NGO COMMITTEE PURSUES ITS EXAMINATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONSULTATIVE STATUS

Committee on NGOs

2001 Session

26^th Meeting (PM)

NGO COMMITTEE PURSUES ITS EXAMINATION OF APPLICATIONS

FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONSULTATIVE STATUS

As the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) continued its consideration of new applications this afternoon, it recommended three organizations for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, deferred the applications of two others and left two decisions pending.

Special consultative status was recommended for Mouvement pour l’Abolition de la Prostitution et de la Pornographie et de Toutes Formes de Violences Sexuelles et Discriminations Sexistes, an NGO commended by several delegations for submitting a detailed summary of its activities, allowing Committee members to truly attain an understanding of its work.

Likewise, special status was recommended for Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and Asociacion de Antiguas Alumnas del Colegio de las Madres Irlandesas.

Pending clarifications, the applications of Medico International and National Abortion Federation were deferred.

As the delegates of China and Algeria requested further information from International Movement for Leisure Activities in Science and Technology, a decision on its application was left pending, as was the case with Philippine Human Rights Information Center.

In the case of National Abortion Federation, a professional association of abortion providers in the United States and Canada, Algeria’s representative wanted to know who gave the NGO the “international mandate to share its resources” in other countries, as stated in its application.  Also, were the clinics that were members of the NGO non-profit or for profit?  In addition, how did it intend to educate members of the Council on issues of women’s health?

The representative of Sudan asked whether the NGO would carry out its activities within the guidelines of the Beijing and Cairo Programmes of Action in the field of abortion if it received status.  Considering that abortion was hotly debated both in the United States and in the United Nations, she asked for the NGO’s views on the issue.  Did the NGO believe abortion should be a method of family planning or should it only be used in cases where the mother’s health was at risk?  Did the NGO promote and advocate abortion?  Furthermore, did it have any activities in the Middle East?

It was the German representative’s view that the NGO was not promoting abortion but was a technical organization, which sought to provide education on safe abortion methods.  He pointed out that the NGO stated that it would share its resources with clinicians in any country where abortion care was already legal.

Asked to expand on its activities in the area of trade and debt, the representative of Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur stated that her organization worked primarily with poor people and had many members in highly industrialized countries.  It had made an effort to study issues of trade and debt and was aware that some poor countries needed most of their income to finance their debt. Thus, the organization had joined the Jubilee 2000 campaign for debt relief.

The representative of Asociacion de Antiguas Alumnas del Colegio de las Madres Irlandesas, a national organization based in Spain, was asked to clarify her organization’s criteria for membership.  She stated that the association brought together graduates of the College of the Irish Mothers.  While the College had been an all-female institution, once it became co-educational, the association began admitting male graduates.

Algeria’s representative requested that Philippine Human Rights Information Center provide clarifications on its accreditation by the Security and Exchange Commission, and its relationship with the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates. 

Before the meeting adjourned, the representative of Cuba drew the Committee’s attention to the fact that some NGOs that had not been recommended by the Committee for consultative status in the past were approved yesterday in Geneva for participation in the upcoming World Conference on Racism.  She requested the Secretariat to investigate the matter and report back to the Committee.

The 19-member Committee considers, among other things, applications submitted by NGOs for consultative status and their requests for reclassification.  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 which include the organization’s activities, decision-making processes and resources.

Non-governmental organizations with consultative status are classified under the "general", "special" or "roster" categories.  Those in the general category must be "concerned with most of the activities of the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies".  The special category concerns those "which have a special competence in, and are concerned specifically with, only a few of the fields of activity covered by the Council".  The roster category relates to NGOs which "can make occasional and useful contributions to the work of the Council or its subsidiary bodies". 

Different privileges and obligations are accorded to each category.  Non-governmental organizations with general status can propose items for the Council agenda, attend and speak at meetings and circulate statements.  Those with special status can attend meetings and circulate statements, while those on the roster can only attend meetings.  Organizations with general and special status must report every four years on their activities in support of the United Nations.

Statements were also made this afternoon by the representatives of France, United States, Chile, Tunisia, Romania, Ethiopia, India, Colombia, Pakistan and Bolivia.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 24 May, to continue considering new applications for consultative status.

* *** *