Accreditation
The list below specifies the international organisations
to which CI has had accreditation/representation.
Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) including CODEX
ALIMENTARIUS
The Codex Alimentarius Commission
was created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards,
guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the
Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The main purposes of this
Programme are protecting health of the consumers and ensuring fair
trade practices in the food trade, and promoting coordination of
all food standards work undertaken by international governmental
and non-governmental organizations.
CI is accredited to Codex and FAO
via our general consultative status to the UN and can make
interventions/lobby at meetings/negotiations.
The Financial Stability Board (FSB)
The FSB coordinates at the
international level the work of national financial authorities and
international standard setting bodies to develop and promote the
implementation of effective regulatory, supervisory and other
financial sector policies. It brings together national authorities
responsible for financial stability in significant international
financial centres, international financial institutions,
sector-specific international groupings of regulators and
supervisors, and committees of central bank experts.
The FSB has only recently come onto
CI's radar as a result of the financial services campaign. It does
not have an accreditation system, however CI will be seeking
significant involvement in the process requested by the G20 and led
by the FSB on 'enhancing consumer protection.'
G20
The G20 is comprised of twenty
economies (19 countries pus the EU) that together comprise 85% of
the world's GDP, 80% of world trade and two thirds of the world's
population. Initially a meeting of finance ministers and central
bank governors, following the financial crisis the G20 heads of
government started meeting in 2008. It has now replaced the G8 as
the main economic council of wealthy nations. It does not have a
secretariat.
CI engaged with the G20 for the
first time in 2010 as a result of the financial services campaign.
It does not have an accreditation system.
International Standards Organization (ISO)
CI has liaison status and can
propose New Work Items (via COPOLCO) and are part of the
negotiations when specific standards are being negotiated.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD)
CI is a non-voting member of the
OECD Consumer Policy Committee and has special
recognition/consultative status to the OECD in general. Direct
interventions along with national states, but access can be limited
depending on the sensitivity of a given committee.
United Nations (UN)
CI has had 'general consultative
status' to the UN since 1977 - the highest level of access for
civil society. It gives access across UN bodies and issues (as
opposed to issue consultative status)
CI has access to UN HQ (New York)
negotiations but interventions can only be made via 'major
groups'. CI isa major group coordinator to the UN CSD
and can make interventions at UN CSD Council negotiations.
Below is a select number of UN
bodies that deals with consumer issues:
United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
UN body dealing with the UN
guidelines for Consumer Protection. Access via CI UN 'General
Consultative Status'
United Nations Environment
Programme
UN body dealing with Sustainable
Consumption. Access via CI UN 'General Consultative Status'
United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
UN body dealing with Education.
Access via CI UN 'General Consultative Status
United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO)
UN body dealing with development and
Consumer Protection Legislation. Access via CI UN 'General
Consultative Status'.
The UN Marrakesh
Process
Intergovernmental UN process dealing
with sustainable consumption. Negotiations to conclude in May 2011.
CI staff appointed to the UN board of the process and as such
direct drafting input to the government. CI represents the global
NGO community to the process
UN Commission on Sustainable
Development (UN CSD)
Intergovernmental UN
conference/board managing a range of UN issues including World
Summits. Access via CI UN 'General Consultative Status'.
United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
UN body dealing with Climate Change.
Access via CI UN 'General Consultative Status'.
Trans Atlantic Economic Council (TEC)
The Transatlantic Economic Council,
or commonly called TEC, is a body set up between the United States
and European Union to direct economic co-operation between the two
economies.
It was established by an agreement
signed on 30 April 2007 at the White House by US President George
W. Bush, EU Council President Angela Merkel (also German
Chancellor) and EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso.
CI's TransAtlantic Consumer
Dialogue (TACD) is on the TEC advisory board and as such has direct
access to the deliberations in the TEC process as well as to the
co-chairs.
World Bank Group (WBG)
The World Bank is a vital source of
financial and technical assistance to developing countries around
the world.
It is not a bank in the common sense
but made up of two unique development institutions owned by 187
member countries: the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association
(IDA).
CI does not have accreditation per
se (there is no accreditation system to the World Bank) but has
very good relations with the part of the bank dealing with consumer
protection. Access depends on relations and CI is seen as a
legitimate international NGO (as opposed to national NGO with
vested national interests)
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is an
independent, international organisation incorporated as a Swiss
not-for-profit foundation.
Known for its influential 'Davos'
meetings. Increasingly setting the global agenda on select issues.
Access 'per invitation only' but CI has standing invitation. CI
staff appointed to WEF global agenda council/board for consumer
industries.
UN World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO is the directing and
coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system.
It is responsible for providing leadership on global health
matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and
standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing
technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health
trends.
Influential UN body dealing with a
range of CI key issues and food safety and health. Access and
interventions via CI UN 'General Consultative Status' Note: WHO has
initiated a new accreditation system where an requirement for
relations is a 'joint work progamme' between the NGO and the
WHO.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
The World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
It is dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible
international intellectual property system, which rewards
creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic
development while safeguarding the public interest.
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