COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS MEETS IN RESUMED SESSION

Committee on NGOs

768^th Meeting (AM)

COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS MEETS IN RESUMED SESSION

During its first meeting of the resumed 2000 session, the Committee on Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) heard opening statements from its Chairman, Levent Bilman (Turkey), and the Chief of the Non-Governmental Organizations Section, Hanifa Mezoui.  The Committee deferred to its next session two applications for consultative status.

The 19-member Committee makes recommendations to the Economic and Social Council on applications for standing with the Council, and for reclassification of that standing, from non-governmental organizations using a variety of criteria, including the applicants’ mandates, governance and financial regimes.  Non-governmental organizations with consultative status have either general, special or roster status, with different privileges and obligations accorded to each.  Those with general status can propose items for the Council’s agenda, attend and speak at meetings and circulate statements of a certain length.  Those with special status can attend meetings and circulate statements of a certain length, while those on the roster can attend meetings.  Also, organizations with general and special status must submit reports every four years on their activities in support of the United Nations.

Members of the Committee 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 had before it its report (E/2000/88 (Part II)) on the first and second parts of its 2000 session (New York 15-19 May and 12-23 June 2000), concerning applications for consultative status received from NGOs deferred from 1998 and 1999, as well as new applications and requests for reclassification.  The report addresses, among other matter, implementation of Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/302 and a review of the methods of work of the Committee.  It also contains the provisional agenda for the 2001 session of the Committee.

In his opening remarks, the Committee’s Chairman, Levent Bilman (Turkey), noted the need to revise the Committee’s working methods.  The working group on that issue had met three times to discuss accreditation procedures, coordination with the secretariat of the Human Rights Commission, the enhancement of NGO training, the spiralling increase in the volume of applications and the drafting of a new application questionnaire.  There had been suggestions that a list of NGO representatives registered to attend the Commission on Human Rights could be supplied daily to delegations.  The working group had also emphasized the need for the United Nations NGO focal points in Geneva and New York to reinforce the training and information programmes of the NGO community.

Regarding accreditation procedures, he said that members of the working group had stressed that the Geneva procedures should be in conformity with the New York procedures.  Security and safety rules in Geneva could be adjusted to parallel those enforced in New York.  The increasing volume of applications was of great concern to the working group.  New mechanisms needed to be established to deal with some 800 requests for application for consultative status registered by the secretariat for the year 2001.  Particular attention had been given to the drafting of a new application questionnaire.  He realized that outside interest in the Committee’s work was high and continuously growing.

Preserving the credibility of the Committee, and safeguarding the unity and the atmosphere of cooperation and understanding, were his highest priorities, the Chairman said.  He strove to follow principles of fairness, impartiality, patience and objectivity.  At times, he had been disillusioned, however.  Neither the Committee, nor its Chairman, deserved criticism, especially when it came to procedural matters.  In the past year, there had been a breakthrough in the relationship between the United Nations and the NGO community.  Over 1,300 NGO representatives from nearly a hundred countries had prepared the “Millennium Forum Declaration”, reiterating support for issues of peace and development, he said.

In her statement to the Committee, the Chief of the Non-Governmental Organizations Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Hanifa Mezoui, said the workload of 198 cases to be reviewed in two weeks presented a challenge.  As of today there were 2,000 NGOs with consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.  She informed the Committee that a total of 800 applications had been received, although many of those were letters of intent.  Four hundred and seventy applications for the 2001 session had already been received, as well as 140 for the 2002 session.  It is imperative for the Committee to revise its method of work to be able to cope with the workload.  She added that her section was doing its best within the United Nations system to ensure the NGO community continued its high level of participation in the work of the Committee.  She added that NGOs were strategic partners in policy-making both internationally and nationally and it was important to provide the appropriate environment for them to make their mark.  She assured the Committee that they could continue to count on support of the NGO section and her personal commitment in helping the Committee achieve its goal.

After a procedural debate, in which the representatives of India, Pakistan, Sudan, China, Russian Federation, Chile, Algeria and Bolivia participated, the Committee approved the provisional Programme of Work for its current resumed session.

Taking up applications received from NGOs for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council deferred from previous sessions of the Committee held in 1998 and 1999, the Committee gave a mandate to its Chairman to arrange the order in which applications would be addressed after a short procedural debate in which the representatives of Germany, Pakistan and France participated.

The Committee then deferred the application of the Local Government International Bureau for consultative status, as there were additional questions about finance and funding.  Representatives of Pakistan, India, Algeria, Chile, China and Lebanon spoke on the issue.

Regarding the request for the International Prostitutes Collective to have consideration of its application deferred to the following session, representatives from Algeria and Sudan raised the point that it was up to the Committee to determine when an application would be considered.  Other delegations, namely, Germany, Chile, United States and India, maintained that the Committee should show flexibility.  The Committee decided to send a letter to the organization, reminding it that it was up to the Committee to decide when it would consider applications and suggesting that without representation or answers to questions, the Committee might decide on the application.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. to continue its consideration of applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification deferred from its 1999 session.

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