status also brings many benefits to WFWP and its members. It allows WFWP to access and influence critical issues debated and decided on at the United Nations, and to participate in UN work on a larger scale. We can attend meetings, join committees, make statements, and have long-term and high-level impact.

WFWP has earned, and maintains, its status due to its international humanitarian and peace-building work, its special role empowering women and girls, its four-year reporting, and its considerable membership. UN ambassadors tell us they are especially grateful for WFWP’s balanced approach to leadership, and its emphasis on supporting healthy family relationships.

We will continue to grow and expand our programs, so that our meaningful grassroots peace-building can be an example at the highest levels!

Editor’s Note: Although we may have heard of WFWP’s connection to the United Nations and read something about their UN work, it isn’t always clear what WFWP’s general consultative status actually means on the ground. The following is a brief introduction to this status and the various ways in which WFWP contributes to UN work.

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ALSO OF INTEREST… How to Apply for Consultative Status Question? Contact us Request UN Grounds Franï¿½ais Pass Please follow the steps below to complete your application for consultative status online. Conference registration Apply for consultative 1. Profile registration status Your organization must have a registered profile before starting the application for consultative status. It is important to note the Submit quadrennial name of your organization must match as is to the name on the certificate of registration of your organization if you are applying for report ECOSOC consultative status.

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The profile registration will take about 10 minutes. Please fill out all mandatory fields. Once completed, your profile will be reviewed by a substantive officer of DESA NGO Branch. You will be informed by email when your registration has been accepted. As it might take few days for your profile to be approved, please refrain from submitting your profile more than once.

2. Complete the online application Once you have been notified that your profile registration was accepted, your organization has to fill out the online application form that comprises 21 questions. The online application form can only be accepted in the two UN Secretariat working languages: English and French. All required documents should be submitted on its original language and translated in either of the two above languages if applicable.

Before applying you are strongly advised to check the following link that will provide you with some hints to fill out the form: Questionnaire of the Application for Consultative Status

3. Required Documents The below three mandatory documents are evaluated for conformity with ECOSOC resolution 1996/31 and the Charter of the United Nations before consultative status is obtained:

Copy of constitution/charter and/or statutes/by-laws and amendments to those documents (pursuant to paragraph 10 of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31). Copy of certificate of registration. According to resolution 1996/31 an organization “should attest that it has been in existence for at least two years as at the date of receipt of the application by the Secretariat”. Please provide a copy of the registration paper issued by a governmental authority or, if your country does not require registration, please provide another proof of existence issued by a governmental authority. Copy of the most recent financial statements.

In addition to the mandatory documents, the following elements are required for attaining consultative status:

The organization’s activities must be relevant to the work of ECOSOC; The NGO must have been in existence (officially registered) for at least two years as at the date of receipt of the application by the Secretariat; The NGO must have a democratic decision making mechanism; The major portion of the organization’s funds should be derived from contributions from national affiliates, individual members, or other non-governmental components.

Complete applications (which include a complete response to all 21 questions and submission of all the required documents) must be received by June 1st of the year before the NGO wishes to be considered for recommendation by the Committee. For example, applications submitted by 1 June 2019 will be taken up by the Committee on NGOs in 2020. Applications received between 2 June 2019 and 1 June 2020 will be taken up in the year 2021.

Click on the Consultative Status tab to start filling out the application form. Required documents can be uploaded by using the Documents tab.

4. NGO Branch screening of applications The period between 2 June and the date the Committee meets is dedicated to an internal review process of all applications received. During this time, the NGO Branch may contact organizations to request further information or clarifications. Once the review is completed, the application is scheduled to be sent to the NGO Committee. The applicant is notified accordingly before the corresponding session begins.

When an application becomes part of the agenda of the NGO Committee a letter is sent to the NGO informing them of the upcoming session and inviting them to send no more than two representatives to be present during the session. The presence of NGO representatives is not mandatory nor implies any advantages, they simply have the right to be present when their applications will be considered and are responsible of all costs involved.

5. The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations The Committee meets twice a year to decide which NGOs applying for consultative status it will recommend to ECOSOC. During its Session, the Committee may ask additional questions to the NGO. Such questions are sent by the NGO Branch. In order to help the Committee to make its decision and avoid getting deferred to future sessions, questions should be replied as soon as possible.

The Committee Recommends

An official notification is sent to all reviewed NGOs, informing them about the Committee’s decision. The Committee recommendations is also published in an official report which is submitted to the next ECOSOC meeting for its final approval. The Committee may also decide to defer an application until the next session waiting to receive pending clarifications or answers to questions posed to the NGO.

6. ECOSOC Final Decision When the Council finally approves the Committee recommendation to grant consultative status to an NGO, official notification is sent by the Secretariat. NGOs granted General or Special consultative status must submit to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, every fourth year, a brief report of their activities, in particular regarding their contribution to the work of the United Nations (Quadrennial Report).