Editing Consultative status (section)

==Defining documents==
===United Nations Charter===

Consultative Status has its foundation in Article 71 of Chapter 10 of the United Nations Charter:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/ |title=Charter of the United Nations |website=www.un.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421053851/http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter |archive-date=2009-04-21}} </ref>

:"The Economic and Social Council may make suitable arrangements for consultation with non-governmental organizations which are concerned with matters within its competence. Such arrangements may be made with international organizations and, where appropriate, with national organizations after consultation with the Member of the United Nations concerned."

===1296 (XLIV)===

ECOSOC Resolution 1296 (XLIV) in 1968 had defined the criteria and rights associated with Consultative Status for almost forty years, during which time there was a substantial growth in the number of NGOs.

The primary impetus for the 1996 revision of the arrangements was the unprecedented level of NGO participation, especially from national NGOs, in the preparations for [[UNCED]] - the 1992 [[Earth Summit]]. The use of [[Information and Communications Technology|ICT]] - mostly in the form of electronic conferences on the [[Institute for Global Communications]] network, and electronic mail - had played a major role.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://habitat.igc.org/docs/cc-unced.htm |title=Computer Communications & the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development |access-date=2004-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040404143532/http://habitat.igc.org/docs/cc-unced.htm |archive-date=2004-04-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://habitat.igc.org/docs/otl-1.htm |title=On the Line: Interactive Preparations for the First Earth Summit |access-date=2004-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040411190621/http://habitat.igc.org/docs/otl-1.htm |archive-date=2004-04-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>]

=== 1993 ===
The rules for Consultative Status for [[international non-governmental organization]]s are appended to the resolution (93)38 "On relations between the Council of Europe and international non-governmental organisations", adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 18 October 1993 at the 500th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies.

===1996/31===

The criteria for NGO accreditation to Consultative Status have been revised several times, most recently in 1996 in ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31, following an extensive United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on the Review of Arrangements for Consultation with Non-Government Organizations.

A significant section of '''1996/31''' was the following paragraph:

:"69. The Secretary-General is requested to make every effort to enhance and streamline as appropriate Secretariat support arrangements, and to improve practical arrangements on such matters as greater use of modern information and communication technology, the establishment of an integrated database of non-governmental organizations, wide and timely dissemination of information on meetings, distribution of documentation, provision of access and transparent, simple and streamlined procedures for the attendance of non-governmental organizations in United Nations meetings, and to facilitate their broad-based participation."