Overview: A Bridge to Global Governance
Elizka Relief Foundation serves as a vital diplomatic and technical bridge between the grassroots realities of the African continent and the high-level policy mechanisms of the United Nations. Our dual role as an Implementing Agency and a Policy Coordinator ensures that the “right to development” is protected from the village level to the General Assembly.
- Leadership in the United Nations System
We hold mandated leadership positions that allow us to shape the global sustainable development agenda:
West Africa Organizing Partner | UN NGO Major Group: We coordinate the voices and inputs of non-governmental organizations across West Africa, ensuring regional challenges are represented in UN policy drafting.
Co-Chair | Africa Regional Mechanism of Major Groups (ARMMGoS): In this capacity, we lead the collective civil society engagement with the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) through the Economic Commission of Africa.
Global Representative | UN MGoS Coordination Mechanism: Elizka serves as a designated representative at the global level, facilitating the synergy between regional outcomes and the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York.
Continental Coordinator | Action for Sustainable Development: We act as the primary coordinating agency in Africa for this global alliance, driving collective action for the SDGs.
- Formal Consultative & Observer Status
Our authority is anchored in permanent, legally recognized statuses within the world’s most influential multilateral bodies:
Principal Consultative Status:
United Nations ECOSOC: Held Special Consultative Status since 2015, granting us the right to designate official representatives to UN headquarters and submit written statements for high-level debates.
Strategic Climate & Environmental Accreditations: Elizka holds Accredited Observer Status to the financial and technical mechanisms governing the planet’s future:
Green Climate Fund (GCF) & Global Environment Facility (GEF): Directly monitoring the flow of international climate finance.
UNFCCC & IPCC: Engaging in the global negotiations and scientific reviews of the Paris Agreement.
UNEP & UNCCD: Advising on international environmental law and the global fight against desertification.
Global Security & Specialized Accreditations: We contribute technical expertise to international bodies governing human safety and legal standards:
OPCW: Accredited to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
UNODC & Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs: Shaping global policy on crime prevention and drug control.
ICAN: Accredited to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
III. “Our Voice at the Table”: Policy Influence
Unlike traditional NGOs, Elizka is a Constituent Voice. We leverage our Research for Development (R4D) pillar to turn field data from River Basins and landscapes into formal policy recommendations.
When we speak at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or the International Whaling Commission (IWC), we bring the authority of the African people, backed by formal international mandates.