Participation of NGOs at the Fourth Working Session
United Nations Headquarters, New York, 12 to 15 August 2013
1. Participation of NGOs
2. Applying for Accreditation - The deadline is 12 July 2013
3. Online Pre-registration for NGOs with ECOSOC Status and previously accredited organizations - The deadline is 2 August 2013
4. Travel and Visas
At its 1st meeting, on 15 February, the Open-ended Working Group adopted a draft decision entitled “Modalities of participation of non-governmental organizations in the work of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing”.
In this regard, the Open- ended Working Group on Ageing decided:
- To invite relevant intergovernmental organizations and other entities that have observer status with the General Assembly to participate in its work;
- That accreditation of non-governmental organizations to the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing shall be granted to all relevant non-governmental organizations enjoying consultative status with the Economic and Social Council;
- That other relevant non-governmental organizations, not falling within the above categories, may apply to the Secretariat for such accreditation, and that their applications should contain all the information on the competence of the organization and the relevance of its activities to the work of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing, as specified in paragraph 44 of Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31 of 25 July 1996, and in respect of those applications;
- To keep in mind the principle of equitable geographical participation of non-governmental organizations in the work of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing;
- That the arrangements outlined above shall in no way create a precedent for other open-ended working groups of the General Assembly. "
Full text available here: A/AC.278/2011/2 English | Français | Español | Русский | عربي | 汉语
Accreditation is the formal process by which NGOs are allowed to participate in the work of the Open-ended Working Group. Accreditation is granted to organizations and not to individuals. NGOs in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) are automatically accredited to the Open-ended Working Group. However, they should pre-register online for each session. All other NGOs must apply for accreditation in order to participate in the sessions of the Open-ended Working Group. Accreditation to the Open-ended Working Group need only be done once and applies for all sessions.
The United Nations Secretariat reviews applications against criteria outlined in paragraphs 44-45 of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, and provides a list of NGOs seeking accreditation to States members of the Open-ended Working Group no later than two weeks prior to the second session and four weeks prior to following sessions of the Open-ended Working Group to receive their comments.
NGOs wishing to be accredited to the Open-ended Working Group MUST follow the three steps below to apply for accreditation.
Step1: Application Form
In order to apply for accreditation, your organization MUST send by email at ageing-working-group@un.org the application form (in Word Document).
Please note that the deadline for submitting an application for accreditation to the fourth session is 12 July 2013.
Step2: Create a Profile
Once the application form is submitted, we will review the applications (the process might take up to two weeks after you have sent your application) and you will receive an email with instructions to create an online profile in our Integrated Civil Society Organizations System (iCSO).
Step3: Approval of Accreditation
Please let us know once your online profile is created. We will review it and submit it to Member States for their approval.
If your organization is approved, you will receive an email as soon as possible with further instructions to pre-register online .
If you have any questions regarding Accreditation, please contact:
DSPD Focal Point on Ageing,
Division for Social Policy and Development,
United Nations Secretariat Building,
29th Floor,
New York, NY 10017
Fax: 1 (212) 963 3062
Email: ageing-working-group@un.org
NGOs MUST pre-register online in order to attend this session by using the link below. Online pre-registration is a necessary step for all representatives of NGOs attending meetings organized by the United Nations. Issuance of ground-passes for NGO representatives is conditioned upon pre-registration. NGO representatives in possession of annual ground-passes should also pre-register.
It is strongly recommended that you use the online pre-registration in order to expedite your application at the following link below:
Click here to start the Online Pre-Registration for NGOs in Consultative Status with ECOSOC and previously accredited to the Open-ended Working Group
You must click on the Registration link (as shown in the image below) using your assigned username and password. Once logged in, click on the link titled "Click here to Designate Representatives to this Event". An automatic email is sent to the NGO confirming each representative’s participation. Please be advised that the approval process might take up to 5 days.
You must login again by visiting the same link to download your letter of confirmation. The deadline for pre-registration is 2 August 2013.
Should there be any issues with the Online Pre-Registration and for more information about NGOs Participation at the Open-ended Working Group, please contact:
Civil Society and Outreach Unit,
Division for Social Policy and Development,
2 United Nations Plaza,
Room DC2-1324,
New York, NY 10017
Fax: 1 (212) 963 3062
Email: ngo@un.org
Arrangements for travel, including visa procedures, accommodation and transportation are the responsibility of NGOs and not of the United Nations Secretariat. NGOs need to deal directly with representatives of the host Government. The United Nations will send a confirmation letter to accredited NGOs, once their representatives have completed the process of pre-registration. This may be used to request a visa from the United States authorities. The Secretariat is in no position to assist in the visa process.