Phone: +234-7067899368

CLEEN Foundation Granted Special Consultative Status by The Economic and Social Council of The United Nations; Launches Sustainability Plan For Civil Society Organisations in Africa

CLEEN Foundation Granted Special Consultative Status by The Economic and Social Council of The United Nations; Launches Sustainability Plan For Civil Society Organisations in Africa

Friday 30 October 2020
For Immediate Release
Abuja-Nigeria

12:00pm

CLEEN FOUNDATION GRANTED SPECIAL CONSULTATIVE
STATUS BY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL OF THE UNITED NATIONS; LAUNCHES
SUSTAINABILITY PLAN FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS IN AFRICA

The
CLEEN Foundation has been granted special consultative status by the Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations in New York, United States of
America.  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. The recognition provides ample opportunity for CLEEN Foundation
to regularly participate in the work of ECOSOC based on the nature and scope of
work of the organisation. In addition, the relationship enables 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.
Additionally, CLEEN Foundation has been afforded the opportunity to register
and participate in events, conferences and activities of the United Nations,
and organizations in general and to 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.

In
furtherance to the responsibilities and obligations accompanying the consultative
status with ECOSOC of the United Nations, CLEEN Foundation is launching a Community
of Practice Action Plan (CP-APS) for Civil Society Sustainability in Africa to
mitigate the negative effects of Covid-19 pandemic on the activities of CSOs in
the continent.

Several
CSOs in Africa are facing a critical threat from the Covid-19 pandemic due to
funding constraints which has forced several organizations to downsize and
lay-off staff at a time when the work of non-profits have become critical. The
stark reality is that there has been an immediate and significant reduction in
most civil society organizations cash liquidity which has affected operational
mandates and work deliverables. 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
respective areas of expertise and capacities across the private sector,
governments and civil society 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 using its sustainability model that has supported the
work of the organization in the last 22 years. The capacity building and
sustainability project will commence with a pilot in Nigeria which will be
extended to West Africa and the entire continent. The objectives of the CP-APS are
to:

a)
Promote a platform for cross-sector collaboration amongst CSOs in Africa on
sustainability and resilience amidst the Covid-19 pandemic;

b)
Provide a platform for capacity building of CSOs on emerging operational trends
within the challenges faced by CSOs in their operations as a result of the Covid-19
pandemic;

c)
Develop a community of practice sustainability action plan for CSOs in Africa leveraging
on areas of mutual interest and expertise using cutting edge technology to
amplify the voices of non-profits.

As
CSOs strive 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, 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 each 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 towards amplifying its developmental
efforts on a broader scale and in furtherance of the mission and vision of the organization.

The
CLEEN Foundation (formerly known as Centre for Law Enforcement and
Education in Nigeria) is a non-governmental organization established in
January 1998 with the mission of promoting public safety, security and
accessible justice through the strategies of empirical research, legislative
advocacy, demonstration programmes and publications, in partnership with
government, civil society and the private sector. CLEEN Foundation has observer
status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights based in
Banjul, The Gambia. In addition, CLEEN Foundation is currently a member of
the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC)
representing Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria. In 2019, CLEEN Foundation
was awarded the first human rights award instituted by the National Human
Rights Commission. The CLEEN Foundation is also the first Africa based
organisation to win the MacArthur Foundation’s creative and effective
institutions award in 2006.  Other awards and recognitions for the
organisation include human rights advocacy and partnership award 2019 from the
University of Lagos, the Limit Breakers’ advocacy award for peace and social
justice, 2016, the National Information Technology Development Agency and NIHILENT
e-governance awards for best e-governance project and best NGO in ICT deployment
in 2016.

May
God bless Africa and heal our continent.

Benson Olugbuo, PhD
Executive Director, CLEEN Foundation  

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

*