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Registration for CSD Meetings

Requirements

Major groups' organizations that are in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), including those on the CSD Roster, can send representatives to CSD meetings. Major groups' organizations who were accredited to the WSSD must now have obtained consultative status with ECOSOC in order to participate.

The Commission on Sustainable Development requires all non-governmental participants to be representatives of organizations that have been accredited to participate in CSD meetings. 

If your organization is not accredited and you want to send representatives to CSD-18, you are welcome to contact an accredited organization within your networks and explore the possibility that they include your representatives in their delegation. The major groups organizing partners may also choose, at their discretion, to include representatives of unaccredited organizations under their umbrella so that they may participate in the meeting.

Alternatively, major groups may also wish to request that they be included in their Government delegation by contacting the relevant Ministry.

There are currently two categories of major groups organizations that can participate in the meetings of the CSD, and if you are unsure of your organization’s accreditation status, you can check with the following sources:

You can also:

Pre-registration for CSD Meetings

If you are planning to attend the CSD, you must be pre-registered through an accredited organization in order to register at the meeting and receive a UN grounds pass. This includes any major groups’ representatives who participate in the Partnerships Fair, Learning Centre, and Side Events.

A new online system is being introduced in 2008 for pre-registration to CSD meetings. Login information for your organization will be provided by the NGO Section. To request your username and password, please send an e-mail to: desangosection(at)un.org.

The UN-DESA Event Management System will allow you to log in and manage your organization's pre-registration request through the Internet, including adding or changing names of representatives and printing confirmation letters.

The confirmation letter and a photo ID will need to be shown at the registration desk when your representative arrives at UN Headquarters for the CSD-18 meeting. Details on the location and schedule for the registration desk will be posted on this page once available. Please make sure that your organization has the necessary consultative status BEFORE sending representatives to New York or making travel arrangements for them.

Representatives requiring a visa to enter the United States are advised to apply as early as possible in case any time is needed for special clearances by the US authorities, and ensure that the visa is received in time for travel.

Past practice shows that when applying for US visa, it is recommended that NGO representatives bring to their appointment with the US Consulate or Embassy a copy of the UN confirmation letter and a letter prepared by their own NGO. The NGO letter should include detailed information on the visa applicant (e.g. position, number of years working for the NGO, and number of applicants that the NGO is sending to CSD, if applicable).

NGO representatives who have existing working relations with the US Mission in their respective country may try and contact their counterpart(s) and obtain a referral letter to be presented at the time of the interview with the Consular Section (note that the referring officer has no role in the visa decision process).

Read more Frequently Asked Questions on this topic.