Attending WSSD Events: Accreditation and Registration

How to Attend the World Summit Meetings

If you are considering attending any of the World Summit PrepComs or the Summit itself you need to be aware of the accreditation process and submission deadlines to ensure that you have permission to attend. While there will be various NGO activities taking place outside the official venue, clearance is required for any official UN activities. The first step is to determine whether your organization is accredited to participate.

To Get on The List, First Check the Lists

If your organization is already accredited to either ECOSOC (UN Economic and Social Council) or CSD (UN Commission for Sustainable Development), the process is very simple. The organizations on these two lists are currently accredited (meaning they only have to send in a list of which of their members will be attending):
http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/web_pages/participation/ecosoc_list.pdf
http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/web_pages/participation/csd_roster.pdf

If your organization is on that list, the process will be easy. You just need to submit a list of names of those people who will be attending the event by the deadline (listed below). You can find the forms to do so on the WSSD website at: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/web_pages/participation/pre_registration_form.htm

How to Get Accredited

With the escalating protests and violence surrounding the WTO/World Bank/IMF events and now global terrorist threats, accreditation for new groups has gotten harder than ever. In particular, it will be difficult for any new organizations or informal groups to get accredited at this late date. Why? Presumably (though not officially confirmed), they're trying to ensure those who are attending aren't representing a phony 'shell' group simply as a way to get into events to hold violent protests or worse. As a result, unfortunately, they've made it really difficult for many otherwise eligible groups to participate. You must prove to the Bureau that your organization is bonafide and working on relevant issues.

A look at what's now required to get accredited:

(a) Copies of annual or other reports of your organization, with financial statements and a list of financial sources and contributions, including governmental contributions;

(b) A list of the members of the governing body of your organization and their countries of nationality (for international organizations);

(c) A description of the membership of your organization, indicating the total number of members, the names of organizations that are members and their geographical distribution;

(d) A copy of the constitution and/or by-laws of your organization;

All of that would have to be submitted before January 2nd to attend PrepCom 2 in January. Perhaps doable by the World Summit, but it's a lot of energy to expend in the next few months when your focus could be on other things, like assessment and partnership building. If you still want to get your organization accredited, you can find the information to do so here: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/web_pages/participation/accreditation_form.htm

Options to Accreditation

If your primary organization isn't accredited, it's not practical for you to get accredited in time, and you don't belong to any other accredited organizations, there's still another option. Check with other organizations you might be affiliated with or relevant NGO networks, and see if you may be able to attend under their accreditation. Although there will be a limited number of people allowed per organization, most will have a few empty spots and may allow you to join them, especially if your work resonates with their mission.

If this is your approach, you should contact the organization much earlier than the deadline, to ensure you the best opportunity. Also be aware that if you are attending a UN event under a particular organization's accrediation, you are expected to behave accordingly. Although most won't mind if you are a bit outspoken on particular points, if you are planning some sort of alternative action, be sure it's okay with the group you are accredited with. Tolerances can vary when you're 'representing' a particular organization, and you don't want to offend them or get them in trouble.

Deadlines Approaching Fast

For each deadline below, the UN expects to receive your request by that date. It's best to send your lists in at least a week or two early, to avoid errors or lost paperwork from becoming a major problem, especially with the potential delay in postal delivery in the US.

WSSD Application Deadlines (must be received by)
Event	for Org. Accreditation	for Registration/Attendance
PrepCom 2 (NYC, Jan 28-Feb 8)	January 2	January 7
PrepCom 3 (NYC, Mar 25-Apr 5)	February 25	March 4
PrepCom 4 (Jakarta, May 6-17)	April 29	May 6
World Summit (Jo'burg, Aug 26-Sept4)	n/a	August 12

If you would like more official specifics about the accreditation and registration process, visit the WSSD website: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/major_groups/preregistration.html