COMMITTEE ON NGOS TAKES NOTE OF QUADRENNIAL REPORTS BY BODIES WITH GENERAL, SPECIAL CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECOSOC
Press Release NGO/414 |
Committee on NGOs
2001 Session
11th Meeting (AM)
COMMITTEE ON NGOS TAKES NOTE OF QUADRENNIAL REPORTS BY BODIES
WITH GENERAL, SPECIAL CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECOSOC
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) this morning took note of 68 quadrennial reports submitted by organizations having general or special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council. It deferred
15 reports pending clarifications.
The Committee took note of the 1996-1999 reports of the Alliance for Arab Women; Arab Network for Environment and Development; Association François-Xavier Bagnoud; Catholic Institute for International Relations; European Network of Policewomen; Good Neighbours International; Hope Worldwide; Institute of Social Studies Trust; International Automobile Federation; International Catholic Migration Commission; and Movimiento Cubano por la Paz y la Soberania de los Pueblos, as contained in document E/C.2/2001/2.
The report of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, contained in the same document, was deferred because clarification was needed.
The Committee also took note of the reports contained in document E/C.2/2001/2/Add.1, namely, the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd; FEMNET -- African Women's Development and Communications Network; Humane Society of the United States; International Cooperation for Development and Solidarity; International Rural Housing Association; Jigyansu Tribal Research Centre; Latin American Iron and Steel Institute; Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development; Peace Education Foundation; Population Council; Solar Cookers International; and Woods Hole Research Center.
The Committee deferred the report of the Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations pending more information regarding its contribution to the work of the United Nations over the period 1996-1999.
Further, the Committee took note of the 1997-2000 reports of the Integrated Care Society; Inter American Press Association; International Academy of Architecture; International Centre for Ethnic Studies; International Federation of Non-Government Organizations for the Prevention of Drug and Substance Abuse; American Association of Jurists; International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; Richmond Fellowship International; and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, as contained in document E/C.2/2001/2/Add.2.
As there were questions for the American Association of Jurists on its collaboration with working groups and rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights and its subcommissions, and for the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences on the decline in its collaboration with the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, the Committee decided to defer those organizations' reports.
It then took note of the 1995-1998 reports of the Conference of European Churches; CARE International; International Federation Terre des Hommes; International Kolping Society; International Social Security Association; MADRE; Medical Women's International Association; Mediterranean Women's Studies Centre; Program for Appropriate Technology in Health; and Wittenberg Center for Alternative Resources, contained in document E/C.2/2002/2/add.3.
The Committee also took note of the 1995-1998 reports of the DEVNET Association; Franciscans International; Inuit Circumpolar Conference; International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis; Service Peace and Justice in Latin America; Organization of African Trade Union Unity; and World Federation of Democratic Youth, contained in document E/C.2/2001/2/Add.4.
It deferred the report of Pax Christi International pending receipt of recent reports covering oral and written interventions in the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), clarification on its relationship with the International Peace Bureau and World Organization Against Torture, and its connection to the status of Chechnya. The organization was also asked questions regarding its funding and its affiliations.
It also deferred the reports of the World Confederation of Labour and
World Society of Victimology, pending more information from those organizations.
Document E/C.2/2001/2/Add.5 contained the 1995-1998 reports of the All-China Women's Federation; Association for the Advancement of Psychological Understanding of Human Nature; Indian Council of Education; Inter-American Federation of Touring and Automobile Clubs; International Centre of Sociological, Penal and Penitentiary Research and Studies (Intercenter-Messina); International Forum for Child Welfare; Institut de Coopération Europe-Asie-Amérique Latine (ICAEEL); and Special Olympics, Inc. The Committee took note of those reports, except for that of the Inter-American Federation of Touring and Automobile Clubs, which was deferred pending more information regarding its contribution to the work of the United Nations.
The Committee took note of the 1995-1998 reports of the European Women's Lobby; International Driving Tests Committee; International Tunnelling Association; Inter-Press Service International Association; Mercy International-USA; National Council of German Women's Organizations; New Humanity; Planetary Society; Trickle Up Program; and WorldWIDE Network -- Women in Development and Environment, contained in document E/C.2/2001/2/Add.6.
It deferred the report of the Association of Third World Studies pending more information on the activities of the organization in the third world, particularly in African countries. It also deferred the reports of France Libertés: Fondation Danielle Mitterrand, pending clarification on its activities
regarding Tibet, and of United Towns Agency for North-South Cooperation, pending more information about its branches. It further deferred the report of the International Driving Tests Committee pending more information.
Turning its attention to document E/C.2/2001/2/Add.7, it took note of the 1996-1999 reports of the Academic Council of the United Nations System; Centre for Social Research; World of Life Christian Fellowship; and Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action.
There were questions for the Association for the Prevention of Torture, regarding among other things, its work as a facilitator on the Commission on Human Rights’ working group on a draft optional protocol to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its monitoring of the work of treaty bodies. The Association’s report was deferred.
There were also questions about the reports of Mahila Dakshta Samiti and the International Association of Penal Law, which were deferred.
The Committee, a standing body of the Economic and Social Council, considers applications submitted by NGOs for consultative status and their requests for reclassification; considers quadrennial reports submitted by those organizations; implements the provisions of Council resolutions 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 matters including the organization’s activities, decision-making processes and resources.
Non-governmental organizations with consultative status are classified under the "general", "special" or "roster" categories. Organizations with general and special status must report every four years on their activities in support of the work of the United Nations. The Committee had around 200 new and 30 deferred or pending quadrennial reports before it. By "taking note", the Committee did not mean to endorse a report's contents.
The Committee’s membership consists of 19 countries. Its 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.
Other speakers this morning were the representatives of Algeria, China, India, Turkey, Cuba, Russian Federation, Ethiopia and Pakistan.
The Committee on NGOs will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue consideration of quadrennial reports submitted by NGOs in general and special consultative status with the ECOSOC.
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