Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "UN Recognises NAILSS" [1985] AboriginalLawB 45; (1985) 1(14) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2

• Un Recognises Nailss

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UN Recognises NAILSS

During May this year in New York ECOSOC granted consultative status (Category 2) to NAILSS. This followed a recommendation by the NGO committee which had met earlier in the year.

NAILSS is the first organisation of its type to receive UN recognition. The application process was initiated 18 months ago when NAILSS’ legal adviser met with UN Secretariat members in New York. During the following 12 months NAILSS pursued the application by correspondence and by lobbying for support at various UN and international fora. The major difficully facing the application lay in the procedure of the NGO Committee. The Committee comprises 19 members including the United Kingdom, the United States, USSR, India, France, Cyprus, Cuba and Chile. The Committee's procedure requires decisions to be reached by way of consensus. This means in fact that one member state which does not want the application to be successful can withhold support thereby denying the application.

NAILSS was able to negotiate and navigate its way through the difficulties presented.

Consultative status will allow NAILSS to more effectively participate in the UN system. It means that Aboriginal organisations may, if they choose, speak at the UN under their own flag. Aboriginal organisations wishing to take advantage of this possibility are invited by NAILSSto contact them.

Contact: Paul Coe
Frederick Jordan Chambers, 233 Macquarie St, Sydney 2000
2336055