COMMITTEE ON NGOS RECOMMENDS REJECTING UNIVERSIDAD LATINOAMERICANA DE LA LIBERTAD FRIEDRICH HAYEK FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS

Press Release
NGO/328

COMMITTEE ON NGOS RECOMMENDS REJECTING UNIVERSIDAD LATINOAMERICANA DE LA LIBERTAD FRIEDRICH HAYEK FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS

Acting by vote this morning, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations decided to recommend rejecting the application of the Universidad Latinoamericana de la Libertad Friedrich Hayek for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.

On the request of the representative of the United States, the Committee voted on the Cuban delegate’s proposal to reject the Universidad’s application. The Committee voted in favour, thereby recommending rejection of the application. The vote was 13 in favour to one against (United States), with five abstentions (Chile, France, Ireland, Romania and Senegal).

Cuba’s delegate proposed rejecting the application because, she said, the organization did not comply with the purposes of the United Nations, or the provisions of Council resolution 1996/31 regarding granting non-governmental organizations consultative status with the Council. The Committee had twice invited a representative to appear before it to answer questions, she noted, and had even extended the deadline to 10 a.m. today, yet it had received only an evasive reply faxed at 11:04 a.m. this morning.

Continuing, she said the Universidad had been established and was supported by the Cuban American Foundation and was closely linked to other organizations of a terrorist nature, including Hermanos al rescate, which devoted their activities to organizing the overthrow of the legitimate Government of Cuba, through means including assassinations. The group was part of an important political lobby in the United States; it promoted aggressive policies against the Government and people of Cuba -- including the blockade against her country -- which the General Assembly had rejected.

The Cuban American Foundation’s primary purpose was to overthrow the Government of Cuba, and its chapter in Cuba carried out illegal activities addressed at destabilization, she said. Its terrorist activities, designed to create disorder and inspire acts against the Constitution, were well-documented and had been reported in the media worldwide, including by The New York Times and the Miami Herald. One of the organization’s most recent acts had been the kidnapping of Elian Gonzalez. The child, who was the subject of brutal political manipulation, had been shown in the media wearing a shirt with the logo of the Cuban American Foundation.

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The representative of the United States said that the comments by the Cuban delegate were cause for great concern, but the organization should be given further time to address the Committee. He was not in favour of rejecting the Universidad so quickly, particularly since its application had just been submitted in June. Perhaps the Committee should grant the 30-day extension requested by the Universidad to allow it time to respond to Cuba’s allegations. “We would all benefit from hearing from them”, he said.

Chile’s representative said that, in recent times, the Committee had shown a tendency to attribute special urgency to particular requests -- pressing a specific organization to appear before the Committee at a specified time -- which might actually be contrary to the working methods of the Committee. “Whether we like the organization or not”, he said “they should be given time to respond”. Dialogue was essential in order to make an informed decision, he said.

“Dialogue required interaction”, Algeria’s representative stressed. The Universidad had been given several opportunities to come before the Committee and the fact that it had chosen not to respond was not the Committee’s fault. The Committee did not need to be indulgent. Continuing to provide opportunities could reduce its credibility. She was surprised that the Committee’s working methods were being questioned. When an organization presented a “complex and sensitive” case, it should feel an obligation to appear before the Committee and at the very least provide reasons for requesting an extension. The Committee should not be indicted every time a problem arose.

The representative from India felt that the Committee had “gone the extra mile” in its attempt to contact this organization so that its application could be considered in further detail. No organization indulging in political activities should get consultative status with the Council. The observer from Iran cautioned against acting in favour of any organization that engaged in terrorist activities.

A number of delegations drew attention to the second paragraph of the faxed response, which reads as follows: “We do understand, however, that there might exist parties interested in downgrading the high standards, morals and goals of our institution based on freedom education [sic] and respect for human rights. We also understand that these rumors might arise from interested parties associated with countries listed as international terrorists by the State Department of the United States, namely the Republic of Cuba.” The representatives from Algeria and China both expressed concern that the language of the organization’s response was “unclear”. Algeria’s delegate said that in the interest of fairness, it would be improper to “read between the lines” of the response; however, she expressed “grave concern” at what appeared to be language that presented bias against certain Member States.

Statements before the vote were made by the representatives of Bolivia, Cuba, United States, India, Chile, Ireland, Senegal, France, Romania and Colombia; Cuba’s representative spoke after the vote.

The five delegations that abstained in the vote expressed the view that more information was needed before the application could be rejected or approved. Some delegates said it would be more clear to have the Committee vote on whether to

Committee on NGOs - 3 - Press Release NGO/328 725th Meeting (AM) 24 January 2000

recommend granting consultative status to the Universidad, but others stressed that a proposal had been made and procedure must be followed.

Also today, representatives the following countries spoke: the Sudan, Russian Federation, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Bolivia, Pakistan, Turkey and Tunisia. The Chief of the Non-Governmental Organizations Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Hanifa Mezoui, and the Committee’s Secretary, Otto Gustafik, responded to questions.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today, to continue considering non- governmental organization’s requests for consultative status.

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