Soroptimist International has General Consultative Status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and is represented on the Board of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organisations (CONGO). The organisation has also been granted official relations with United Nations Specialised Agencies.

SI has permanent, volunteer representatives to the major United Nations centres in New York, Geneva and Vienna, UNESCO in Paris, the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation) in Rome, and UNEP (UN Environment Programme) in Nairobi. It also has representatives at the UN Regional Commissions in Western Asia (ESCWA); South America (ECLAC); and Asia Pacific (ESCAP).

These Representatives attend a broad range of meetings and committees, reporting back to the membership and making recommendations for the Soroptimist Programme of Service. Soroptimist delegations to the major UN meetings and forums advocate for policies and actions which support our aims and objects.

Soroptimist International regularly sends a delegation to major UN and/or NGO meetings, such as the CSW (Commission on the Status of Women). A delegation, including the President of Soroptimist International, attends the annual meeting of CSW in March, the purpose of which is to prepare recommendations and reports to ECOSOC on promoting women's rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields.

WomenWatch

For more information on the UN's work with women and women's groups, log on to their WomenWatch website. WomenWatch is an inter-agency website and a good practice example of United Nations coordination and collaboration. It was founded by the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW).

The inter-agency website is managed by a taskforce of the Inter-Agency Network, led by the Division for the Advancement of Women. A Policy Advisory Group meets once a year.

The organisation has been granted official relations with United Nations Specialised Agencies. These include:

UN Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

International Labour Organization

World Health Organization (WHO)

UN Industrial Development Organization

Food & Agricultural Organization

The organisation is also accredited with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the

UN Environment Programme

 

UN Meetings

Soroptimist International regularly sends a delegation to major UN and/or NGO meetings, such as:

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW):

A delegation, including the President of Soroptimist International, attends the annual meeting of CSW in March, the purpose of which is to prepare recommendations and reports to ECOSOC on promoting women''s rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields.

Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC):

A delegation, including the President of Soroptimist International, attends the annual meeting of CSW in March, the purpose of which is to prepare recommendations and reports to ECOSOC on promoting women''s rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields.

As Soroptimists we observe many of the UN Special Days:

UN International Women's Day - 8 March

UN World Day for Water - 22 March

World Health Day - 7 April

UN World Environment Day - 5 June

International Literacy Day - 8 September

UN Day of Peace - 21 September

World Food Day - 16 October

UN Day  for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - 25 November

UN Human Rights Day - 10 December

 

It is through project work, and the special reporting of it, that Soroptimist International retains its General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.