CONCLUSION PART IVhttp://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo/A review of the work of the Committee on NGOs over the last decade reveals that a great deal of effort was dedicated to the re-organization and simplification of work procedures in order to keep abreast of increasiin demands from NGOs for consultative status. The due diligence of the Committee is evidenced by the numerous initiatives taken to address core issues that hindered the work of the Committee, most of which relaate to delayed implementation of actions or cumbersoom processes that were less than responsive to the growing needs of the NGO community. As a result of the dedication and persistence of all the chairmen, the period is also characterized by significant improvemeent in the workflow, evidenced by the exponential increase in the number of NGOs that were able to achieve consultative status with ECOSOC, from 322 in 1998-1999 to 3,187 in 2008. One of the main areas of focus was the strengthening of the NGO Section of UNDESA. As the mainstay and support for the work of the NGO Committee, the structuur and functioning of this office was an imperative that required the attention of each successive Chairmaan The driving force for this reform effort has almost exclusively been due to an ever-increasing workload of the Section in response to an increase in NGO particippatio in ECOSOC, as well as the need for highquaalit contribution to the inter-governmental process. The demand for expediting the accreditation process for NGOs had a significant impact on the pace of work for the NGO Section and the work of the Committee, leading to numerous initiatives that proved to be both innovative and ground-breaking. Procedural changes were instituted, leading to the organization of informal and preparatory meetings that helped to reduce the backlog in reviewing applications. Such sweeping changes resulted in a record number of NGOs being recommended for consultative status, and clearing pending issues for a significant number of organizatiion in Roster status. Furthermore, innovations such as the Paperless Committte had a multi-faceted impact in the work of the NGO Committee. The efficacious use of technology helped in: streamlining the work of the Committee by cutting down on the elaborate and time-consuming process for processing applications; drastic cost reducttion by trimming staff time, the use of stationary and mailing charges; and promoting environmental sustainability by conserving paper. By 2008, the Paperrles Committee had not only managed to generaat $1.5 million in savings per year in staff costs, but also made communications with NGO representatives more effective. The system evolved from a record retriieva system to a full-scale record management and meeting system which now manages the core processes of the NGO Section and facilitates coordinattio of information not only among Committee membeers but also between the Secretariat and the applicants. This ten-year period was also distinguished by the establiishmen and launch of the UN NGO Informal Regioona Networks (NGO-IRENE), which further helped to reduce the gap between the northern and southern NGOs and focusing more on a consensus-building approoach More recently, complementary activities, such as an emphasis on the MDGs Outreach Programme, greater focus on research and training on the MDGs, and a proposal for the establishment of MDG Centres of Excellence renewed the focus on communication and information dissemination initiatives for the NGOs to reinvigorate the community with a sense of urgency about meeting the goals by 2015. It has become as much about sharing of information as about the need to work in concert with each other to explore innovatiiv solutions to persistent problems as well as new crises. Challenges and constraints Notwithstanding the achievements, the challenges faced by the NGO Committee and the NGO Section at DESA have also been significant. The sharp increase in requests for accreditation since 2001 necessitated a strategic review of the support that the NGO Sectiio was set up to provide to the Committee. Insufficiien staff and resources meant inordinate delays in processing the volume of paperwork for accreditation. Additionally, with the increase in the number of NGOs from developing countries seeking consultative status with ECOSOC, the application procedures were likewiis under scrutiny since they were not sufficiently attuune to the needs and technological shortcomings of applicants from developing countries. Methods of enforcement to fulfill the requirements for obtaining and maintaining consultative status were CONCLUSION NGO COMMITTEE TEN YEARS REVIEW PAGE 55NGO COMMITTEE TEN YEARS REVIEW PAGE 56 http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo/also seriously hampered. For NGOs in Roster status awaiting accreditation, few, if any, enforcement mechaniism were in place to receive timely feedback on questions and queries posed by Committee members to the NGOs whose accreditation was pending. As a result, it was not unusual to have NGOs on Roster stattu for an indefinite period. Another area of concern was the enforcement of the submission of Quadrenniia Reports from NGOs that were already in consultattiv status. As the only mechanism for verifying the NGOsʼ continued commitment and work towards achieving the MDGs, the importance of the reports are deemed to be paramount in determining the credibiliit and effectiveness of the partnership. One of the most serious challenges that continues to concern the Committee is that of raising awareness of the importance of MDGs among civil society. With insuffiicien or incomplete information about the applicatiio of the MDGs towards the achievement of national development goals, there is as yet little momentum on garnering support for improved coordination and coherrenc on the development agenda for most NGOs. Such a stance may be counter-productive to improviin partnership with the wider UN system where the need is greater than ever before to focus on substantiiv issues in the global development agenda that are of mutual interest, benefit and accountability to both the UN and its partners. The way forward As the most visible body working in the vanguard of UN-NGO relations, the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs is the only intergovernmental body to deal with the relationship between the NGO community and the ECOSOC. As such, partly due to pragmatic consideratiion and partly motivated by creative thinking, a number of Committee chairmen have undertaken to refine the role of the NGO Committee and thereby influuenc the nature of this unique relationship. A selective process for vetting NGOs for accreditation confers the organizations with responsibility and a set of expectations that are intended to help them engage in the UNʼs intergovernmental processes. However, consultative status per se, does not necessarily lead to greater substantive engagement between UN agenciie and the NGOs. The reasons for that are many. Going beyond procedural issues to substantive engageemen is a leap that many organizations are either unfamiliar with or do not have sufficient information about. Educating NGOs about the work of the UN, facilittatin the dissemination of information and communicaatin the UNʼs messages down to the field level means that much thought has to be expended on the channels for outreach and communication. Although information and communication technologies (ICTs) CONCLUSIONhttp://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo/can be one of the most effective means for that purpoose ICTs may not be the most cost effective or easiil accessible to audiences in developing countries. Existing partnerships, such as with UNDPI, CONGO, UNITAR, the Global Compact, AICESIS, WFUNA and NGLS, among others, should be explored as potentiia vehicles for broadening the outreach capabilities of the NGO Section. Facilitating this level of outreach will also require coordinaatio within the UN system and the funds and agencies that have the resources, infrastructure and working knowledge of NGOs in the respective countrrie of operation. Such an initiative presupposes a liaiiso function within the NGO Section that would be fully devoted to interacting with other agencies on a regular basis, and keeping abreast of information and updates on NGOs that have prior, established relatiion with those agencies. A shared database of NGOs within the UN system would not only create more transparency in the process, but prove equally beneficial to the NGOs by potentially providing them entry and access to the wider UN system. Systematic feedback from the community of users is another critical element in addressing concerns, shariin information and promoting collaborative initiatives that will enrich and energize the NGOs in consultative status. It will also enable them to act as a think-tank on grassroots development issues. Such a level of engageemen will require the effective management and use of the UN NGO-IRENE network, complemented by thematic workshops on selected topics that could be designed to articulate issues of priority, as well as of concern to the NGO community. The recently adopted resolution 2008/5 provides just such an opporttunit for the NGO Section to provide advisory services to the NGOs. Consultations among NGOs and coalitions of NGOs could be facilitated by the NGO Section and the Regional Coordinators to enabbl the community of practitioners to set a clearly defiine agenda for themselves. To put things in perspective, it is increasingly necessaar to consider the potential participation of NGOs in consultative status at UN global forums and events where critical discussions are helping to determine the future of development cooperation. With a number of global crises that are competing for attention at this time, engagement in global debates of this kind may not remain a matter for hypothetical discussion but rather of necessity. In recent months, one of the newer initiatives of the ECOSOC was the High Level Development Cooperatiio Forum (DCF). Launched in 2007, it is now the focal point in the UN system for discussions and deliberattion on mutual accountability and aid effectiveneess In vigorously promoting an inclusive agenda, the DCF made remarkable progress in bringing a large number of NGOs into partnership with the Forum, with a view to engaging them in substantive discussions on the effectiveness of aid. Given the potential impact and repercussions of this type of engagement at the global and regional level, the work of the Committee on NGOs takes on a new relevance and meaning that was not envisaged heretofore. It brings attention to the future involvement of the NGOs in consultative status at the 2010 DCF and their potential for engagement with other stakeholders in development cooperation, including donor agencies, member countries, parliamentaarians local governments and the private sector, as equal partners. In moving the work of the NGO Committee forward, and in meeting the growing demand for greater representtatio of NGOs at ECOSOC, management of informmatio will be key to the growth of UN-NGO relations. To accomplish this objective, a comprehensiiv database on NGOs in consultative status should be established as a necessary tool for just such a function. Efforts would have to focus on restructuring and updating the existing database to allow better classification and data collection on the organizationsʼ specific areas of work and focus, country-specific and regional experience, size, composition and resources of the NGO, and achievements on national and internatioonall agreed development goals, among others. The database would serve as an information managemeen tool, linked to the NGO-IRENE. It would also serve as a quick reference guide for facilitating access and information to both the participating NGOs as well as to agencies within the UN system. And last, but not least, the resources of the DESA NGO Section would have to be commensurate with its responsibilities to enable it to effectively carry out its mandate. The foundation has been laid to strengthen the relationship between the UN and civil society by integrating analytical capacity with technical cooperatiio activities. But much is yet to be done. The reliance on qualitative support and strategic vision from the NGO Section is both implicit and explicit, and will have a direct bearing on the commitment and ability of the office to build on its past performance. CONCLUSION NGO COMMITTEE TEN YEARS REVIEW PAGE 57