Committee on NGOs

23^rd & 24^thMeetings (AM & PM)

NGO Committee recommends three civil society groups for consultative status

with Economic and Social Council

 

Continuing its 2008 resumed session, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended two additional civil society groups for special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and onefor roster status, while deferring 12cases and closing the file on one group -- Armenian Fund USA -- for not adhering to United Nations terminology with regard to countries and territories.

A significant portion of the Committee’s work today also focused on the alleged misconduct of the World Union for Progressive Judaism at a special session of the Human Rights Council in January, with members deciding to take action on that organization tomorrow.  Paragraph 57 of resolution 1996/31 of the Economic and Social Council calls for the suspension of any organization deemed to have abused its status with respect to that body (please see Press Release ECOSOC/6335-NGO/637 for background).

The status of non-governmental organizations such as the World Union for Progressive Judaism rests on the recommendation of the 19-member Committee, which reviews the suitability of each applicant based on various criteria, including mandate, governance and financial regime.  Organizations enjoying general and special consultative status can attend meetings of the Council and circulate statements.  Those with general status can, in addition, speak at meetings and propose items for the Council’s agenda, while organizations that have roster status can only attend meetings.

Organizations recommended for special status today were Red Venezolana de Organizaciones para el Desarrollo Social, an organization in Venezuela aimed at the development of socially disadvantaged communities, and Fund for Women in Asia, a New York City-based organization seeking to build the capacity of women’s funds in Asia.  Roster status was awarded to Comitato Ev-K²-CNR, an Italian organization seeking to provide specialized scientific support aimed at the sustainable development of high-altitude remote areas.

The file was closed on Armenia Fund USA, because that organization did not meet the Committee’s requirement regarding the use of countryand territory names.  On 30 May, the organization had told the Committee that it used the term “Nagorno-Karabakh” without explicit reference to Azerbaijan, because it believed that using the official United Nations terminology amounted to taking sides in an ongoing political dispute (see Press Release ECOSOC/6336-NGO/638) for background).

After today, the application by Associação Brasileira de Gays, Lésbicas e Transgêneros also faces possible closure, because the organization -- a Brazilian group promoting equal rights for gay men, lesbians, transgender persons and bisexuals -- was deemed not to have responded adequately to queries regarding a member with an apparent link to paedophilia.  The organization had requested that its application be deferred to 2009 because its representative could not appear in person to answer those questions.  Brazil’s delegate explained that that was because the organization was currently participating in the first national conference on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons’ rights, at the request of the Brazilian President.

In response, the representatives of Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Colombia noted that organizations need not be present at Committee meetings for the body to take action, which led several members to suggest that a letter be sent to the organization clarifying that point.  That being the case, the Committee decided that the organization be asked to submit a letter restating its case for postponement, and that the letter provide the requested information on links to paedophilia.  The case would be closed should no written response be received by 5 June.

Another deferral concerned the application of Federatie van Nederlandse Verenigingen tot Integratie van Homoseksualiteit -- a Dutch group devoted to the protection of the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people -- despite a plea from the representative of the Netherlands that a decision be taken at the 2008 session.  The representative of Qatar said he was unconvinced of the merits of using a gay-oriented platform to promote human rights, since United Nations instruments referred to human rights in terms of “men” and “women” and not “gays” or “lesbians”.

After a substantial question-and-answer period, the Committee also deferred the application made byHebrew Immigrant Aid Society, an organization in New York City that provides migration assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants.  According to its representative, the organization served people of different faiths, including Muslims.  It was a humanitarian organization that did not take a political stance on any of the issues it addresses.  The representatives of the Observer Mission of Palestine and Syria asked for a written explanation regarding its opinion on resolution 194 (III) of 1948 concerning refugees’ right of return.

Other applications deferred by the Committee included those of:  Agape International Spiritual Center of Truth, an international organization based in the United States that seeks to promote “the transformation and evolution of the planet through conscious co-creation and unconditional love”, after China asked to know more about a seminar held on the topic “Why the Dalai Lama matters”; PeaceJam Foundation, a United States-based international organization seeking to foster interactions between Nobel prize winners and members of the youth,whose written responses had not yet been received; and Human Rights House Foundation, an international organization based in Norway aimed at strengthening human rights organizations throughout the world, after China raised questions regarding its relationship with the Norwegian Tibet Committee.

The Committee also deferred the application made by Dynamic Christian World Mission Foundation, a religious non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to “share the gospel of Jesus Christ”, after the representative of China asked to hear more about its decision-making process.  In addition to further questions about its organizational structure, the representative of Egypt asked for more information about its activities.

Other applications deferred included those of:  International Federation of Liberal Youth, an international organization based in Belgium seeking to increase the participation of youth in decision-making processes, after the representative of China asked to see a copy of Libel, a magazine published by the organization that she said referred to Tibet as a country; Women’s Business Development Center, an organization in the United States focused on the establishment and growth of business women in Florida, after Egypt’s delegate asked for further clarification on its budget; European Renewable Energy Council, an international organization based in Belgium that facilitates the exchange of information on issues related to renewable energy, after questions were raised by the representatives of Qatar and Egypt about its corporate status and organizational structure; Assyrian Academic Society, a United States-based international organization working to ensure a robust understanding and awareness of Assyrian people, after the representative of Turkey asked to see hard copies of the Society’s journal; and International Reading Association, an international organization based in the United States seeking to promoting literacy, after Cuba’s delegate asked for a clarification in light of its recent re-incorporation in the American State of Delaware, and after China’s delegate noted that it had not modified the use of the term “Taiwan” on its website.

The Committee also deferred its consideration of Democracy Coalition Project, an international organization based in Washington, D.C., aimed at promoting democracy throughout the world, after Cuba questioned its relationship with entities believed by the organization to have been “excluded” from the United Nations.

In the Committee’s continued review of a complaint regarding the alleged misconduct by the World Union for Progressive Judaism at a Human Rights Council meeting, the Committee viewed a portion of the webcast from the 24 January meeting in which a representative of the organization declared that “something is rotten in the state of this Council”.

The representatives of Cuba, Qatar and Egypt expressed dissatisfaction with the letter of explanation provided by the organization regarding its conduct at the meeting, which they labelled as disrespectful, with Cuba’s delegate calling for action to be taken tomorrow.

In defence of the organization, the representatives of the United States, United Kingdom, Israel and Romania called for more time to examine facts pertinent to the case, including how the Committee had handled such questions in the past, if any.  In addition, the president of the organization delivered a statement to the Committee, in which he stressed that there had been no intention to offend or insult any Member States through the humorous adaptation of a Shakespearean quote.  He would submit another letter further clarifying that position by tomorrow morning, as requested by the representative of Cuba.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 4 June, to complete its review of deferred applications, take up quadrennial reports by non-governmental organizations already possessing consultative status, and consider a report of the voluntary trust fund in support of the United Nations NGO Informal Regional Network (IRENE).

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For information media • not an official record