NGO accreditation to COSP-CRPD

APPLICATION FOR NEW NGO ACCREDITATION TO THE CONFERENCE OF STATES PARTIES TO THE CRPD CLOSED ON 5 MAY 2017.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 61/106 of 13 December 2006. Article 40 of the Convention stipulates that “The States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties in order to consider any matter with regard to the implementation of the present Convention.”

According to the rule 25 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, accreditation shall be granted to:

• Non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council;
• Non-governmental organizations previously accredited to the Ad Hoc Committee on the Convention,
• Other non-governmental organizations subject to the approval of the Conference by consensus.

Rule 25, paragraph 5 (c) stipulates that requests for accreditation by non-governmental organizations should be circulated to State Parties four weeks in advance of the session for consideration and for official approval of the Conference by consensus, at the first meeting of the session.

See the current List of NGOs that have already been accredited to the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP)

Application for accreditation to the Conference of States Parties

• Only NGOs accredited by the Conference of States Parties can participate in the sessions of the Conference of States Parties. NGOs that have consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) or were accredited to the Ad Hoc Committee on the Convention are already accredited to the Conference of States Parties. All other NGOs wishing to participate in the Conference of States Parties must apply for accreditation to the Conference.
• Accreditation is a one-time process by which non-governmental organizations that have not previously been accredited become eligible to participate as observers in the Conference of States Parties (including in future sessions).
• Accreditation is granted to organizations and not to individuals.

See also ECOSOC resolution: http://www.un.org/documents/ecosoc/res/1996/eres1996-31.htm for more information on NGO participation in the work of the United Nations.