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African Rights Initiative, ARII, a Ghanaian non-governmental organization which serves as volunteer-based international relief and development organization, responsible for promoting human dignity and sustainable livelihood in Africa, has received a vital recognition from the United Nations.

The NGO has gained recognition in the past but the latest, and so far the biggest, came from the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, which conferred a Special Consultative Status on the African Rights Initiative International.

The august body, at its coordination and management meeting on April 8, this year, took the decision to honour ARII with the prestigious status, when it adopted the recommendation of its Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, NGOs, on the honour.

The news was conveyed to ARII via a letter dated April 10, 2015, and signed by Alberto Padova, the Acting Chief, NGO Branch Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations.

Of the honour, the letter says that the “Consultative status for an organization enables it to actively engage with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, as well as with the United Nations Secretariat, programmes, funds and agencies in a number of ways.”

And to better understand this relationship, it spells out the privileges that consultative status with ECOSOC confers on ARII, as well as the obligations that the non-profit organization will be required to meet. The privileges include the many ways the ARII could participate in the works of the Council, as well as opportunities to consult with Member States and the United Nations system at large.

These are, however, based on the nature and scope of work that the organization undertakes. “Consultative relationship with NGOs,” the letter underscores, “also enables the Council or one of its bodies to seek expert information or advice from organizations with special competence in a subject matter.”

Other privileges and benefits accruable to ARII, include but not limited to “the opportunity to be informed about the provisional agenda of the Economic and Social Council and the privilege to request the Secretary-General, through the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, to place items of special interest in the provisional agenda of the Council.”

With the Special Consultative Status, the ARII is also entitled to attend meetings and gain access to the United Nations.
“Your status now entitles you to designate official representatives to the United Nations Headquarters in New York and the United Nations offices in Geneva and Vienna,” the letter continues.

“Your representatives will be able to register for and participate in events, conferences and activities of the United Nations, and organizations in general and special consultative status may designate authorized representatives to sit as observers at public meetings of ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, General Assembly, Human Rights Council and other United Nations intergovernmental decision-making bodies.

Those on the Roster may have representatives present at such meetings concerned with matters within their field of competence. These arrangements may be supplemented to include other means of participation.”