ELSAs status as non-governmental organisation (NGO) with international organisations

ELSA has consultative status or cooperation agreements with several international organisations.

1994 -  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Category C Consultative Status

1995 -  United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - Cooperation Agreement

1995 -  International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - Cooperation Agreement

1995 -  United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) - Special Consultative Status

1997 -  UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) - consultative status

2000 -  Council of Europe - participatory status

2001 -  Coalition for an International Criminal Court (CICC) - co-founder

2005 -  World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) - NGO Status

date unknown -  European Commission has recognised ELSA as a youth-NGO partner

The UN family

Since 1994 ELSA has consultative status in category C with the  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). ELSA delegations have participated e.g. in UNESCO conferences at Paris.

A cooperation agreement links ELSA since 1995 with the  United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Due to this connection officers of the UNHCR have participated as speakers in ELSA events and internships with the UNHCR could be offered in the STEP-programme.

ELSA has a very active connection to the  United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Since 1997 ELSA has special consultative status with ECOSOC. This marks ELSA as a NGO which conducts activities that are relevant to certain fields of the work of ECOSOC. ELSA can offer the experience, knowledge and workforce of its members and has the right to send representatives to public meetings, submit written statements and give oral presentations as well as send representatives to UN conferences.

ELSA sends delegations to several ECOSOC sub-bodies such as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and the Commission on Social Development. ELSA delegations have also participated in UN-conferences such as the HABITAT II conference 1996 in Istanbul.

Also since 1997, ELSA has consultative status with the  UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). ELSA sends delegations to the session of UNCITRAL and its working groups in Vienna and New York.

Since October 2005 ELSA has obtained the NGO status with the  World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Hereby ELSA can send delegations to the conferences of the WIPO.

International Level

ELSA is a members or the 1995 founded  Coalition for an International Criminal Court (CICC) as well as a member of its steering committee. The Coalition for the International Criminal Court is a network of over 2,000 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) advocating for a fair, effective and independent  International Criminal Court (ICC).

 Since the Rome conference ELSA representatives have observed the development of the International Criminal Court. Delegations have participated in the sessions of the Preparatory Commission ("PrepComs") as well as the assemblies of states parties.

ELSA has contributed to the preparatory sessions with two research projects on the nomination and election of judges. From 2002 till 2005 another international legal research group dealt with the implementation of the Rome Statut in national legislation (Project on ICC National Implementation Legislation, short: ELSA PINIL).

ELSA has produced reports on the sessions as well as a handbook on the International Criminal Court which was first published after the Rome Conference and is now available in its second edition.  ELSAreportASP2004.pdf

Furthermore, ELSA has a cooperation agreement with the  International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

European level

On the European level ELSA has participatory status with the  Council of Europe since 2000. ELSA is especially active in the fields of human rights and youth.

The  European Commission has recognised ELSA as a youth-NGO partner. The cooperation focuses on the Directorate-Generals for Justice and Home Affairs and Education and Culture. ELSA receives support of the Commission for seminars and other activities.

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