Nicholas Hill
Deputy U.S. Representative to ECOSOC
New York, New York
November 1, 2021
AS DELIVERED
As a long-serving member of the NGO Committee, we take seriously our role on the Committee to protect civic space at the United Nations.
The Committee must be consistent in its approach, and apply clear, transparent procedures that permit the participation of, and provide for the withdrawal of, civil society organizations.
We regret the Committee’s decision to revoke the accreditation of nine NGOs without evidence to substantiate claims that these organizations engaged in activities warranting the revocation of their UN accreditation, as elaborated in ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, articles 55-57.
In addition, we again voice concern regarding some Committee members’ misuse of the “no objection basis” for the politicization of NGO applications.
We also want to underscore that the COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for civil society participation at the UN. Among these challenges is the increased backlog of applications for UN accreditation, created by the rescheduling of NGO Committee meetings in 2020 and 2021.
The United States is committed to advancing the work of the NGO Committee. We continue to reiterate that the Committee’s work should be open, transparent, and accessible to civil society.
We call on member states to do better and work harder to ensure the NGO Committee and the UN are more accessible for civil society organizations. Now more than ever, ECOSOC consultative status is vital for civil society organizations worldwide.
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