INGOs wishing to apply for participatory status with the Council of Europe under Resolution CM/Res(2016)3 can now complete the online form.
Applications for the 2026 cycle must be submitted by midnight on 31st March 2026 (CET).
Organisations are invited to carefully review the requirements set out in Article 2 of the Annex to the above Resolution before completing the form. Only those organisations that meet all the conditions listed in that article may be granted participatory status, in particular:
- respect and uphold the values and principles of the Council of Europe;
- be able to support the achievement of closer union between member states;
- be able to contribute actively to the work of the Council of Europe and relay it to society;
- have a democratic structure and governance;
- be particularly representative in the field(s) concerned by the Council of Europe;
- be international in scope (with structures in at least five member states of the Organization);
- Have been active for at least two years and already have working relations with the Council of Europe.
Applications must be submitted online and accompanied by the required documents in English or French. INGOs that lost or were refused participatory status before 23 October 2023 may submit a new application, provided they meet the required criteria (Art. 18, CM/Res(2016)3)
Participatory status offers the INGOs concerned – as the voice of civil society and/or because of their expertise on certain subjects – the opportunity to contribute to the work of the Organisation in accordance with the terms of Article 4 of the Appendix. This concerns in particular the activities of intergovernmental committees, exchanges with political or decision-making bodies (Parliamentary Assembly, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Secretary General) and various interactions with other bodies of the Organisation in the context of conferences, colloquiums, consultations, or their monitoring function (Commissioner for Human Rights, collective complaint mechanism of the Social Charter). The INGOs enjoying participatory status form the Conference of INGOs (CINGO) and participate actively in the sessions and the work of CINGO.
It should however be noted that participatory status is not a prerequisite for cooperation with the Council of Europe. Organisations wishing to engage with it in promoting the organisation's values and on specific issues, whether it be setting standards, monitoring them, or assisting with their implementation within member states, will find an overview of the various opportunities for collaboration on the civil society portal and in the Practical Guide for Civil Society.
