Committee on NGOs

7^th & 8^th Meetings (AM & PM)

Recommending 14 Groups for Consultative Status, Committee on NGOs Postpones

 

Its Consideration of 36 Applications, Closes 5 Others

 

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended 14 entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, postponed its consideration of 36 applications and closed the file on 5 others.

General, special or roster status is granted in accordance with such criteria as the applicant’s mandate, governance and financial regime.  Organizations enjoying general and special status can attend meetings of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and circulate statements, while those with general status can, in addition, address meetings and propose agenda items.  Roster-status NGOs can only attend meetings.

The 19-member Committee recommended special consultative status for the following organizations:

Afro Centre for Development, Peace and Justice, a national organization in Nigeria seeking to promote peaceful coexistence and the entrenchment of democratic values, particularly in the Niger Delta region, and to promote human rights by empowering the public through education on basic rights;

Free World Foundation (FWF), a national organization in Ghana striving for a society where the human rights of every individual are guaranteed, the rule of law reigns supreme, good governance is guaranteed and adequate measures are in place to ensure security and peacebuilding;

IFENDU for Women’s Development, a Nigeria-based national organization aiming to persuade women, men and youth, through education, to dismantle oppressive cultural and religious systems that undermine women’s human rights, and to promote their full and equal participation in all spheres of life;

3-D, Trade, Human Rights, Equitable Economy, a Switzerland-based international organization concerned with the situation of the most vulnerable countries in the world economy;

International Sustainable Energy Organization for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, an international organization in Switzerland working to promote sustainable energy worldwide, and for implementation of the Global Energy Charter for Sustainable Development;

Maasai Aid Association, a Switzerland-based national organization seeking to help East Africa’s Maasai population through education for underprivileged children and safeguarding their human rights, among other things;

Saferworld, a United Kingdom-based international organization seeking to develop and implement comprehensive national, regional and international initiatives to tackle the spread of weapons and armed violence through a combination of research, advocacy and training;

Spirituality for Kids Europe Limited, an international organization headquartered in the United Kingdom which aims to end suffering and chaos in the lives of children around the world by giving them the tools of spirituality and resiliency;

Stichting Forest Peoples Programme, an international organization based in the United Kingdom which promotes informed participation by NGOs, indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent groups in policy dialogues relating to forests and the rights of indigenous peoples, as well as the use of human-rights mechanisms by impacted communities and peoples;

United Network of Young Peacebuilders, a Netherlands-based international organization active in the field of peacebuilding, working mostly in areas of violent conflict and post-war regions;

Universitas 21, an international organization based in Guernsey, United Kingdom, which claims to be the leading international higher education network, and seeks to enhance the capability and standing of its members;

Verein zur Forderung der Völkerständigung, a national organization in Austria with the aim of furthering ties between peoples of different nationalities by means of common activities and events, thereby intensifying understanding and peace between peoples;

Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, a Canadian national organization striving to advance equality for women and girls in the country;

The Committee recommended roster status for the Institute of Road Traffic Education, an India-based international organization seeking to catalyse the development of infrastructure in traffic engineering, traffic enforcement, collision investigation, driver training and testing systems, public participation in road-safety management and road safety education in India and other developing countries.

It postponed its consideration of applications submitted by:

Pan African Civil Society Network ‑‑ an international organization in France which aims to accelerate the social and economic development of African peoples and environments ‑‑ because its responses to earlier questions were incomplete;

Plan Sweden ‑‑ a national organization in Sweden which is part of “Plan”, one of the leading international non-religious and non-political child rights-oriented development and humanitarian organizations ‑‑ following questioning by the representatives of China and Egypt;

Proyecto Paz y Amor ‑‑ a United States based international organization providing nutrition and education to make children healthier and give them hope for a better community ‑‑ after questioning by the representatives of Egypt and Cuba;

Restoration World Outreach Ministries ‑‑ an international organization based in the United States which seeks to restore order to the “Body of Christ and to the Nations through the restoration of the Apostolic Doctrine, Prophetic Vision and the Five Fold Ministry to the Church”, by finding solutions to economic and social issues of global society and ultimately “winning souls for Christ” ‑‑ after questioning by the representatives of China, Dominica and Egypt.

Responding to some of the questions, the organization’s representative said it was registered as a church in Florida, United States, but its work focused on humanitarian activities and reaching out to countries in need, not attempting to push religion but to extend a helping hand.  The NGO was in contact with several groups in Kenya, India and other countries that had requested assistance, such as books to combat illiteracy.  It also assisted in training for disaster preparedness.

As for finances, she said the group’s income came from tithing and offerings, with most offerings going to missions carried out.  The NGO’s children members were contributing their savings to help children in earthquake-devastated Haiti.  Volunteers generally paid their own way when they travelled to countries such as Kenya and to the Caribbean region to look at such issues as literacy, education and feeding the poor.

The Committee postponed further consideration of the application pending receipt of written answers to delegates’ questions.

Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology of the North-Western Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences ‑‑ a national organization in the Russian Federation which focuses on raising the awareness of medical professionals worldwide about issues relating to healthy ageing and age-associated disorders, and on developing scientific and applied programmes for the prevention and early diagnosis of and therapy for age-related diseases ‑‑ following questioning by the representative of the United States;

Scholars at Risk Network ‑‑ a United States-based international organization dedicated to defending threatened scholars and scholarly communities worldwide, while promoting academic freedom and its constituent freedoms of thought, opinion and expression without fear, discrimination, censorship, intimidation or violence ‑‑ after questioning by the representatives of Cuba, Egypt, India, Pakistan and Burundi.

The organization’s representative addressed some of the questions asked during the Committee’s dialogue period, saying its work consisted mainly of trying to strengthen the “shared community of knowledge”.  Providing asylum to academics threatened with violence or censorship was just a small part of its work, and asylum was always requested on a temporary basis.  Over the last 10 years, there had been only 12 cases of scholars fearing physical violence, mostly from non-State actors.

Secure World Foundation ‑‑ an international organization in the United States which is dedicated to the long-term sustainability of outer space and to protection of the Earth ‑‑  following questioning by the representatives of Egypt and China;

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States ‑‑ a national organization advocating for the universal right to accurate information, comprehensive education about sexuality and sexual health services ‑‑ after questioning by the representatives of Qatar and Egypt;

Shirley Ann Sullivan Educational Foundation ‑‑ an international organization in the United States which seeks to provide meaningful educational opportunities for children and young adults throughout the world ‑‑ after questioning by China’s representative;

Sudanese Mothers For Peace ‑‑ a United Kingdom-based international organization striving to advance education, relieve poverty and empower women and their families, and to promote human rights throughout the world, while working towards rapid and full implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace, and security ‑‑ after questioning by the representatives of the Sudan and Egypt;

Ukrainian Non-Governmental Socio-Political Association-National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities ‑‑ a national organization seeking to protect the rights of people with disabilities, raise their social status, and ensure their participation in the development of State social policy ‑‑ following questioning by Egypt’s representative;

United Kingdom Association for the United Nations Development Fund for Women ‑‑ a national organization seeking to further charitable work by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in any part of the world, with particular reference to developing countries, in accordance with its Recognition Agreement with UNIFEM ‑‑ after questioning by Egypt’s representative;

Widows for Peace through Democracy ‑‑ an international organization headquartered in the United Kingdom which strives to promote the status of widows in developing countries, particularly in conflict-affected and HIV/AIDS-afflicted countries ‑‑ after questioning by the representatives of Burundi, Turkey and Egypt;

Women Against Violence in Europe ‑‑ an Austria-based international network of European women’s NGOs working to end violence against women and children ‑‑ following questioning by Egypt’s representative;

e 8 ‑‑ an international organization in Canada which aims to play an active role in global electricity issues and to promote sustainable development worldwide ‑‑ after questioning by the representatives of Egypt and India;

A representative of the Secretariat said the Committee had reached the last of the applications submitted since its last session, and had considered 141 new ones.  It had recommended 26 NGOs for special consultative status and 2 for roster status.  One organization had withdrawn its application.

From the list of applications deferred from earlier sessions, the Committee postponed its consideration of those submitted by:

Better Life Programme for the African (Rural) Woman ‑‑ an international organization based in Nigeria which strives to uphold gender equality and equal access to the basic ingredients of self-sustenance in order to achieve an egalitarian society without stereotypes, diseases and poverty ‑‑ because answers to delegates’ questions had not been received;

Pacific Women’s Watch (New Zealand) ‑‑ a national organization seeking to ensure that the voices of women from the Pacific subregion, particularly New Zealand, are heard in the international arena ‑‑ as Egypt’s representative asked additional questions;

The Pew Charitable Trusts ‑‑ an international organization based in the United States which seeks to serve the public interest by providing information, advancing policy solutions and supporting civic life ‑‑ following a request by China’s representative;

Rissho Kosei-kai ‑‑ a Japan-based international organization which tries to contribute to world peace by ensuring every individual’s human dignity, in accordance with Buddhist principles ‑‑ after a request by China’s representative;

All India Christian Council ‑‑ a national organization seeking to lead the fight for universal religious freedom and the emancipation of Dalit-Bahujans ‑‑ following questioning by the representatives of China and India;

Anandilal Ganesh Podar Society ‑‑ an international organization headquartered in India which aims to educate girls from weaker sections of society, especially those from slums and tribal areas, and to help blind and deaf girls ‑‑ after questioning by Pakistan’s representative;

Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) ‑‑ an international organization based in the Philippines which endeavours to be a strong lobby and advocacy group for farmers’ rights and development, genuine agrarian reform and the mainstreaming of sustainable agriculture in regional and national policies and programmes ‑‑ after China’s representative requested that it use the correct United Nations terminology;

Asian-Eurasian Human Rights Forum ‑‑ an international organization based in India which aims to create a special climate of solidarity and responsibility with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the main guideline ‑‑ after questioning by Pakistan’s representative;

Centre des Droits des Gens-Maroc ‑‑ a national organization in Morocco which promotes, among other things, human rights education by focusing on human rights and gender awareness, legal literacy training for women, and training for law-enforcement personnel while supporting efforts to provide human-rights education in schools and to remove stereotypes from textbooks ‑‑ following questioning by the representatives of Egypt and Pakistan;

Compassion Africa Aged Foundation ‑‑ an international organization based in Ghana which contributes to the improvement of the welfare and social conditions of the aged, people affected by HIV/AIDS and orphans in Ghana and Africa ‑‑ after additional questioning by Egypt’s representative;

Corrections India ‑‑ a national organization that tries to find ways to rehabilitate people infected with HIV and to make them feel like an active part of society ‑‑ following additional questioning by Pakistan’s representative;

Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria ‑‑ a national organization promoting observance of environmental human rights and defends human ecosystems through non-violent strategies ‑‑ because the organization had not responded to all questions.  Egypt’s delegate posed new questions, while Dominica’s representative expressed his strong support for the NGO;

IBON Foundation, Inc. ‑‑ an international organization headquartered in the Philippines which is committed to serving the poor through various programmes in research, education information and advocacy ‑‑ following additional questioning by the representatives of China and Egypt;

Institute of Hazrat Mohammad ‑‑ a national organization in Bangladesh that disseminates the basic principles of Islam and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad, which emphasize peace and love for all Allah’s creations, as well as education through the implementation of different programmes focusing on literacy, poverty alleviation, research, basic rights and development of the individual and the community, regardless of religious denominations.  The representatives of Egypt and Pakistan asked additional questions, while the Bangladesh delegate said his Government did not wish the NGO to be granted consultative status.

During the Committee’s dialogue with NGOs, the organization’s representative addressed several concerns, saying it stood for dignity, as well as the right to, and respect for, religions and cultures, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Among other activities, the organization was carrying out research on:  the Islamic system of charity and how it could help eliminate poverty in the least developed countries; the position of women in Islam; and how to prevent HIV/AIDS in a culturally sensitive manner.  It also tried to engage young people in volunteer work.

She said the organization also engaged in advocacy, on behalf of people with disabilities, for instance.  It engaged with the private sector to ensure that people with disabilities had their share of employment and transportation.  Its members were professional or business backgrounds and participated in community work, either through their own expertise or financially.  Members should be civilians, have no criminal record or affiliation with political organizations.  As for the concerns of Bangladesh, she said the organization had disqualified several members with political affiliations, and it was not itself affiliated with any other organization in South Asia.

However, the representative of Bangladesh maintained that his objections were valid, noting that the NGO had apparently misrepresented itself to the Committee.  It had not explained the source of 40 per cent of its income, he said, asking whether there was a possibility of terrorist financing.  The application was full of flaws and problems, from its name to its accounts and management.

The Committee postponed further consideration of the group’s application pending written replies to delegates’ questions.

International Human Rights Observer (IHRO) Pakistan ‑‑ a national organization aiming to educate the masses and create among them awareness of the fundamental freedoms and rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ‑‑ after additional questioning by India’s representative;

Jananeethi–A People’s Initiative for Human Rights ‑‑ a national organization in India which aims to make justice a tangible experience for the poor and marginalized ‑‑ following additional questioning by the representatives of Pakistan and China;

Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre ‑‑ an international organization based in India which provides humanitarian services to impoverished people in the country’s remote regions, such as free education, health care and housing for poor or homeless children, the sick, the handicapped, the elderly and underprivileged women ‑‑ after additional questioning by Pakistan’s representative;

Missions 3G-Gauri ‑‑ an international organization headquartered in India which tries to reach those segments of society that remain geographically isolated and scattered, or economically deprived and exploited, and to create a green environment to reduce warming and create a self-reliant society for dignified survival ‑‑ following a request by Pakistan’s representative for clarification;

Neda Institute for Scientific-Political Research ‑‑ a national organization in Iran which seeks to collect all research studies undertaken on Middle Eastern political and social problems inside and outside the Islamic Republic, and to set up a comprehensive archive of various aspects of Middle Eastern countries, including cultural, social, economic, political and military aspects ‑‑ following additional questioning by Egypt’s representative.

A representative of the Alliance Defense Fund ‑‑ an international organization headquartered in the United States which seeks to defend and promote human rights and civil liberties recognized and protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and applicable international instruments ‑‑ answered delegates’ questions, saying the NGO comprised some 1,600 attorneys who attempted to advise Governments and municipalities on balancing the need for human rights and religious liberties with the sovereign rights of a State.

The Fund was unique in possessing the ability to do legislative analysis of how the principles of international law interacted with the goals of the United Nations, he said.  It was also in a unique position to advise in instances whereby religious liberty was in conflict with the sovereign rights of States.  Although it interacted with Governments, it remained completely independent and did not accept Government funding or endorsements.  The lawyers associated with the Fund had to be fully accredited in the countries where they worked and should be of respectable reputation.

Also answering questions, the representative of the Assyrian Academic Society ‑‑ a United States-based international organization which aims to ensure a robust understanding and awareness of the Assyrian people, their history and present conditions in a variety of forums ‑‑ said the Society was completely committed to the principles and provisions of the United Nations Charter and to using the Organization’s correct terminology.  It was registered as a national organization but had international members, both Assyrian and non-Assyrian, interested in Assyrian research such as the Aramaic language.  The NGO was not affiliated with the Assyrian Aid Society.

The Committee decided to close, without prejudice, the applications submitted by the Ambedkar Centre for Justice and Peace, Dalit Freedom Network, Drug Policy Alliance, International Centre for Transitional Justice, European Roma and Travellers Forum, and the Marijuana Policy Project Foundation.

In other business, the Committee elected, by acclamation, Crispin S. Gregoire (Dominica), Alexandru Ciorobea (Romania) and Wael M. Attiya (Egypt) as its Vice-Chairs.

The Committee will meet again Friday, 29 January, to consider quadrennial reports, continue its consideration of deferred applications and address two complaints.

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For information media • not an official record