High-Level Panel on UN-Civil Society

Modes of CSO influence in the UN and global governance

1. Operational engagement and partnership

Drawing on the operational and grassroots experience of NGOs and other CSOs to enhance the scope and effectiveness of UN projects and programmes. This includes:

  1. Participation in NGO consortiums involved with the operational delivery of humanitarian and relief operations
    • Significant examples: the International Council of Voluntary Agencies and the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response
  2. Involvement with multi-stakeholder operational partnerships
    • Significant examples: Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization, UNHCR Partnership in Action
  3. Direct involvement with project execution at the regional or country level
    • Many examples with UNDP, UNHCR, WFP and other specialized agencies
  4. Cofunding UN programmes and funds
    • Significant examples: Netaid, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, Clean Air Initiative, Stop TB Initiative, Global Water Partnership
2. Influencing policies and policy-dialogue

Engaging in the deliberative processes relating to UN policies and major programmes by:

  1. Placing or elevating issues on the global political agenda through advocacy in UN forums, in areas such as human rights, gender, racism, social justice or the environment
    • Significant examples: International campaign to ban landmines, Jubilee 2000 initiative on debt relief, Citizens against the Multilateral Agreement on Investment
  2. Mobilization of world opinion and political pressure through campaigns and protests
    • Significant examples: the "anti-globalization" movement
  3. Dialogue and consultation on a regular basis with the UN and other multilateral bo
    • Significant examples: UNAIDS, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Sustainable Development and the Commission on the Status of Women
  4. Participation at the World Conferences and involvement with the negotiation process leading to the setting of new international norms and standards
    • Significant examples: Rio-92, Vienna-93, Beijing-95, Kyoto
  5. Dialogue and influence in governmental policy-making at national and regional levels
    • Significant examples: seeking to influence national governments or EU positions within WTO; seeking to win governments support for specific UN resolutions
  6. Raising of new issues and concerns, innovation and experimentation, provision of fresh knowledge and information
    • Significant examples: global policies on environment protection, AIDS, aging, disabled people and prevention of drug traffic
3. Influencing processes of governance in international institutions
  1. Engaging in the debate about the "new global architecture"
    • Examples: reform of WTO; accountability mechanisms in multilateral agencies
  2. Proposing reforms in how the UN works and makes decisions
    • Examples: proposals for reforms in the General Assembly and Security Council; proposals for new instruments (e.g. the International Criminal Court)
  3. Being a party in the governance of UN activities
    • Examples: 4 NGOs serve on the Board of UNAIDS; NGOs were formally involved in the planning of the Education for All Conference
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