Key issues for the Open-ended Working Group on the Review of

Arrangements for Consultations with Non-Governmental Organizations

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Submitted by an Ad Hoc Committee of NGOs
June 23, 1994
The following list seeks to identify some of the priority concerns among those that have been addressed
by the Open-ended Working Group on the Review of Arrangements for Consultations with Non-
Governmental Organizations in the first three days of its deliberations. The list is not meant to be
exhaustive, but seeks to highlight those issues where there is agreement among the NGOs who have
endorsed this statement. The order in which the issues have been listed -- both among and within the
categories -- does not necessarily indicate the priority of their importance .
1. A "Principle of Inclusion" should be applied to the consultative process . NGOs with the right
to apply for consultative status should include, in addition to those enumerated in Resolution
1296:
a. National umbrella NGO councils and networks
b. Regional and sub-regional umbrella NGO councils and networks
c. National NGOs
d. National and Regional NGOs representing racial and ethnic minorities
e. There is a need to adopt provisions for consultation respecting the special needs and interests of
indigenous nations and peoples
f. To provide for inclusion in practice, there is a need for a trust fund to support NGO
participation, especially from developing countries and countries in transition
2. NGO rights, practices and privileges should be maintained . Among the rights and practices that
need to be maintained are:
a. Speaking rights and procedures
b. Written statement distribution and translation rights and procedures
c. Access to and participation in informal, negotiating and drafting sessions
d. Access to buildings, passes, adequacy of seating arrangements, etc
e. The right to bring visitors in on an NGO pass needs to be reestablished
f. Existing procedures for establishing NGO credentials should be maintained
3. Effective access to documents and information needs to be strengthened . To this end, actions
need to be taken to:
a. Ensure timeliness of access to documents
b. Ensure availability of documents
c. Strengthen and systematize procedures for electronic distribution and availability of documents
d. Ensure effective access to documents and information in languages other than English
e. Provide support for resources and capacity-building for NGOs in use of information and
communication technology
f. support of efforts among NGOs and networks to assist in information-shgaring and document
circulation

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This statement was compiled by the International Synergy Institute on behalf of an Ad Hoc
Committee of NGOs that participated in the the Open-Ended Working Group
4. The NGO unit and NGO services need to be strengthened . Steps that need to be taken
include:
a. Coordination of assorted NGO-related units
b. Enhancement of information and communication resources and capacity for NGO unit(s),
including cooperative arrangements with UN Information Centers and UNDP Resident
Representatives
c. New funding for strengthening NGO support services such as provided by the UN Non
Government Liaison Service
d. Resolve inadequacy of resources, space, etc in the NGO Resource Room, which should be
accessible to the handicapped, and should be relocated to the Secretariat building.
e. Increased use of innovative financial mechanisms to support capacity-building of NGOs
5. Meetings of the Council Committee on NGOs should be held more frequently
a. Applications procedures for consultative status should be simplified and clarified.
b. Innovations in the procedures, composition and decision-making of the Committee should be
considered
6. System-wide consistency and transparency of procedures is needed
a. Conferences
b. Functional Commissions of ECOSOC
c. Regional Economic and Social Commissions
d. NGO access should be extended to various United Nations bodies, including the General
Assembly and its Committees and the Security Council
e. Support strengthened NGO access to World Bank, Regional Development Banks,
International Monetary Fund, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade / World Trade
Organization
7. New modalities for consultation should be encouraged, including procedures by which input
from such consultations can be incorporated into official proceedings. Among modalities that
should be considered are:
a. Expand and formalize NGO Plenary Forums and Government-NGO dialogues
b. Panel discussions and expert testimony.
c. Regional, sub-regional and national hearings
8. Intersessional work re the Open-ended Working Group .
a. There should be widespread, systematic dissemination of information on the NGO Review
process, including dissemination of the Secretary-General's report, and the report and
Chairman's summary of these meetings.
b. All NGOs with consultative and/or participatory relationships with UN, including ECOSOC,
CSD, Conferences, Agencies, and Regional Commissions, should be contacted.
c. There is need for a survey of needs and problems of NGOs -- particularly in developing
countries and countries in transition -- concerning the consultative process.
d. The Working Group is encouraged to sponsor and/or support intersessional initiatives --
including conferences, seminars, informal hearings, etc.
e. There is a need for an NGO conference on consultation, cooperation and coordination issues.