Economic and Social Council

2003 Organizational Session

10^th Meeting (AM)

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL APPROVES 89 NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS, AS ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION CONCLUDES

      The Economic and Social Council this morning approved the applications of
89 non-governmental organizations for consultative status with the Council, and decided to reclassify three more, as it concluded its organizational session. 

The approval was one of three decisions the Council took, acting on the recommendation of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, as contained in its report E/2003/11. 

      By the second decision, the Council took note of the report of the
NGO Committee on its resumed 2002 session; decided that the Committee’s 2003 session would be held from 5 to 23 May; and approved the provisional agenda and documentation for that session.

The Council, by its third decision, decided to authorize the participation of the following three indigenous organizations in the work of the open-ended inter-sessional working group of the Commission on Human Rights to elaborate a draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples:  Chickaloon Village Traditional Council; Indigenous Peoples and Nations Coalition; and United Native Nations.

In other action, the Council endorsed the request of Benin, Burundi, Congo, Ghana, Libya, Mozambique and Uganda for membership in the Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental Organizations.  In its resolution 2002/24, the Council authorized its President to appoint from among its member States the members of that Committee, tasked with negotiating an agreement between the United Nations and the World Tourism Organization. 

In addition, the Council took note of the provisional agenda for the second session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, as contained in document E/2003/52.

Further, the President informed the Council that a background information note on the “Honoraria payable to Members of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)” had been circulated.  The issue would be taken up in informal consultations and, subsequently, at the substantive session of the Council in Geneva in July.

Decisions on NGOs

Non-governmental organizations may be granted either general, special or roster consultative status.  General status is intended for those organizations concerned mostly with the activities of the Council and, once accorded such status, they can propose items for the agenda, attend and speak at meetings and circulate statements.  Organizations concerned with only a few of the fields the Council addresses may be considered for special status, which will allow them to attend meetings and circulate statements.  Roster status is accorded to those that can make occasional and useful contributions to the Council and they can attend meetings and are available for consultations at the Council’s request.

Special consultative status was granted to:  Action pour le développement de l’Afrique à la base; African Action on AIDS; African Center Foundation; Agermanament sense fronteres; Agir pour les femmes en situation précaire; Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress; Association of Garbage Collectors for Community Development; Association pour la taxation des transactions financières pour l’aide aux citoyens; Association pour le développement économique, social, environnemental du nord; Centre for Democracy and Development; Cercle des amis de la forêt pour le 21e siècle; China Green Foundation; Chinese Association for International Understanding; Citizens Rights Protection Society; Community of Sant’Egidio; Congo-Watch; Coordinating Body for the Indigenous Organizations in the Amazon Basin; and Cross-Cultural Solutions. 

Also, special status was granted to:  European Disability Forum; FEMVISION; Focus on the Family (Canada) Association; Fondation Guilé; Fondation internationale carrefour; Girl Scouts of the United States of America; Hariri Foundation — The Islamic Foundation for Culture and Higher Education; Hong Kong Council of Social Service; Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society; Human Relief Foundation; Human Rights Defence Centre; Human Rights Information and Documentation Systems International; Institute for Cognitive Science Studies; Institute for Global Environmental Strategies; Institute for Women’s Studies and Research; International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing; International Bureau for Children’s Rights; International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development; International Commission on Distance Education; and International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations. 

Likewise, the following NGOs were granted special status:  International Islamic Committee for Woman and Child; International Network of Liberal Women; International Planned Parenthood Federation, Western Hemisphere Region; International Religious Liberty Association; International Self-Reliance Agency for Women; International Volunteerism Organization for Women, Education and Development; Ligue internationale contre le racisme et l’antisémitisme; Local Government International Bureau; Mentor Foundation; Minaret of Freedom Institute; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; National Association of Community Legal Centres; New Japan Women’s Association; New Seminary; New York County Lawyers’ Association; Non-Aligned Students and Youth Organization; and Organisation de la mère maghrébine. 

Pathfinder International; ProChoix; Programme insertion des enfants déshérités; RICS Foundation; Transparency International; Ukrainian World Congress; Union de l’action feminine; Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs; Union of Social Child Care; University of Missouri Kansas City Women’s Council; Wales Assembly of Women; Women in Europe for a Common Future; World Council for

Psychotherapy; World Rehabilitation Fund; WorldSpace Foundation; Youth with a Mission; and Zoroastrian Women’s Organization were also granted special status.

Roster status was granted to:  American Family Association of New York; Amitié sans frontières internationale; Association de soutien aux orphelins du Viet Nam; Communications Coordination Committee for the United Nations; E-Quality; Fondation Idole; Foundation for Subjective Experiments and Research; Globus et Locus; International Multimodal Transport Association; Islamic-American Zakat Foundation; Japanese Cleft Palate Foundation; Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; Society of Catholic Social Scientists; SOS Attentats; Southern States Police Benevolent Association; Spanish Association of Jurist Women; and Surgical Eye Expeditions International.

The Council decided not to grant consultative status to the following three non-governmental organizations:  International Prostitutes Collective; Visions of a Better World Foundation; and Working Party Brussels 1952.  Also, the Council noted that the NGO Committee had decided to close consideration of the application of the following three organizations:  Africa For Christ International; Alliance Musulmane d’Angola; and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council).

In addition, the Council decided to reclassify the following three organizations from roster to special consultative status:  International Council on Mining and Metals; International Sociological Association; and Third World Institute.  It decided not to reclassify the following three organizations from special to general consultative status:  European-Asian-Latin American Institute for Cooperation; International Indian Treaty Council; and World Safety Organization.

Further, the Council took note of the quadrennial reports of the following 11 organizations (years of reporting in parentheses):  Equality Now (1997-2000); International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (1995-1998); International Commission of Jurists (1997-2000); International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (1966-1999); Muslim World League (1995-1998); Pax Christi International (1995-1998); Qatar Charitable Society (1997-2000); Robert F. Kennedy Memorial (1994-1997); Simon Wiesenthal Center (1995-1998); Women’s International Zionist Organization (1994-1997); and World Evangelical Alliance (1997-2000).

The Council also noted that the complaints submitted by States against the following four organizations have been closed:  Agir ensemble pour les droits de l’homme; Asian Legal Resource Centre; International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples; and International Peace Bureau.

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