Egypt: The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights granted Consultative Status to the UN
Source:
ECWR The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR) has been granted Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
The Egyptian Center for Women's' Rights is pleased to announce that the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) granted ECWR special consultative status. As one of the main bodies within the United Nations system, the ECOSOC’s mandate is to promote human rights for all.
Comprised of 54 member governments arranged around a number of functional and regional commissions, including the Status on Women, the ECOSOC’s role is to undertake investigations of various economic, social, cultural, education, health and other matters within all of the member countries of the United Nations. The commissions and committees of the ECOSOC prepare reports on their findings, draft conventions, call world conferences and provide recommendations for action to the General Assembly. Within this scope of this work, NGOs play a vital role in keeping governments connected to and informed of local and regional realities.
ECWR will now serve as an expert point of contact for ECOSOC in its research and fact-finding, and will have the opportunity to represent Egyptian and Arab women’s interests at the international level. Participation within ECOSOC will include:
1. ECWR can appoint a representative to the United Nations in New York, Geneva and Vienna, as well as any of the commissions of the ECOSOC.
2. ECWR representatives will have the ability to attend ECOSOC meetings and meetings of the various subsidiary bodies of the ECOSOC.
3. ECWR can generate and circulate statements relevant to the work of any commission, or may be requested to submit a report by a particular commission
4. ECWR can act as advisors and consultants to commissions upon request, undertaking special investigations or studies and preparing specific reports
5. ECWR can participate in the preparatory process for international conferences
The UN ECOSOC will serve as a gateway through which ECWR can engage with other activists and organizations who also strive to work toward social progress and a better quality of living for all. As one of only 3 Egyptian women's organizations granted consultative status, ECWR expects that in addition to having the opportunity to represent Egyptian and Arab women at the international level. We are excited to use this enhanced capacity to assist our partner organizations here in Egypt and the Arab region and use our new access to UN committees and discussions to advance the goals of the entire women's and human rights community.
20 September 2007
The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights
135 Misr-Helwan El Zeraay
2nd Floor, Suite 3
Hadayak El Maadi, Cairo
Egypt
Tel: (20) 2 527.1397 / 528.2176
Fax: (20) 2 528.2175
E-mail: ecwr@link.net
www.ecwronline.org
www.fourliteracies.org
www.awfonline.org
