In April 2015, AGE Platform Europe was granted special consultative status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This status comes with many advantages as it gives the organisation privileged access to UN mechanisms and increases the visibility of our work across the UN system.
These advantages consist of actively engaging with ECOSOC and the United Nations system at large. We may now participate in debates, consultations, interactive dialogues, panel discussions and informal meetings at the United Nations level that are reserved to NGOs with ECOSOC status. For example, we may now assist sessions of the Human Rights Council and participate in meetings of the committees that rule on the application of UN human rights conventions, such as the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (CRPD).
This special consultative status will also allow us to designate official representatives in the United Nations Headquarters in New York and the UN offices in Geneva and Vienna; we may also become members of the corresponding UN committees on ageing and liaise with other like-minded organisations. We now have the ability to submit written and oral statements during different processes relate to older people and make use of United Nations facilities, for example to organise side events, access to United Nations press documentation services and their libraries.
This status also comes with special responsibilities for the organisation, which include submitting a report once every four years on the activities of the organisation in support of the work of ECOSOC and the United Nations. The report should consist of detailed records of participation in United Nations meetings and events and information on any cooperation with UN funds and agencies.
International, regional and national NGOs, non-profit public or voluntary organisations are eligible to obtain consultative status. Members of AGE Platform Europe were informed that they had the possibility to apply to receive ECOSOC Consultative status for the 2016 cycle until 1st June 2015. For instructions on how to apply, click here
