UN grants “Consultative Status” to Egyptian Federation for Development and Social Protection Policies

-The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) adopted the recommendation of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (19 member) to grant the Egyptian Federation for Development and Social Protection Policies special “consultative status” in accordance with Article 71 of the Charter of the United Nations, which stipulates That: “The Economic and Social Council may make appropriate arrangements for consultation with non-governmental bodies concerned with matters within its competence.”

-The decision to approve the granting of special consultative status to the Egyptian federation will allow it to participate in the work of the council and other UN bodies, consult with member states, and submit written and oral statements to the council by appointing its representatives at UN headquarters and offices in New York, Geneva and Vienna.

-The application for admission of the Egyptian Union for development and social protection policies(EFDSPP) as a consulting body was approved after it met all the international conditions and standards for NGOs and after discussing its application by the committee on NGOs for its resumed session of 2023, which was held at the UN headquarters in New York on May 16, 2023, and the representatives of 19 member states did not object to the application.

-Dr. Salah Hashem, founder of the EFDSPP, expressed his happiness that the federation obtained the consultative status of the Economic and Social Council, which will enable it to participate effectively in the work of the United Nations Council and its subsidiary bodies, saying: “We look forward to working with members of the Economic and Social Council.” in the field of social protection and the protection of human rights.

-Hashem explained that granting the federation the consultative status is due to the association of the federation’s work programs with the UN goals and the culmination of the important role for it in the field of social protection in Egypt, protecting poor, marginalized and vulnerable families, solving their problems, and mobilizing the efforts of individuals, associations and private sectors to bring about development. Contribute to supporting the state’s efforts in meeting the humanitarian, social and economic needs of society.

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-He also indicated that the federation has formed a social protection network consisting of 64 civil associations representing the governorates of Egypt. It seeks to support the involvement of civil society organizations in local and regional networks and alliances that ensure upholding the value of civil, governmental and private sector efforts, and to qualify civil institutions to use the concepts of social protection in their development programs, based on the fact that social protection is considered a developmental idea and not just a phased project.

-At the level of individuals, the federation adopts programs to develop social, psychological and economic awareness, care for groups at risk, empower citizens with their basic social and economic rights, and participate in formulating policies that reflect the real reality.

-At the youth level, the federation seeks to build a generation capable of entrepreneurship and community leadership in the future through the largest network of volunteer youth in Egyptian universities and local communities, as the number of volunteers exceeded 30,000 from all governorates of the Republic.

-The federation works in the following areas: education, health, economic development of the family, income development through micro-lending projects, improving the standard of living of the poor (children, the disabled, women, the elderly), and infrastructure services (sanitation, clean food, drinking water pure), caring for families at risk and improving their living conditions, providing psychological, social and economic support to the families of released prisoners, protecting and preserving the environment, in addition to his interest in the field of human rights, and conducting studies and research by the Strategic Forum for Public Policies and Development Studies “Draya”, the research arm of the federation(https://draya-eg.org/?from=AppAgg.com) .

-The Economic and Social Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations, and the main platform for promoting debate and coordination for economic and social development. The granting of consultative status to non-governmental organizations comes on the recommendation of the United Nations Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, as it is granted after ensuring that its programs are linked to the objectives of the United Nations.

-The decision of the ECOSOC Council, in its session yesterday, Tuesday, included granting 167 non-governmental organizations applying for consultative status from all over the world, postponing the decision on 294 applications in order to continue consideration during its regular session in 2024, and closing the door for consideration of 30 applications without appeal in her eligibility.