India wins crucial election to UN’s NGO committee

India on April 16, 2018 won the elections conducted by UN’s Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations in the Asia Pacific States category.

India amassed the highest number of votes -46, followed by Pakistan 43, Bahrain 40 and China 39. India would now be required to serve a four-year term in the committee along with few other nations beginning on January 1, 2019.

About Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations

It is a standing committee of UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The council focuses on advancing the three dimensions of sustainable development- economic, social and environmental.

The committee’s main tasks include:

- Consideration of applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification submitted by NGOs.

- Consideration of quadrennial reports submitted by NGOs in General and Special categories.

Key Highlights

• In the voting that took place through secret ballot, the ECOSOC elected India, Pakistan, China and Bahrain in the Asia Pacific States category and Brazil, Cuba, Mexico and Nicaragua in the Latin American and Caribbean States category to serve a four-year term beginning on January 1, 2019.

• India received the highest number of votes at 46, followed by Pakistan (43), Bahrain (40) and China 39.

• Iran, which received only 27 votes, lost the elections.

• Besides, 11 other nations were elected by the council by acclamation to serve the same four-year term.

Further, India was elected by acclamation to other subsidiary UN bodies in five separate polls including the Commission on Population and Development for a four-year term and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice for a three-year term.

It was also elected to the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for three-year terms beginning January, 2019.

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