ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ELECTS MEMBERS TO SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, ACTS ON RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGO COMMITTEE

Press Release
ECOSOC/5690

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ELECTS MEMBERS TO SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, ACTS ON RECOMMENDATIONS OF NGO COMMITTEE

The Economic and Social Council, meeting in a resumed substantive session this afternoon, elected Cameroon, Gambia, Malta, Mauritania, Pakistan, Poland, Spain and Uganda to the enlarged membership of the Commission for Social Development. Election of three candidates from Asian States and three from Latin American and Caribbean States was postponed.

In other action, the Council elected José Maria Gamio Cia of Uruguay to the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and Energy for Development.

By the adoption of two decisions on the recommendation of the Committee on Non-governmental Organizations, the Council granted consultative status to 86 non-governmental organizations and roster status to 70 non-governmental organizations.

In related actions, the Council approved the participation of the non- governmental organizations accredited to the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in the work of the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-first session, at which it will be dealing with the follow-up to the Conference.

Further, it approved a recommendation by the Government of Liechtenstein to fully accredit the non-governmental organization named "L'auravetl'an Foundation" for participation in the open-ended intersessional working group of the Commission on Human Rights to elaborate a draft declaration on the rights of indigenous people.

In addition, the Council:

-- Endorsed the Secretary-General's decision to approve the applications of Australia and Spain for full membership in the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods;

-- Took note of the annual overview report of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) and the relevant parts of the report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC); and

-- Changed the dates of the 1997 session of the NGO Committee, scheduled to be held from 31 March to 11 April, to convene from 5 to 16 May 1997.

The Council is scheduled to meet again on Wednesday, 20 November.

Documents before Council

Among documents before the Council was the report of the Committee on Non-governmental Organizations (documents E/1996/102 and Add.1/Corr.1), containing four draft decisions for action.

By draft decision I, the Council would grant consultative status to 87 non-governmental organizations.

By draft decision II, the Council would grant roster status to 70 non- governmental organizations, pursuant to Council decision 1996/302.

By draft decision III, the Council would approve the issuance of the Committee's documentation in all official languages.

By a further draft decision, the Council would approve the participation of the following 14 organizations of indigenous people not in consultative status with the Council in the open-ended intersessional working group of the Commission on Human Rights to elaborate a draft declaration on the rights of indigenous people: the Assembly of First Nations, from Canada; Association of Northern Indigenous Peoples of the Sakha Republic, from the Russian Federation; Centro de Servicios Comunitarios, from Guatemala; Chickasaw Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Indian Reservation, Na Koa Ikaika O Ka Lahui Hawaii, Protect Kohanaiki Ohanai and Upper Sioux Community/Pejihutazizi Oyate from the United States; Federación de Ayllus del Sur-Oruro, Fundación Amautica Fausto Reinaga, Organización de Mujeres Indígenas de Bolivia and Taller de Historia Oral Andina from Bolivia; International Alliance of Indigenous Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests, from the United Kingdom; and Organization for Survival of the Illaikipiak Indigenous Maasai Group Initiative from Kenya.

In addition, it would also approve on a provisional basis, pending the receipt of the views of the governments concerned, the participation of L'auravetl'an Foundation, from Liechtenstein, and the Organización de la Nación Aymara, from Peru.

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Also before the Council was a draft decision sponsored by the Bahamas concerning participation of non-governmental organizations accredited to the Fourth World Conference on Women in the work of the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-first session (document E/1996/L.55). It would have the Council approve the participation of the non-governmental organizations accredited to the Beijing Conference solely at the forty-first session of the Commission, at which it will be dealing with the follow-up to the Conference.

Under coordination questions, the Council had before it the annual overview report of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) for 1995 (documents E/1996/18 and Add.1). Under programme questions, it had before it the report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) on the second part of its thirty-sixth session (document A/51/16 - Part II). In addition, two conference room papers (documents E/1996/CRP.3/Rev.1 and CRP.5) concerning the implementation of resolution 50/227, on further measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields, were also available for information.

Further, the Council was also scheduled to elect additional 14 members to the recently enlarged membership (from 32 to 46) of the Commission for Social Development as follows: four from African States, four from Asian States, one from Eastern European States, three from Latin American and Caribbean States, and two from Western European and Other States (documents E/1995/95 and Corr.1).

Upon completion of the membership, lots will be drawn to stagger the initial term of office. Therefore, three members will serve for a term beginning on the date of the election and expiring on 31 December 1997, three members will serve for a term beginning on the date of the election and expiring on 31 December 1998, four members will serve for a term beginning on the date of the election and expiring on 31 December 1999 and four members will serve for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2000.

The Council was also scheduled to elect, upon nomination by his government, to serve on the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development, José Maria Gamio Cia of Uruguay (document E/1996/L.15/Add.2).

A note by the Secretary-General on the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (document E/1996/94) was also before the Council. It states that the Secretary-General has received and approved applications from Australia and Spain for the full membership of the Committee.

By Council resolution 1986/66 of 23 July 1986, governments had been invited to make available at the Secretary-General's request and at their own expense experts to serve on the Committee. The present membership of the

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Committee consists of experts from Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.

Action by Council

First, the Council took up the applications of Australia and Spain for full membership in the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, and endorsed the Secretary-General's decision to approve those applications.

Next, the Council took note of the annual overview report of the ACC and the relevant parts of the report of the CPC.

The report of the Committee on Non-governmental Organizations was then before the Council.

KAREL KOVANDA (Czech Republic), a Council Vice-President, briefed Council members on the outcome of informal consultations on the three draft decisions contained in the report. On draft decision I, applications for consultative status received from non-governmental organizations, he said members had agreed to strike from the list of 87 non-governmental organizations the National Society for Human Rights and had included additional language concerning that organization. He then submitted draft decision II, on granting of roster status to 70 non-governmental organizations, to the Council for its approval.

Turning to draft decision III, he said a revised text has been agreed to during the consultations. Although he did not expect the draft to have financial implications, a statement by the Secretariat on the matter was required. He then proposed the Council should postpone action on the text.

The Council then took up draft decision I, on applications for consultative status.

The representative of Japan, referring to the application submitted by the National Rifle Association of America/Institute for Legislative Action, said that organization was particularly interested in participating in discussions relating to the resolution on a firearms declaration that was adopted at the Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (Cairo, 1995). It was Japan's understanding that organization would make a constructive contribution to the work of the United Nations on the issue of firearms regulation. Therefore, Japan favoured the adoption of the decision.

The representative of Tunisia wanted to know if it would not be better to adopt the entire report next week.

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A representative of the Secretariat said it was up to the Council to decide. However, there was no problem in adopting two draft decisions out of three. The representative of the United States said her Government supported non-governmental organizations in the United Nations system. However, Cuban non-governmental organizations, such as Centro de Estudios sobre Asia y Oceania, were not bona fide organizations because they were not independent from the Government.

The representative of Cuba said the NGO Committee had spoken on the matter, and the organization mentioned met all the prerequisites for being on the roster.

The Council then adopted draft decision I, as orally amended, granting consultative status to 86 non-governmental organizations. By the oral amendment to the draft, the Council decided to take a decision at its next organizational session on the granting of special consultative status to the National Society for Human Rights, noting in that regard the intention of the Government of Namibia to supply relevant information on the matter at that session.

The representative of Ireland, on behalf of the European Union, said the Council's postponement of the decision to grant special consultative status to the National Society for Human Rights of Namibia was taken under exceptional circumstances and should not be seen as a precedent.

Next, it took up draft decision II, on granting of roster status to 70 non-governmental organizations.

The representative of Japan clarified the spelling of a non-governmental organization listed on page 9 of the report. The correct name was Sasagawa Peace Foundation.

The representative of the United States again stated her objection to Cuban organizations that were not bona fide, but sponsored by the Government.

The representative of Cuba said the organizations had been considered by the Committee and were beyond reproach. Nobody could question their juridical validity.

Draft decision II, granting roster status to 70 non-governmental organizations, was adopted without a vote.

Next, the representative of the Bahamas introduced a revised draft decision entitled "participation of non-governmental organizations accredited to the Fourth World Conference on Women in the work of the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-first session".

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A representative of the Secretariat said the decision did not mention the status being accorded to the organizations in question. The Secretariat would assume that they were being given the same status as that given by the Council to other organizations when it adopted a similar decision in February this year. The organizations in question were not being accredited, but invited to attend.

The Council then adopted the draft decision as orally revised.

Further the Council approved a recommendation by the Government of Liechtenstein that the provisional status of the non-governmental organization named "L'auravetl'an Foundation" be removed and it be considered fully accredited for participation in the open-ended intersessional working group of the Commission on Human Rights to elaborate a draft declaration on the rights of indigenous people.

Next, the Council decided to approve a change of dates of the 1997 session of the NGO Committee from 31 March to 11 April to 5 May to 16 May 1997. The change was necessitated because the dates originally scheduled for the Committee's 1997 session conflicted with those of the 1997 session of the Commission on Human Rights, which would meet in Geneva from 10 March to 18 April.

The Council then elected José Maria Gamio Cia of Uruguay to the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and Energy for Development.

The representative of the Russian Federation said his country had presented its candidates for the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development, as well as to the Committee on Science and Technology. However, those documents had not been presented. He asked if the Council President could leave the matter open so that election to those Committees could take place at the next Council meeting.

The President took note of the request.

Next, the Council proceeded to the election of 14 new members to the Commission for Social Development.

It elected Cameroon, Gambia, Malta, Mauritania, Pakistan, Poland, Spain and Uganda. In addition, it postponed to a later date the election of three candidates from Asian States and three candidates from Latin American and Caribbean States.

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