In a major achievement, the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) has been accorded with the Special Consultative Status by the United Nations.
The status confers a host of privileges and facilities on an NGO similar to those conferred to a member country by the UN. Notably, KISS is the first NGO from Odisha and the only one from India to receive the recognition from among several applied for the status.
A communiqué to this effect from the UN Headquarters was received by the KISS authorities on July 23.
With this, the KISS will have several privileges, including providing expert information to the UN-ECOSOC, receiving information about its provisional agenda, engage with the Secretary General of UN and place items of special interest in the provisional agenda, having access to the UN and attendance at its meetings, etc.
Besides, it would designate official representative to the UN Headquarters in New York, United Nation’s offices in Geneva and Vienna and participate in various events and activities of the UN and submit written statements in areas of its competence and relevant to the work of UN-ECOSOC, etc, said KISS founder Achyuta Samanta.