Practice And Mechanism Review Of NGOs’ Articipation In U.N. Human Rights Affairs

Ever since the founding of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations(NGOs) have been actively involved in the field of the protection of the UnitedNations Human Rights affairs. After the Cold War, the number of human rights NGOsoared, and deepened the cooperation of non-governmental organizations and theUnited Nations in the field of human rights. Within the legal framework of the UnitedNations, a non-governmental organization is a non-profit, voluntary citizens’ groupwhich is not organized by governments and has complete administrative mechanism.NGOs participate in UN human rights affairs including human rights NGOs and otherNGOs who have the strategy of promoting human rights. The main organs of theUnited Nations such as the United Nations General Assembly, the Security Council,the International Court of Justice and so all have the functions of protecting humanrights. The organs that are specialized in the protection of human rights include theHuman Rights Council, Human Rights Treaty Bodies, the Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Non-governmental organizations andUnited Nations human rights bodies have established extensive contacts.The cooperation of NGOs and the UN in protecting human rights is of greatnecessity. Firstly, human rights protection is a global issue in the dimension of globalgovernance. It is no way that a country can solve the problem alone. As therepresentatives of the civil society, NGOs deliver personal appealing. The UN humanrights protecting mechanism has many deficiencies. NGOs can help strengthen thework of the UN human rights agencies. For NGOs, UN is a great platform to promotetheir strategies, fulfill their goals and expand influence.NGOs participate in the UN human rights affairs in various ways. They play avital role in putting items concerned with human rights into the UN Charter. Theyadvance the drafting and ratification of international legal instruments designed topromote human rights; promote the establishment of the United Nations human rightsbodies and take part in the international conference on human rights. The observerstatus and the ECOSOC Consultative Status are formal status in UN. NGOs withobserver status can attend the General Assembly, but in very limited in number. The Consultative Status of the ECOSOC is the core of the relationships between NGOsand UN. The cooperation systems are not integrated. Formal ways of cooperation arebased on Consultative Status, human rights conventions and the rules of proceduresof human rights organs. Generally speaking, NGOs that have the Consultative Statushave some privileges when involving the work of human rights agencies. OtherNGOs can get involved in informal ways.After reviewing the practice of NGO’s work related to promoting human rightsin UN and the institutional connection of NGOs and UN human rights system, someconclusions can be drawn. Firstly, the legal status of NGOs in the UN system islimited. Secondly, the cooperation mechanism between NGOs and UN is notintegrated. Thirdly, the question to the independence and impartiality of NGO isalways been heard. In order to solve the problems, some measures should be taken.The measures are: promoting and strengthening the legal status of NGOs within theUN system; making a full use of NGO’s ability in monitoring implementing;enhancing the supervision of NGOs.