Committee on NGOs

1^st & 2^nd Meetings (AM & PM)

Committee on NGOs Approves 37 Applications for Consultative Status

With Economic and Social Council, Postponing 11 Others

 

Number of Applicants Double Those of 2012, Senior Secretariat Official Notes

Opening its regular session for 2013, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended 37 organizations for special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, and deferred action on the status of 11 others.

The 19-member Committee vets applications submitted by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), recommending general, special or roster status on the basis of such criteria as the applicant’s mandate, governance and financial regime.  Organizations enjoying general and special status can attend meetings of the Council and issue statements, while those with general status can also speak during meetings and propose agenda items.  Organizations with roster status can only attend meetings.

Recommended for special status today were the following non-governmental organizations:  Action of Human Movement (AHM); Action Solidaire pour un Développement Entretenu à la Base; Alliance Creative Community Project; Amis des Etrangers au Togo (A.D.E.T.); Archbishop E. Kataliko Actions for Africa “KAF”; Associação Novo Encanto de Desenvolvimento Ecológico; Association Al-Biri Charitable (Al-Khaireh); Association de Solidarité Aide et Action Enfance Mali “ASAA/EM Jigiya Ton”; Association Ibn Sina pour le Traitement des Malades et Sinistrés; Association pour la Promotion de la Lutte Contre les Violences faites aux Femmes et la Participation au Développement de la Femme Africaine; Association Sénégalaise pour la promotion des énergies renouvelables “KokkiEnergie”; Befa Women and Child Care Foundation; Benin Environment and Education Society; Carre Geo & Environnement; Centre de Recherche et d’Education pour le Developpement (CREPD); and the Centre for Community Economics & Development Consultants Society.

Also recommended for special status were:  Chaithanya Samskarika Vedi Chennayangaloor P.O.; Child Aid Development Foundation International (CADFIN); Civil Society Platform For Social Protection; Comité de Lutte Contre les Pandémies pour le Développement Durable au Cameroun (CLPC); Community Awareness Raising Advocacy Ventures Around Needs (CARAVAN); Community Emergency Response Initiative; Community Youth Network Program; Ekap Achi Foundation; Ekta Welfare Society; Ethics Institute of South Africa; Fiorello H. LaGuardia Foundation, Inc.; Fondation Mohammed VI pour la Recherche et la Sauvegarde de l'Arganier; Fondation Nehemie; Fundación Síndrome de Down del Caribe; Globe Vert; Greener Impact International; Groupe Communication Internationale en Technologies Cultures et Services “G.CITCS”; Gwoup Lespwa ak Lavi (GLL); Halley Movement For Social and Community Development; Humanitaire Plus; and Organisation Internationale pour la Sécurité des Transactions Electroniques.

The Committee postponed action on the applications of the following non-governmental organizations:  Almanar Voluntary Organization; Association for Integrated Development-Comilla (AID-COMILLA); Centre for Social Transformation & Human Development Ltd/Gte; Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indígenas; Eakok Attomanobik Unnayan Sangstha; EKTA; Family Health Development Organization; Global Health And Awareness Research Foundation (GAF); Green Planet; Hasaan Foundation; and Human Touch India.

At the outset of the meeting, the Committee adopted its agenda and programme of work (document E/C.2/2013.1).  It also postponed the election of its four Vice-Chairs, including one who would serve as Rapporteur.

Also at the outset, Navid Hanif, Director of the Office for Economic and Social Council Support and Coordination in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said the number of applications had never been higher.  There had been 600 this year, double the number from 2012.  To reduce the backlog and expedite the application process, he proposed revising the current application form.

Emphasizing the crucial role of non-governmental organizations in reaching the unmet Millennium Development Goals and in establishing the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as a post-2015 development agenda, he said his office was setting up an informal advisory group comprising non-governmental organization representatives from around the world.  They would advise on substantive issues and pursue country-level action.  More than 10,000 non-governmental organizations had made recommendations for the outcome document of the June 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development ( Rio+20).  “The concerns of everyone, not least the world’s poor and marginalized, must be heard loud and clear,” he stressed.  “Civil society is well placed to achieve this.”

Suljuk Mustansar Tarar ( Pakistan), elected Committee Chair by acclamation at the outset, said the Committee must tackle its burgeoning workload more expeditiously, and better manage its time.  He urged members to consider proposals to increase the number of information and communications technology personnel at the NGO Branch of the Office for Economic and Social Council Support and Coordination as a way to aid that process.  Before the current session were 355 applications, 278 quadrennial reports and 23 deferred reports.  “These numbers are worthy of concern,” he noted.  “We must remain loyal to resolution 1996/31,” he added, referring to the resolution that sets forth the process for granting consultative status and the respective functions of the Committee and the Secretariat in supporting the consultative relationship.

During its interactive dialogue with non-governmental organization seeking accreditation, some Committee members posed questions to applicants about, among other things, the advocacy activities, expenditure, income, partnerships and tax status of applicants, as well as questions relating to their selection of the countries in which they operated, and how they intended to contribute to the work of the United Nations.

Delegates participating in the interactive dialogue were representatives of Israel, Cuba, China, Belgium, United States, Bulgaria and Morocco.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 22 January, to continue its session.

Special Consultative Status

The Committee recommended that the Economic and Social Council grant special consultative status to the following non-governmental organizations:

Action of Human Movement (AHM) — an Indian national organization seeking to help to improve living conditions for poor people in rural Tamil Nadu State;

Action Solidaire pour un Développement Entretenu à la Base — a national organization in Togo working to reduce poverty among women and children;

Alliance Creative Community Project — a Ghana-based international organization working to eradicate educational challenges in that country;

Amis des Etrangers au Togo (A.D.E.T.) — a national organization addressing racial discrimination and xenophobia;

Archbishop E. Kataliko Actions for Africa “KAF” — an international organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo fighting HIV/AIDS infection;

Associação Novo Encanto de Desenvolvimento Ecológico — a non-profit environmentalist entity in Brazil promoting human harmony with nature;

Association Al-Biri Charitable (Al-Khaireh) — a Djibouti national organization that promotes social, economic and cultural development of the poor;

Association de Solidarité Aide et Action Enfance Mali “ASAA/EM Jigiya Ton” — a national alliance helping excluded, vulnerable, low-income women and girls;

Association Ibn Sina pour le Traitement des Malades et Sinistrés — a Mauritanian national organization working in the health and social work fields;

Association pour la Promotion de la Lutte Contre les Violences faites aux Femmes et la Participation au Développement de la Femme Africaine – a national organization in Cameroon seeking to restore the reputation of African women;

Association Sénégalaise pour la promotion des énergies renouvelables “KokkiEnergie” — a national organization promoting humanitarian volunteering against poverty and the use of renewable energy;

Befa Women and Child Care Foundation — a Nigerian national organization working to give poor people legal aid and access to the courts, while helping women gain social, political and economic skills;

Benin Environment and Education Society — a national organization based in Cotonou and focused on managing and protecting natural resources in arid zones;

Carre Geo & Environnement — a Cameroon-based national organization focused on environmental protection, biodiversity, sustainable development and climate change.

Centre de Recherche et d’Education pour le Developpement (CREPD) — a national organization in Cameroon promoting sound environmental management;

Centre for Community Economics & Development Consultants Society — a national organization in India seeking to empower partner communities, castes and tribes, small and marginal farmers, landless people and Dalits, as well as deprived women and children;

Chaithanya Samskarika Vedi Chennayangaloor P.O. — an Indian national organization promoting development through financial and other aid to poor people;

Child Aid Development Foundation International (CADFIN) — a national organization in Cameroon working to reduce poverty through education, health, food security and environmental grassroots programmes;

Civil Society Platform for Social Protection — a national organization in Sierra Leone aiming to fight chronic poverty through civil society partnerships;

Comité de Lutte Contre les Pandémies pour le Développement Durable au Cameroun (CLPC) — a national organization in Cameroon promoting sustainable rural development;

Community Awareness Raising Advocacy Ventures Around Needs (CARAVAN) — a Pakistan-based national organization promoting community development through skills training, education and income-generating opportunities for women and children;

Community Emergency Response Initiative — a national organization in Nigeria providing education, training and volunteer services for peacebuilding, public health, disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness;

Community Youth Network Program — a national organization in Liberia seeking to increase the participation of young people in issues affecting them;

Ekap Achi Foundation — a Nigerian national organization working to strengthen sustainable livelihoods among rural populations;

Ekta Welfare Society — an Indian national organization working for world unity, peace and socio-economic development;

Ethics Institute of South Africa — a national organization seeking to build an ethically responsible society at home and across the continent;

Fiorello H. LaGuardia Foundation, Inc. — a United States national organization seeking to continue the legacy of New York City Mayor Fiorella LaGuardia as an international humanitarian;

Fondation Mohammed VI pour la Recherche et la Sauvegarde de l’Arganier — a national organization in Morocco monitoring and coordinating research for the promotion of argan products;

Fondation Nehemie — a national organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo combating hunger through farming and professional training in agriculture;

Fundación Síndrome de Down del Caribe — a Colombian national organization seeking to improve the quality of life for people with Down Syndrome;

Globe Vert — a Togo-based international organization dedicated to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development;

Greener Impact International — a Ghanaian national organization working in the fields of climate change, sustainable land and forest management, sustainable agriculture and food security, energy efficiency and renewable energy;

Groupe Communication Internationale en Technologies Cultures et Services “G.CITCS” — a national organization in Senegal supporting global organizations in the field;

Gwoup Lespwa ak Lavi (GLL) — a national organization working to improve living conditions in Haiti;

Halley Movement for Social and Community Development — a national organization in Mauritius seeking to prevent and raise public awareness of child abuse and children’s welfare;

Humanitaire Plus — a national organization in Togo seeking to reduce poverty and sexual violence against women while promoting the rights of women and young girls; and

Organisation Internationale pour la Sécurité des Transactions Electroniques— an Switzerland-based international organization working to create a neutral authority to control and manage digital identities, personal data and Internet security.

Action Postponed

The Committee postponed consideration of applications submitted by the following:

Almanar Voluntary Organization — a national organization in Sudan seeking to reverse socio-economic deterioration and improve women’s basic rights;

Association for Integrated Development-Comilla (AID-COMILLA) — a national organization in Bangladesh working to create an equitable, peaceful, harmonious society;

Centre for Social Transformation & Human Development Ltd/Gte — a national organization in Nigeria training and engaging youth, teachers and community leaders in peaceful conflict management, democracy and good governance;

Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indígenas — a Peru-based international organization seeking to defend the collective rights of indigenous peoples, while promoting “good living” as a way to address climate change;

Eakok Attomanobik Unnayan Sangstha — a national organization in Bangladesh seeking to create positive socio-economic change by raising awareness and developing skills, livelihoods, education and reproductive health services;

EKTA — a national organization in India seeking to empower women and children while building a balanced society, free of class-, caste- or religion-based discrimination;

Family Health Development Organization — a national organization in Bangladesh working to improve nutrition and the health of mothers and newborns;

Global Health And Awareness Research Foundation (GAF) — a national organization in Nigeria working to disseminate information on sexuality and reproductive health issues, and communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria;

Green Planet — a national organization in India addressing issues of global warming and climate change, as well as melting ice, eco-clubs and tree planting;

Hasaan Foundation — a national organization in Pakistan involved in activities aimed at empowering marginalized communities, women and children; and

Human Touch India — a national youth-led organization focused on activities relating to health care, education and human rights protection.

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For information media • not an official record