Committee on NGOs

13^th & 14^th Meetings (AM & PM)

Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations Approves 7 Applications,

 

Postpones 21 while Taking Note of Quadrennial Reports

 

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended the accreditation of seven groups to the Economic and Social Council and postponed consideration of 21 applications, pending responses to questions posed by members.

It also approved one NGO’s request for reclassification from special to general consultative status, but deferred action on another request to move from roster to special status.  Additionally, the Committee took note of 22 quadrennial reports submitted by accredited NGOs.

The 19-member Committee recommends general, special or roster status on the basis of an applicant’s mandate, governance and financials, among other criteria.  Once accredited, NGOs can attend meetings of the Economic and Social Council and enjoy different levels of benefits, depending on their status.  Those with general and special status can speak during meetings, with the former also allowed to propose agenda items.  NGOs with roster status are more restricted, requiring the Secretary-General’s permission to address meetings.

Recommended for special status today were Negev Coexistence Forum; Rokpa International; Stichting Justitia et Pax Nederland; The Acronym Institute; WITNESS; Yoga in Daily Life USA; and Asylum Access.

The Committee postponed action on applications submitted by the following NGOs:  Living Bread International Church Inc.; National Secular Society; Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights; Réseau International des Droits Humains (RIDH); Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung:  Gesellschaftsanalyse und Politische Bildung e.V.; Scandinavian Institute for Human Rights (SIHR) Norway; Scholars at Risk Network; Second Amendment Foundation; Solicitors International Human Rights Group; Stichting Global Human Rights Defence; Sudanese Mothers For Peace; The Equal Rights Trust; The International Coalition of Historic Site Museums of Conscience; The Simons Foundation; Un Ponte Per...; United Hatzalah (NP); Virtual Activism Incorporated; World Future Council Foundation; Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights; Child Rights Information Network; and Fondation Alkarama.

Furthermore, the Committee recommended the reclassification of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences from special to general status, while postponing action on a request by the World Council for Curriculum and Instruction to be reclassified from roster to special status.

Also during the meeting, the Committee took note of 21 new and one deferred quadrennial reports, submitted by accredited organizations.  During an exchange, delegates questioned human rights NGOs featured in the reports, about the countries upon which they reported, their sources of information and the methodologies used to collect it, among other things.  An NGO supporting journalists was asked about its activities in Latin America, while another was questioned about its claim that the 1932/33 famine in Ukraine was the result of genocide instigated by the former Soviet Union.  Several members asked one NGO why it was requesting a name change and whether its aims had changed.

In addition, the Committee took note of four organizations requesting a change of name, but postponed a name-change requested by one group, pending responses to questions posed by Committee members.

The Committee also decided to remove the Rural Women Empowerment and Life Improvement Association from its list of NGOs under consideration, noting that it had withdrawn its application for consultative status.

Participating in today’s proceedings were representatives of Pakistan, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, India, Belgium, Bulgaria, Sudan, Turkey, Israel, United States and the Russian Federation.

A representative of Bangladesh participated as an observer, as did a representative of the State of Palestine.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations will meet again at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 30 January, to consider special reports, the provisional agenda and documentation for its 2014 session, and the report on its current session.

Special Consultative Status

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

Negev Coexistence Forum — a national organization in Israel promoting mutual respect among the diverse communities of the Negev and an end to discrimination against Bedouin citizens;

Rokpa International — an organization in Switzerland helping children from the poorest backgrounds;

Stichting Justitia et Pax Nederland — a national organization raising awareness of existing barriers to accessing justice and acting to eliminate them;

The Acronym Institute — a United Kingdom-based international organization facilitating participation by civil society and nations in measures to demilitarize relations among States;

WITNESS — an international organization in the United States envisioning an equitable world in which all individuals and communities can uphold human rights;

Yoga in Daily Life USA — a national NGO promoting the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of humankind; and

Asylum Access — a United States-based international NGO working to create a world in which refugees are seen as people with rights, not just needs.

Reclassification

The Committee recommended that the Economic and Social Council reclassify the following NGO from special to general consultative status:

International Institute of Administrative Sciences — an NGO in Belgium providing a global platform for exchanges between practitioners of administrative sciences and academics.

Action Postponed

The Committee postponed its consideration of applications submitted by the following:

Living Bread International Church Inc. — an organization in Israel providing a vehicle for charitable, educational, religious, scientific and literary projects;

National Secular Society — a national organization in the United Kingdom supporting freedom of religion and belief;

Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights — a national NGO in the Republic of Korea promoting human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea;

Réseau International des Droits Humains (RIDH) — a Switzerland-based NGO seeking the realization and implementation of human rights;

Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung:  Gesellschaftsanalyse und Politische Bildung e.V. — a national organization in Germany providing political education;

Scandinavian Institute for Human Rights (SIHR) Norway — an international organization disseminating the culture of human rights in the Middle East and elsewhere;

Scholars at Risk Network — an international organization in the United States defending threatened scholars and promoting academic freedom;

Second Amendment Foundation — a national NGO in the United States promoting a better understanding of the constitutional right to privately own firearms;

Solicitors International Human Rights Group — an NGO in the United Kingdom promoting awareness of international human rights within the legal profession;

Stichting Global Human Rights Defence — an NGO in the Netherlands addressing long-standing severe and extensive violations of the human rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities;

Sudanese Mothers for Peace — a United Kingdom-based international organization helping women in Sudan;

The Equal Rights Trust — a national organization in the United Kingdom combating discrimination and promoting equality as a fundamental human right;

The International Coalition of Historic Site Museums of Conscience — an NGO in the United States fostering historic sites, museums, memorials and memory initiatives dedicated to remembering past struggles for justice;

The Simons Foundation — a national organization in Canada working to advance positive change through education in peace, disarmament, international law and human security;

Un Ponte Per... — a national organization in Italy promoting solidarity in favour of Iraqi people who suffered from war;

United Hatzalah (NP) — a national organization of volunteers providing lifesaving services to victims of pre-hospital trauma in Israel;

Virtual Activism Incorporated — an organization in the United States strengthening NGO effectiveness and outreach through Internet access and presence;

World Future Council Foundation — a national organization in Germany working to protect the rights of future generations;

Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights — a Canada-based international NGO working to ensure respect for the sexual and reproductive rights of all young people;

Child Rights Information Network — an international NGO in the United Kingdom pressing for rights and advocating a genuine systemic shift in how Governments and societies view children; and

Fondation Alkarama — an international NGO in Switzerland promoting and protecting human rights in the Arab world.

The Committee also postponed a request for reclassification from roster to special consultative status by the following NGO:

World Council for Curriculum and Instruction — a United States-based organization focused on collaboration in curriculum and instruction projects, dialogue on global educational and social issues, and cross-cultural learning.

Quadrennial Reports

The Committee then took note of the following 21 new quadrennial reports submitted by non-governmental organizations:

Report E/C.2/2013/2 — 15 NGOs:  Action Canada for Population and Development; African Aid Organization; Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development (ACORD); Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man; Bharat Sevashram Sangha; Black Sea Civil Society Solidarity Association; Centre for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance; Children International; Endeavour Forum Inc.; Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo; Goi Peace Foundation; Gran Fraternidad Universal (Universal Great Brotherhood); Inter-American Statistical Institute; Islamic Women’s Institute of Iran; and “Women and Modern World” Social Charitable Centre.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.1 — 15 NGOs:  Advocates for Human Rights; Africa Humanitarian Action; African Canadian Legal Clinic; AIDS Information Switzerland; Aland Islands Peace Institute; American Association of University Women; American Civil Liberties Union; International Lactation Consultant Association; IUS PRIMI VIRI International Association; Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice; Match International Centre; Palestinian Centre for Human Rights; Peter-Hesse-Stiftung (Solidarity in Partnership for One World); Women’s Health and Education Center; and Worldwide Network Nigeria:  Women in Development and Environment.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.2   15 NGOs:  Amnesty International; Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development; Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development; Association for the Prevention of Torture; Association of Families and Women in Rural Areas; AVSI Foundation; Baltic Sea Forum e.V.; BATANI International Development Fund for Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East; Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha; Catholic Institute for International Relations; Center for Justice and International Law; Center for Women’s Global Leadership; Centre for Social Research; Chabad-International Jewish Educational and Cultural Network; and the China Care and Compassion Society.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.3 — 15 NGOs:  Asociacion Mujeres Unidas para el Microcredito; Association Tunisienne des Droits de l’Enfant; Centre for European Constitutional Law-Themistocles and Dimitris Tsatsos Foundation; Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Production of the Argentine Republic; Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches; Congress of Aboriginal Peoples; Corporation of Opportunity and Jointly Action OPCION; Council on Health Research for Development; Dutch Council for Refugees/VluchtelingenWerk Nederland; Earth Society Foundation, Inc.; Egyptian AIDS Society; Family Action Foundation/Accion Familiar; Federacion de Asociaciones de Defensa y Promocion de los Derechos Humanos; Federacion Estatal de Lesbianas, Gays, Transexuales y Bisexuales FELGT/Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual State Federation; and The Federation of Environmental and Ecological Diversity for Agricultural Revampment and Human Rights (FEEDAR & HR).

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.4 — 15 NGOs:  Academic Council on the United Nations System; Asia Crime Prevention Foundation; China Association for Science and Technology; The Eastern African Sub-Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women; Federatie van Nederlandse Verenigingen tot Integratie Van Homoseksualiteit-COC Nederland; Friends Society in Social Service; Front Line, the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders; Geneva Social Observatory; Global 2000 (2010) International; Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition; Global Hand; Global Policy Forum; Global Workers Justice Alliance; Good Neighbors International; and HOPE Worldwide, Ltd.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.5 — 13 NGOs:  Center for Alcohol and Drug Research and Education; China Great Wall Society; China Green Foundation; December 18 vzw; Globe International; International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA); International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse; Maryam Ghasemi Educational Charity Institute; National Alliance of Women’s Organizations; Singamma Sreenivasan Foundation; Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation; Women’s Action Group; and the World Futures Studies Federation.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.6 — 14 NGOs:  Aging Research Center; Agricultural Missions, Inc.; Alliance for Arab Women; American Life League Inc.; Art of Living Foundation; Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Centre; Asociacion Regional de Empresas de Petroleo y Gas Natural en Latinoamerica y el Caribe; Bischöfliches Hilfswerk Misereor e.V.; Child Family Health International; CIVICUS-World Alliance for Citizen Participation; Climate Institute; Cooperazione Internazionale; Drug Abuse Information Rehabilitation and Research Centre; and the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.7 — 15 NGOs:  European Network of Policewomen; Federation Of Jain Associations in North America; Finnish Youth Co-operation–ALLIANSSI; Foundation ECPAT International (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking in Children for Sexual Purposes); The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief; Foundation for Subjective Experience and Research; Foundation for the Social Promotion of Culture (Fundacion Promocion Social de la Cultura); Fraternite Notre Dame, Inc.; Fundacao de Assistencia Medica Internacional; Fundacion Cultural Baur, A.C.; Fundacion Para La Libertad-Askatasun Bidean; General Research Institute on the Convention on the Rights of the Child; God’s Harvest Foundation, GHARFO; Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS Inc.); and Help Handicapped International.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.8 — 15 NGOs:  Hong Kong Federation of Women; Human Lactation Center, Ltd.; Humane Society of the United States; Ibero American Institute of Aeronautic and Space Law and Commercial Aviation; Indian Social Institute; Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy; Institute for Multicultural Communications Cooperation and Development, Inc.; Institute for Development in Education, Arts and Leisure; Institute of International Social Development; Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology; Institute of Social Studies Trust; International Association Against Painful Experiments on Animals; International Automobile Federation; International Buddhist Relief Organisation; and the International Catholic Child Bureau.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.9 — 15 NGOs:  the International Catholic Migration Commission; International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care; International Council on Alcohol and Addictions; International Council on Social Welfare; International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations; International Federation of Multimedia Associations; International Federation of Resistance Movements; International Humanist and Ethical Union; International Institute for Human Rights, Environment and Development; International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR); International Native Tradition Interchange, Inc.; International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development; International Planned Parenthood Federation (South Asia Region Office); International Presentation Association of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.10 — 15 NGOs:  the International Youth Hostel Federation; Isis-International Women’s Information and Communication Service; Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice delle Salesiane di Don Bosco; Japanese Workers’ Committee for Human Rights; Kenya Alliance for the Advancement of Children; Kindernothilfe, Help for Children in Need; The Lebanese Welfare Association for the Handicapped; Lutheran World Federation; Minority Rights Group; Mother Child Education Foundation; Mother’s Union; Mukono Multi-purpose Youth Organisation; Myochikai (Arigatou Foundation); The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc.; and the National Centre for Sustainable Development.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.11 — 15 NGOs:  the National Council of Women in Great Britain; National Space Society; The Nature Conservancy; The Network of Non-Governmental Organisations of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women; New Future Foundation, Inc.; NGO Health Committee, Inc.; Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development; Okedongmu Children in Korea; Partnership for Global Justice; Partnership for Indigenous Peoples Environment; Peace Education Foundation; People to People; People with Disabilities Uganda; The People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy; and the Population Council.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.12 — 15 NGOs:  Pos Keadilan Peduli Ummat; Project One, Inc.; Rehab Group; Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims; Right To Play; Romani CRISS-Roma Centre for Social Intervention and Studies; Rural Africa Water Development Initiative; Shinji Shumeikai; Ship and Ocean Foundation; Sister to Sister International; Smile of the Child; Social Action Forum for Manav Adhikar (SAFMA); Social Service Agency of the Protestant Church in Germany; and The Society for the Protection and Assistance of the Socially Disadvantaged Individuals; and Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.13 — 15 NGOs:  Society Studies Centre (MADA ssc); Soroptimist International; South Asia Partnership International; Stichting Rutgers WPF; SustainUS, Inc.; Talented Girl Students Trust (TGST); Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA Foundation); UMUT Foundation; United Methodist Church-General Board of Global Ministries; United Nations Association of China (UNA-China); Universal Networking Digital Language Foundation; Universal Peace Federation; Vikash; Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund, Inc.; and VIVAT International.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.14 — 15 NGOs:  Volontari nel Mondo–FOCSIV; War Veterans Committee; Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development; Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management; Women’s Consortium of Nigeria; Women’s Forum Fighting Against the Violence on Women/Stree Atyachar Virodhi Parishad; The Women’s General Association of Macau; Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Won-Buddhism Women’s Association; Woods Hole Research Center; Word of Life Christian Fellowship; World Council of Independent Christian Churches; World Human Dimension; World Veterans Federation; and World Vision International.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.15 — 15 NGOs:  Canadian Labour Congress; Femmes Afrique Solidarité; Fundacion Instituto Psicopedagogico Uruguayo; Fundacion para Una Cultura de Paz; Globe Aware; Instituto Internacional de Ciencias Politicas IICP–IISP; Lawyers Without Borders; Mouvement Mondial des Mères International; World Wide Fund for Nature International; World Youth Alliance; World Youth Foundation; Yachay Wasi, Inc.; Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action; Yugoslav Youth Association Against AIDS-Youth of JAZAS; and the Zayed International Prize for the Environment.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.16 — 14 NGOs:  Agence de Developpement Economique et Culturel Nord-Sud; CIRID-Centre Independent de Recherches et d’Iniatives pour le Dialogue; Coordination Francaise du Lobby Europeen des Femmes; Femmes Solidaires; Fondation Ostad Elahi-Ethique et Solidarite Humaine; Jeunesse Horizon; L’Association d’equipements collectifs La Castellane; Medecins du Monde–International; Mouvement International d’Apostolate des Milieux Sociaux Independants; Ordre des Avocats á la Cour de Paris; Organisation de Bender Djedid Pour le Developpement Socio-Economique; Organisation Mondiale des Experts-Conseils Arbitres; Organisation pour la Communication en Afrique et de Promotion de la Cooperation Economique Internationale-OCAPROCE Internationale; and Plateforme pour le Developpement Durable des Caraibes (PLAC 21).

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.17 — 2 NGOs:  Cercle de Recherche sur les Droits et les Devoirs de la Personne Humaine ; and Reseau Malien des journalistes pour la lutte contre la corruption et la pauvrete.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.18 — 9 NGOs:  the Catholic Medical Mission Board, Inc.; Centro de Estudios Europeos; China Association for Science and Technology; Comunicacion Cultural; International HIV/AIDS Alliance; International Police Association; Legal Advisory Office for Popular Organizations; Saratoga Foundation for Women Worldwide, Inc.; and World of Hope International.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.19 — 9 NGOs:  Care International; Comision Juridica para el Autodesarrollo de los Pueblos Originarios Andinos–Capaj; General Federation of Jordanian Women; Global 2000; Global Fund for Women; Institute for Cognitive Science Studies; Jamaican Association on Mental Retardation; Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs; and Stree Mukti Sanghatana.

Report E/C.2/2013/2/Add.20 — 4 NGOs:  International Confederation for Family Support; The Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and the Zoroastrian Women’s Organization.

The Committee also took note of deferred quadrennial report submitted by the following NGOs:

Report E/C.2/2013/CRP.2 — 20 NGOs:  the Armenian Assembly of America; Asociatia Pro Democratia; Centrist Democratic International; Centrist Democratic International; Centrist Democratic International; France Libertés; Fondation Danielle Mitterrand; Freedom House; Human Rights First; Human Rights Watch; International Federation of Journalists; International PEN; International Press Institute; International Union of Socialist Youth; The National Council of Women of Thailand; Reporters Sans Frontiers International-Reporters Without Borders International; Society for Threatened Peoples; Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement; The Syriac Universal Alliance; Federation Syriaque International; and the Ukrainian World Congress.

Change of Names

The Committee then took note of the following requests by NGOs to change their names, as contained in document E/C.2/2013/CRP.4:

from UNIFEM Sweden (Special 2011) to UN Women–Nationell Kommitte Sverige;

from Tomorrow’s Peacekeepers Today, Ltd. (Special 2012) to Peacebuilding Solutions, Ltd;

from Youth Crime Watch of Nigeria (Special 2010) to Africa Centre for Citizens Orientation; and

from Fonds E7 pour le developpement energetique durable (Special 2000) to Fonds pour le developpement.

The Committee postponed action on one request for a change of name by the following NGO (document E/C.2/2013/CRP.5):

from Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement to End Human Trafficking Now.

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For information media • not an official record