Gurgaon, India, August 01, 2005 - The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has granted Special Consultative Status to the S.M. Sehgal Foundation, India. Recognized as a national-level non-governmental organization, the Sehgal Foundation strives for integrated, sustainable development in India's rural communities. The consultative status with the UN is based on its expertise in development projects, grassroots implementation strategy, governance and financial stability.

Under the UN Charter, the Economic and Social Council is the principal organ to coordinate the economic, social and related work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, 10 functional commissions and five regional commissions. ECOSOC has partnerships with the Bretton Woods institutions, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization and the UNCTAD for cooperative financing of development al work . With its broad mandate, the Council's purview extends to over 70 per cent of the human and financial resources of the entire UN system.

The Consultative Status is granted to an organization after a thorough process. At first a committee consisting of 19 UN member-states assesses and recommends an NGO to ECOSOC for granting General, Special or Roster status. The Council then reviews the recommendation and makes the final decision. The Special Category is granted to NGOs with competence in a few of the fields of activity covered by the ECOSOC. NGOs with Special Consultative Status can circulate statements of a certain length at the Council meetings and are required to submit quadrennial reports.

The grassroots activity of the Sehgal Foundation is aimed to improve the overall well being of the villagers through empowerment of local institutions. Community participation is the cornerstone of the Foundation's activities. Its four main programs resonate with the priorities set by ECOSOC's 'Manifesto on Poverty' of 1999 and specifically match 6 of the 8 Millennium Development Goals approved at the UN Millennium Summit as given below:

Receiving the Consultative Status enables NGOs to make contributions to the programs and goals of the United Nations by serving as technical experts, advisors and consultants to governments and the UN Secretariat. Sometimes as advocacy groups, they espouse UN themes and implement plans of action on programs and declarations adopted by the UN. It also entails participation in ECOSOC meetings. NGOs with Consultative Status can submit written statements and make oral interventions on different topics of the agenda.

Now as a part of this esteemed network the Foundation will be able to contribute at international forums of the not-for-profit sector. We would be able to attract compatible partners and boost linkages with the Government, to carry forward our social mission.

For further information please contact:

The Sehgal Foundation
Dr. (Ms) Ellora Mubashir;
289, Sector 17A,
Gurgaon, Haryana-122001, India