TAMIL CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS BY COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Press Release
NGO/345

TAMIL CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS BY COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Status Recommended for International HIV/AIDS Alliance, International Planned Parenthood Federation, South Asia

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) this afternoon did not recommend the granting of consultative status to the Tamil Centre for Human Rights, following concerns raised about its connection with terrorist activities.

In order to forge mutually beneficial relations between the Council and civil groups, the Committee's 19 members review and make recommendations on non- governmental organizations' applications for consultative status with either general, special or roster classification. Each of these carries with it distinct responsibilities and privileges. The Committee's recommendations are transmitted to the Council, which takes its final decision as a whole.

Non-governmental organizations with general status can propose items for the Council's agenda, attend and speak at meetings and circulate statements. Those with special status can attend meetings and circulate statements, while those on the roster can only attend meetings. Organizations with general and special status must report every four years on their activities in support of the United Nations.

Following concerns raised by the representative of the United States about the Centre, which had applied for roster status, the observer of Sri Lanka informed the Committee that the NGO was a well-known front for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a terrorist group banned in several countries. The Centre had published literature promoting the division of Sri Lanka and its senior officials had participated in LTTE rallies. The Centre sought to circumvent the strict procedures regarding accreditation to the United Nations by applying for consultative status. Therefore, the Committee was urged not to consider the application.

Responding to the concerns, a representative of the Centre said that the NGO was committed to working for the protection of human rights and nothing else. It monitored and assessed the needs of Tamil people and fed them into the United Nations system, and did not have any violent objectives. It was entirely untrue that members of the NGO had distributed information produced by the LTTE. It collected money to produce material on human rights, but did not give any money to any group. While she had spoken at peace and human rights rallies, it

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had not been to advocate a separate State, but to speak about the need to address human rights violations.

Several delegates noted that the responses given were not sufficient to allay their concerns. The activities of the Centre seemed inconsistent with the provisions of resolution 1996/31 and the principles of the United Nations Charter. As such, they could not support the application of an NGO connected with violence and terrorist groups.

In other action, the Committee recommended granting special consultative status to International HIV/AIDS Alliance and International Planned Parenthood Federation, South Asia.

With regard to the application of the Hague Appeal for Peace, the Committee decided that it was not in a position to consider that application because the NGO had not completed the required two years of existence prior to applying for consultative status.

Also this afternoon, the Committee heard from members who had logged complaints against certain NGOs. The representative of Cuba stated that the International Council of the Associations for Peace in the Continents had distributed information that had been published by organizations based in Miami working openly against the Cuban Government and its President. It had also distributed information about two projects, developed by the Cuban-American National Foundation, which was involved in terrorist activities in Cuba. It had even harassed members of the Cuban delegation in Geneva. The case should be investigated and considered carefully in the Committee to ensure that such incidents did not occur again. The NGO should be requested to submit a report on what occurred in Geneva for consideration during the Committee's June session.

Also, she continued, Freedom House had accredited a member of an NGO that the Committee had refused to grant status to last year. The Committee should warn against such actions and the NGOs should be more careful about the people it accredited.

The representative of China also expressed concern about Freedom House, saying that the NGO should present a special report on the incident in Geneva, during which the NGO misused the name of the Chinese delegation to obtain interpretation services. He also referred to incidents in which delegates were pressured to have their photos taken with the NGO. He hoped that such actions would not be repeated in the future and that the NGO would send a letter to that effect.

The representative of the Sudan said her delegation had presented the President of the Council information regarding an incident involving Christian Solidarity International during the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on Human Rights. That NGO had distributed publications in the United Nations building in Geneva even after its consultative status had been withdrawn last year. On several occasions, the Sudanese delegation in Geneva had also been harassed. Such actions were in disregard of the decisions taken by the Council.

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She requested the Committee to consider the issue and promptly investigate to discern who allowed the NGO to distribute their publications on United Nations premises.

Also during the fifty-sixth session of the Commission, said the representative of the Russian Federation, a Chechen separatist had taken the floor on behalf of the Transnational Radical Party. That NGO had aggressively promoted the legalization of drugs and took part in its trafficking and distribution. Since such activities were a gross violation of the provisions of resolution 1996/31, the Committee should adopt a recommendation to withdraw that NGO's status from the Council.

Committee Chairman, Levent Bilman (Turkey), informed members that due process had been started in all those cases. Letters had been sent to the current Chair of the Commission on Human Rights and the President of the Council, as well as the NGOs concerned.

Statements were made by the representatives of Algeria, Chile, Senegal, Pakistan, Ethiopia, India, France, Colombia, Turkey and Bolivia.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Friday, 19 May, to continue reviewing new applications for consultative status.

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