NGO COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS ECOCOC CONSULTATIVE STATUS FOR 54 NGOS OVER TWO-WEEK SESSION

Committee on NGOs

787^th Meeting (PM)

NGO COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS ECOCOC CONSULTATIVE STATUS

FOR 54 NGOS OVER TWO-WEEK SESSION

In the two weeks of its resumed session, which ended today, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations had reviewed 110 applications for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Committee Chairman, Chairman, Levent Bilman (Turkey), explained this afternoon.  It had recommended 54 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) receive consultative status, decided that six applicants did not meet the criteria for such status and closed the files on two further applications. 

In the final meeting of its resumed 2000 session this afternoon, the Committee also approved its draft report to the Economic and Social Council.

The Chief of the United Nations Secretariat’s NGO Section, Hanifa Mezoui, told the Committee that she had received 400 NGO applications for consultative status in 1998/1999, but that number had increased to more than 800 in 1999/2000.  She estimated that some 1,000 applications will be processed in 2002/2003.  That increase would continue to affect the section and the Committee, she explained, and she would therefore propose, in the section’s report to the General Assembly, that it be expanded.

The representative of Pakistan thanked the NGO section and noted that if the Committee wished to continue to operate with the same level of efficiency, its Secretariat support must be strengthened.  He called on Committee Members to make a strong case for increased resources.  Algeria’s representative proposed the Committee ask the Assembly’s Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) to support resource increases.  In supporting that call, Chile’s representative called the growing United Nations relationship with NGOs an unstoppable trend.  The representatives of India, Germany, Algeria, Senegal, Russian Federation, Sudan, France, Cuba, United States, Colombia and Tunisia also expressed their appreciation for work done by the NGO section.

The Committee’s draft report was introduced by its Rapporteur, Munawar Saeed Bhatti (Pakistan), who explained it would contain two draft decisions on matters calling for action by the ECOSOC, and the Committee’s provisional agenda for 2001.

In his closing statement, Chairman Bilman said that during its resumed session, the Committee had operated in an efficient manner.  He sensed a strong feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment among Committee members, which he felt was well-founded.

As requests for consultative status had increased, he noted the Committee’s sessions had expanded to five weeks, and this still did not include time for informal meetings.  The increase had also stretched the Secretariat’s NGO section, he added.

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

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.]

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. 

Levent Bilman (Turkey) is the Committee Chairman.  The Vice-Chairmen are Mercedes de Armas Garcia (Cuba), Mihaela Blajan (Romania), Ilham Ibrahim Mohamed Ahmed (Sudan) and Munawar Saeed Bhatti (Pakistan), who is also the Committee Rapporteur.

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