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Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations
In Focus: 2009 Resumed Session
At its resumed 2009 session, held in May 2009, the Committee considered 142 applications for consultative status, including 82 applications deferred from earlier sessions. It decided to recommend to the Council:
  • the granting of consultative status to 36 organizations;
  • not to recommend consultative status for 1 NGO;
  • to close its consideration of the application of 4 NGOs;
  • to defer its consideration of the application of 102 NGOs;
  • the reclassification of 1 organization out of 2 requests;
  • to take note of 123 quadrennial reports by NGOs, 14 of which had been deferred from previous sessions.
The Committee decided to recommend the reclassification of 1 organization out of 2 requests, and reviewed 123 quadrennial reports, 14 of which had been deferred from previous sessions.

The Committee will continue its review during the 2010 Regular Session, scheduled for 25 January - 3 February, 2010, at United Nations headquarters.
Introduction
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations is a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), established by the Council in 1946. It reports directly to ECOSOC, and the two reports of its annual regular session (usually at the end of January) and resumed session (in May) include draft resolutions or decisions on matters calling for action by the Council. Download the latest reports on the right side menu of this page.

The Committee has 19 members who are elected on the basis of equitable geographical representation: 5 members from African States; 4 members from Asian States; 2 members from Eastern European States; 4 members from Latin American and Caribbean States; and 4 members from Western European and other States. The term of office of its members is four years. The current terms of reference of the Committee are set out in Resolution 1996/31 of 25 July 1996. In its proceedings the Committee is guided by the rules of procedure of the Council.

The main tasks of the Committee are:
  • The consideration of applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification submitted by NGOs;
  • The consideration of quadrennial reports submitted by NGOs in General and Special categories;
  • The implementation of the provisions of Council resolution 1996/31 and the monitoring of the consultative relationship;
  • Any other issues which the ECOSOC may request the Committee to consider.
At the first formal meeting of the session, the Chairperson encourages the Committee to adopt its decisions by consensus. If requested, the Committee decides on proposals by a recorded roll-call vote. Otherwise, it takes action through resolutions and decisions by consensus. The Committee's decisions are considered recommendations, often in the form of draft decisions calling for action by the Council. These recommendations are reflected in Part I of the Committee's reports. (See, for example, the reports above.) Once an application from an NGO has been reviewed and approved by the Committee it is only considered recommended for consultative status. At its next meeting, usually in July of the same year, the Economic and Social Council reviews these recommendations, takes note of the Committe's report and makes the decisions final. It is only after the recommendation becomes an ECOSOC decision that the NGO is granted the consultative status.

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