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NGO Participation in CSW Sessions

The active participation of NGOs is a critical element in the work of the Commission on the Status of Women. NGOs were influential in shaping the current global policy framework on women’s empowerment and gender equality -the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. They continue to play an important role in holding international and national leaders accountable for the commitments they made in the Platform for Action.

 

NGO Participation Eligibility

NGOs that are accredited to, and in good standing with, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), are invited to designate representatives to attend the sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women. NGOs can participate in several ways during the session:

  • observe the meetings
  • present written and/or oral statements
  • meet official government delegations
  • lobby delegations in the context of negotiations of agreed conclusions and resolutions
  • and organize parallel events during the session

NGO representatives may attend all open meetings of the Commission. They may also attend informal consultations held during the session of the Commission, if the chairperson of the informal consultations grants them permission. Usually, informal consultations are closed meetings restricted to government delegates.

For information on how to apply for ECOSOC accreditation and be included in the DESA NGO Section database, please visit DESA NGO Section at: http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo

Invitation to NGOs to attend CSW sessions

Invitation letters to ECOSOC-accredited NGOs are sent out in September/October, electronically by e-fax and email to the NGO’s fax number and email address listed in the DESA NGO Section database, and followed up with air mail when fax and email attempts fail.

Please note that DAW sends invitation letters and confirmation letters only to the organization’s fax number listed in the DESA NGO Section’s database. Any change in an organization’s official fax number, telephone number, mail address or e-mail address should be notified to DESA NGO Section at: desangosection@un.org.

In addition, a copy of the invitation letter is included in the DESA NGO Section’s package that is mailed out to all NGOs with ECOSOC Consultative Status, in November every year.

What should an eligible NGO do if it has not received the invitation letter?

In case an eligible NGO has not received the invitation, it should:

  • Check with its headquarters to see if they have received the invitation;
  • Verify with DESA NGO Section whether the organization’s fax and mailing address listed in their database are up-to-date;
  • Send a request to DAW through the designated e-mail address for the current CSW session (csw52@un.org) to have the invitation re-sent. Please note that the letter can only be re-sent to the contact number listed in the DESA NGO Section database.

CSW Registration

Please address all official UN registration-related questions to the Division for the Advancement of Women through the designated e-mail address of the current CSW session (csw52@un.org) with the subject line: CSW registration.

Steps for Registration

There are two steps:

  • The organization should PRE-REGISTER its representatives, either online at this webpage OR by fax (Fax number will be advised in October). Three business days after the completion of online or fax pre-registration, NGO representatives can download and print out their “Confirmation Letter”. During pre-registration, please make sure to include names of alternative representatives in case any of the proposed participants is unable to obtain an entry visa to the United States of America.
  • Upon arrival at the United Nations, each NGO representative should also REGISTER ON SITE to get a UN Grounds Pass. Details regarding on-site registration and issuance of a UN Grounds Pass will be provided in the “Confirmation Letter”.

How to pre-register online?

To pre-register representatives online, please click here. To login, please enter the organization ID and password provided at the bottom of the invitation letter. Any change in the organization’s information should also be made online here. Click here to retrieve the forgotten login ID and password.

If you have any problems using the online pre-registration system, please refer to our online help manual.

Please note:

  • Organization ID number and password are strictly confidential. Accredited NGOs should not give their user ID and password to any other organization. Giving an organization’s ID and password implicitly authorizes the recipient organization to remove all the participants registered up to that time and replace them with theirs.
  • If you have pre-registered online, please do not send any duplicate pre-registration forms by fax or mail as this will only delay the processing of your information.
  • Please note that it will take about three business days to process any new pre-registration and substitutions completed online or via fax.

What should be done when login fails?

Passwords are CASE-SENSITIVE. Please make sure to enter your password exactly as it appears on your invitation letter. If you receive your password by email, try to copy and paste it. 

If you have forgotten your password, click here to retrieve it via email. Passwords will only be emailed to the NGO's official email address registered with DESA NGO Section

If this still does not work, please use the designated email address (csw52@un.org) to send your organization ID number, password, and list of participants, and DAW staff will register them for you.

How many representatives are allowed to register?

The United Nations encourages a broad participation and representation of NGOs. There is no limit on the number of representatives each organization can register at the moment. However, due to limited space in the conference room, and security and safety concerns, the Security Officers at the doors of the conference rooms may limit the number of representatives attending the meetings.

Confirmation letters (Available on-line)

Three business days after the completion of online or fax pre-registration to attend a session of the Commission on the Status of Women, NGO representatives can download and print out their Confirmation Letter.

At the same time, the NGO Information Note that DAW prepares for each specific session of the Commission, may also be downloaded,. The NGO Information Note provides helpful information and tips for your participation in the session and your stay in New York. 
 
Please note that the organization’s ID and associated password are required in order to login (the same ones used for pre-registration). Once logged in, click the "representatives" menu option. Then, scroll through the list of your organization’s representatives. Next to each representative listed you will see a "retrieve" button. Please click this button to access the confirmation letter for each of your representatives. (Please also double-check your organization’s list of representatives to ensure that it is accurate and complete.)

Finally, print out the "Confirmation Letter". If you have problems retrieving the letters online, please send an e-mail containing your organization’s ID to the designated e-mail address for assistance (csw52@un.org).

DAW will only honour confirmation letters that were officially posted on its website.

Instructions on changing / editing names of representatives who have already been pre-registered

Organizations can review and change the names of their pre-registered representatives on-line by logging-in on the login page.

Pre-registered names can be deleted using the “unlist” button and a replacement name can be added.

If there is spelling error in a name already pre-registered, please use the “unlist” button to remove the name on-line, and add the correct name as a new record. 

Change of NGO representatives can also be made through a faxed request to DAW. Please note that faxed requests will only be processed by DAW if the request is  accompanied with the official NGO letterhead AND includes the organization ID and password.

Delays in processing fax requests may occur closer to the opening of the CSW session, NGOs are, therefore, strongly encouraged to make such changes on-line and before the session starts. After the session starts, organizations can still make necessary changes on-line or by fax, but no requests can be processed at the DAW registration desk during on-site registration.

After a change has been made, DAW will need at least two working days to post on-line confirmation letters for the corrected or newly-added names.

Can the United Nations help NGO representatives get financial support for travel expenses and an entry visa to the United States of America?

The United Nations will not send letters of invitation or confirmation to U.S. embassies overseas; nor will it facilitate the travel or other subsistence arrangements for participants to the sessions on the Commission on the Status of Women.  All arrangements surrounding travel, including visas, accommodation and daily subsistence costs, are the responsibility of the participants.

Please note that participants are required to submit their visa applications at least three (3) months in advance to their US Consulate to allow sufficient time for processing. 

Information regarding possible accommodation in New York City can be downloaded here.

What is the procedure for obtaining media accreditation?

The media accreditation form and other related data can be accessed at www.un.org/media/accreditation.
For further media enquiries and to receive press releases relating to the CSW and other women's issues, please email: mediainfo@un.org.

Media representatives wishing to attend the CSW should contact:

Media Accreditation & Liaison Unit
Department of Public Information
Room S-250, New York
NY 10017, USA 
Fax: 1-212-963 4642

Modalities of NGO Participation at CSW

1) NGO Committee- and DAW-sponsored Roundtables prior to CSW

In preparation for each session of CSW, the NGO Committee on the Status of Women and DAW organize Roundtable Discussions at the UN headquarters on the thematic issues considered by the CSW. The dates and venue of these roundtables are announced in the UN Journal.

2) Submitting a written statement

NGOs can provide written statements on the thematic issues considered by CSW. ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31 provides details on the conditions regarding the submission and circulation of written statements. The written statement shall be submitted in one of the official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish). In case of NGOs with general consultative status, the statement should not exceed 2,000 words, and in case of NGOs with special consultative status, it should not exceed 1,500 words. Please note that all text, including the names of the organizations in the text will be counted.

For detailed guidelines relating to written statements, please check resolution 1996/31 at http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo/

NGOs must submit their statements no later than 10 weeks prior to the start of the session, i.e. for the 52nd session, the deadline for submission was 10 December 2007 . Please keep in mind that the United Nations requires ample time to process these statements as official United Nations documents for the Commission. Kindly submit these statements through the designated email address for CSW (csw52@un.org), with subject line “Written Statement”.  DAW will forward them to the Secretary of CSW for processing.

3) Making an oral statement

NGOs may request to make an oral statement during the general debate and each of the panels on the thematic issues at the CSW session. A list of NGO speakers will be provided to the Secretary and the Chairperson of the CSW prior to a meeting. However, it is entirely at the discretion of the CSW Chairperson to decide how many NGOs would be given the opportunity to speak and when they would be given the floor. Due to time constraints, interventions must be brief, clear and concise (usually, not more than 2 minutes is allotted for each statement). The oral statement should also be relevant to the agenda items being considered at that particular CSW session. Please refrain from making general statements.

Please note that priority will be given to speakers making a statement on behalf of networks of organizations, or caucuses.  Considerations will also be given to geographical and age diversity, and whether the NGO has already submitted a written statement.
 
NGOs should request time for their intervention in advance of the session. Please submit the request to the designated e-mail address (csw52@un.org) with the Oral Statements Request form filled out. You may download the Oral Statements Request form here.

NGOs requesting to make oral statements should provide twenty-two copies of their statements to DAW for distribution to the CSW Bureau and to UN translators prior to the start of the session. The statement should be less than two double-spaced pages. Please submit the copies to the CSW registration desk as early as possible.

The list of NGO speakers submitted to the Chairperson of the CSW will be posted at various places daily, including the CSW Registration Desk and the Conference Room Bulletin Board.  Again, please note that it is up to the Chairperson of the CSW to decide which speaker will be called and when.

4) Parallel events

Parallel events should be requested via the Parallel Event Request system

ECOSOC-accredited NGOs wishing to organize a parallel event during the CSW session should do so via the Parallel Event Request System specific to NGOs, using the ID number and password indicated in the invitation letter, and submit it by 31 December 2007Please submit one form per event.

The UN premises are reserved for parallel events sponsored by Permanent Missions or UN entities, as well as parallel events organized by Permanent Missions or UN entities, in collaboration with NGOs. In both cases, if the event is arranged to be held on UN premises, the sponsoring Permanent Mission or UN entity needs to make the request through the Parallel Event Request System specific to missions and UN entities. The sponsoring Permanent Mission or UN entity would assume responsibility for paying any expenses related to the hosting of the event on UN premises, and should be present at the event.

If you have any problems using the online Parallel Event Request system, please refer to our online help manual.

NGO-organized parallel events usually take place in the Church Center (located at the intersection of 44th Street and First Avenue, New York), and no equipment will be provided. However, NGOs organizing the events can bring their own equipment.

Non-ECOSOC-accredited NGOs do not need to complete the parallel event request form. Instead, they should contact the NGO Committee on the Status of Women to have their event included in a list of events compiled by the Committee.

All decisions on scheduling NGO-organized parallel events, using the venues arranged by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, are taken by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women. All queries about NGO-organized parallel events should be addressed to:

The NGO Committee on the Status of Women
            708 3rd Ave.  5th Floor, Room 101
            New York, NY 10017

            Fax number: +1 (212) 209-7161
            Focal point contact: Ms. Vivian Pender
            Email address: ngo_csw_ny@hotmail.com

In case, the NGO organized parallel events are held in venues other than the ones reserved by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, the organizer could inform both DAW and the NGO Committee on the Status of Women in order to have the events listed in the Calendar of Events.

A calendar of all parallel events organized by Permanent Missions, UN entities, and NGOs will be posted on DAW web site one week prior to the CSW session, and updated regularly.

 

 





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