United Nations Recognition of NASP/IASP

The International Association of Safety Professionals, which is the parent organization of NASP, was approved by the United Nations as an NGO in Roster Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. In this capacity, IASP is asked to designate official Representatives to the United Nations.

The Current IASP Representatives to the United Nations are:

• Thomas F. Hardin, Director General of IASP, a Citizen of the United States
• Ohene Kumi, MS, Director, a Citizen of Ghana
• Cebien Alexis, MD, Director, a Citizen of Haiti

The United Nations approved the establishment of consultative status with the International Association of Safety Professionals (IASP). Consultative relationships are established with international, regional, subregional, and national organizations, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations. The granting of consultative status to IASP was the prerogative of Member States of the United Nations exercised through its Economic and Social Council, and its Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations.

IASP reaches out to workers worldwide with training, advice, and equipment designed to reduce the inordinately high number of workplace deaths. IASP is currently working in 42 countries to improve workplace safety. IASP Director-General, Thomas F. Hardin, said “it is certainly an honor to receive this UN approval. The UN Committee is very thorough in their review, and we are pleased that we passed their scrutiny and are now able to join hands with the UN in improving worker safety worldwide. Many people are aware of the UN on a political and military level, but few realize how much the UN does to help the hurting and needy people in the world. The objectives of IASP mesh well with the UN in this regard.”

The UN Secretariat is responsible to carry out duties assigned to it concerning the consultative arrangements, and the accreditation of non-governmental organizations like IASP, to United Nations international conferences as set forth by UN resolution.

Under this relationship with the UN, IASP is required to consult with the appropriate sections of the Secretariat on matters in which there is a mutual interest or a mutual concern. Such consultation is upon the request of IASP or upon the request of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary-General may request IASP to carry out specific studies or prepare specific papers.

United Nations granting of consultative status considers the breadth of non-governmental organizations’ expertise and the capacity of non-governmental organizations to support the work of the United Nations. The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations pays particular attention to non-governmental organizations that have special expertise or experience upon which the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations may draw. The organization must be of recognized standing within its field of competence.

The UN decision for approval is guided by the principle that consultative arrangements are to be made, on the one hand, for the purpose of enabling the United Nations to secure expert information or advice from organizations having special competence in the subjects for which consultative arrangements are made, and, on the other hand, to enable international, regional, subregional and national organizations that represent important elements of public opinion to express their views. The organizations given consultative status are limited to those whose activities qualify them to make a significant contribution to the work of the UN.

Organizations like IASP, approved for consultative status, designate authorized United Nations Representatives who are accredited to attend the relevant international conferences convened by the United Nations, the meetings of the preparatory bodies of the conferences, and the meetings of the commissions and other subsidiary organs of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, where their expertise may be of value.