COSP8 in Abu Dhabi: Side events and attendance deadlines

31 August 2019 (last updated: 6 September 2019) –

The 8th Conference of the States Parties (COSP) to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) will take place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 16 to 20 December 2019.

Application for NGOs to attend: deadline 13 September

You can find the call for participation on the UNODC website:
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/ngos/uncac-cosp8-ngo-call-for-participation.html

If your organisation does not have ECOSOC status:

  • Organisations that do not have consultative status  with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) have to submit the following documentation to email hidden; JavaScript is required: 

    1) A signed application letter on your organization’s letterhead; 

    2) This completed “Contact Details Form“. 

    UNODC strongly encourages to apply as soon as possible, even if you have not secured funding for travel. UNODC further notes that in order to allow enough time for the compilation and circulation of the list of NGOs to Member States as required in Rule 17 of the Rules of Procedure for the UNCAC/COSP, it will not be possible to extend the deadline further than by 13 September 2019.

If your organisation does have ECOSOC status:

NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status should have received a separate message from UNODC – if not, they are asked to communicate their interest by 13 September 2019 to email hidden; JavaScript is required with copy to the  email hidden; JavaScript is required and an invitation will then be sent in due course. 

Governments can object to specific NGOs attending the COSP, if the applicants do not have ECOSOC status. At the last COSP in 2017, two Hungarian NGOs were to allowed to attend.

The Coalition has repeatedly criticised this non-objection approach, which lacks transparency and due process, including in a written submission to the September 2019 IRG.

Special events: Submission deadline: 6 30 Sept

Organisations that are looking to organise a special event at the COSP8 need to fill this form and submit it to the UN by Friday, 6 30 September 2019 (the deadline has been extended).

Please note:
The organisation of the COSP and the selection of side events is carried out by UNODC as the UNCAC Secretariat; the UNCAC Coalition is not involved and plays no role in administering registration or side events. We are sharing this information and the forms to make them more easily accessible to interested civil society groups.