NGOs accredited with Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) status, 1946-2016

Since 1946, the UN has allowed non-governmental actors to be present, or even to participate in multilateral debates. NGOs whose request to do so is accepted thus obtain consultative status at the ECOSOC. Three statuses exist: a “general” status granted to large international NGOs whose activities cover several areas; a “special” status which concerns those more specialized in one particular area, and finally a “roster” status which combines the other two. The map shows that accredited NGOs come primarily from the United States (almost 1,000), from Europe (United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, and Italy) but also from India (more than 200), Nigeria, and Pakistan.