Committee on NGOs

9^th & 10^th Meetings (AM & PM)

NGO COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS TWO ORGANIZATIONS FOR SPECIAL

 

CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

 

‘Paperless Committee’ Saved Over $632,000 in 2006-2007, Committee Told

The Committee on NGOs today recommended special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council for two organizations and postponed a decision on the applications of seven others.  It took note of one quadrennial report.

Also, the Committee was told today that the “Paperless Committee” initiative had saved the Organization $632,610 in 2006-2007 alone, as the Committee discussed ways and means of strengthening the NGO Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 

The Committee recommended special consultative status for:

-- International Harm Reduction Association, an international organization based in the United Kingdom, promoting the reduction of drug and alcohol-related harm on a global basis in order to reduce the negative social, health, economic and criminal impacts of drug and alcohol use;

-- People to People International, an international NGO with headquarters in the United States, with the mission of promoting and enhancing peace and understanding between all nations, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion;

A standing Committee of the Council, the 19-member body uses various criteria to recommend general, special or roster status with the Economic and Social Council, including the applicant’s mandate, governance and financial regime.  Organizations that have 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, while NGOs with roster status can only attend meetings.

Non-governmental organizations with general and special consultative status must submit a report to the Economic and Social Council every four years.  The Committee can request a special report in certain instances, such as after receipt of a complaint from a Member State about the behaviour of an NGO during a meeting of a United Nations body to which it was accredited.

The Committee postponed decisions on the applications from:

-- Islamic Human Rights Commission, a national organization based in the United Kingdom, aiming to promote human rights, equality and diversity throughout the world, and to promote good race relations, as the representative of the Russian Federation asked for the organization’s comments on information it had received that some of its activities were related to Al-Qaida activities.  He also asked about the organization’s annual award in the area of “Islamophobia”;

-- People’s Life Center, an Indian organization striving for the establishment of a just social order based on human values such as love, justice, equality, brotherhood, peace and harmony, as Pakistan’s representative asked that the NGO revise its application regarding a wrong linkage to Islam.  Asked by the United States representative, he said, his delegation could not guarantee there would be no further questions once the application had been revised.  Egypt’s representative expressed support for Pakistan’s point of view;

-- Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, an international organization based in the United States and committed to providing education on harm caused by the war on drugs, as India’s representative questioned how the organization could contribute to the work of ECOSOC and wanted to see some of its publications;

-- Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights -- a national organization aiming to improve the situation for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people through working to end oppression and discrimination and by lobbying politicians and authorities to improve legislation, as Pakistan’s representative needed to consult his capital;

-- Armenian Constitutional Right-Protective Centre, a national organization based in Armenia which aims to contribute to the development of the legal culture in Armenian society through scientific activity, education, information dissemination and advocacy, because Turkey’s representative needed more time to study information provided;

-- Association Sahel Solidarité Action, a national organization in the Niger, promoting the human rights of the Touareg indigenous population, as the Observer of Algeria wanted to consult her capital;

-- International Human Rights Observer, a national organization in Pakistan that wants to educate the masses about their fundamental freedoms and rights, as India’s representative asked for more information regarding the organization’s activities as well as its 2005 report.

The Committee took note of the quadrennial report of International PEN;

Discussion on ‘Paperless Committee’, Other Matters

Hanifa Mezoui, Chief NGO Section, said that, before the Paperless Committee -– a meeting during which delegates use laptops and electronic files instead of paper reports -– in 2003, some 40,000 to 80,000 pages of printed material had to be produced for every session.  The Paperless Committee, started in 2003, had been developed in partnership with Hewlett Packard and Mumbai Educational Institute, while the NGO “World Job and Good Bank” from Canada had donated equipment valued at some $75,000.  Savings were made not only in paper, but also in the number of days that the NGO Committee had to meet.

Reporting on the activities of the NGO Section, she said it screened NGOs seeking status, processed the NGOs’ quadrennial reports and provided advice regarding accreditation of NGOs for participation in main events such as special sessions of the General Assembly.  It also tried to enhance the contribution of NGOs, in particular from developing countries, to the work of the Economic and Social Council through the United Nations Non-Governmental Organizations Informal Regional Network, or “IRENE”.  The Section was staffed by six people at the professional level and six at the General Service level and was also helped by a number of interns.  She asked the Committee to support her in trying to acquire more staff, including for the work of the Paperless Committee.  More “gigs” were also needed in the Section.

During the ensuing discussion, Committee members hailed the Paperless Committee, as well as the way it had been implemented, and expressed support for the Chief’s request for more human and financial resources, as applications would increase and the work should be taken forward.   Cuba’s representative warned, however, that, although the Paperless Committee made the substantive work in the Committee more effective, a totally paper-free Committee was not advisable, as in some parts of the world the Internet was not available and information could not be sent electronically to capitals.

The representative of the United States pointed out that, as for the request for additional posts, the Committee did not address such matters.  That was for other Committees, notably the Fifth and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) to recommend.  Noting progress made, he asked for a report so that his delegation could see if there was a need for additional personnel above the 12 posts and some 8 interns. 

Reporting on IRENE’s activities and the general voluntary contributions to its Trust Fund, established in 2002, Ms. Mezoui said that, at the moment, there were 2,865 NGOs in consultative status.  In order to enhance NGOs’ contributions to the work of ECOSOC in a diverse and geographically manner, IRENE provided access to NGOs, updated information and tried to enhance interactive exchanges among NGOs and between NGOs and the United Nations.  In 2005, the Government of Turkey had contributed $10,000 to the Trust Fund, which had been used to organize a high-level consultation and capacity-building meeting in Turkey to launch IRENE and $684 now remained. 

Since 1996, the number of NGOs in consultative status had increased from 1,184 to 2,865.  The participation of African NGOs had increased from 5 to 13 per cent and that of Asian NGOs from 9 to 15 per cent.  The representation of Arab States could still be improved.  The regional coordinators programme, where regional coordinators helped NGOs understand the relevance of consultative status, had been very successful.  She said that, in 2006, 34 NGOs, including coalitions of more than 100 organizations, had contributed to the High-Level Segment of ECOSOC.  Training programmes and briefings had been provided, in particular about United Nations reforms and the new ECOSOC mandates, such as the Annual Ministerial Review and the Biennial Development Cooperation Forum.  Several projects had been developed, including the Annual Ministerial Review Innovation Fair, to be held in Geneva in July 2007.

Elisa Peter, Deputy Coordinator NGO Liaison Service (NGLS), said the Service was an inter-agency programme of the United Nations, established in 1975, to complement the formal consultative system of United Nations/NGO relations.  The NGLS was supported by more than 16 different United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and worked with thousands of NGOs from across the world, in close cooperation with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) NGO Section.

Recently, the NGLS had published a book entitled Debating NGO Accountability, available in the United Nations bookstore, attempting to help those within the United Nations system and those NGOs that engaged with it, to develop an understanding of the current debate and practices around NGO accountability.  As NGOs had become more prominent, questions regarding to whom NGOs were accountable, the relations between State and civil society, and the complexities and risks of regulating NGOs had also arisen.  The NGLS publication addressed some of those questions, focusing on three main points:  the conceptual, the practical and the regulatory aspects.  The book concluded that a rights-based approach and the highest levels of integrity, transparency and openness needed to be built into any process to develop an accountability framework. 

In the following discussion, the representative from Turkey highlighted the work of IRENE in Turkey and suggested that the remaining $684 could stay with the organization.  Other Committee members, notably from the United States and Cuba, noted the similarities between the DESA NGO Section and the NGLS and wondered if there was any overlap.  The representative of China, expressing his satisfaction that, through IRENE activities in China, more NGOS from that country had come to learn of the work of the United Nations, asked for more information about the accountability discussion.   Dominica’s representative wondered how the NGO committee could monitor whether NGOs in consultative status had good governance or not.

Answering Committee members’ concerns, Ms. Mezoui suggested that addressing overlaps should include all mechanisms that worked with NGOs, including in the Department of Public Information (DPI).  The question of governance could be addressed in the application form and in the quadrennial reports.  That might be a matter for the Committee’s Working Group.

The Committee also decided to amend its Programme of Work and close the session on Wednesday afternoon.

The Committee members are Angola, Burundi, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Guinea, India, Israel, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, the Sudan, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

The Committee will meet again tomorrow, 30 January, at 10 a.m. to continue its work.

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For information media • not an official record