Project Code: STATE-USA-DRL-55
| Project Title | Analysis of the UN Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) Accreditation Process for NGOs |
|---|---|
| Project Summary | Analyze recent trends in UN ECOSOC NGO Committee decisions granting consultative status for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) seeking to attend and participate in UN meetings. |
| Country | United States |
| Agency | Department of State |
| DoS Office | DRL/MLGA |
| Post | N/A |
| Section | N/A |
| Number of Interns | 1 |
The goal of this project is to determine how Member States' political considerations affect the accreditation of certain types of NGOs. This analysis will help develop a data-driven strategy to improve the NGO accreditation process and facilitate civil society’s access to the UN, without discrimination due to political views.
For this project, the intern will:
--Identify trends in UN accreditation for NGOs, including: number of NGO applications received; number of accreditations granted; average length of time for an NGO to receive accreditation; and the percentage of applications deferred by NGO Committee members, among other relevant data.
--Identify the types of NGOs most likely to have their applications deferred.
--Identify the questions Member States most frequently pose to NGOs.
--Present charts and graphs to visualize the data.
--Assess the current NGO accreditation process and outcomes against UN governing documents and resolutions that guide civil society’s participation in the UN.
| Skill(s) |
|---|
| Data analysis |
| Editing and proofreading |
| Political Analysis |
| Research |
| Writing |
The United States seeks ways to improve the functioning of ECOSOC’s NGO Committee, which reviews NGO applications for consultative status to attend and participate in UN meetings. NGOs represent communities on the ground and practitioners in the field and play an important role in bringing new perspectives to UN discourse.
You'll be working on a U.S. foreign policy priority with foreign affairs officer mentors with significant experience in issues of civic space and the UN. Your work will feed directly into the development of U.S. policies to help make the UN more accessible to civil society organizations.