Mission Statement

What is NGLS?

The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) is a small inter-agency programme with offices in Geneva and New York and a combined staff of ten. It was established in 1975 to strengthen UN-NGO dialogue and cooperation in the fields of development education, information and policy advocacy on global sustainable development issues. Reflecting its UN inter-agency, system-wide character, NGLS reports annually to its Programme and Coordination Meeting (in which its 18 sponsoring UN agencies and others participate), to the Joint United Nations Information Committee (JUNIC), its governing body, and through JUNIC to the UN Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC), the highest administrative committee of the UN system, chaired by the Secretary-General.

What issues does NGLS cover?

NGLS is concerned with the entire UN sustainable development agenda. It works with Secretariat Departments, UN agencies, programmes, funds, Convention Secretariats and other bodies and organizations of the UN system working in the areas of economic and social development, sustainable development, humanitarian emergencies, human rights, including women’s rights and related issues such as disarmament and democratization. NGLS also cooperates actively with relevant and competent non-governmental organizations from developed and developing countries, from countries with economies in transition and with international non-governmental organizations that work on the global issues on the UN agenda. As an interlocutor on the UN system interface with non-governmental organizations NGLS organizes its work around four basic programme areas:

• information outreach and communications;

• integrated follow-up to UN world conferences and summits;

• strengthening the capacity of the UN system to engage constructively with NGOs and other organizations of global civil society;

• strengthening the capacity of NGOs and global civil society to participate constructively in the work of the UN system.

With whom does NGLS work?

NGLS works primarily with development NGOs in industrialized countries, with international NGOs and NGO networks, and with Southern NGOs wishing to participate in, and contribute to, UN system events, processes and activities.

NGLS collaborates with the entire UN development system, particularly the organizations and programmes which sponsor its activities. In 1998 these were: UNICEF (lead agency), UNCTAD (administering agency), FAO, IFAD, ILO, UNHCR, UNCHS (Habitat), UNIDO, UN/DPCSD, UN/DPI, UNDP, UNESCO, UNEP, UNDCP, UNFPA, the World Bank, WFP, and WHO. Currently, the Service also receives support from a number of governments, including those of Canada, Denmark, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and from the United Nations Foundation.

What does NGLS do?

Among other things, NGLS:

• brings important development-related issues and activities of the UN system to the attention of NGOs, supports NGOs and NGO networks active on issues and themes under discussion in the UN system, and facilitates NGO participation in, and activities around, UN conferences, events and processes;

• supports the UN system in the development of its policies, activities and cooperation with NGOs through improved mutual understanding, enhanced participation and dialogue, and strengthened partnerships;

• jointly organizes meetings or other special events with NGOs and/or UN system agencies and puts NGOs in touch with organizations sharing similar interests and with appropriate UN system offices;

• maintains databases on the NGO community and the UN system and regularly publishes directories, publicizes important and interesting UN and NGO development activities and publishes a wide range of information and other materials;

• advises NGOs and others, on request, on the design and implementation of programmes of development education, research, information and public awareness and advocacy campaigns;

• monitors and reports upon the changing roles of Northern, Southern and international development NGOs, and other civil society organizations, their relations with governments and multilateral organizations, etc.

NGLS does not fund projects, provide scholarships, make available official UN sales publications, or distribute publicity items. It is not a membership organization, but works with the NGO community on an informal basis. It has no procedures for the official registration or recognition of NGOs with the UN system.