Committee on NGOs

31^stMeeting (AM)

COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS CONCLUDES 2008 RESUMED SESSION,

RECOMMENDING ANOTHER CIVIL SOCIETY GROUP FOR SPECIAL CONSULTATIVE STATUS

Subsidiary Body of Economic and Social Council Defers Two Applications,

Adopts Draft Report, Approves Dates for 2009 Session, 19-30 January, 18-22 June

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations -- which was granted an additional meeting outside of its original schedule to complete its consideration of outstanding matters -- today recommended that one more civil society organization be granted special consultative status to the Economic and Social Council, but deferred two other applications, before concluding its 2008 resumed session and adopting its draft report.

The 19-member Committee recommends general, special or roster status with the Council according to 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 with roster status can only attend meetings.

During its resumed 2008 session, held from 29 May to 6 June, and 25 June, the Committee granted consultative status to 63 non-governmental organizations, deferred 54 applications and closed its consideration of two others -- Armenia Fund USA and Ma Qualcuno Pensi ad Abele (see Press Releases ECOSOC/6338-NGO/640 and ECOSOC/6341-NGO/643).  It did not recommend consultative status for one organization -- the Human Rights Foundation (see Press Release ECOSOC/6341‑NGO/643).

The sole organization to be recommended for special status this morning was International Association for Media and Communication Research, an international organization based in the United Kingdom seeking to stimulate interest in media and communication research.

The Committee decided to defer its consideration of two other organizations.  The first was International Movement against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism, an international organization based in Japan, after the representatives of Cuba and Egypt asked for further clarification on its activities.  It had previously held roster status with the Council.  The second was Femmes Afrique solidarité, an international organization based in Switzerland aimed at promoting the role of women in the resolution of conflicts in Africa.  Egypt’s delegate sought more information about its programming and budget.

It also deferred its consideration of requests from two organizations already holding special status -- Droit a l’Energie SOS future and Goi Peace Foundation -- to deliver oral statements at the ECOSOC’s substantive session in July.  In addition, it was noted that the one-year suspension of Liberal International would come to an end on 20 July.

Also today, the Committee heard a report from Vice-Chairman Serhat Aksen of Turkey on the work of the informal working group, which meets in between sessions to discuss measures to improve the quality of the application and reporting process, among other things.  In relation to that report, the Committee held a lengthy discussion regarding the handling of civil society groups with potential links to terrorism.  In a discussion involving speakers from Cuba, United States, India, China, Egypt, Qatar and Pakistan, members decided that, while important, future working group sessions should not focus merely on the issue of terrorism.

As for the draft report of the Committee’s resumed 2008 session (document E/C.2/2007/L.4), introduced by Rapporteur Bilal Hayee of Pakistan and adopted by its members, the Committee was informed by its Chair, Hasan Hamid Hasan of the Sudan, that it would not be issued in time for consideration by the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session, slated to begin on Monday, 30 June.  The Committee would only submit an excerpt to the Council, containing five draft decisions and one draft resolution.  The entire report would be given to the Council at a resumed substantive session, later in the year.

The Committee also adopted the provisional agenda and documentation for its 2009 session (document E/C.2/2008/L.3), thereby approving the dates of that session, to be held from 19 to 30 January and from 18 to 22 June, with a view that those dates might be orally amended by the Economic and Social Council.

At the start of today’s meeting, Hanifa Mezoui, Chief of the Non-Governmental Organization Section, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, announced that the Paperless Committee project, established to help reduce cumbersome paperwork at the United Nations, had been selected to receive the “United Nations 21 Award”, on 11 July.  The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations is considered a “paperless committee”, calculated to have saved more than $1.5 million in reduced meeting time and documentation since the project was initiated in 2003.

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For information media • not an official record