Approval of 15 Non-governmental Organizations for Association with UN Public

Information Department to Strengthen Ties to Central America Civil Society

On 11 September, the Non-Governmental Organizations Committee associated 15 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information.  This brings to 1,602 the number of non-governmental organizations that work with the Department in the area of communications and outreach.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal welcomed the new group, which includes six such organizations from Latin America.  The newly associated groups come from Austria, Iran and the United States and include a strong Central America presence — five Costa Rican non-governmental organizations — and, for the first time, an organization from Guatemala.  The new civil society partners work on a wide range of issues, including economic development, children’s education, and empowering the physically disabled.

Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division, emphasized that the Department of Public Information greatly values its partnership with civil society and welcomes the newly associated non-governmental organizations.  He looks forward to collaborating with them to achieve mutual goals and objectives, to build new relationships with additional regional non-governmental organizations, particularly in Latin America, and to see their participation and involvement in the work of the United Nations thrive and grow.

Following is the list of the newly associated non-governmental organizations:

Academic Forum for Foreign Affairs — United Nations Youth and Student Association of Austria (Austria); African Artists for Development (France); Asociación Alianza Por Tus Derechos (Costa Rica); Asociación Centro de Investigación y Promoción Para América Central de Derechos Humanos (Costa Rica); Asociación Centroamericana para la Economía, la Salud y el Ambiente (Costa Rica); Asociación Colectiva por el Derecho a Decidir (Costa Rica); Asociación de Trabajadoras a Domicilio y de Maquila (Guatemala); Centro de Educación y Promoción “Nosotros” (Costa Rica); Caring for Cambodia (United States); Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (United States); Global Fund for Widows (United States); PeacePlayers International (United States); Ra’ad Rehabilitation Goodwill Complex (Iran); Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict — Tides Center (United States); WITNESS (United States)

For further information, please contact the DPI/NGO Relations at tel.:  +1 212 963 7234; e-mail:  undpingo@un.org.  The Directory of non-governmental organizations associated with the Department of Public Information is also available at outreach.un.org/ngorelations/.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record