Application Procedure
The association process takes three to six months. The DPI Committee on NGOs that decides on association and disassociation meets twice a year. Interested NGOs that meet the criteria should follow the steps below:
1. Find the UN Information Centre (UNIC) covering the country where your NGO is based. The application for association has to be sent to the UNIC directly.
2. The required application materials for association with the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) are:
- A completed Application Form for Non-Governmental Organizations
- A copy of the organization's constitution/charter or by-laws
- Official proof of non-profit status, issued by public authorities, and tax exemption status (Note: The document should be on official letterhead and dated.)
- A copy of the organization's most recent audited financial statement, conducted by a qualified and independent accountant(Must be in U.S. dollars).
- Evidence of an active information programme relevant to the United Nations: at least six (6) different types of samples of the organization's most recent information materials (e.g. newsletter, periodicals, tapes of radio or television programmes, conference reports) [Note: Electronic materials, such as Web sites or periodicals, should be sent in hard copy form.]
- Two (2) letters of recommendation of organizations (UN or others)
- A notarized Certification of Signatures of the NGO President or Chief Administrative Officer and the main Representative)
- References
(Note: All items on the list above are required for the Association Process. Also, all submitted materials must be in English or French, the two working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Material in any other language should be accompanied by an unofficial translation into either of these two languages.)
3. Once all the required materials are received and all the documents are in order, the UNIC will evaluate them. It will then make a recommendation to NGO Relations which will inform the NGO of the approximate date the DPI Committee on NGOs will meet to review applications.
4. The NGOs will be notified of the results of the meeting.
5. Provided the NGO has been granted the association status, it will receive an accreditation form, which must be filled out and returned to NGO Relations. The NGO may designate up to 6 persons to represent them at UN Headquarters, 4 Representatives and two youth delegates (18 to 24 years of age). Each representative is entitled to an annual UN grounds pass.