PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR UN CONFERENCE ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS ACTS ON AGENDA, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION ACCREDITATION

15 February 1996

Press Release
HAB/108

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR UN CONFERENCE ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS ACTS ON AGENDA, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION ACCREDITATION

19960215 Defers Accreditation of Two Organizations, Westtrace Turks in Europe and Tibetan Rights Campaign

The Preparatory Committee for the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) this afternoon recommended to the Conference the approval of its provisional agenda. Also this afternoon, the Preparatory Committee approved the accreditation of non-governmental organizations and local authorities to the Conference. The Committee, however, deferred until Friday action on the accreditation of two non-governmental organizations -- the Federation of Westtrace Turks in Europe and the Tibetan Rights Campaign. The representative of the United States said that the Tibetan Rights Campaign was relevant to Habitat II and had indeed been part of the preparatory process for the Conference. As such, it deserved to be accredited. The representative of China, however, maintained that the purpose of the organization was to promote the independence of Tibet and, by that, split China. In recognition of that, the Economic and Social Council had decided that it was not qualified for accreditation to the Fourth World Conference on Women. The same standard should be applied for accreditation to Habitat II. The organization should not be accredited. In other action this afternoon, the Committee deferred consideration until Friday morning, 16 February, of a United States proposal to reconsider the 5 February list of non-governmental organizations approved for accreditation by the Committee. The representative of the United States, citing rule 81 of the rules of procedure, said that the non-governmental organization International Energy Foundation should not be included in the list of non-governmental organizations recommended for accreditation. The representatives of Australia, Greece, Canada, India, Denmark and Norway also made statements. A statement was also made by the Secretary- General of Habitat II, Wally N'Dow. The Preparatory Committee will meet again Friday, 16 February, to continue its discussion on the accreditation of non-governmental organizations and to consider the reports of its two working groups.

Habitat Preparatory Committee - 2 - Press Release HAB/108 4th Meeting (PM) 15 February 1996

Committee Work Programme

The Preparatory Committee for the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) met this afternoon to take up accreditation of non-governmental organizations and local authorities in accordance with the rules of participation set out in by the Committee in its second session. The list of non-governmental organizations and local authorities is contained in documents A/CONF.165/PC.3/2 and Add.1, Add.3 and Corr.1 and Add.4.

In addition, the Preparatory Committee will consider the provisional agenda of the Conference (document A/CONF.165/PC.3/5) According to the provisional agenda, the Conference would include a high-level segment, as well as meetings which would focus on the state of human settlements, including strategies for their improvement. Another Conference segment would consider the role and contribution of local authorities, the private sector, parliamentarians, non-governmental organizations and other partners in the implementation of the results of the Conference. The Conference would also adopt a statement of principles and commitments and a global plan of action (the Habitat Agenda).

Accreditation of NGOs and Local Authorities

Acting upon the suggestion of its Chairman, MARTTI JUJANEN (Finland), the Committee accredited the organizations listed in document A/CONF.165/PC.3/2/Add.3 and those listed in Add.4, minus the following four organizations listed in Annex II of Add.4: Taiwan International Alliance of the United States; Canada Tibet Committee; Federation of Westtrace Turks in Europe; and Tibetan Rights Campaign of the United States. The issue of the accreditation of the Federation of Westtrace Turks and the Tibetan Rights Campaign was postponed until the Friday, 16 February, morning meeting.

A new corrigendum would be presented to the Committee on Friday containing the names of the organizations in question.

VICTOR MARRERO (United States) said he did not know the contents of the new corrigendum expected for Friday. He expressed his country's concern that Tibetan Rights Campaign, based in the United States, was being removed from the recommended list. The organization was rejected on the grounds that its purpose was not relevant to the work of the Conference. The organization was, in fact, an active member of the Habitat II preparation at the local level.

Given the efforts already made by the organization thus far in preparing for Habitat II, he said it was difficult to accept the grounds for rejecting that organization. The United States did not support the inclusion of the organization on the not-recommended list. Furthermore, the United States did not believe that the Economic and Social Council should have denied it accreditation for the Beijing Conference.

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WANG XUEXIAN (China) said he regretted the statement by the United States. It added nothing new to the debate that had occurred last year in the Economic and Social Council. His Government opposed accreditation of any non- governmental organizations whose purpose was irrelevant to the conf or whose purpose was to split the sovereign territory of a Member State. He, therefore, supported not recommending the four non-governmental organizations for accreditation. The Tibetan Rights Campaign was rejected by the Economic and Social Council in July of 1995 for participation in the Beijing Conference. The organization concerned itself with splitting the territorial integrity of a Member State.

Mr. NEILSON (Australia) said his Government supported the accreditation of a non-governmental organization called National Shelter, which was a part of Australia's national effort towards Habitat II. Thus far, the organization had not been listed.

GEORGE PAPADATOS (Greece) asked what non-governmental organizations the new corrigendum would affect and on what basis.

Mr. MARRERO (United States) said that it was important to follow the already existing criteria for determining eligibility standards. His delegation had indicated the relevance of the Tibetan Rights Campaign. Nothing had been presented to indicate that the organization was not relevant or that it was involved in political activities, as alleged. As for obeying United Nations decisions, accreditation decisions relevant to the Conference were being made by the Preparatory Committee and were not based on any previous decisions.

Mr. WANG (China) said that the Tibetan Rights Campaign's purpose was to advocate independence for Tibet. That purpose amounted to an attempt to split China and to violate its territorial integrity. Such an organization could not participate in any conference that affected a Member State's rights. He noted that United States policy supported China's territorial integrity. Had that policy changed? he asked.

Mr. MARRERO (United States) said that his country's position on Tibet was not at issue. The issue was whether the organization qualified for accreditation. In that regard, consultations should continue.

VALERIE RAYMOND (Canada) said she did not support the politicization of the accreditation process. Also, she questioned the interpretation offered by a delegation on the Economic and Social Council decision on accreditation to the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Ms. KELLY, Committee Secretary, said that if an organization had applied for accreditation, but all the relevant information had not been received, its request could still be considered in Istanbul.

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Mr. WANG (China) asked for clarification on the nature of the new corrigendum that would be issued tomorrow.

Mr. JUJANEN (Finland), Preparatory Committee Chairman, said consultations were continuing, and the corrigendum would reflect the outcome of those consultations.

Mr. PAPADATOS (Greece) repeated his request to know what the corrigendum would contain.

Mr. JUJANEN (Finland), Committee Chairman, said that some delegations were going to present some information to the secretariat. Based on that information and consultations, the corrigendum would be issued.

Mr. PAPADATOS (Greece) said he did not see the link between the corrigendum and the consultations and asked if the document to be issued would be on the two non-governmental organizations.

Mr. JUJANEN (Finland), Committee Chairman, said that the content of the corrigendum had not yet been determined.

Mr. MARRERO (United States) proposed that, under rule 81 of the rules of procedure, the listing of non-governmental organizations presented to the Committee on 5 February for accreditation be reconsidered. Rule 81 required that reconsideration of an issue that had been acted upon in a session must be approved by a two-thirds majority.

Continuing, he said that the non-governmental organization International Energy Foundation should not be included in the 5 February list of non- governmental organizations recommended for accreditation. Contrary to the rules of consideration of non-governmental organizations, the proper documentation had not been available for consideration on 5 February. In addition, the United States was not convinced that the organization's purpose was consistent with the necessary criteria for approval. That organization was also not in compliance with the sanctions regime against Libya. It had instead acted as a cover for the Libyan Government and had assisted in Libya's missile programme. He proposed that the decision to approve the listing on 5 February be reopened.

T.P. SREENIVASAN (India) supported the United States proposal. India had certain difficulties with the fact that a non-governmental organization whose qualifications were in question might have been approved. The question of accreditation of that non-governmental organization should be reconsidered.

Mr. JUJANEN (Finland), Committee Chairman, said that in discussions of the Expanded Bureau of the Committee many delegations had requested a delay for consultations with their capitals.

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The Committee deferred consideration of the United States proposal until Friday morning.

Provisional Agenda

Mr. NEILSON (Australia) expressed a favourable view of the provisional agenda both in its procedural and substantive aspects. He reminded the Committee of General Assembly resolution 50/157, which called attention to the need for observance of the International Decade of Indigenous People. Official observance of the Decade was called for at Habitat II and other conferences. The observance had occurred at the Beijing Conference. A place should be found in the provisional agenda of Habitat II for a suitable observance of the Decade.

WALLY N'DOW, Secretary-General of Habitat II, said he had no difficulty with the request, as long as it did not have to be a totally separate agenda item.

The representatives of Canada, Denmark and Norway supported the proposal by Australia.

The Committee then recommended to the Conference the approval of its provisional agenda.

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