Who We Are
The NGO Working Group on the Security Council brings together NGO representatives whose organizations have a special interest in Council matters. The Working Group holds regular off-the-record briefings for its members with Security Council ambassadors, UN officials and others with special knowledge of Council matters. Group members include many large international NGOs in the fields of humanitarian assistance, human rights, disarmament, global governance and peacebuilding, among other sectors.
A Brief History
The NGO Working Group on the Security Council originated from a coalition of organizations from New York and Geneva that came together in 1994 in response to the General Assembly’s efforts for Security Council reform. Under the leadership of the Global Policy Forum, these NGOs held meetings and advocated for changes to the Security Council during 1994 and 1995.
Starting in 1996, as efforts to reform the Security Council lost momentum, the Working Group began holding regular meetings with Council ambassadors. This shift, making the Working Group a key forum for ongoing dialogue between NGOs and Security Council members, was solidified in 1997. By the early 2000s, the Working Group also started meeting regularly with high-level UN officials.