On the margins of the 61st CND the Vienna and New York NGO Committees signed the Memorandum of Understanding establishing the new Civil Society Task Force (CSTF) to ensure meaningful civil society participation in the process leading up to and during the Ministerial Segment 2019.
Building on the successful experiences of Beyond 2008 and the UNGASS 2016, a similar structure was approved for the Ministerial Segment of 2019 to serve as the official liaison between the United Nations and civil society in the preparatory process of and at the Ministerial Segment.
The CSTF’s overall goal was to secure a comprehensive and meaningful participation of civil society actors in the Ministerial Segment preparations. The CSTF is composed of 35 members representing geographical regions and affected populations.
Reflecting back, we are really happy with what we were able to deliver – including the outstanding civil society speakers that we were able to select for the CND Intersessionals and the High-Level Ministerial Segment itself, the two Civil Society Hearings in New York and Vienna, and the Civil Society Consultation for which more than 450 NGOs responded. You can find more details about all of these activities here as well as in the CSTF Evaluation and Final Report.
