Editing Consultative status (section)

===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>]