NGO COMMITTEE TAKES NOTE OF 46 REPORTS FROM ORGANIZATIONS IN CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECOSOC, DEFERS 11 OTHERS

Committee on NGOs

2001 Session

14^th Meeting (PM)

NGO COMMITTEE TAKES NOTE OF 46 REPORTS FROM ORGANIZATIONS

IN CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECOSOC, DEFERS 11 OTHERS

This afternoon, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) took note of 46 quadrennial reports submitted by organizations having general or special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), deferred 11 reports and left one pending. 

The Committee took note of the reports, covering the period 1995-1998, of Asian Women’s Human Rights Council, Federal Union of European Nationalities, International Catholic Union of the Press, National Safety Council, Water Environment Federation and World Association of Children’s Friends, all of which were contained in document E/C.2/2001/Add.14.      

The quadrennial report of World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, which Germany’s representative noted was too short, was deferred.

The Committee also took note of reports from the following NGOs, covering the period 1997-2000 and contained in document E/C.2/2001/Add.15:  Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organization, Asian Federation of Laryngectomees Associations, Egyptian Red Crescent Society, Learning for a Sustainable Future, Light and Hope Association for Blind Girls (Al Nour Wal Amal Association), and Union of Ibero American Capitals. 

The report of Médecins sans frontières was deferred, following queries from the representative of Algeria about its participation in the weekly meetings of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), chaired by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

After considering document E/C.2/2001/Add.16, the Committee took note of the reports of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Indigenous World Association, International Black Sea Club, International Confederation of Christian Family Movements, International Islamic Charitable Organization, International Planned Parenthood Federation, League of Women Voters of the United States, and World Vision International.  Those reports covered the period 1997-2000.

The Committee decided to defer the reports of Equality Now and Qatar Charitable Society, pending the receipt of further clarifications on its activities.  

In addition, the Committee took note of the reports from the following organizations for the period 1997-2000 contained in document E/C.2/2001/Add.18:  Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Congress of Black Women of Canada/ Le Congrès des Femmes Noires du Canada, Federation of Cuban Women, General Arab Women Federation, National Union of Jurists of Cuba, Pan-Pacific and South-East Asia Women’s Association, and Union of Arab Jurists.

Pending receipt of further information and documentation, the Committee deferred the reports of the International Commission of Jurists, Arab Organization for Human Rights and International Federation of Building and Wood Workers.  It left pending the report of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.

Regarding its consideration of the new quadrennial reports, contained in document E/C.2/2000/2 and covering the periods 1994-1997 and 1995-1998, the Committee took note of the reports of Action , American Council for Voluntary International Action; Development Innovations and Networks; International Association Against Torture; International Fellowship of Reconciliation; Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement International; Permanent Assembly for Human Rights; SOS-Kinderdorf International and Temple of Understanding.  

The reports of the Transnational Radical Party and the African Society of International and Comparative Law were deferred. 

The Transnational Radical Party, stated the representative of the Russian Federation, was a political organization, which had rejected the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, carried out politically motivated actions against Member States and was a mouthpiece for terrorists.  It had given direct financial assistance to terrorists, “whose hands were bathed in the blood of innocent victims”.  Further, in its original application, it had not openly declared money received from governments, although it was required to do that.

In 1998, he continued, the NGO had created a political organization involved in the distribution of drugs, the "Radical Anti-Prohibitions Association (CORA)", but in its report, no mention was made of that fact.  He requested exhaustive information on CORA.  Also, in 1998, the NGO had initiated a campaign for pedophilia, child-prostitution and pornography on the Internet.  He wanted to know what the attitude of the NGO was regarding the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol, as well as the prohibition of child pornography on the Internet.

China’s representative stated that the NGO and its members had not complied with ECOSOC resolution 1996/31.  On 18 April at the Commission on Human Rights, before the vote on a proposal on China, a member of the Party, in his personal capacity, stood in front of the conference room and distributed materials.  He had no right to distribute any materials in his own capacity.  The Secretariat confiscated the materials and expelled him from the room.  Also, in the materials it distributed, the Party wrongly stated that one of China’s provinces was part of east Turkmenistan and that China had invaded and occupied Tibet.

Further, the Committee took note of the reports (1994-1997/1995-1998) of the Africa-America Institute, Tunisian Mothers’ Association, Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Sanstha, Brothers of Charity, International Association for Religious Freedom, International Federation on Ageing, International Women’s Health Coalition, National Council of Negro Women, Netherlands Organization for International Development Cooperation, Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities and World Conference of Mayors for Peace through Inter-city Solidarity, as contained in E/C.2/2000/2/Add.1.

A number of questions were posed to the National Wildlife Federation regarding the stated link between the work of the NGO and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and to the International Association for Religious Freedom.  Both of those reports were deferred. 

Background

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 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 matters such as 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 United Nations, specifically regarding their support to the work of the Organization.  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.

Statements were also made this afternoon by the representatives of India, Cuba and Pakistan.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 16 May to continue consideration of quadrennial reports submitted by NGOs in general and special consultative status with the ECOSOC.  It was also expected to consider those NGOs, who are in consultative status, which have requested to be heard by the Council during its substantive session.

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