Open Letter to Members of the UN’s General Assembly Regarding the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs - Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

To: Member States of the UN General Assembly

Cc: President of ECOSOC, President of the General Assembly, President of the Human Rights Council, UN Secretary General.

Excellencies:

We are five months out from elections to the ECOSOC Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations for the 2023-2026 term. These are key elections for all those who value the expertise of civil society and seek to ensure the UN can benefit from it.

The Secretary General has called civil society the UN’s ‘indispensable partners’. Member States recently committed to boosting partnerships ‘to ensure an effective response to our common challenges’. In recommending approval of the participation of non-governmental organisations in a range of UN bodies and processes, the Committee on NGOs plays a key role in facilitating such partnerships. It is essential that the members of the Committee are committed to fulfilling such a task fairly and judiciously.

With this in mind, we would like to request the following, that:

States with an interest in facilitating and safeguarding civil society access to and participation in UN processes stand for election to the Committee.
Candidates make public the reasons for their candidacy and their commitment to fulfil their responsibilities as members of the Committee, as per ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31.
All regions put up competitive slates, as the Asia-Pacific and GRULAC regions did in the last elections for the Committee in 2018. Competitive elections are important to create buy in to the process and encourage states to be accountable for their commitments.
All regions make public candidacies at least two months before the elections to allow for proper consideration of candidates.
All ECOSOC members vote (and be encouraged to vote) only for candidates with positive track records in regard to civil society access and participation. Candidates could be assessed in regard to indicators such as support for relevant UN resolutions, such as those on civil society space and human rights defenders; on responses to cases of intimidation and reprisals; and on national level initiatives to safeguard civic space, press freedom – online as offline – and the right to defend human rights.
ECOSOC members should consider introducing term limits for membership of the Committee on NGOs, among other reforms encouraging openness and accountability. As with other UN bodies, states should be required to leave the Committee for a specific interval of time after serving for a maximum agreed period. Term limits would encourage greater diversity in membership over time and encourage states to step up as candidates.

The Committee on NGOs is entrusted with the task of facilitating civil society access so that the expertise and experience of civil society partners can enrich and inform UN debates. It needs members that are committed to fulfilling the Committee’s mandate in a fair, transparent, non discriminatory, expeditious and apolitical manner. It falls on all member states – as potential candidates and / or electors – to ensure that the Committee membership is fit for purpose.

Please elect to stand up for civil society!

Yours sincerely,

Aboriginal Drug & Alcohol Council (SA) Aboriginal Corporation

Acceso a la Justicia

Access Now

Acción Solidaria

Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights

Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Addameer)

AfricaNPUD

AfroLatin@Project

Agência Piaget para o Desenvolvimento (APDES)

Agir Ensemble pour les Droits Humains Ágora México

AIDS Action Europe

Alcohol and Drug Foundation Australia

Al-Erada Organization for Relief and Development

Al-Haq

Al Hub Wa Al Salam Iraqi Globally Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights Alliance for Diversity and Equality (AfED)

Alliance Nationale des Communautés pour la Santé Sénégal (ANCS)

Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

ALQST for Human Rights

Altaqwa Association for Women and Child Rights

Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)

Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS)

Amnesty International

Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice

Anhur Foundation

Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU)

Arab Network for Knowledge about Human Rights (ANKH)

ARTICLE 19

ASEAN SOGIE Caucus

Asian Conference on Education & International Development (ACEID)

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

Asociación Civil Red Ciudadana

Association de Parents et Amis de Disparus au Maroc

Association for Progressive

Communications (APC)

Association Margina from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Association Mauritanienne pour la Promotion des Droits de l’Homme (AMPDH)

Association of Anti-bribery Management System Practitioners Malaysia

Association pour le Respect du Droit des Populations Autochtones, du

Développement Durable et du Droit de l’Homme (ARPA2DH)

ASUD

Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council (AADC)

Autistic Minority International

AWTAD Anti-Corruption Organization

Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRDBH)

Bahrain Transparency Association Beneby Enterprises, LLC

Bensther Development Foundation Berkeley Patients Group

Botswana Watch Organization

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

Caleidoscopio Humano

Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights Center for Constitutional Rights

Center for Innovative and Pragmatic Development Initiative (CIPDI)

Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN) Center for Reproductive Rights

Center Women and Modern World Centre for Human Rights Movement Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation (CDPE) Centro de Convivência É de Lei

Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS)

Centro de Justicia y Paz (Cepaz)

Centro de Orientación e Investigación Integral (COIN)

Centro InterculturaCidade (ACI)

Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental, A.C. (CEMDA)

Centro por la Justicia y Derechos Humanos de la Costa Atlántica de Nicaragua (CEJUDHCAN)

Centros de Integración Juvenil (CIJ) Child Rights Connect

CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality

Chronic Illness Advocacy & Awareness Group (CIAAG)

CityWide Drugs Crisis Campaign Ireland

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)

Coalición Boliviana de Colectivos LGBTI

Coalition Ivoirienne des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CIDDH)

Coexistence Organisation for Relief and Development

Collectif des Associations Contre l’Impunité au Togo (CACIT)

Collectif des Familles de Disparu(e)s en Algérie (CFDA)

Collectif Urgence Toxida

Comisión Colombiana de Juristas Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative

Concile Mondiale de Congrès

Diplomatiques des Aumoniers pour la Paix Universelle des Droits Humains et Juridiques

Conectados Pela Vida

Conectas Direitos Humanos

Consejo Regional Indígena y Popular de Xpujil

Conselho Indigenista Missionário (CIMI) Corporación Viso Mutop Colombia

Correlation European Harm Reduction Network

Czech AIDS Help Society

DaMigra

Dar Africa

Darya Organization for Developing Women and Community

Dawei Probono Lawyer Network

DefendDefenders – East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project

Derechos Humanos y Litigio Estratégico Mexicano (DLM – Mexico)

Deutsche Aidshilfe

Dianova International

DRCNet Foundation Inc

Drug Policy Network South East Europe Društvo AREAL

Elternkreis Wien Verein zur Förderung der Selbsthilfe für Angehörige von

Suchtkranken

Empowerment for Sustainable Livelihood (EFSL)

Engineering Association for Development and Environment

Epikeia DDHH

Episteme. Investigación e Intervención Social

ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for the Western Balkans and Turkey

Ethiopian Initiative for Human Rights (EIHR)

Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA)

European AIDS Treatment Group

European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD)

Eurothink – Center for European Strategies Expert Forum (EFOR)

FAAAT Think & Do Tank

Fédération Addiction

Fédération Euro-Méditerranéenne Contre les Disparitions Forcées (FEMED)

Fédération Internationale pour les Droits Humains (FIDH)

FIACAT

Fields of Green for ALL

F’INE Pasifika Aotearoa Trust

Forum Droghe

Forum Réfugiés-Cosi

Fòs Feminista

Franciscans International

Fundação Portuguesa “A Comunidade Contra a SIDA” (FPCCSIDA)

Fundación de Ayuda contra la Drogadicción (FAD)

Fundación Gente Positiva CR

Fundación Multitudes

Fundación Red por la Infancia

Fundamental Human Rights & Rural Development Association FHRRDA

Global Action for Trans Equality Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC)

Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR)

Global Justice Center

Green Crescent Ethiopia

Green Development Advocates (GDA) Gulf Centre for Human Rights

Guyanese Association of Harm Reduction (AGRRR)

Harm Reduction Australia (HRA) Harm Reduction International

Health Poverty Action

Healthy Options Project Skopje (HOPS) Hearts On Venezuela

Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights Hepatitis Australia

HIV Justice Network

HIV Legal Network

Hope and Trust

HPLGBT

Human Rights Campaign

Human Rights Defenders Network – Sierra Leone (HRDN-SL)

Human Rights House Foundation Human Rights Watch

Humanists International

IFEX

Indonesian Harm Reduction Network (JANGKAR)

Institute for Development of Freedom of Information

Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH)

Institute of Legislative Ideas

Integrity Initiatives International

Intercambios Asociación Civil

International Accountability Project

International Association of Applied Psychology

International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)

International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS)

International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)

International Council of Women; National Council of Women Austria

International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN)

International Drug Law Advocacy and Resource Center (IDLARC)

International Drug Policy Consortium

International Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers

International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality)

International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World)

International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR)

International Movement for Advancement of Education Culture Social & Economic Development (IMAECSED)

International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse

International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD)

International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)

International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific

Iranti South Africa

Iraqi Al-Amal Association

Jacob Blaustein Institute for the

Advancement of Human Rights

Japan Advocacy Network for Drug Policy Jeunesse pour une Nouvelle Société (JNS) Jordan Transparency Center

Just Fair

Justice for All

Justitia Center for Legal Protection of Human Rights in Algeria

Kampania Przeciw Homofobii (Campaign Against Homophobia)

Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC)

Khairat Al-Nahraeen of Human

Organization

Kilómetro 0

KIOS Foundation

Kuchlak Welfare Society (KWS)

Balochistan Pakistan

Laboratorio de Paz

LakanBini Advocates Pilipinas

Larsa Organization

Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) LEAP Europe

Legal Resources Centre (LRC)

Louisiana Veterans for Medical Cannabis

Maecenata Foundation

Mainline Foundation

Mangfoldhuset

MANODIVERSA

Mediterranean Dialogue Center

MENA Rights Group

Mesa de Trabajo Nacional (MTN)

México Unido Contra la Delincuencia (MUCD)

Mother and Child Development

Organization (MCDO)

Mother Teresa Foundation

Movement for Democracy and Prosperity in Azerbaijan

Multidisciplinary Association for

Psychedelic Studies Canada

Mwatana for Human Rights

Namibia Diverse Women’s Association (NDWA)

Narasha Community Development Group Narconon Nigeria Initiative

National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC) Neengar Society

Network of the Independent Commission for Human Rights in North Africa (CIDH AFRICA)

New York NGO Committee on Drugs No Borders Humanity Organization (NBH) NORML France

Northern Citizen Community Board (NCCB)

Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Los Andes

Observatório de Economia e Gestão de Fraude (OBEGEF)

Observatorio Penal Mérida (OPEM DDHH)

OpenMedia

Option2world Initiative Against Drug Abuse

Organization for Addiction Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation (OAPTAR)

OutRight Action International

Oyu Tolgoi Watch

Pan Africa ILGA (PAI)

Paropakar Primary Health Care Centre PPUK

Partnership for Justice, Nigeria

Pathways for Women’s Empowerment and Development (PaWED)

Peace Track Initiative (PTI)

Pink Human Rights Defender NGO

Pioneer Filipino Transgender Men Movement

Plan International

Planet Ally

Plateforme Droits de l’Homme (PDH) Pont de la Solidarité

Positiiviset ry HivFinland

Positive Voice

Positive Women

Project on Organizing, Development, Education, and Research (PODER)

Promoting Empowerment Through Awareness for Lesbian and Bisexual Women (PETAL)

Protección Internacional Mesoamérica

Proyecto Centros de Atención Laboral, Escuela Nacional Sindical, Colombia

Purity Care Investment

Queer Singapore

Rainbow Community Kampuchea Organisation (RoCK)

Rainbow Pride Foundation (RPF) Recovering Justice

Recovering Nepal (RN)

Red Internacional de Derechos Humanos (RIDH, Suiza/Ginebra)

Rede Nacional de Mulheres Negras no Combate á Violência

ReLeaf Malta

Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF)

Research Institute Without Walls

Réseau Nigérien des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (RNDDH)

Réseau Ouest Africain des Défenseurs des Droits Humains

REVS PLUS

Rights Realization Centre (RRC)

Rivers Without Boundaries Coalition – Mongolia

Romanian Association Against AIDS (ARAS)

Sadaa Center for Human Development Safoi Konibodom

SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights (SALAM DHR)

San Patrignano Foundation

SEDRA-Federación de Planificación Familiar (SEDRA-FPFE)

Shine Africa Foundation – Teso (SAF TESO)

Sisters of Charity Federation

Skilled Iraqi Woman Foundation

Social Research & Evaluation Pty Limited Solace Initiative

Solidarité Internationale LGBTQI SOS Africaines en Danger

South Asian Drugs and Addictions Research Council

Spero

Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Sudanese Women Rights Action

Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)

Ta’afi Initiative Syria

The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation

The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK)

The Global Alliance for LGBT Education (GALE)

The Global Interfaith Network (GIN SSOGIE)

The Good Lobby

The Institute for Studies of Society, Economy & Environment (iSEE)

The International Youth Parliament (IYP) The Jus Semper Global Alliance

The Lesbian and Gay Association of Liberia (LEGAL)

The National Organization of Yemeni Reporters SADA

The Stockholm Drug Users Union The WPS Group

Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education (TRUCE)

Tournons La Page

Trans* Support Organization – Kenya Transform Drug Policy Foundation

Transformation Self Motivation (TSM) Consultants

Transgender Europe (TGEU)

Transparency International

Transparency International Taiwan

Transvanilla Transgender Association

Uganda Key Populations Consortium (UKPC)

Ukrainian Network of People who Use Drugs (PUD.UA/ VOLNA)

Ukrainian Network of Women who Use Drugs (UNWUD)

UNANIMA International

UNCAC Coalition

Unchained At Last

Unidad de Protección a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala (UDEFEGUA)

UNIDOS – Rede Nacional de Redução de Danos

Union contre la Co-infection

VIH/Hépatites/Tuberculose (UNICO HIV/HV/TB)

Union for Equity and Health, Moldova Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA) Unitarian Universalist Association Unitarian Universalist Service Committee United Nations Association, UK

United Nations Program, Occidental College

Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights

Urnas Abiertas

Uzbek Forum for Human Rights

Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC)

VIVAT International

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN)

West African Human Rights Defenders’ Network

Western Pacific Palliative Care Advocacy Network; Australasian Palliative Link International

Women Supporting Women Association (WSW)

Women Nest