History in the making at the UN

At the end of April, CSW finally received official UN accreditation after eight years of campaigning. Sini Maria Heikkila, who manages our UN work, explains how we achieved this historic result…

What does UN accreditation actually mean?

Gaining accreditation, or ECOSOC Consultative Status, means that we can now work at the UN even more effectively – this new status brings additional weight to our advocacy. For example, it allows us to hold our own ‘side events’ – events held alongside formal UN sessions that aren’t part of official proceedings, but allow organisations like CSW to meet UN delegates and present information directly to them.

Side events are a vital part of our work. And now that we can put on our own side events, we’ll be able to hold more of them – making us even more effective. We’ll also be working with organisations that haven’t received Consultative Status, helping them with side events. See the box for what we’ve achieved so far – imagine how much more we’ll be able to do now!

‘CSW does vital work. It…advocates for the rights of all peoples to practise their faith, whatever that faith may be, and also the rights of people who profess no religion.’

Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations

And what did you have to do to get this special status?

It’s been nearly a decade of pushing towards a goal that often seemed very far off. It took eight years, more than 80 answered questions, 28 votes in favour, 30 signatories to a letter of support, countless hours of lobbying, and ten years of persistent prayer from staff and supporters!

How did it feel when the vote went in our favour?

We were watching the vote live in our office, and I was just so humbled. So many countries made statements supporting us – including the UK mission and EU delegation, and it was amazing to see high-profile UN representatives and diplomats speaking up to support CSW.

I also felt incredibly supported when I was at the UN in New York earlier this year, meeting different countries’ representatives and asking them to back us. So many people helped me, and I really felt God’s favour throughout our advocacy. I know many CSW supporters were praying for me – so let me say thank you, because I certainly felt the results!

Hear more from Sini Maria in her short video about this incredible answer to prayer!

Our UN work has contributed to these…

•Official inquiries into human rights in North Korea and Eritrea

•Appointing an expert to investigate human rights in Eritrea

•Several statements each year at the Human Rights Council – including 11 in 2016 alone!