WINDING UP FIRST PART OF 2000 SESSION, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION BODY GRANTS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONSULTATIVE STATUS TO 16 GROUPS

Press Release
NGO/347

WINDING UP FIRST PART OF 2000 SESSION, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION BODY GRANTS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONSULTATIVE STATUS TO 16 GROUPS

Defers Decision on 12 Applications Until Second Part of 2000 Session, 12-23 June

As it closed the first part of its 2000 session this afternoon, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) recommended that seven groups be granted consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.

In his closing remarks, Committee Chairman Levent Bilman (Turkey) said that a total of 16 NGOs were recommended for consultative status, 12 applications were deferred and one NGO was not recommended. Also, the Committee established a working group to consider proposals related to working methods, questionnaires to be sent to NGOs and the format of quadrennial reports. The Group would comprise India, France, Russian Federation, Germany, Sudan, Cuba, United States and Algeria.

The Committee recommended granting special consultative status to the following groups: AIDS Information Switzerland; Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Centre; Asian Women in Cooperative Development Forum (AWCF); American Psychological Association; Climate Institute; International HIV/AIDS Alliance; International Planned Parenthood Federation, South Asia; China Society for Promotion of the Guangcai Programme; Palestinian Centre for Human Rights; The Mothers’ Union; Network of Human Development; Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries; Research Center for Feminist Action; National Council of Women of Great Britain; and Association Tunisienne des droits de l’Enfant (ATUDE). The Cherokee Nation of New Jersey was recommended for roster status.

The Committee deferred the applications of the following groups: Alan Guttmacher Institute; Argentina Association of International Law; Amitié sans frontières internationales; Center for Policy Alternatives; Global Crop Protection Federation (GCPF); Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW); China Association of Women Entrepreneurs (CAWE); International Commission on Distance Education (CODE); International Energy Foundation; Triglav Circle; Youth Federation for World Peace; and Arab Centre for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession. It did not recommend consultative status for the Tamil Centre for Human Rights.

The week-long session saw the Committee take up a review of its working methods, during which several delegations criticized NGOs that disregarded withdrawal of their consultative status or violated that status. Due to its heavy

Committee on NGOs - 2 - Press Release NGO/347 745th Meeting (PM) 19 May 2000

workload, and commitments elsewhere in the United Nations, the Committee also put off until June -- the second part of its 2000 session -- consideration of deferred applications for consultative status.

Also during the review, it agreed on the importance of electronic means in communicating with NGOs. Electronic technology would save a staggering amount of money currently spent on communication, reduce excessive paperwork and facilitate the Secretariat's work. However, while supporting improved efficiency, some delegations cautioned against alienating large numbers of NGOs from the South which did not yet have access to the Internet.

The Committee, a standing body of the Economic and Social Council, considers applications for consultative status submitted by NGOs, and their requests for reclassification; considers quadrennial reports submitted by those organizations; implements the provisions of Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31 and the monitoring of consultative relationships; and considers other issues as requested by the Council. Non-governmental, non-profit voluntary organizations can be admitted into consultative status with the Council if they meet the requirements detailed in Council resolution 1996/31, regarding the organization’s activities, decision-making processes and resources.

Non-governmental organizations with consultative status are classified under the "general", "special" or "roster" categories. Those in the general category must be "concerned with most of the activities of the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies". The special category concerns those "which have a special competence in, and are concerned specifically with, only a few of the fields of activity covered by the Council". The roster category relates to NGOs which "can make occasional and useful contributions to the work of the Council or its subsidiary bodies".

Different privileges and obligations are accorded to each category. Non- governmental organizations with general status can propose items for the Council 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.

Statements were made this afternoon by the representatives of France, China, United States, Germany, India, Algeria, Turkey, Chile, Sudan, Tunisia, Pakistan, Cuba, Lebanon and Bolivia.

The Committee’s new Vice-Chairmen are Mihaela Blajan (Romania), Munawar Saeed Bhatti (Pakistan), Mercedes de Armas Garcia (Cuba), and Ilham Ibrahim Mohamed Ahmed (Sudan). Mr. Bhatti also serves as Rapporteur.

The Committee’s current members are Algeria, Bolivia, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States.

The Committee will meet again from 12 to 23 June to hold the second part of its 2000 session.

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