Committee on NGOs

31^st & 32^nd Meetings (AM & PM)

COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS RECOMMENDS SIX NGOS FOR SPECIAL

CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended the following six NGOs for special consultative status with Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC):  University of Missouri Kansas City Women’s Council; African Center Foundation; Citizens’ Rights Protection Society; International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Guile Foundation.

The 19-member Committee makes recommendations to ECOSOC on applications from NGOs that wish to participate in the work of the Council and related matters.  Organizations with general and special consultative status 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. Organizations with roster status can only attend meetings.

As the Committee addressed previously deferred NGO applications in two meetings today,its members stressed that only not-for-profit organizations were eligible for a consultative status with ECOSOC.  While several speakers emphasized the need to be consistent in considering cases where NGOs received profits from investments and business activities, Iran’s representative urged the delegates not to overlook the fact that in some cases, proceeds from business were used to support the organizations’ core activities.

Special consultative status was recommended ad referendum to the World Council for Psychotherapy, pending receipt of clarification regarding the fact that the not-for-profit organization was showing “net profit” on its financial statement.  For an ad referendum decision to go into effect, the NGO needs to provide response to the Committee’s questions before the end of the current session.

More detailed information was requested from the World Organization for Education, Science and Development (formerly World Permanent Organization for Jamahiriyan Youth) as members of the Committee expressed concern that receiving profit from several small companies, that NGO did not meet the requirements for special consultative status.

Also left pendinguntil later in the current session were the cases of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies; International Multimodal Transport Association; the Minaret of Freedom Institute; American Conservative Union; and Population Concern.  Among the questions raised were those related to the organizations’ financial statements, the relevance of their activities for the

functioning of ECOSOC and certain statements contained in their responses to the Committee’s previous questions.  The case of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law was deferred in order to give the Committee members more time to study responses from that NGO.

As the Committee took up thecase of Nonviolence International, China’s representative said the NGO’s position on the question of Taiwan and Tibet was not acceptable to her country and should be corrected in writing.  In 1971, the General Assembly had adopted a resolution on the legal status of Taiwan, which the NGO should familiarize itself with.

As for Tibet, it was an inseparable part of China, yet the NGO referred to it as a Government in exile.  Such a position of the NGO constituted an open challenge to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, said the representative of China.  Other members of the Committee also asked the NGO to elaborate on its work in the fight against illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and provide information about contribution by scholars of different cultures.  The decision on the NGO’s application was deferred pending receipt of the information requested.

In the course of the day, several speakers also emphasized the need for all applicant NGOs to adhere to the terminology accepted within the United Nations system.  In particular, during the discussion on the Islamic-American Zakat Foundation, the representative of the Russian Federation said that when referring to Chechen refugees inside his country, it was necessary to use the term “Internally displaced persons”.  As questions were also raised regarding that NGO’s relevance, its presidency and finances, action on the Foundation was deferred.

As the Committee had received no response to its numerous queries from the Alliance musulmane d’Angola, it decided to send a last request for information to that organization.  Several reminders had already been forwarded to that NGO, and the Permanent Mission of Angola had been consulted on the matter.

At the end of the day, members of the Committee engaged in their customary dialogue with NGOs.  Responding to questions from the floor, a representative of the Millennium Institute said that his NGO was a small organization without members, which provided technical services, working mostly via large computer simulation models to help governments forecast the impact of their decision-making.  It also provided assistance to United Nations agencies and development banks to arrive at consensus on development strategies for specific countries.  The decision on the NGO was left pending.

A representative of the Guile Foundation said his organization was based on the promotion of civilization of justice and love, as well as advancement of Judeo-Christian values. 

Information on the NGOs considered today is contained in documents E/C.2/2002/R.2/Add.6-15 and E/C.2/2002/CRP.5.

The Committee will continue its work at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 14 January.

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