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About us Annual Report Our People Advisors Council Members Friends and Partners Staff and Researchers Partners and Affiliations ASEAN ISIS NetRes/APFED UN Consultative Asia Society Home UN Consultative Status UN Consultative Status     In July 2012, SIIA became the first organisation in Singapore to be awarded United Nations ECOSOC Consultative Status.   As the principal organ that coordinates the economic, social and related work of the 14 United Nations specialized agencies, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the only main body with a formal framework for NGO participation at the UN. The ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to United Nations Member States and the UN system.   A unique symbol of UN recognition, consultative status gives organisations access to nearly all intergovernmental processes at the UN dealing with economic and social development, gender issues, small arms and human rights. The SIIA has been awarded special consultative status and joins 3,400 other organisations around the world that have also been awarded the status.   An NGO with UN ECOSOC status can make written and oral statements to United Nations agencies, attend international conferences and events; organize side events; enter United Nations premises; and have opportunities to network and lobby with other organisations. It may also provide expert analysis on issues directly from its experience in the field; help monitor and implement international agreements; raise public awareness of relevant issues; and assist in advancing United Nations goals and objectives.   To date, the SIIA has had a number of engagements with the UN. In July 2011, SIIA submitted a stakeholder report to the UN Universal Periodic Review process, when it reviewed the human rights record of Singapore. In February 2012, the SIIA together with Singapore Management University hosted the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, Helen Clark for a roundtable discussion. The event brought young activists, social entrepreneurs and academics together to talk about current issues affecting Singaporeans.. More information on SIIA’s work on governance and human rights issues can be found here