Committee on NGOs

13^th Meeting (PM)

CONCLUDING CURRENT SESSION, NGO COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THREE ORGANIZATIONS

FOR SPECIAL CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Defers 35 Applications to Its Resumed Session in May

Wrapping up its current session, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today decided to recommend three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and to defer the applications of 35 organizations to its resumed session in May.

As a standing Committee of the Council, the 19-member panel 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.

The Committee recommended that ECOSOC grant special consultative status to:

-- Center for Human Rights and Environment, a national organization in Argentina, promoting sustainable development through the promotion of the relationship existing between the environment and people;

-- World Wind Energy Association, an international organization based in Germany, promoting the utilization of wind energy on the global level; and

-- Asian Centre for Human Rights, an international organization with headquarters in India, aiming to advance human rights education and secure the observance of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights covenants and instruments in the Asian region, as Pakistan’s representative was satisfied with answers provided.  The representative of the United Kingdom thanked the delegate for his constructive attitude.

Because answers to questions posed had not been received or delegates needed more time to consider answers provided, the Committee deferred to its May session applications from:  Credo-Action; Southern Organizing Cooperative; Africa Action; Association El Houda pour l’action feminine; Kashmiri American Council; International Centre for Peace Studies; International Crisis Group; Ambedkar Centre for Justice and Peace; Asian-Eurasian Human Rights Forum,; Society for the Promotion of Youth and Masses; and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.

Applications from the following organizations were also deferred:  Social Alert; Sahara for Life Trust; Social Action Forum for Manav Adhikar; Ma Qualcuno Pensi ad Abele; International Bureau for Epilepsy; Foundation for Research and Support of the Indigenous Peoples of Crimea; Global Ecolabelling Network; Cercle National des droits de l’homme; Islamic Human Rights Commission; People’s Life Center; and Students for a Sensible Drug Policy.

Applications deferred also included those from:  International Coalition for the Decade; Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights; Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights; Asian Pacific Women’s Watch;Marijuana Policy Project Foundation; Armenian Constitutional Right-Protective Centre; Association Sahel Solidarité Action; Cercle de récherche sur les droits et les devoirs de la personne human; International Human Rights Observer; Observer Research Foundation; National Democratic Institute for International Affairs; American Sports Committee, Inc; and Asian Centre for Human Rights.

Concluding Statements

In other business, Committee Rapporteur Octavian Stamate of Romania presented the Committee’s draft report (document E/C.2/2007/L.1), which contained the proceedings of the meetings that had been held during the past week.  He urged delegations to speedily examine the document and return their comments as soon as possible so the document could be finalized.

In closing remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Pedro A. Roa Arboleda ( Colombia), said the fact that the session had come to an end two days earlier than foreseen, was testimony to the high efficiency of all participants.  Out of a total of 147 new and old applications, the Committee had recommended 92 NGOs for consultative status with ECOSOC.  Two NGOs were not recommended for consultative status and the Committee had closed four applications.  Out of six requests for reclassification, five were recommended.  The Committee decided not to recommend reclassification of one organization.  Out of 106 quadrennial reports, an unprecedented amount, the Committee took note of 100 and deferred six to May.

Giving an overview of the discussions during the session, he said Committee members had been impressed by the work of the NGO Section in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, upon which the Committee depended heavily.  The many successes during the session had been made possible in large part to the “Paperless Committee”, which not only cut costs, but also enabled the Committee to increase the speed of its considerations.

Hanifa Mezoui, Chief, NGO Section in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, thanked not only the new delegates, but also the observer delegations who had steadily followed the Committee, as well as the NGOs who had attended the session, showing with their presence that they cared and wanted to understand the process.  Thanks also went to her team for their hard work.  With some 237 cases on the Committee’s agenda, everyone deserved some recognition. 

Before the session was suspended, the representatives of China (on behalf of the Asian Group), United States (on behalf of the Western European and other States Group), Cuba, Guinea (on behalf of the African Group), Colombia, Russian Federation (on behalf of the Eastern European Group) and India made congratulatory remarks.  The Observer of Algeria thanked the Committee for allowing her to speak and address questions to NGOs.

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.

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For information media • not an official record