Report to the Department of Public Information

Introduction

IAAP was accredited to the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) in 2003.

NGOs have partnered with DPI since its inception in1947, and officially since 1968. 

The Department of Public Information (DPI) has two main mandates:

• to disseminate news and information about UN issues to NGOs, the public and other stakeholders so they can better understand the aims and objectives of the UN and its work in terms of topics like development, human rights, and peace and security, and so that they can become engaged n collective efforts to make a difference in the world; and 
• to serve as a resource for government officials, NGOs, civil society, educational institutions, students, and the media.

With information offices in 63 countries around the world, including in developing countries, DPI connects the UN with the people it serves. The DPI website is in more than 100 languages, in order to best achieve its mandate to reach people in all communities and cultures.
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Description of the DPI/NGO Section (also called the NGO “cluster”): provides information services to NGOs; helps NGOs gain access to UN information; is a liaison between the UN, NGOs and other civil society organizations; and oversees partnerships with associated NGOs.
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Given the above mandate of DPI, NGOs accredited at the UN by DPI have a mandate to:

• reach their members and others to help them understand about the United Nations, its work and goals.
• disseminate information about the work of the UN, which requires having established communication programs and systems.

NGOs are allowed one main representative to DPI, two other representatives, and a student representative. The IAAP DPI main representative is Judy Kuriansky, Ph.D. and IAAP’s two other DPI representatives are Florence Denmark, Ph.D. and Father Wismick Jean Charles.

The main activities of the DPI/NGO section include weekly briefings, communication workshops, and orientation program for newly associated NGOs, and annual conferences.

IAAP has participated in these conferences for many years including about human rights, disarmament and global health. The 2011 conference on sustainable societies was in Bonn, Germany in September. See http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/annual-conf.asp. IAAP’s involvement and major success in these events is described elsewhere in more detail on this site.