Committee on NGOs

785^th Meeting (PM)

NGO COMMITTEE REVIEWS COMPLAINTS; CONSIDERS APPLICATIONS OF NGOS

The Committee on Non-governmental Organizations met this afternoon to continue its review of complaints against non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and to consider applications for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) during its resumed 2000 session.

The Committee closed the matter regarding two complaints, deferred one complaint, recommended granting special consultative status to five NGOs, and deferred action on one application.

Regarding the complaint against Christian Solidarity International, the representative of the Sudan had written to ECOSOC asking for an investigation on why the NGO was allowed to distribute its publications inside and outside the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on Human Rights.  The Committee sent a letter to the Commission asking for assurances that such incidents did not happen in the future.  The representative of the Sudan said that she was satisfied with the response from the Commission, but reserved the right to raise the issue again if the NGO violated the rules governing United Nations meetings.  The Committee decided to close the matter.

Turning to a similar complaint against the World Confederation of Labour by Mauritius, the observer member of Mauritius asked for time to consider the matter, as he had just received a response to the complaint.  He also mentioned another complaint which he believed had been withdrawn.  The Committee decided to defer the matter pending a response from the delegation of Mauritius.

The Committee then took up new applications for consultative status from NGOs.

General consultative status is intended for NGOs concerned with most of the activities of ECOSOC that are broadly representative of society in different regions of the world.  Once accorded general status, NGOs can propose items for ECOSOC’s agenda, attend and speak at its meetings and circulate statements.  Organizations concerned with only a few of the fields of ECOSOC’s activity may be considered for special consultative status, which would allow them to attend meetings and circulate statements.  Roster status is accorded to those NGOs which can make occasional and useful contributions to ECOSOC or to other United Nations bodies.  Roster status NGOs can attend meetings and are available for consultation at the ECOSOC’s request.

Regarding the application from the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East of the Russian Federation, the representative from the Russian Federation said he was familiar with the work of the NGO and felt that special consultative status would be more appropriate.  The Committee recommended special consultative status for the Association though it had asked for roster status.  The Chairman, Levent Bilman (Turkey), asked the Secretariat to send a letter to the NGO informing it of its obligations with regard to special consultative status and to ask them to give a response to the recommended consultative status application before ECOSOC had to address the matter.  The Committee also recommended special consultative status for the Centre for Adivasee Studies and Peace and the Indian Council for Child Welfare.

Regarding the application for special consultative status from Mediterranean Council for Burns and Fire Disasters, the representative of India said he was convinced of the professional nature of the organization and fully supported its application.  The Committee recommended the status requested by the NGO.  The Society to Support Children Suffering from Cancer was also granted special consultative status.

During the Committee’s review of the complaint against the International Federation of Human Rights by Bahrain, the observer member of Bahrain outlined the complaints against the NGO.  He said that not only had the NGO distributed publications at the meeting of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, its member had also directly addressed the Bahrain delegation in an unacceptable way. The observer member appealed to the Committee and the Commission not to allow such persons to work under their umbrella without ascertaining that they would not behave in a manner that was not in keeping with the ethics and protocol of a United Nations meeting.  He asked that his statement be registered in the Committee’s minutes.  In supporting the complaint, the representative of the Sudan said that decisions should be adopted to guarantee that such incidents are not repeated.

The Chair suggested that the Secretariat inform the Commission of the complaint and ask them to take the necessary precautions to prevent such an incident being repeated.  The Committee then closed the matter. 

Regarding the application from the International Lesbian and Gay Association requesting special consultative status, the representative of Germany informed the Committee that the NGO had had its roster consultative status suspended in 1994 because of concerns about associate members’ links with paedophilia.  In 1998, the NGO was asked to submit a new application which was now being considered.

Responding to questions from members, the NGO representative said that her organization had never promoted or been associated with paedophilia.  The associate member who did was duly expelled, and the constitution was changed in 1997.  The NGO was now very careful in selecting its members and had put in place a procedure for suspension and expulsion.  It was no longer as naive as it had been in the past.  She said her organization would be happy to submit the list of organizations that had been expelled.  The Committee decided to defer the application pending a response to members’ questions.

The 19-member Committee on NGOs makes recommendations on applications from NGOs for standing with ECOSOC, and on requests for reclassification of that standing.  Non-governmental organizations may be granted either general, special or roster consultative status, according to their work, with different privileges and obligations, according to the different categories.

The representatives of Algeria, China, Colombia, United States, Tunisia, Pakistan, Cuba, Bolivia, France, Chile, Ethiopia and observer member Japan spoke on applications and other matters.

The Committee will meet again tomorrow, 26 January, at 10 a.m. to continue its work.

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