Committee on NGOs

15^th Meeting (AM)

Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations Recommends Special Status for 12 NGOs,

Removes 15 from Review List, Postpones Action on 23

 

Session Saw Highest-ever Number of Applications,

Says Chair as Delegates Voice Regret over ‘Huge’ Backlog, Repetitive Questioning

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended that the Economic and Social Council grant special consultative status to 12 applicants, and postponed consideration of 23 applicants as it wrapped up the bulk of its work during the current regular session.  It also removed 15 NGOs from the review list for having failed to respond to inquiries despite three reminders from the Secretariat.

Committee Chair Marghoob Saleem Butt ( Pakistan) noted that a total of 169 applications, including 144 new ones and 25 deferred from previous sessions, had been recommended for consultative status during the current session.  That figure was the highest ever, exceeding the 157 from last year’s session, he added.

The 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 and may only address meetings with the Secretary-General’s permission.

Recommended for special status today were:  the International Union of Parents and Teachers; Organisation des Laics Engagés du Sacré-Coeur pour le Développement de Kimbondo; The Catholic Health Association of India; Vicony’s Global Success World; Young Naturalist Network; Youth for a Child in Christ; African Computer and Technology Literacy Awareness Program; Association for Citizens’ Tolerance and Cooperation; Atheist Alliance International; Institut international pour la Paix, la Justice et les Droits de l’homme; Youth Affairs Network of Queensland; Youth Net and Counselling; and KinderEnergy Inc.

The Committee postponed action on applications submitted by the following NGOs:  the Almanar Voluntary Organization; Association for Integrated Development-Comilla (AID-COMILLA); Community Awareness Raising Advocacy Ventures Around Needs (CARAVAN); Eakok Attomanobik Unnayan Sangstha; Green Planet; Human Touch India; People’s Development Organization; Prahar; Ray of Hope; Sewa Development Trust Sindh; and Young Power in Social Action.

Also deferred were applications from:  the Youth Foundation of Bangladesh; Omega Research Foundation; Stichting Coalition for Work with Psychotrauma and Peace; The Jewish Renaissance Foundation; Corporación Centro de Estudios de Derecho Justicia y Sociedad; Freann Financial Services; India Media Centre; Organisation for Gender, Civic Engagement & Youth Development; WWT (Wespak Welfare Trust); Association des Populations des Montagnes du Monde; Family and Life; Muslim Aid; and Organizzazione Internazionale Protezione Animali.

Removed from the list of organizations under review were:  Bridging the Gulf; Al Tajdeed Cultural Social Society; Isfahan Association for Protection of Human Rights; Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center; Zeitgeist — the Spirit of the Times; American Library Association; Canadian Shooting Sports Association; Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network; Care Continuum Alliance, Inc; World Pulse Voices; Environmental Justice Foundation Charitable Trust; Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Inc.; Solar Energy Industries Association Inc.; Alternatives, reseau d’action et communication pour le developpement international; and 350.org.

During today’s exchange, Committee members questioned applicants about, among other things, links to the Governments of their host countries, project details, updates on the nature and scope of specific projects, and financial details.

At the outset of the meeting, the Committee elected Maria Pavlova ( Bulgaria) and Eduardo Lopez ( Peru) as Vice-Chairs, with the latter also appointed as Rapporteur.

The new Rapporteur presented the draft report of the Committee on its 2013 regular session (document E/C.2/2013/L.1), saying the “blanks” in it would be filled with substantive details during forthcoming informal discussions.

In closing remarks, Sudan’s representative applauded the increased number of applications recommended for status.  However, his counterpart from Belgium expressed serious concern over the “huge” backlog of applications, as well as postponed applications, many of which had been blocked by numerous and repeated questions.  The situation contravened the principles of Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31, she stressed.  Bulgaria’s representative echoed her concerns, expressing regret that the most knowledgeable and meaningful NGOs had been deferred for another year.  While Committee members were entitled to ask questions, action on applications should be taken within a reasonable amount of time, she added.

Representatives of Pakistan, China, India, Peru, Cuba, Russian Federation and the United States also participated in today’s exchanges.

The Committee’s next formal meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on 8 February, when it is expected to conclude its work for the current regular session.

Special Consultative Status

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

International Union of Parents and Teachers — a national NGO in Ghana defending against illegal actions;

Organisation des Laics Engagés du Sacré-Coeur pour le Développement de Kimbondo — a national organization fighting poverty and helping with the reintegration of former prisoners in the Democratic Republic of Congo;

The Catholic Health Association of India — a national organization promoting quality health-care services for poor, marginalized people;

Vicony’s Global Success World — a national organization in Cameroon promoting environmental protection and sound natural-resource management;

Young Naturalist Network — an international organization in India promoting an eco-friendly lifestyle, nature conservation and environmental protection;

Youth for a Child in Christ — a national organization working to reduce poverty and HIV/AIDS prevalence among young people in Zimbabwe;

African Computer and Technology Literacy Awareness Program — a Canada-based international organization promoting the use of technology to alleviate poverty;

Association for Citizens’ Tolerance and Cooperation — a national organization dedicated to European-style democracy in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia;

Atheist Alliance International — a United States-based NGO striving to ensure that religious beliefs do not influence public policy, scientific inquiry or education;

Institut international pour la Paix, la Justice et les Droits de l’homme — a Switzerland-based organization promoting human rights for all;

Youth Affairs Network of Queensland — a national organization in Australia promoting the interests of disadvantaged and marginalised young people;

Youth Net and Counselling — a national organization in Malawi working towards a society free of HIV/AIDS; and

KinderEnergy Inc. — a national organization in the United States working to empower children to become environmental leaders.

Action Postponed

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

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

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

Community Awareness Raising Advocacy Ventures Around Needs (CARAVAN) — a national organization promoting poverty reduction in Pakistan by helping local communities achieve self-reliance and sustainable socio-economic development;

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

Green Planet — a national organization in India addressing global warming and climate change and melting ice, while supporting eco-clubs and tree planting;

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

People’s Development Organization — a national NGO promoting socio-economic development in Pakistan through education, health and employment;

Prahar — a national organization in India promoting voluntary education, health and economic development services for the disadvantaged and marginalized;

Ray of Hope — a national organization involved in treating and rehabilitating drug addicts, as well as preventing drug abuse in Pakistan;

Sewa Development Trust Sindh — a national organization helping marginalized communities in Pakistan to achieve economic prosperity;

Young Power in Social Action — a national organization in Bangladesh working to create a society free of poverty;

Youth Foundation of Bangladesh — a national organization seeking young people’s participation in all areas of development;

Omega Research Foundation — a United Kingdom-based international NGO providing evidence-based research on military, security and police technologies;

Stichting Coalition for Work with Psychotrauma and Peace — a Netherlands-based international NGO helping people with mental health problems recover from violent conflict, discrimination and other traumatic events;

The Jewish Renaissance Foundation — a United States-based international organization striving to help socio-economically vulnerable persons and families;

Corporación Centro de Estudios de Derecho Justicia y Sociedad — a national organization in Colombia encouraging debate on human rights, democracy and the rule of law throughout Latin America;

Freann Financial Services — a national organization in Ghana providing mortgage financing, brokerage and management advisory services;

India Media Centre — a national organization seeking to empower the poor through literacy and active participation in development;

Organisation for Gender, Civic Engagement & Youth Development — a national NGO in Cameroon seeking the eradication of poverty and promoting gender equality;

WWT (Wespak Welfare Trust) — a national organization dedicated to establishing educational institutions and libraries in Pakistan;

Association des Populations des Montagnes du Monde — a France-based international NGO promoting sustainable mountain development;

Family and Life — an international NGO in Ireland defending human life from conception until natural death, and helping people in vulnerable situations;

Muslim Aid — an international organization in the United Kingdom supporting victims of natural disasters, poor people and other marginalized populations; and

Organizzazione Internazionale Protezione Animali — an NGO in Italy protecting the rights of animals.

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For information media • not an official record