The UNSC in NGO Access

Team Members: E. Howard and A. Huels*

*Note: The team members contributed equally and are listed in alphabetical order.

Blog Post

Increasing NGO Access to the United Nations Security Council

NGOs dramatically increased their contact with the UNSC around 1990 (Paul 2004). This coincided with the increase in the overall activity of the Council. NGOs’ increasing access was around this time that the Council began meeting on a continuous basis in addition to the Council facing a growing policy burden (Paul 2004). As the Council began taking a stronger stance in matters such as peacekeeping, election monitoring, international affairs, and policy analysis, NGOs decided to follow the Council’s actions more closely due to their international policy mandates. These NGOs must not only provide high-quality work but must also demonstrate international recognition and public credibility. 

Why does this need to change? 

Incorporating NGOs can help accomplish UNSC goals by providing security and stability to the most vulnerable and can enhance the legitimacy of the UNSC. Prior to 1990, the UNSC paid little attention to NGO activity. However, as seen in Figure 3 above, NGOs began assuming larger roles in both international affairs and the court of public opinion, and in turn, the Council began to adjust their perceptions. Addressing crisis areas focusing on protecting the vulnerable, which is understood as the expertise of NGOs, became easier with the assistance of these NGOs. 

NGO and UNSC engagements have a direct impact on human lives. In June 2022, the UNSC voted on whether to continue its cross-border response to provide humanitarian aid in Syria for an additional twelve months. This initiative provides nutrition assistance, education, COVID-19 vaccines, and healthcare products to support over four million Syrians affected by the ongoing civil war (International Rescue Committee 2022). Despite lobbying efforts, the UNSC voted to extend its initiative only for six months (United Nations 2022). As a result of this vote, the UNSC will fall short of accomplishing its goals as Syrians will only get some of the critical support they need. If more NGOs, particularly those working directly in the region, had access to UNSC debates and votes perhaps the outcome would have been different. 

Incorporating NGOs can help accomplish UNSC goals to provide security and stability to the most vulnerable. This is accomplished through promoting international campaigns that encourage NGOs to apply for consultative status within the UNSC and improving the process of achieving consultative status by expanding the internal committee on NGOs.

Our Solution

To promote the goals shared by the UNSC and the UN, we should strive to increase NGO membership and representation through international campaigns. We expect to include the NGOs are characterized by the following aspects.

NGOs Working for Greater Council Transparency and Accountability 

NGOs have helped information produced by the UNSC become increasingly available to the public. As NGO access within the last decade has been steadily increasing, the public has become more informed on the actions of the UNSC than ever before leading to the citizenry taking a stronger stance on the demand for accountability. 

NGOs Offering Better Information and Analysis Available to the UNSC

NGO involvement within the UNSC has created a trust-based relationship between NGOs and the UNSC; as a result, more members have relied on the information and analysis provided by NGOs. For example, the ten elected members of the Council faced a large and growing policy burden during the late 1990s. During this time, members actively sought the information provided by NGOs, which clearly proves that the demand for information held by these organizations is high. 

NGOs Assisting in Procedural Reforms

NGOs influenced formal and informal changes in the procedures of the Council. For instance, the Arria Formula was established in 1993 as an informal process to allow outsiders to provide their opinions to the Council. The five permanent members of the Council believed that these meetings should be limited to heads of state and other top officials. NGOs helped prove to the Council that non-Council delegates, including but not limited to humanitarian and human rights voices, should also be heard. In addition to broadening the Arria Formula, NGOs assisted in expanding information on the Council and its work. 

Sources

Stapleton, Shannon. (2017). “What is the UN Security Council?” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations. https://world101.cfr.org/how-world-works-and-sometimes-doesnt/global-governance/what-un-security-council.

“United Nations Security Council |.” United Nations, United Nations, https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/. 

Paul, James. 2004, NGOs and the Security Council. https://archive.globalpolicy.org/security-council/ngo-working-group-on-the-security-council/40406-ngos-and-the-security-council.html#ngo_wg.

“Highlights 2020 Security Council.” United Nations, United Nations, https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/highlights-2020. 

“Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs): United Nations.” Library Guides, https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/c.php?g=496970&p=3401878. 

“Syria: Security Council extends cross-border aid delivery for six months.” (2022). https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1122332

“32 NGO Leaders are calling on the Security Council to renew the resolution, which authorizes the UN to deliver lifesaving aid to millions of Syrians in need, for a period of 12 months.” (2022). https://www.rescue.org/press-release/32-ngo-leaders-are-calling-security-council-renew-resolution-which-authorizes-un