COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION RECOMMENDS 13 ORGANIZATIONS FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Press Release
NGO/320

COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION RECOMMENDS 13 ORGANIZATIONS FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, a 19-member standing body of the Economic and Social Council, this afternoon recommended that 13 organization be granted special consultative status with the Council.

The two-week session, which began this morning, resumes the Committee’s work from June 1999. Non-governmental organizations that fulfil requirements set out in Council resolution 1996/31 can be granted consultative status as “general”, “special” or “roster” categories. Each carries with it distinct privileges and responsibilities. (For further detail, see Press Release NGO/319 issued today.)

Following are the groups recommended for special status this afternoon: Association Tunisienne des Auberges et Tourisme de Jeunes; Egyptian AIDS Society; Organisation pour la Promotion et la Protection des Droits de la Femme et de l’Enfant au Burundi; Women in Media and Entertainment; Woman Action; Peter Hess Stiftung; Human Lactation Center; International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care; Fundacion Huancavilca; African Peace Network; Algerian Family Planning Association; Touiza National Volunteer Association; and Gorakhpur Environment Action Group.

Also this afternoon, the Committee decided until further information was received, to leave the status of the following 14 organizations pending: Union of Kuwaiti Women Associations; American Society for Training and Development; Enchante Repertoire de la Tranquilite; Global Policy Forum; Grameena Vikas Samithi; Zimbabwe Association for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Offender; Admiral Family Circle Islamic Community; Hadassah (the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.); Femmes-Afrique-Solidarite; Institute for Environment and Development Studies; the Mountain Institute; National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; Universal Great Brotherhood; and Tunisian-Mediterranean Sustainable Development Association.

The Committee’s decision to leave pending consideration of the Global Policy Forum to a later date in the current session took place after a delegation raised a series of questions. Written responses to earlier questions were distributed, and the organization’s representative addressed the Committee.

Several representatives expressed concern about a note to the Secretary- General, in which the Forum had expressed the view that the Committee had become

Committee on NGOs - 2 - Press Release NGO/320 717th Meeting (PM) 17 January 2000

politicized. Cuba’s representative said it must be clear what the link was between the Forum and a campaign to discredit the work of the Committee. The Committee was not politicized, she said. Still, she stressed, her delegation would consider the organization’s application carefully. The representatives of Sudan and China asked for further information on the views expressed in the note. The Committee had been pursuing its work in accordance with Council resolution 1996/31 despite its heavy workload, China’s representative said.

France’s representative said, however, that the Forum was making substantial contributions to the United Nations already, and it would be a pity to penalize it for its positions on any particular subject. Instead, the concern should be whether the organization could contribute to the debate. The representative of Ireland said the more diversity of views, the better the outcome of a debate. Chile’s representative said she welcomed criticism and comments, and the representative of the United States said dissent was healthy for growth.

Pakistan’s representatives wondered if, in view of the Forum’s stated aim to promote more openness and accountability in the Security Council, it was more interested in working with the Security Council than with the Economic and Social Council.

The Executive Director of the Global Policy Forum, James Paul, said there was always room for improvement in any body’s work, and non-governmental organizations should provide constructive input. The Forum was not part of any campaign to discredit anybody, but it was the responsibility of civil society to be able to speak freely about organs of the United Nations. During the General Assembly’s general debate each year, comments were always made about the Security Council that were far from flattering. The Cuban delegation itself often did that. The Forum had said some things about the Committee that some delegations might not agree with, but they had been submitted in the spirit of a humble discussion with the goal of creating a better United Nations and a better world.

While one of the Forum’s most visible projects had to do with dialogue between the Security Council and non-governmental organizations, there were a number of other important programmes, he added. Those included work on global social and economic policy, such as financing for development and the social and economic aspects of security crises.

Also this afternoon, the Committee was addressed by Reverend Leonard Kosatka of the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care, who explained that errors in terminology -- such as referring to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan as separate entities -- had to do simply with the Commission’s inadvertent failure to keep up with updates in terminology changes over the last 50 years. He added that the Commission’s work differed from country to country, but was always within the parameters extended to it within a given State.

Comments were also made by the representatives of India, Tunisia, Russian Federation and Algeria.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. tomorrow, 18 January, to continue its work.

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