Non-Governmental Organizations and the United Nations System History, Problems and Prospects

Résumé du document

NGOs have been active in the United Nations (U.N.) system since its inception in 1945. Although the U.N. was created as an intergovernmental organization, there was a need since the early days of the Organization to allow representatives of the civil society to participate, through formal and informal procedures, to agenda-making, negotiation and decision-making processes. A little more than 60 years after the creation of the United Nations, NGOs are now well integrated, sometimes even embedded, in the system. However, the history of the relations between NGOs and the U.N. has not always been a peaceful one, and although NGOs have enjoyed a continuous growth of their powers within the system, they have also known some setbacks. In the process, both the NGOs and the U.N. system have dramatically changed and have had to adapt to new institutional and international environments. Today, they both have to deal with the new challenges that the 21st century has brought.

Extraits

[...] NGOs are involved in several ways with U.N. bodies NGOs participate in the works of the U.N. system through several informal and formal ways, with several U.N. bodies. Methods of engagement include, but are not limited to, ‘feedback, opinion mobilization, service delivery, network creation, education, norm creation, agenda setting, monitoring and surveillance.'[10] Consultative status of NGOs with ECOSOC Since its creation in 1945, the U.N. allowed the formal participation of several NGOs in the U.N. decision-making process through consultative status with ECOSOC.[11] This system is now governed by ECOSOC resolution 1996/31 which outlines the eligibility requirements for consultative status, the rights and obligations of NGOs, and various procedural matters. [...]

[...] However, a new framework of cooperation appeared to be necessary in order to regulate the relations between the United Nations and the civil society. As a result, the U.N. engaged in a process of formalization of its relations with the civil society, with Resolution 1996/31 that became the new framework for cooperation. At the end of the twentieth century, the NGO community working at the U.N. had little in common with the one that helped to draft the U.N. Charter of 1945. [...]

[...] has been created as an intergovernmental organization and its internal decision-making process is based on member states' participation. Although the voice of the civil society is welcomed in an organization that seeks to promote world security and development through mutual understanding, one would wonder how institutionalized this voice should be. NGOs constantly seek to be integrated to the U.N. system through formal consultation and decision-making processes, but experience has shown[30] that most formal meetings and hearings do not allow NGOs to have beneficial relations with delegates and U.N. [...]

[...] Secondly, NGOs from the developing world started participating in the U.N. system through World Conferences and Summits. Finally, the monopoly of INGOs in the U.N. ended as new types of national and regional NGOs made their way into the U.N. system.[7] This phenomenon sparked the anger of INGOs that allied with the most reluctant member States in order to preserve their vested interests.[8] However, this manoeuvre failed, and non- governmental organizations were therefore stronger and more legitimate. Instead of perceiving the rise of NGOs as a threat, the U.N. [...]

[...] system, but they also have working relationships with various U.N. bodies for the attainment of common goals.[23] For example, the U.N. frequently turns to NGOs to carry out various missions in the field, such as the delivery of social or medical services. These missions usually occur in situations of acute crisis or post-conflict peace building; thanks to their local expertise and networks, NGOs are the ideal players to execute programs that are tailor- made to the needs of the local populations. [...]