“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by world leaders two years ago, is a blueprint for making our world more equitable, sustainable and livable. To implement this plan—and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals—we need to broaden the circle of action to include governments, bilateral and international organizations, and international financial institutions. Partnerships with civil society, the business community and others are critical to success,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres as he addressed UN staff earlier this year.

The United Nations recognizes the valuable contributions that non-governmental organizations could and do make in promoting sustainable development through their well-established and diverse experience, expertise and capacity, especially in the area of analysis, sharing of information and knowledge, promotion of dialogue and in their support implementing sustainable development.

One of the major platforms for NGOs to work with the United Nations is through a consultative relationship with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Consultative status is granted by ECOSOC upon recommendation of the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs, which is composed by Member States. Currently, 4,507 NGOs enjoy this status and can access not only ECOSOC, but also its many subsidiary bodies, various human rights mechanisms of the United Nations as well as special events organized by the President of the General Assembly.

The NGO Branch of UN DESA is inviting all interested NGOs that are willing to work in close collaboration with ECOSOC, to apply for consultative status. 1 June 2017 is the deadline to receive applications that will be reviewed during the following year. Read more about how to apply here.