Committee on NGOs

27^th & 28^thMeetings (AM & PM)

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS EIGHT GROUPS FOR CONSULTATIVE

STATUS; SEEKS MORE TIME TO ACT ON WORLD UNION FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM

With one day of its resumed session remaining, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended eight new civil society groups for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, but decided it needed more time before taking any action, if at all, against the World Union for Progressive Judaism for what members agreed was “bad behaviour” at a meeting of the Human Rights Council in January.

The 19-member Committee recommends general, special or roster status with the Council in accordance with such criteria as the applicant’s 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.

According to a complaint lodged on 13 May by the representative of Cuba, as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, a statement delivered by a representative of the World Union for Progressive Judaism at the sixth special session of the Human Rights Council had prompted three warnings from that body’s President.

[The World Union representative -- in attempting to address the topic “Human rights violations emanating from Israeli military incursions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” -- had used the term “genocidal Hamas charter”, saying it had implications for the situation in the Gaza Strip.  Upon a third warning from the President, the representative had ended his statement by saying: “There is a general malaise in the air, a feeling that something is rotten in the state of this Council.”

The representative of Cuba had then requested an investigation into the matter, so that appropriate action could be taken if the World Union for Progressive Judaism was found to have abused its consultative status(see Press Release ECOSOC/6335).  In response, the World Union for Progressive Judaism had submitted a letter to the Committee, expressing regret for any offence it might have caused, while also sending its President to clarify that point to the Committee in person.  Dissatisfied with those explanations, Cuba’s delegate had proposed that action be taken to suspend the organization’s consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (please see Press Release ECOSOC/6338).

However, a second written explanation from the World Union had led the representative of Cuba -- with support from the representatives of Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, China, Pakistan, India, Angola, Burundi, Colombia and Guinea -- to call for a new proposal, by which the Committee would draft a letter acknowledging receipt of the second explanation, which contained an apology from the World Union for Progressive Judaism, while also stating in clear terms that any offence caused to United Nations organs would not be tolerated in future.  That had led the representatives of the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom to argue that the apology alone had been sufficient to close the matter and that no further action was needed on the Committee’s part.]

Today, the representative of Pakistan provoked a lengthy debate by stressing that sending the organization a letter of reprimand was the more suitable reaction, as opposed to taking no action.  The representative of Cuba remarked that the Committee had in the past gone as far as stripping organizations of their consultative status for similar reasons, an action carried out at the behest of a delegation currently urging restraint.  The Committee then moved into a private discussion of the matter, emerging with a decision to defer the matter until its next meeting.

Against that backdrop, the Committee recommended four new groups for consultative status with the Council, including the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, a New York City organization providing migration assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants.  At a previous meeting, the representatives of Syria and the Observer Mission of Palestine had requested a written explanation of the group’s opinion on resolution 194 (III) of 1948 concerning Palestine refugees’ right of return.  Appearing before the Committee for the second time, a representative of Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society today expressed “utmost respect” for the General Assembly’s work, but stressed that, as a humanitarian organization, the Society did not take political positions.  Immediately following that statement, the Committee decided to approve its application, requesting only afterwards that it put that statement in writing.

Other groups recommended for special status werethePartnership for Global Justice, an international organization based in the United States that works to establish, administer, finance and staff institutions serving the poor; Health for Humanity, a United States-based international organization focused on developing health systems with local partners throughout the world; and Knights of the Southern Cross, an Australian organization that seeks to foster the Christian way of life throughout that country.

The Committee also recommended four organizations for roster status: the Kabbalah Centre, an international organization based in the United Kingdom that seeks to educate people on Kabbalistic precepts; National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs/Business and Professional Women USA, a lobbying organization in the United States working with Congress to pass laws that enhance the lives of working women; Nigerian Healthcare Foundation, an organization in the United States seeking to improve the health-care conditions of the Nigerian population in Africa; and Village Suisse, an international organization based in Switzerland that works with the poorest people of Africa, the Caribbean and countries with economies in transition.

Pending further clarification, the Committee decided to defer its consideration of applications submitted by the National Association of Home Builders, an organization in the United States devoted to improved housing industry regulations, after Egypt’s delegate asked if it was registered as a non-governmental organization and how much it held in reserve income; International Center for Transitional Justice, a New York City-based international organization devoted to transitional justice issues, after Egypt asked for its opinion on the impact of granting amnesty to former perpetrators of violence in societies emerging from conflict; Spirituality for Kids, an international organization based in the United Kingdom devoted to at-risk children, after Egypt sought clarification regarding its relationship with the Kabbalah Centre; International Dalit Solidarity Network, a Denmark-based international organization seeking to end caste-based discrimination,after India requested more information about its organizational structure, budget and decision-making processes; andtheFederation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, which seeks to protect the rights of trade union members, after the representative of the Russian Federation questioned its commercial activities.

Also deferred were the applications of Human Rights Education Associates, an international organization based in the United States that supports the training of activists and professionals, after Cuba requested access to its directory of human rights educators and asked whether its members were involved in political activities; Neda Institute for Scientific-Political Research, an Iranian organization devoted to archiving studies on Middle Eastern political and social problems, after Egypt’s delegate sought clarification regarding its organizational structure and registration as a non-governmental organization; Verein Südwind Entwicklungspolitik, an Austrian organization seeking to strengthen effective lobbying among the participants in representative democracies, whose replies to previous questions were still pending; International Association of Women Judges, an organization based in Washington, D.C., after China’s delegate noted the incorrect use ofthe term “Taiwan” on its website; and the Foundation for a Culture of Peace, a Spain-based international organization focused on publicizing and implementing the 1999 United Nations Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, after the representative of Qatar sought its opinion on religious defamation.

In other business today, the Committee took note of changes in name of the former Transnational Radical Party to the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational and Transparty; Fondation canadienne des droits de la personne/Canadian Human Rights Foundation to Equitas International Centre for Human Rights Education/Equitas centre international d’ écuation aux droits humains; Humanist Committee on Human Rights to Aim for Human Rights; Intermediate Technology Development Group to Practical Action; International Conference Volunteers to ICV Volunteers; Leonard Cheshire International to Leonard Cheshire Disability; Mercy Corps International to Mercy Corps; and Support Coalition International to Mind Freedom International.  The Committee also took note that the International League for the Rights and Liberations of People had ceased to exist.

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

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Friday, 6 June, to take up outstanding items on its agenda and conclude its 2008 session.

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For information media • not an official record