Committee on NGOs

19^th & 20^th Meetings (AM & PM)

Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations Approves 53 Applications,

 

Postpones 17, in Second Day of Session

 

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today continued the process of vetting the dozens of applications before it, recommending special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council for 53 organizations — 26 from the South and 27 from the North — and deferring action on the status of 17 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 from the South:  Association Togolaise d’Etude de Recherche et d’Appui au Développement Humain Durable (AS.T.E.R.A.D.H.D.); Groupe d’Action pour la Protection et la Promotion de la Flore et la Faune; HEDA Resource Centre; Ideal World Foundation; Impacto Asociación Civil; Indian Dreams Foundation; Inter-Faith Vision Foundation Cameroon; Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement; Jordanian Women Union; Lift up Care Foundation; Massai Youth Outreach Organization [MAYOO]; Merciful Assistance Foundation; Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana; Prevention Association of Social Arms (PASH); Red Latinoamericana de Organizaciones No Gubernamentales de Personas con Discapacidad y sus Familias (RIADIS); Rescue and Hope “RAH”; Sadguru Sadafaldeo Vihangam Yoga Sansthan; Scouts du Niger; Sustainable Rural Community Development Organisation (SURCOD); Technical Centre for Fine Art and Computer Studies CIG; the Competitiveness Company Limited; the Islamic Foundation; Women Awareness Center Nepal; Youngstars Foundation International; Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa; and Youth Path Organisation.

Also recommended for special status were the following non-governmental organizations from the North:  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service (Victoria); Action for Peace through Prayer and Aid; Aequalia; African Artists for Development; AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition; Akademsko Drustvo za Medunarodne Odnose; Alsalam Foundation; American Diabetes Association, Inc.; Arab African American Women’s Leadership Council, Inc.; Association pour le Développement des initiatives citoyennes et européennes; Auspice Stella; Centro Mexico de Derecho Ambiental, A.C.; Conserve Africa Foundation; Eastern Alliance for Safe and Sustainable; Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance; European Window Film Association; Fondation pour le Dialogue des Civilisations; Foundation for Autism Support and Training; Global Campaign for Climate Action; Global Environment and Technology Foundation; Global Political Trends Centre; Groupe d’Économie solidaire du Québec; Help A Child Africa; Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya, Inc.; Institute for Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding; International Federation of Hard of Hearing Young People; and Karabakh Foundation.

The Committee postponed action on the applications of the following non-governmental organizations:  Ambedkar Center for Justice and Peace; Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute; Christian Solidarity Worldwide; Curia Generalizia Agostiniana; Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America; Grupo de Mujeres de la Argentina — Foro de VIH, mujeres y familia; Hope Foundation NGO;  IBUKA-Mémoire et Justice-Section Suisse; Institute for Economic and Peace Limited; International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization, Inc.; Jssor Youth Organization; Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Educational Fund; Natural Justice; Non-Governmental Organization Federation of Nepal; Operation ASHA; The Ark Foundation Ghana; and the Zanjireh Omid International Charity Institute.

During the Committee’s interactive dialogue with NGOs seeking accreditation, Committee members posed questions to applicants about, among other things, financial details, the proportion of funding going to actual projects, and existing relationships with the United Nations.

Human rights monitoring activities in various countries also came under scrutiny by Committee members.  Among some of the issues discussed, the representative of Sudan sought additional information from the Christian Solidarity Worldwide organization on their sources of information, and on violations and clarifications relating to content posted on the website, which he said he found highly political.

In addition, China’s delegate expressed outstanding concerns with a number of NGOs regarding their position on Tibet and Taiwan Province of China.  Delegates pressed the NGOs with questions about their independence from government and how they intended to work with the Economic and Social Council.

Also participating in today’s exchanges were representatives of Cuba, India, Israel and Nicaragua.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations will meet again at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 22 May, to continue its review of new applications and requests for reclassification.

Special Consultative Status

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

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service (Victoria) — a national organization based in Australia working to provide assistance to victims of family violence and to reduce the incidence of violence and abuse in communities through community education and advocacy;

Action for Peace through Prayer and Aid — an international organization based in the United States seeking to end homelessness, encourage racial harmony, eliminate poverty, and develop community in low-income areas;

Aequalia — an international France-based organization working to initiate and encourage any action that could reduce mortality, especially in children, from diseases caused by poor sanitation and the use of non-potable water, while focusing on improving sustainable access to safe drinking water and to sanitation;

African Artists for Development — an international France-based organization working to support development initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa;

AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition — an international organization based in the United States working to speed up the development of preventive HIV vaccines by analysing obstacles to HIV vaccine development and advocating to remove them;

Akademsko Drustvo za Medunarodne Odnose — a national organization based in Bosnia and Herzegovina working in the advancement and promotion of international cooperation and promotion of human rights;

Alsalam Foundation — an international organization based in the United Kingdom working to serve the local community in London, as well as the needs of society in Iraq, through eradication of poverty and care of underprivileged minorities such as orphans, the disabled and widows;

American Diabetes Association, Inc. — a national organization based in the United States working to fund research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes and deliver services to hundreds of communities;

Arab African American Women’s Leadership Council, Inc. — a national organization based in the United States working towards the advancement of religious, literary, cultural and charitable purposes;

Association pour le Développement des initiatives citoyennes et européennes — a national organization based in France aiming to promote the opportunities of young people, the unemployed, and immigrants by developing new skills through non-formal learning;

Association Togolaise d’Etude de Recherche et d’Appui au Développement Humain Durable (AS.T.E.R.A.D.H.D.) — a national Togo-based organization working to promote sustainable human development and reduction of poverty while respecting the environment;

Auspice Stella — an international France-based organization working to support the indigenous peoples of Latin America in their fight for their human rights and their struggle for land, economic and cultural rights, autonomy and self-determination;

Centro Mexico de Derecho Ambiental, A.C. — a national organization based in Mexico seeking to contribute to national efforts to defend the environment and natural resources through the strengthening and effective enforcement of the current environmental regulations;

Conserve Africa Foundation — an international organization based in the United Kingdom aiming to promote and implement sustainable development practices, policies and strategies in Africa through knowledge management, training, education, research, advocacy and campaigning;

Eastern Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Transport — an international organization based in the United Kingdom aiming to save lives, prevent injuries, and enable development by making road transport safer, greener and more sustainable for future generations;

Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance — an international Switzerland-based organization aiming to enable churches and church-related organizations to be more effective advocates for a just, peaceful and sustainable world;

European Window Film Association — an international organization based in Belgium working to defend and promote the interests of the window film industry throughout Europe and to act as a source of information and advice to interested parties;

Fondation pour le Dialogue des Civilisations — a Switzerland-based national organization aiming to promote the institution of regular dialogue between the world’s peoples, cultures, civilizations and religions in order to promote peace, justice and tolerance;

Foundation for Autism Support and Training — a national organization based in the United States aiming to provide autism capacity-building services, including intervention therapies, parent training and the training of professionals;

Global Campaign for Climate Action — a Canada-based international organization working to ensure that global CO₂ emissions peak by 2015 and decline sharply thereafter, consistent with putting the world on a path to stabilize atmospheric CO₂ concentrations at 350 parts per million;

Global Environment and Technology Foundation — an international organization based in the United States aiming to promote sustainable development through partnerships and targeted action;

Global Political Trends Centre — a national organization based in Turkey working to support reconciliation and non-violent solutions to international, as well as domestic, issues through dialogue;

Groupe d’Action pour la Protection et la Promotion de la Flore et la Faune — a national organization based in Benin aiming to promote the well-being of people while preserving the environment for sustainable development;

Groupe d’Économie solidaire du Québec — a national organization based in Canada working to support the development of national and international socioeconomic networks and enhance North-South cooperation through economic initiatives;

HEDA Resource Centre — a national Nigeria-based organization seeking to promote the enforcement of the hitherto guaranteed human rights by international, regional and locally recognized instruments;

Help A Child Africa — an international organization based in the United Kingdom aiming to advance the education of pupils living in Africa by providing and assisting in the provision of facilities;

Ideal World Foundation — a national Ghana-based organization seeking to educate girls, promote gender equality and women’s rights and advocate against violence and terrorist activities;

Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya, Inc. — an international organization based in the United States aiming to serve the advancement of Shia Muslims in North America;

Impacto Asociación Civil — an international organization based in Argentina working to promote and defend the rights of children, adolescents and young people;

Indian Dreams Foundation- a national India-based organization aiming to positively impact the lives of the less privileged, especially children and youth and enable them to maximize their potential;

Institute for Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding — a national organization based in Switzerland aiming to promote peacebuilding and non-violent conflict resolution;

Inter-Faith Vision Foundation Cameroon — a national Cameroon-based organization seeking to promote human development among the most vulnerable through acts of charity;

International Federation of Hard of Hearing Young People — an international Germany-based organization working to improve the quality of life of hard-of-hearing youth worldwide by promoting their rights and inclusion at all levels of society;

Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement — a national Togo-based organization aiming to promote environmental integrity and the conservation of natural resources by educating young people about sustainable development and social justice;

Jordanian Women Union — a national organization in Jordan working to organize the efforts of women to defend their rights and confront discrimination;

Karabakh Foundation — a national organization based in the United States aiming to serve as a facilitator and clearinghouse raising the public profile of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region in general;

Lift up Care Foundation — a national Nigeria-based organization aiming to carry out interventions at the grass-roots level that improve the general well-being of people in the areas of health, education and empowerment;

Massai Youth Outreach Organization [MAYOO] — a national organization based in Kenya working to educate and spread awareness about HIV/AIDS;

Merciful Assistance Foundation — a national Nigeria-based organization aiming to provide free medical services, non-formal education and technical support for the less privileged;

Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana — a national organization based in Ghana aiming to promote women’s rights by working to bring a gender perspective into the national policy process;

Prevention Association of Social Harms (PASH) — an Iran-based national organization working to prevent social harms through the role of media and raising awareness;

Red Latinoamericana de Organizaciones No Gubernamentales de Personas con Discapacidad y sus Familias (RIADIS) – an international organization based in Brazil working to protect the rights of persons with disabilities in the region by promoting values of non-discrimination and social inclusion;

Rescue and Hope “RAH” – a national organization based in Benin working to educate and support grass-roots communities and promote economic and cultural emulation and youth volunteerism;

Sadguru Sadafaldeo Vihangam Yoga Sansthan — a national organization based in India aiming to promote universal peace and well-being based on the teaching and philosophy of Sadguru Sadafaldeo Ji Maharaj;

Scouts du Niger — a national organization based in Niger working to educate young people in order for them to become self-reliant and useful citizens in their communities;

Sustainable Rural Community Development Organisation (SURCOD) — a national organization based in Malawi working to facilitate development based on principles of self-dependence and self-sufficiency though the full participation of rural communities;

Technical Centre for Fine Art and Computer Studies CIG — a national organization in Cameroon working to boost and foster local economies with the aim of empowering people and communities to be self-reliant and self-dependent;

The Competitiveness Company Limited — a national Jamaica-based organization aiming to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized firms to produce for domestic and export markets;

The Islamic Foundation — a national organization based in Kenya aiming to foster mutual understanding, closer cooperation and fellowship between the people belonging to various religions, faiths, ideologies and cultures;

Women Awareness Center Nepal — a national Nepal-based organization aiming to help rural women start savings and credit cooperatives, along with community-based development activities, to improve their socioeconomic status;

Youngstars Foundation International — a national organization based in Nigeria working to enhance leadership development among youths and promote the culture of democracy and good governance among young persons;

Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa — an international Botswana-based organization aiming to foster communication and productive collaboration between African youth and leading professionals throughout the continent and the world; and

Youth Path Organisation — a national organization based in Ghana working to inform, inspire and mobilize young people to develop projects that address issues of governance, environment, and entrepreneurship.

Postponed Action

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

Ambedkar Center for Justice and Peace — a national India-based organization aiming to promote and protect human rights through democratic governance, rule of law and sustainable development — as the representative of China requested additional information on funds received from the Government.

Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute — an international organization based in the United States working to defend life and family at the international level — as the representative of Turkey requested further clarification.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide — a national organization based in the United Kingdom aiming to serve as the voice for justice and freedom of religion for all — as China’s delegate expressed some outstanding issues concerning Taiwan Province of China.  His counterpart from Cuba expressed concerns with financing, while Sudan’s delegate found the work of the organization to be highly political.

Curia Generalizia Agostiniana — an international organization based in Italy aiming to work closely with those who are deprived and marginalized — as the representative of Nicaragua requested more information of the organization’s projects in Latin America.  Similarly, her colleague from Cuba asked for further clarification in regard to what organizations it was working with in the field and whether they were churches.

Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America — a international organization based in the United States aiming to alleviate poverty worldwide — as the delegate of China expressed some outstanding issues regarding Tibet.

Grupo de Mujeres de la Argentina — Foro de VIH, mujeres y familia — an international organization based in Argentina aiming to combat injustice and to improve the welfare of vulnerable communities within the penal system — as the delegate of Cuba requested a list of organizations it was working with.

Hope Foundation NGO — a national organization based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo working to fight against socioeconomic injustices and hunger by supporting agro-pastoral initiatives, mentoring children of poor families and orphans — as the representative of Cuba requested a link be provided to the organization’s website.  Meanwhile, Nicaragua’s delegate requested further clarification on earning and expenditures.

IBUKA-Mémoire et Justice-Section Suisse — an international organization based in Switzerland working to rehabilitate and protect the survivors of the Rwanda genocide — as the representative of Nicaragua requested clarification on the organization’s deficit.

Institute for Economic and Peace Limited — an Australia-based international organization aiming to shift the world’s focus to peace as a positive, achievable, and tangible measure of human well-being and progress — as the Russian Federation’s delegate requested that additional information be provided in the application.

International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization, Inc. — an international United States-based organization working to improve the quality of maternity care around the world — as the delegate of Cuba requested additional information on funding and expenditures.

Jssor Youth Organization — a national Iraq-based organization working to create a youth base that believes in equality, democracy and human rights — as Morocco’s delegate, noting that the previous one had expired, requested the organization submit a new certificate of registration.  The representative of Iraq said that all Iraqi organizations must be registered in order to operate legally within the country.  He, too, requested that the organization provide a renewed certificate of registration.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Educational Fund — an international organization based in the United States aiming to create a world in which drug policies work for the benefit of society and keep communities safer — as the delegate of China expressed some outstanding issues concerning Tibet.

Natural Justice — an international organization based in South Africa aiming to facilitate the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in the development and implementation of laws and policies that relate to the conservation and customary uses of biodiversity and the protection of associated cultural heritage — as the representative of Cuba asked for further information on the organization’s activities in Latin America.

Non-Governmental Organization Federation of Nepal — a national Nepal-based organization working to unify Nepalese non-governmental organizations in order to promote social development — as the representative of Pakistan asked for further clarification on how the organization practised independence when it received funding from the Government.

Operation ASHA — an international organization based in India aiming to eliminate tuberculosis among disadvantaged communities by providing treatment, counselling, education, and supportive services — as the delegate of Pakistan requested more information on project expenditures.

The Ark Foundation Ghana — a national Ghana-based organization working to protect the rights of women, and children through advocacy, public education training and service delivery — as the delegate from Morocco requested further information on the discrepancies between budget and expenditures.

Zanjireh Omid International Charity Institute — an international organization based in Iran aiming to provide medical services to underprivileged children who suffer from heart and orthopaedic problems or need plastic surgeries — as the representative of Nicaragua requested further information on how the organization was classified international when its work was based in Iran only and asked how it could remain objective when it received funding from the Government.  China’s delegate requested further clarification on income and expenditures while her counterpart from Cuba requested detailed information on donors and revenue.

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For information media • not an official record