NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE TAKES UP REPEATEDLY DEFERRED REQUESTS FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS

Press Release
NGO/325

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE TAKES UP REPEATEDLY DEFERRED REQUESTS FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS

As it continued its resumed 1999 session this afternoon, the Economic and Social Council’s Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations took up requests for consultative status that had been repeatedly deferred, and discussed aspects of its working methods. It decided to close the file on one case deferred since 1995, and to extend to another organization one final invitation to send a representative to respond to questions.

The Committee reviews applications from non-governmental groups seeking to formalize their relationship with the Council by obtaining consultative status in either general, special or rostered status. Its recommendations are transmitted to the Council, which then decides as a whole whether to grant consultative status, and also acts on requests for reclassification. The Committee’s 19 members determine whether non-governmental groups conform to the standards set for consultative status, and into which group each should be classified, bearing in mind the distinct privileges and responsibilities accorded to the different categories. Its decisions are based on criteria such as the organizations’ areas of focus, financial regimes and methods of decision-making.

This afternoon, the Committee agreed to a proposal by its Chairman, Wahid Ben Amor (Tunisia), to invite a representative of the Assyrian National Congress to respond in person to questions by Wednesday, 26 January. Whether or not a representative attended, it was decided that a final decision would be taken during the current session.

Many delegations said their concerns had not been assuaged by written replies from the organization. The observer from Iraq said that at a time when the world was working towards unity, that organization’s work appeared to be based on ethnic and religious differences that could only lead to political and religious strife in the region. “This is a very dangerous organization which reflects separatist intentions”, he said. The organization’s responses to the Committee’s earlier questions seemed designed to please the Committee. By following the thread that wove through those answers, it became apparent how those responses had evolved.

“This organization is evil”, Lebanon’s representative said; its attempts to divide the Middle East -– and its application for consultative status with the Council -- should be rejected once and for all. The protection of minorities was one thing, and all agreed on the importance of maintaining traditions, icons, churches and archeological areas. But claiming the protection of “so-called minorities” in the Middle East was serious and unacceptable, he stressed.

Committee on NGOs - 2 - Press Release NGO/325 722nd Meeting (PM) 20 January 2000

The observers from Syria and Egypt both expressed concerns about historical inaccuracies in the organization’s original application. The representative from the Sudan said the organization’s working methods seemed to indicate a vagueness of purpose; controversial viewpoints concerning ethnic minorities should be approached cautiously.

Also this afternoon, the Committee decided to close the case of the International Committee of Peace and Human Rights, which had been deferred for more than five years. It will inform the organization that its request will not be examined unless a fresh application is submitted. This decision followed a discussion on ways to address applications on which the Committee had deferred its decisions for several sessions.

In the course of discussing the Committee’s working methods, the observer from Syria noted that observers were given the floor after Committee members. He suggested that speakers be called on in the order of their requests for the floor. The Chairman said that observers now took the floor in the Committee more often than in the past. He was concerned whether observers and members could be placed on the same footing. The observer from Egypt said that there was no rule of procedure that governed the order in which speakers were recognized from the floor; the only distinction was that members could vote, whereas observers could not. After hearing from several delegations on this issue, the Chairman asked the Secretariat to study the rules of procedure and report to the Committee tomorrow.

This afternoon, comments were also made by Committee members from Chile, Pakistan, France, Ireland, Algeria, Cuba, Colombia, China, India, Turkey, Romania, United States, Tunisia, Bolivia and the Russian Federation; as well as observers from Mexico and Iran.

The Committee will continue its work at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 21 January.

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