[governance] [Fwd: Launch of CSO Net - the Civil Society

[Milton L Mueller]

I don't think IGC should bother with this. The creation of the organizational overhead needed to comply with ECOSOC recognition rules is burdnesome and unnecessary, and only creates an apparatus that could be captured and abused down the road. 

--MM

________________________________________
From: Fouad Bajwa [fouadbajwa at gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 7:52 AM
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Ginger Paque
Subject: Re: [governance] [Fwd: Launch of CSO Net - the Civil Society Network]

Basically this is sort of an interactive information website for
CSOs/NGOs in consultative status with the UN through ECOSOC. An
existing organization that is legally registered in its country of
origin for a period of two or more years and has yearly financial
audit/balance sheets can apply to the UN for this status and
contribute to this space.

Once an organization forwards its application through an associated
system for membership, the request is forwarded to the ECOSOC meeting
that meets a couple of times every year and they take decisions to
whom they should grant the consultative status.

Once the organizations comes in consultative status, the UN issues
ground passes/entry cards to the designated organization
representatives that can be used to access to various UN offices
across the globe. Parminder may be able to share more on this.

I think if IGC would want to go this route, it might have to get
registered legally, that means an on ground office somewhere like I
proposed in Geneva earlier once, and the produce its yearly reports
and audited financial statements and then IGC can get consultative
status with the UN or there may be another possibility to get it
because of the IGF.

The website is an information gateway for exiting members. I think I
can't find a link to get registered as a contributor so its restricted
to existing member organizations.

Best

Fouad

On Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 2:31 AM, Ginger Paque <gpaque at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> FYI
>
> Can we discuss what people know about this?
>
> This looks interesting to follow up by individual organizations, possibly for the IGC itself?
>
> I have not yet looked into this, am passing on for research and discussion.
>
> Best, Ginger
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Launch of CSO Net - the Civil Society Network
> Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:50:43 -0400
> From: DESA NGO Branch <ngonews at un.org>
> To: VirginiaP at diplomacy.edu
>
> Dear NGO Community,
>
> With an increasing number of civil society organizations seeking consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, the NGO Branch of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), is increasingly being called upon to engage with these organizations worldwide on a wide range of issues on the United Nation’s development agenda. There is now a growing demand from organizations from both the developed and developing countries to contribute to the UN’s economic and social agenda, including to the internationally agreed development goals.
>
> In order to facilitate this engagement and provide a suitable platform for civil society, I am pleased to announce that UNDESA has launched a knowledge-based, open networking platform called CSO Net - the Civil Society Network, which is designed to facilitate interaction among civil society groups worldwide, Member States and UN system agencies. The aim is to: share and promote best practices in the field of economic and social development; establish innovative and collaborative development solutions; facilitate partnerships among the users of the portal; and promote interactive discussions through online forums on issues of immediate relevance to the UN’s agenda. This portal can be accessed at http://www.un.org/ecosoc/csonet.
>
> I invite you to visit the portal and explore ways that your organization can contribute to and engage effectively with the NGO Branch and the United Nations system as a whole. The multiple features of the portal provide numerous tools, sources of information and news about civil society and the UN that are designed, as much to inform you about the UN’s work, and as much as to highlight and facilitate civil society contribution to the UN’s development goals. We look forward to reinforcing our partnership with civil society in order to deliver on our global commitments. To that end, I very much look forward to your suggestions, feedback and recommendations on the use of this portal and the way forward.
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
> Sha Zukang
> Under-Secretary-General
> Department of Economic and Social Affairs
> United Nations
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>     governance at lists.cpsr.org
> To be removed from the list, send any message to:
>     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org
>
> For all list information and functions, see:
>     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance
>
> Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.cpsr.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance

Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.cpsr.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance

Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t