By Kayode Sanni-Arewab in Abuja
The CLEEN foundation has on Friday, been granted special consultative status by the Economic and Social Council, (ECOSOC) of the United Nations in New York, United States of America.
In a statement in Abuja, the Executive Director of CLEEN foundation, Dr. Benson Olugbuo said that the foundation would now enjoy consultative status from the ECOSOC.
“The consultative status will enable CLEEN Foundation to actively engage with ECOSOC and subsidiary bodies as well as with the United Nations Secretariat programmes, funds and agencies in a number of ways,” he said.
Olugbuo further stated that the recognition would provide ample opportunity for the Foundation to regularly participate in the work of ECOSOC, based on the nature and scope of work of the organisation.
“The relationship now enjoyed by the CLEEN foundation will enable ECOSOC or one of its bodies to seek expert information or advice from CLEEN Foundation with respect to matters in which the organisation possesses special competence.
“CLEEN Foundation has been afforded the opportunity to register and participate in events, conferences and activities of the United Nations and organizations in general.
“The Foundation can now sit as an observer at public meetings of ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, the Human Rights Council and under certain conditions, the General Assembly and other United Nations inter-governmental bodies,” the Executive Director explained.
In the same vein, CLEEN foundation has launched a sustainability programme called the Community of Practice Action Plan (CP-APS) for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), to help mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the activities of CSOs in Africa.
The Executive Director, in a statement, said that several CSOs in Africa were facing critical threat from the Covid-19 pandemic due to funding constraints which had forced several organizations to downsize and lay-off staff.
According to him, the development came at a time when the work of non-profits had become critical.
He said: “As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability of non-profits to respond to immediate and longer-term needs is fast reducing.
“Some of the challenges affecting organizations in the civil space include liquidity crisis, downsizing of operational capacity, financial and operational risks and shortfall in revenue as donor grants are dwindling drastically.
“There is, therefore,the need for new ideas and innovative solutions through harnessing of respective areas of expertise and capacities across the private sector, governments and civil societies to overcome the challenges of the global health crises on non-profit organisations in the continent.
” It is against this backdrop that the CLEEN Foundation is unveiling a platform for continent wide collaboration, sharing of innovative ideas and identification of creative solutions amongst CSOs in sub-Saharan Africa.
“This it does, using its sustainability model that has supported the work of the organization in the last 22 years.
He noted that CSOs had been striving to be at the frontlines of responding to the rapidly escalating humanitarian and developmental needs around the African continent and the globe within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.
According to him, the opportunity presented by the consultative status with the United Nations ECOSOC is a welcome development.
“Therefore, the proposed synergy between Africa-based CSOs to leverage on one other, to catalyse more targeted responses to developmental needs and sustainability within the continent is a step in the right direction.
“CLEEN Foundation considers this opportunity as unique and advantageous toward amplifying its developmental efforts on a broader scale and in furtherance of the mission and vision of the organization,”Olugbuo added.
