Committee on NGOs

24^th & 25^th Meetings (AM & PM)

four groups recommended for consultative status with Economic and Social Council

as committee on non-governmental organizations defers 22 applications

 

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended four entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.  Pending receipt of requested information, it postponed consideration of 22 others.

The 19-member Committee recommends general, special or roster status with the Council to interested NGOs after reviewing the suitability of each applicant on the basis of 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 that have general status can, in addition, speak at meetings and propose items for the Council’s agenda, while groups with roster status can only attend meetings.  NGOs with general and special status are required to submit a report every four years.

Special consultative status was recommended for:

Centres d’Acceuil de l’Espoir, a Cameroon-based NGO which seeks to reintegrate AIDS orphans into society and raise awareness among vulnerable populations of the fight against HIV/AIDS;

Magnificat Environment Association, an organization in Togo, which promotes environmental education and rational management of natural resources;

Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (International Volunteers for Development), an NGO based in Italy, working in the field of international cooperation to promote human development and human rights for vulnerable groups; and

Amici dei Bambini, based in Italy, is devoted to the promotion and protection of children’s rights.

Pending receipt of additional information, the Committee postponed consideration of applications submitted by the following NGOs:

All India Christian Council, an India-based organization which leads the fight for freedom of religion for all, and for the emancipation of Dalit-Bahujans.  India’s representative requested more information about the group’s affiliates and interactions with the United States and European legislatures, while Egypt’s representative asked about a change in name;

Anandilal Ganesh Podar Society, an organization in India seeking to promote the education of girls from slum and tribal areas.  Pakistan’s representative requested more details about its schools, affiliates and possible contribution to the Economic and Social Council;

Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development, an organization based in the Philippines, which aims to provide a strong voice for small farmers in Asia.  China’s representative requested that it correct its website in accordance with United Nations terminology and submit a written pledge to abide by the correct United Nations geographical terminology;

Better Life Programme for the African Rural Woman, an organization in Nigeria which wants women to appreciate their place, role and relevance in nation-building.  Egypt’s representative requested its budget for 2006 and 2007 and more details on its project “Economic Development”;

Centre des Droits des Gens-Maroc, an organization based in Morocco which seeks to promote human rights education and gender awareness, to provide legal literacy training for women and to train law enforcement personnel.  The representatives of Sudan, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, India and Pakistan requested details on its affiliates, activities and finances.  Cuba’s representative asked whether the Permanent Mission of Morocco to the United Nations could be approached for information on the NGO, a suggestion with which the observer representative of Morocco agreed;

Ethiopian Human Rights Council, which aims to encourage the Government’s acceptance of and compliance with all international conventions, covenants, charters and declarations dealing with human rights, by conducting human rights education and advocacy programmes.  Since it had no registration, according to the Permanent Mission of Ethiopia, it should clarify its legal status in that country by the end of the Committee’s present session.  Egypt’s representative suggested that unless a response was received by the end of the session, the file should be closed without prejudice.  The representative of the United States preferred deferral if the organization had applied but not heard back from the Government;

Institute of Road Traffic Education, an organization from India which tries to reduce the burden of road traffic injuries in low- and middle-income countries by addressing all aspects of traffic and transport management.  India’s representative asked how the NGO could contribute to the work of the Economic and Social Council and posed questions about its affiliates;

International Human Rights Observer Pakistan, a Pakistan-based NGO which seeks to educate the masses and create awareness about their fundamental freedoms and rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  India’s representative requested information about contributions from outside Pakistan and the organization’s affiliates, while asking it to use the correct United Nations terminology for geographical names;

Asian-Eurasian Human Rights Forum, an NGO based in India which seeks to create a climate of solidarity and responsibility.  Pakistan’s representative said the organization’s blog -– www.world-citizenship.org -– had made remarks about the application process that were in violation of the Committee’s spirit and that of the United Nations.  The blog stated, among other things, that “the Committee begins with suspecting each applicant and then behaving with it like treating criminals in a court of law”, and that “influential members in the NGO Committee can manage to obtain status for the applicants in whom they are interested”.  The NGO was trying to politicize the process and the Committee should ask for an apology, failure to which it should close the file.

The representative of the United States remarked that the United Nations was a democratic institution that could benefit from constructive criticisms and get ideas from different perspectives in order to come up with the best decisions.  The Committee should not bar an NGO from accreditation any time it criticized a Government or the United Nations.  India’s representative warned that it was necessary, first of all, to ascertain whether the blog indeed operated under the NGO’s auspices and whether it was responsible for such content.

Following a prolonged discussion among the representatives of Pakistan, China, India, Egypt, United States and Dominica, the Committee decided to convene an informal (closed) meeting on the issue.

Jananeethi –- A People’s Initiative for Human Rights, an Indian NGO seeking to defend and uphold the fundamental rights of disadvantaged and marginalized people, irrespective of regional, ethnic, religious or other identities.  Pakistan’s representative asked the organization to elaborate on its views of different sexual orientations, and its activities, in addition to providing financial details.  China’s representative asked about the role of the group’s advisory board and its activities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China;

Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre, an organization based in India which has established an integrated community to provide desperately needed humanitarian services to impoverished people in remote Lakadh, besides providing a meditation service to those from the international community seeking spiritual development.  The representatives of China and Pakistan reiterated their request that the organization use the correct United Nations terminology in its materials and website, and posed questions about its affiliates and relationship with Government officials;

Missions 3G-Gauri, an India-based NGO striving for a balanced society through trying to mitigate inequalities and disparities, while helping the marginalized achieve a dignified survival.  Pakistan’s representative asked about the election of its board of advisers and its relationship with the Government;

Neda Institute for Scientific and Political Research, an organization in Iran which seeks to set up a comprehensive archive of all studies on Middle Eastern political and social problems inside and outside Iran.  Egypt’s representative requested more information on its activities and an updated budget;

New World Hope Organization, a Pakistan-based NGO dedicated to alleviating human suffering around the world, regardless of race, colour, religion or cultural background.  India’s representative asked about the group’s terminology for Pakistan-administered Kashmir and for Kosovo, its activities in India and Kosovo, its finances, and the identity of its Indian members;

People’s Life Centre, an India-based NGO striving to establish a just order, based on such values as love, justice, equality, brotherhood, and peace and harmony.  Pakistan’s representative requested additional details about the lectures provided by the organization;

Swami Vivekanand Samaj Seva Samsthe–Sutagatti, an organization headquartered in India which strives to promote participation in development projects and to conduct development projects for women.  Pakistan’s representative asked for more information on its activities and finances, as well as its views on the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir;

Agape International Spiritual Center of Truth, a United States-based group dedicated to recognizing, honouring and nurturing the dignity and uniqueness of all peoples.  China’s representative asked about its activities, while Egypt’s representative sought to know when it was founded and how its activities could contribute to the work of the Economic and Social Council;

Ambedkar Centre for Justice and Peace, an NGO based in the United States which focuses on empowering marginalized people in South Asian countries to become contributing members of the human family.  India’s representative asked a number of questions about the organization’s finances and affiliations;

Asia Centre for Human Rights, an organization based in the Republic of Korea, which wants to cultivate human resources who will engage in establishing a human rights mechanism and contribute to improving the human rights situation in the Asian region;  The observer representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea raised questions about its identity, since it shared a chairperson and other officials, as well as a building and a fax number, with the Citizen’s Alliance for North Koreans’ Human Rights.  It also undertook joint activities and published a joint report on the rights of the child in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Questioning the Centre’s independence, he asked about the source of funding for its jointly organized conferences on the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, noting that the organization had spread falsehoods about that country.  What impact did its activities have on harmony and cooperation between North and South?

India’s representative said the NGO had referred to “ Burma” and should correct that to “ Myanmar”, and asked about its relationships with a security company as well as its registration in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  The representatives of Pakistan, China, Cuba and Egypt posed questions about the NGO’s Government and other funding, its registration in the Republic of Korea, and its affiliates;

Orphans International Worldwide, a United States-based NGO seeking to help orphaned or abandoned children grow into solid citizens of an Internet-connected world linked through a sound structure based on interfaith, interracial, international and intergenerational qualities.  The representatives of India and Egypt requested proof of registration as a “worldwide” organization, since only its United States branch was registered, and whether it was applying as “Worldwide” or as “American Orphans International”;

A representative of Pacific Women’s Watch, a New Zealand organization seeking to ensure a hearing for Pacific subregion women in the international arena, answered questions about its budget, contribution to the work of the Economic and Social Council, and activities.  The NGO’s budget was small, as it only raised funds when they were needed through access to trusts, sponsorship, registration fees for seminars and fund-raising events.  It was committed to the Council’s work and capable of contributing to it with a larger budget if necessary.

Describing the group as the link organization in New Zealand for Asia Pacific Women’s Watch, she said that, given the Economic and Social Council’s “light footprint” in New Zealand, it needed more NGOs with consultative status from that country.  The organization was involved in education and research on the Council’s work, as well as that of the Commission on the Status of Women, including for “ Beijing plus 15”.  The NGO was able to connect to vulnerable and poor women in New Zealand, as well as those from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds facing discrimination.  It also provided assistance to women victims of violence and families in need.  Climate change was a major focus.

Consideration of the application was postponed because the representative of Egypt needed more time for consultations.

A representative of the Institute of Hazrat Mohammad -- an organization in Bangladesh which disseminates the basic principles of Islam, the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed and love for all Allah’s creations, in addition to educating about literacy, poverty elimination, research, basic rights, as well as individual and community development, regardless of religious denomination -– also answered Committee members’ questions, saying that the organization was correctly registered.  It had no affiliation with Government ministries or institutions.  As for its name, the last Prophet encompassed a message of universal peace and justice and believed in religions preceding Islam.  As the NGO carried out interfaith dialogue and worked for social justice and peace, its name was applicable.

She went on to state that the NGO trained rural imams in computer skills and the English language in order to get them into the mainstream and curb the influence of extremist groups.  Its advocacy programmes focused on the empowerment of women, and it also carried out research on prevention of HIV/AIDS in the behavioural and social context of Bangladesh, while working with visually impaired persons.  It was developing a programme to channel zakat (alms for the poor), traditionally given in-kind, towards more sustainable poverty alleviation.  She answered further questions about structure and membership, saying more detailed written responses would be provided.  The Committee therefore postponed further consideration of its application.

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. Friday, 22 May.

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For information media • not an official record