COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS TO CONSIDER RECOMMENDING WITHDRAWAL OF CONSULTATIVE STATUS FOR CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS

Press Release
NGO/265

COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS TO CONSIDER RECOMMENDING WITHDRAWAL OF CONSULTATIVE STATUS FOR CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations this morning requested the Secretariat to provide a list of non-governmental organizations that had failed to submit their quadrennial reports for 1988 to 1991, so that the Committee might ask the Economic and Social Council to withdraw their consultative status.

At a 1993 session, the Committee had requested non-governmental organizations that had failed to submit their reports for 1988 to 1991 to provide them within three months. It had also decided to review those reports during its 1995 session and agreed that organizations that failed to submit a report within the specific time would automatically have their consultative status withdrawn.

The Committee decided to ask for the list while taking note of 44 reports from organizations that have category I and II consultative status with the Council, as it continued reviewing nearly 180 such reports for the periods 1988-1991 and 1990-1993. Action on the 1990-1993 report of the International Agency for Rural Industrialization was deferred pending the provision of more information to the Committee. The consideration of reports was started at yesterday's opening of the resumed 1995 session, which will continue until 2 February.

Non-governmental organizations that have consultative status with the Economic and Social Council are required to report every four years on the work they did supporting the United Nations, as governed by guidelines set in Council resolution 1296 (XLIV) of May 1968. After examining the reports, the Committee may recommend to the Council any appropriate reclassification in the status of the organizations concerned.

Apart from those that had failed to submit their 1988-1991 reports, the Secretariat was asked to place the 33-year-old Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) on the list of those whose consultative status could be withdrawn. In its 1988-1991 report, the IPS said that it had not made any ascertainable use of its consultative status with the Council. The IPS stated that it was

Committee on NGOs - 2 - Press Release NGO/265 584th Meeting (AM) 30 January 1996

formed to provide independent public policy research, social commentary and activism and to promote movements for peace and disarmament, civil and human rights and economic justice.

Noting the report, the representative of the United States said that the body's consultative status should be withdrawn, and the United Kingdom's representative agreed, while Cuba's representative, too, said that the organization should be listed with those whose suspension the Committee should recommend. Chile's representative urged further consideration of the matter.

During the resumed session, the Committee is also expected to consider the applications of three non-governmental organizations for consultative status: International Energy Foundation (IEF), ISIS International (Chile) and ISIS International Women's Information and Communication Service (Philippines).

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today, to continue reviewing the quadrennial reports of the non-governmental organizations.

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