In early February, the United Nations NGO Committee gave a favorable opinion on granting ECOSOC status to Equilibres & Populations. For our NGO, this is a new milestone that will enable us to advocate more systematically in international discussions at a time when increasingly conservative voices are being heard.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council, known as "ECOSOC," is one of the organs of the UN, along with the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Secretariat. Certain civil society organizations can benefit from "ECOSOC status," which gives them easier access to UN processes.
Equilibres & Populations submitted its application in 2015. Just a year and a half later, the NGO Committee, composed of 19 member states, recommended Equilibres & Populations' application. This means that by summer 2017, our association will officially enjoy special consultative status with ECOSOC.
"We are very pleased with this news. It was not a foregone conclusion. On the day our application was recommended, some 76 NGOs were told to wait. Obtaining status for certain types of NGOs that, like us, work on rights issues, can be an uphill battle!" says Aurélie Gal-Régniez, director of Equilibres & Populations.
This excellent news is in line with the current development of Equilibres & Populations' activities. It is also interesting to note that, in a relatively difficult international context when it comes to sexual and reproductive rights and health, a United Nations body has accepted the candidacy of an association committed to these issues.
