Recently, the World Eco-Design Conference (hereinafter called WEDC) received a formal notification from the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (hereinafter called UN-ECOSOC), confirming that WEDC is granted in Special Consultative Status with the UN-ECOSOC.

In 2020, WEDC applied for Consultative Status with UN-ECOSOC and was officially granted Special Consultative Status by the UN-ECOSOC on December 17, 2021 due to the increasing number of cooperation achievements of WEDC. The UN-ECOSOC is one of the 6 main organs of the United Nations. Until now, there are over 80 Chinese organizations granted in Special Consultative Status with the UN-ECOSOC, including China Association for Science and Technology, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, All-China Women's Federation, China Disabled Persons' Federation, and China Environmental Protection Foundation etc.

The consultative status is the core of a formal relationship between the UN and social organizations, which is also a key approach for social organizations to take initiatives to engage in activities of the UN and international communities. The ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31 specifies the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Consultative Status are entitled to:

· Attend international conferences and events;
· Make written and oral statements at these events;
· Organize side events;
· Enter United Nations premises; and
· Have opportunities to network and lobby.

Design Cooperation
With the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China, the People's Government of Guangdong Province, and the China Light Industry Federation, WEDC2018 and WEDC2019 were successfully held by gathering design organizations, institutions, enterprises, and academies from more than 30 countries and regions. Nearly 3000 participants took part in the world eco-design industrial development conference, which forges an international design and innovation hub platform, and promotes the integration and sustainable development of design, ecology and society on a global scale.

In 2019, WEDC invited Bangladesh, Cambodia and Thailand as the Guest Countries of Honour, and organized the Ministerial Roundtable Meeting, which aims to explore new mechanism and model of coordinated development of economy, society, resources and environment in different countries and regions, promoting the level of industrial development in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, and facilitate the sustainable development of global economy.

In 2020, WEDC and United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries co-established an United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries Eco-Design Promotion Center settled in Conghua District, Guangzhou, to support and enhance the capacity and competitiveness in science, technology and innovation for the world’s least developed countries (LDCs).

Design Education
In 2018 and 2019, WEDC collaborated with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to launch an UNIDO Eco-Design Leading Talent Training Program (EDLTTP). The EDLTTP is open to government officials, representatives of research institutes, academies and leading companies for exchange, sharing, knowledge popularization and training on the subject of eco-design.

In 2021, WEDC collaborated with the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries and the International School of Design, Zhejiang University, Ningbo to jointly launch the International Design Education Program for the world’s 46 LDCs, providing education support to the LDCs students, and offering full scholarships to selected students of cities awarded the medal of honour in the 5th Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation.

Design Industry
Since 2018, WEDC has co-established the National Eco-Industrial Design Institute, and Guangdong Provincial Innovation Design Research Institute of One Village One Product, continued exploring and enhancing the look of rural area and resources superiority, promoting industrial structure, developing rural economy and strengthening product competitiveness, thus making contribution to the national strategy for rural revitalization by new development philosophy.

Design for Public Welfare
During the pandemic outbreak in 2020, WEDC partnered with the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries to jointly donate 100,000 surgical face masks to the Kingdom of Lesotho, which are used to protect front-line workers from coronavirus, and build a community with a shared future for mankind to prevail over the pandemic.

The “Special Consultative Status” granted by the UN-ECOSOC, is a significant symbol of worldwide recognition for an NGO. It signifies that WEDC is entitled to provide industrial reports and datas to the UN, effectively engage in ecological issues of the globe, and facilitate the exchange and mutual learning in the field of eco-design. WEDC has been invited to attend and deliver a speech at the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar in January, 2022 as an NGO in special consultative status. 

WEDC calls for the respect and promotion of diversified human ecology through design, promoting healthy industrial ecology by the power of design, and constructing environmental ecology to achieve sustainable development by design. As a major international NGO specializing in design and recognized by the UN, WEDC will take initiatives to engage in activities associated with the UN, and further explore international cooperation in order to continue speaking up for world eco-design.