Autonomous Women’s Centre Granted the ECOSOC Consultant Status

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The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in a session held last month (July 2012), accepted the recommendation of the Committee for Nongovernmental Organizations and granted the special consultant status to the Belgrade-based Autonomous Women’s Centre NGO.

ECOSOC in Session (Photo Ubuntu World Forum of Civil Society Networks)

The consultative status allows the associations and organizations to take active participation in communication and cooperate with ECOSOC and associated bodies, as well as the UN Secretariaate, its programmes, funds and agencies in a variety of manners.

The advantages that the status bring to the NGOs include, among others, participation in the work of the Council with a possibility to hold consultations for members states and the UN system in general; providing expert opinion and advise in the area of expertise; possibility to demand from the Secretary General to put issues of special interest on the ECOSOC agenda; participate and attend the UN sessions; present written statements to the Council.

On the other hand, the organizations have the obligation to present ECOSOC with report on their activities once in every four years.

The Autonomous Women’s Centre is a women’s NGO established in 1993, led in its work by feminist principles and theory. The AWC secures specialist support to the women and promotes individual and institutional response to male violence over women, thus contributing to the strengthening of civil society. (Source: Građanske inicijative/www.womenngo.org.rs)