Appendix 6: Gaining Consultative Status to the United Nations

Provided by the Association of Presbyterian Women of Aotearoa New Zealand

We believe, for us, gaining consultative status has been important in that it gave us the ability to have a say in the global decision-making process.

There are three levels of status "General" (for international organisations), which allows you to attend meetings and bring an agenda item to the United Nations, "Special" (for national organisations), which allows you to attend meetings, speak and submit a statement to the UN Secretary-General on a matter of urgent concern, and "Roster" (for organisations which have applications for special status pending or for organisations whose special area of interest is not clear), which allows you to receive information and attend meetings.

The Association of Presbyterian Women of Aotearoa New Zealand was granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) as a Non-Governmental Organisation in July 1998. Bodies in ECOSOC include: the Human Rights Commission, the Commission on Population and Development and the Commission on the Status of Women.

To gain consultative status we first applied for and won in 1994 observer status at the Beijing Conference. Two APW representatives then attended that conference in 1995. In July 1996 ECOSOC resolved to broaden the eligibility for consultative status to include national and regional organisations, in addition to international ones.

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In May 1998 APW applied for status and the application was considered and accepted by the NGO committee of ECOSOC. In July 1998 the whole ECOSOC ratified that decision.

Organisations with consultative status are encouraged to attend UN meetings, contribute to NGO reports and requests for information, appoint a permanent representative in New York, Geneva and Vienna, promote UN activities nationally and regionally and submit a short report of action every four years.

For more information, and a consultative status application form, write to:

Non-Governmental Organisations section/DPCSD
Room: DC1-1076
One Plaza United Nations
New York, N.Y. 1001. USA
Fax: (212) 963 9248
Ph: (212) 963 5737

For more information on ECOSOC,
UN issues and the APW, contact:

Jill Little
APW National Secretary
P O Box 276
Fielding
New Zealand

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