Caritas India has been awarded Special Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on December 07, 2022.

The consultative status will help Caritas India to access not only ECOSOC but also its many subsidiary bodies, the various human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, ad-hoc processes on small arms, as well as special events organized by the President of the General Assembly.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six main organs of the United Nations established by the UN in 1946. It is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for implementation of internationally agreed development goals.

The special consultative status is granted to NGOs with special competence in, and are concerned specifically with, only a few of the fields of activity covered by the ECOSOC. These NGOs tend to be smaller and more recently established.

This special privilege is given to Caritas India working in the social development sector. It will allow us to participate in the UN and share our recommendations, reports, and innovations and build partnerships to address social development issues.

Joining hands with national and international organisations is an exciting step for Caritas India given our continued efforts to share and exchange long-lasting solutions on a global scale. It has created a new way for us to contribute our knowledge and experience to the UN and its affiliates as a part of the global network.

The success in this endeavour for UN recognition was possible due to the tenacity of our Church leadership, advisors, board members, donors, staff and volunteers who worked incredibly hard to make Caritas India a credible organisation.