Special Consultative Status at UN Economic and Social Counsil (ECOSOC) granted to FIBREE

ECOSOC remains the only main UN body with a formal framework for NGO participation. While ECOSOC has the opportunity to avail itself of valuable and expert advice from NGOs, the NGOs in turn also have the opportunity of expressing their views and influencing the work of the Council. NGOs have specialized competence, hands-on experience and flexibility that is of great value to the UN. By getting this distinguished consultative status, FIBREE can advise on a range of services:

• 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.

On the other hand, ECOSOC offers NGOs the opportunity to be heard by a truly global audience and to contribute to its agenda. With its consultative status, FIBREE can:

• Attend international conferences and events;
• Make written and oral statements at these events;
• Organize side events;
• Enter United Nations premises; and
• Have opportunities to network and lobby.
• Attend official meetings;
• Submit written statements prior to sessions (Such statements shall be circulated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the members of the Council);
• Make oral statements;
• Meet official government delegations and other NGO representatives;
• Organize and attend parallel events that take place during the session; and
• Participate in debates, interactive dialogues, panel discussions and informal meetings.

Consultative status provides NGOs with access not only to ECOSOC, but also to its many subsidiary bodies, to the various human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, ad-hoc processes on small arms, as well as special events organized by the President of the General Assembly. Special status NGOs are required to submit a ‘quadrennial report’ every four years. Initially, we will focus on contributing to the agenda of the next UN ECOSOC committees:

• Commission on Science and Technology for Development
• Commission on the Status of Women
• Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

The 7+7-person representation of FIBREE at UN ECOSOC

This special consultative status with UN ECOSOC provides FIBREE as a global organization with a unique opportunity to influence issues relevant to us on the global UN agenda. In order to best fulfil its role, FIBREE will soon establish a special task force consisting of up to 7 individuals who will be allowed to represent FIBREE at the UN and thus will have access to UN meetings.

In addition, we can allow another 7 people to join the task force as secondaries, so that they can be involved and contribute their input from FIBREE to UN agendas and they can act as substitutes, should a task force member be unable to attend a particular UN meeting. UN meetings will primarily take place at the UN offices in Geneva or New York, but it is also common for specific committee meetings to be organized elsewhere in the world. If you are interested in being part of this 7+7 person task force / advisor, please send your motivated application to: board@fibree.org until 15 August 2023. After curation of all applications, the composition of the task force will be selected.