Committee on NGOs

32^nd Meeting (PM)

Adopting Report for 2011, Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations Forwards

Seven Draft Decisions to Economic and Social Council for Action

 

Committee Will Ask Council to Approve

Two More Meetings Each Year to Allow Time to Finalize Reports

Having finished its work on 24 May, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today concluded its 2011 resumed session, adopting by consensus its report, which contained seven draft decisions on matters that called for action by the Economic and Social Council.

By the first of those decisions, the NGO Committee would have the Council, among other actions, grant consultative status to 146 non-governmental organizations; note the withdrawal of the application of one non-governmental organization (Centre for Psychology and Social Change); and note the Committee’s decision not to grant consultative status to another (International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA)).

It would also, by that text, have the Economic and Social Council reclassify the consultative status of three non-governmental organizations, as follows:  from roster to special consultative status, the United States Trademark Association; and from special to general consultative status, Covenant House, and Junior Chamber International.

By draft decision II, the Council would decide to close without prejudice consideration of requests for consultative status made by 32 non-governmental organizations after those groups had failed to respond to queries over the course of two consecutive sessions.  Draft decision III would have the Council suspend for one year the consultative status of 103 organizations with outstanding quadrennial reports, while draft decision IV would have it decide to reinstate the consultative status of 16 groups that had submitted their outstanding reports.

By draft decision V, the Council would decide to withdraw the consultative status of 61 organizations with continued outstanding quadrennial reports.  Draft decision VI would have the Council approve the provisional agenda for the Committee’s 2012 session, while draft decision VII would have it take note of the present report.

Presenting the report (document E/2011/32 (part II)), Committee Rapporteur Marghoob Saleem Butt (Pakistan) said the Committee had held a number of informal consultations on paragraphs which reflected Member States’ positions on roll-call votes that had been held on some organizations.  The Secretariat had thoroughly checked all information in the report to ensure it was factually correct.  Going forward, the Committee would ask the Economic and Social Council for two extra meetings after the regular and resumed sessions in order to codify recent practice and allow time for informal consultations to finalize future reports.

In concluding remarks, Committee Chairman Aydan Karamanoğlu (Turkey) said that, despite tensions and some meetings that were “like Harry Potter movies where everyone was invoking the rules”, a good spirit had prevailed and the Committee had shown flexibility.  If the United Nations was a circus, as he had been told, the finest acrobats were here in this Committee.  It might have a bad reputation, but everyone was doing his best job.  There had been vivid discussions.  “This is the United Nations.  That’s how it should be.”

Also speaking today were the representatives of Belgium and the United States.

The Deputy Chief of the NGO Branch of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) also spoke.

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For information media • not an official record