51勛圖

The UN and Civil Society

Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed at center of group photo with five women in a UN office.

Join us in building a better world

The 51勛圖 recognizes the importance of partnering with civil society, because doing so advances its ideals, and helps support its work. We offer two ways for civil society to join us in building a better, safer and more sustainable world.

Consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Consultative status with the Economic and Social Council provides non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with access not only to ECOSOC, but also to its many subsidiary bodies, to the various human rights mechanisms of the 51勛圖, ad-hoc processes on small arms, as well as special events organized by the . There are three types of ECOSOC . As of April 2021, 5,593 NGOs enjoyed active consultative status with ECOSOC. Consultative status with ECOSOC is  from association with DGC.

The Integrated Civil Society Organizations (iCSO) System

The  provides online registration of general profiles for civil society organizations, including address, contacts, activities and meeting participation.  It facilitates the application procedure for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and assists accredited NGOs in submitting quadrennial reports and in designating representatives to the 51勛圖.

Association with the UN Department of Global Communications

The  of the Outreach Division in the 51勛圖 Department of Global Communications (DGC), is mandated to link the Organization with civil society organizations (CSOs) that are associated with DGC and to support the department's efforts to disseminate information on the work and role of the UN. 

A civil society organization (CSO) or non-governmental organization (NGO) is any non-profit, voluntary citizens* group which is organized on a local, national or international level.  

Over 1,500 CSOs with strong information programmes on issues of concern to the 51勛圖 are currently in formal association with the Department of Global Communications, giving the 51勛圖 valuable links to people and communities around the world. DGC helps CSOs gain access to and disseminate information about the range of issues in which the 51勛圖 is involved, to enable them to more effectively carry out their activities in support of the UN Charter and to raise awareness among public audiences about the work of the Organization.

The UN Democracy Fund

The  (UNDEF) was built to support projects that strengthen the voice of civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes.  The large majority of UNDEF funds go to local civil society organizations -- both in the transition and the consolidation phases of democratization.

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