NGO COMMITTEE CONTINUES REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS

Press Release
NGO/346

NGO COMMITTEE CONTINUES REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations this morning recommended that the China Society for Promotion of the Guangcai Programme and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights be granted special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.

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 categories 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 (NGOs) 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.

A decision was left pending regarding the application of the Triglav Circle until the Committee received further clarifications. While some delegations valued the Triglav Circle's potential contribution to the Council’s work and favoured granting it special consultative status, others questioned the involvement of Secretariat staff in the NGO.

Responding to those concerns, the group's representative stressed that the organization comprised individual members serving in their individual capacities. It just so happened that some of them worked in the Secretariat. Like other NGOs, the Triglav Circle wanted to enrich the discourse on social development and show something concrete in the implementation of the Copenhagen Summit's goals. It carried out research, produced publications and attended meetings of other organizations. It wanted to add its voice to others with similar aims in promoting social development.

A decision was also deferred with regard to the Youth Federation for World Peace, whose representative replied to the Committee’s questions by describing the NGO’s main goal as enabling, equipping and educating youth by preparing them for a healthy, future family life. Its concrete and precise goals involved

Committee on NGOs - 2 - Press Release NGO/346 744th Meeting (AM) 19 May 2000

human development, focusing on character and creating relationships with people from other nations through conferences and seminars.

He described the Federation as an independent, non-profit, non-religious organization, which did not try to bring people into any particular faith. It was founded by the Reverend Moon, also founder of the Unification Church. Its activities in Africa, particularly in Zambia and Kenya, included conferences on issues related to family, women and youth issues, as well as measures to counter HIV/AIDS. It looked forward to holding a continental conference in Africa.

Also this morning, Cuba’s representative pointed out that of the 11 representatives of Cuban NGOs that had planned to attend the Millennium Forum, only five had been granted visas by the United States Government. The Cuban representatives were the only ones that required a letter of invitation to obtain visas. At some stage, the Committee should consider the situation faced by NGOs from the South.

The representative of the United States replied that his Government was working with the Cuban delegation in order to grant the necessary visas. While four of those applications were being worked on, the end of the required two- week period had not been reached in order to clear the visas. Cuba had not been singled out as other countries were also experiencing visa problems.

The representatives of China, France, Algeria, Chile, Germany, Senegal, Tunisia, Romania, Bolivia, Russian Federation, Ethiopia, Turkey and Colombia spoke this morning. Also, the Committee heard from the observer for Palestine.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue reviewing new applications for consultative status, as well as close the first part of its 2000 session.

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