NGO COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS OXFAM INTERNATIONAL FOR GENERAL CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECOSOC; APPROVES 13 OTHERS FOR SPECIAL STATUS

Committee on NGOs

41^st Meeting (AM)

NGO COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS OXFAM INTERNATIONAL FOR GENERAL CONSULTATIVE STATUS

WITH ECOSOC; APPROVES 13 OTHERS FOR SPECIAL STATUS

Oxfam International, an umbrella organization for the national Oxfams, was recommended for General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council this morning by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), as the Committee met to consider new applications for consultative status with that body, along with new applications of reclassification of status.

As it continued its 2001 resumed session, the Committee also recommended 13 NGOs for special status and one for roster status.  It deferred the applications of three other NGOs.

Recommended for special consultative status were:  the Asian Institute of Transport Development of India; the Asian Migrant Centre, an international organization based in China; Coordination des ONGs feminines gabonaises; the Indonesian Child Welfare Foundation; the Association of Former United Nations Industrial Development Experts, based in Vienna; the Corporation for the Development of Women (La Morada) of Chile; the National Congress of American Indians; the Native American Rights Fund; Action Aide aux Familles Demunies of Mali; National Rehabilitation and Development Centre of Lebanon; the Association marocaine d’appui a la promotion de la petite entreprise; Peace Boat, an international organization based in Japan; and the Exchange and Cooperation Centre for Latin America, based in Geneva.

The Soap and Detergent Association, of the United States, was recommended for roster consultative status.

Applications considered this morning are contained in documents E/C.2/2001/R.2/Add.6-11.

Organizations that have general and special consultative status with the Council can attend meetings of the Council and circulate statements of a certain length; those with general status can, in addition, speak at meetings and propose items for the Council’s agenda.  Reports on activities in support of the United Nations are required by all organizations with general and special consultative status every four years.  Organizations with roster status can attend meetings but are not required to submit quadrennial reports.

Applications deferred this afternoon included the Coordinating Body for the Indigenous Organizations in the Amazon Basin, an international organization based in Ecuador, which had requested special status and about which further information was sought by the representatives of Colombia, Bolivia and others.  More

information was also requested from the African Centre Foundation, an international organization based in New York which had requested general status; and the International Multi-modal Transport Association, based in Geneva, which had requested special status.

Also speaking this afternoon on the various applications were the representatives of China, Senegal, Tunisia, Turkey, India, Russian Federation, United States, Cuba, Germany, Chile, Ethiopia, Sudan and Algeria.

The NGO Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its consideration of new applications for consultative status and new requests for reclassification of status.

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