Benefits and Guidelines for the Penn Community Penn's ECOSOC Special Consultative Status

​​​​​​Penn’s observer status entitles it to designate official representatives to the United Nations Headquarters in New York and the United Nations Offices at Geneva and Vienna. Penn representatives will be able to register for and participate in sessions, events, conferences and activities of the United Nations, and designate authorized representatives to sit as observers at public meetings of ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, the Human Rights Council and, under certain conditions, the General Assembly and other United Nations intergovernmental bodies.

To request grounds passes, please review the next section for guidance.

Please note that each UN event has different policies and procedures for registration and participation. Please refer to the UN website for specific events you are interested in attending.

Penn can submit written statements of up to 500 words in either English or French relevant to the work of the Council on subjects in which it has a “special competence.” These statements may be circulated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the members of the Council. Under some circumstances Penn representatives may also be invited to make oral statements to ECOSOC.

Penn can request formal consultations with ECOSOC, its subsidiary bodies, or other UN bodies.

The Secretary-General is authorized to offer United Nations facilities to NGOs in consultative status, including:

• accommodation for conferences or smaller meetings related to the work of ECOSOC, as available and under the conditions set at each UN Office;

• appropriate seating arrangements and facilities for obtaining documents during public meetings of the General Assembly that deal with matters in the economic and social and related fields;

• arrangement of informal discussions on matters of special interest to groups or organizations;

• access to United Nations press documentation services;

• prompt and efficient distribution of documents related to ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies as the Secretary-General deems appropriate;

• use of United Nations libraries.

Following are the details you will be asked to provide when requesting a grounds pass:

Basic Applicant Information

1. First Name

2. Last Name

3. Telephone including country code:

4. Home Address (Street, City, ZIP Code):

5. Country of Residence:

6. Email address:

7. Penn Affiliate Status: Student / Faculty / Staff / Other

Detailed Applicant Information

1. Place of Birth:

2. Nationality:

3. Date of Birth (Month/Day/Year):

4. Height (Feet/Inches)

5. Weight (in lbs)

6. Hair Color: Bald/Black/Blonde/Brown/Grey/Red/White

7. Eye Color: Black/Blue/Brown/Green/Hazel/Other

8. Sex: Male/Female

Emergency Contact Information

1. Emergency Contact First Name:

2. Emergency Contact Last Name:

3. Emergency Contact Telephone including country code:

UN Activity Information

1. UN Location: New York / Geneva / Vienna

2. Duration of Activities: 3 Months or Less / More than 3 Months

3. Residential address in New York/Geneva/Vienna (Hotel, apartment, etc. -- write n/a if not applicable):

4. Telephone while in New York/Geneva/Vienna including country code:

5. Purpose for requesting UN Grounds Pass, including details of planned activities, meeting attendance, etc:

Note: The information that you provide to us in this form will be submitted to the United Nations through its UN-administered website portal INDICO in order to facilitate your visit and obtain a grounds pass.  By providing us with this information, you authorize the University of Pennsylvania to provide this information to the United Nations.