Committee on NGOs

23^rd & 24^th Meetings (AM & PM)

During Session’s Fourth Day, NGO Committee Approves 29 Applications

 

in Special, General Consultative Statuses, Defers Action on 29

 

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today continued vetting the dozens of applications before it, recommending special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council for 28 organizations, general consultative status for 1, and deferring action on 29 applications.

The 19-member Committee recommends that the Council grant general, special or roster status, in accordance with such criteria as the applicant’s mandate, governance and financial regime.  Organizations enjoying general and special status can attend the Council’s meetings and circulate statements, while those with general status can, in addition, address meetings and propose agenda items.  Roster-status non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can only attend meetings.

Recommended for special consultative status were the following NGOs:  Association Tierra Incógnita; AUA Americas Chapter, Inc.; Centro Integrado de Estudos e Programas de Desenvolvimento Sustentável; Community Awareness Raising Advocacy Ventures Around Needs (CARAVAN); Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indigenas; Corporación Centro de Estudios de Derecho Justicia y Sociedad; Eakok Attomanobik Unnayan Sangstha; Educació per a l’Acció Crítica (EPAC); Family and Life; Fundación DARA Internacional; Global Health And Awareness Research Foundation (GAF); Heartbeat International Foundation, Inc.; International Association for Advancement of Space Safety; International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges (IAAI); John Dau Foundation; Organisation for Gender, Civic Engagement & Youth Development (OGCEYOD); Royal Academy Of Science International Trust (RASIT); Shikhar Chetna Sangathan; Social Welfare Corporation “Merry Year Foundation”; Society of Iranian Women Advocating Sustainable Development of Environment; South Asia Partnership Pakistan; The Leprosy Mission International; The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.; Women Empowerment Literacy and Development Organization (WELDO); Women in Alternative Action; World Hepatitis Alliance; World Public Forum — Dialogue of Civilizations; and the Young Power in Social Action (YPSA).

The Committee also recommended general consultative status for the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

The Committee postponed action on applications from the following NGOs:  African Refugee Development Center; Business and Professional Women Voluntary Organization — Sudan; Committee to Project Journalists, Inc.; Conservation International Foundation; Defense Small Arms Advisory Council; Earth Charter Associates Ltd.; EarthGame; EG Justice; EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs, Inc.; Freedom from Hunger; Freedom Now; Harm Reduction Coalition; Human Life International, Inc.; Institut de Drets Humans de Catalunya; International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations; International Eurasia Press Fund; International Mediation Institute Stichting; Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Educational Fund; Let’s Breakthrough, Inc.; Muslim Hands; Phelps Stoke; Solar Electric Light Fund; Stichting Global Forest Coalition; Structural Analysis of Cultural Systems; Swadhikar; The Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention, Inc.; The Institute of Development Studies; The Kuki Organization For Human Rights Trust; and the Law Society.

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

Several delegates, including Cuba and Venezuela, voiced concerns about the funding, methodology, and guiding principles of Freedom Now, which focuses on freeing prisoners of conscience through legal, political and media advocacy efforts.

Responding to inquires on its work in both developing and developed countries, Freedom Now’s representative said that, although there was no geographic limitation in her organization’s mandate, the main factor in its considerations was need.  That usually translated into countries without a large civil society presence.  In developed countries, she pointed out, there were often legal NGOs willing to step in and defend the rights of an individual.  However, in developing countries, there was a lack of such support.

When asked if that organization’s work was based on international law and the United Nations principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign nations, the organization’s representative said that when considering a case, both national and international law was examined.  That included any international treaties signed and ratified by the country in which the individual was being held.  “We’re not trying to push onto that country anything they [do] not adhere to,” she said.  Rather than providing criminal defence, the focus was on whether that country was upholding any legal instrument to which it was a party.

The group’s accreditation was postponed, as several delegations requested written responses to questions.

Also participating in today’s exchanges were representatives of China, Peru, and Sudan.

Special Consultative Status

The Committee recommended that the Economic and Social Council grant special consultative status to the following NGOs:

Association Tierra Incógnita — a national Switzerland-based organization working to provide integration services to migrants from Latin America;

AUA Americas Chapter, Inc. — a national organization based in the United States aiming to increase public awareness of the Assyrian culture and people;

Centro Integrado de Estudos e Programas de Desenvolvimento Sustentável — a national Brazil-based organization aiming to promote sustainable development through empowerment;

Community Awareness Raising Advocacy Ventures Around Needs (CARAVAN) — a national Pakistan-based organization aiming to reduce poverty;

Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indigenas — an international Peru-based organization aiming to defend the rights of indigenous peoples;

Corporación Centro de Estudios de Derecho Justicia y Sociedad — a national Colombia-based organization aiming to promote an equitable society;

Eakok Attomanobik Unnayan Sangstha — a national Bangladesh-based organization working to create positive socioeconomic change for the vulnerable;

Educació per a l'Acció Crítica (EPAC) — a national Spain-based organization aiming to promote civil society by fomenting changes in behaviour;

Family and Life — an international organization based in Ireland aiming to protect and respect human life and help vulnerable women and children;

Fundación DARA Internacional — an international organization based in Spain working to improve quality of aid for vulnerable populations;

Global Health And Awareness Research Foundation (GAF) — a national organization based in Nigeria aiming to empower women though microcredit;

Heartbeat International Foundation, Inc. — a national organization based in the United States aiming to save lives globally by providing cardiovascular implantable devices;

International Association for Advancement of Space Safety — an international organization based in the Netherlands aiming to work as an independent association of space safety professionals for the common goal of good safety practices;

International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges (IAAI) — an international Austria-based organization working to promote mobilization of global civil society for effective global governance;

John Dau Foundation — a national organization based in the United States aiming to promote a world in which quality health care is available to everyone;

Organisation for Gender, Civic Engagement & Youth Development (OGCEYOD) — a national Cameroon-based organization aiming to eradicate poverty and promote gender equality;

Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) — an international organization based in the United States aiming to provide education to all;

Shikhar Chetna Sangathan — a national India-based organization aiming to promote equality, brotherhood and democratic values;

Social Welfare Corporation “Merry Year Foundation” — a national organization based in the Republic of Korea aiming to help the underprivileged achieve self-reliance;

Society of Iranian Women Advocating Sustainable Development of Environment — a national Iran-based organization aiming to promote traditional knowledge of rural women through workshops;

South Asia Partnership Pakistan — a national Pakistan-based organization aiming to empower marginalized sections of society;

The Leprosy Mission International — an international organization based in the United Kingdom working to advance health in relation to leprosy;

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. — an international organization based in the United States aiming to change how the world talks about and treats breast cancer;

Women Empowerment Literacy and Development Organization (WELDO) — a national Pakistan-based organization aiming to advocate social justice and gender equality;

Women in Alternative Action — a national Cameroon-based organization working to promote gender equality and equal opportunity;

World Hepatitis Alliance — a national Switzerland-based organization aiming to improve the lives of people living with chronic viral hepatitis B and C;

World Public Forum — Dialogue of Civilizations — an international Austria-based organization aiming to promote the dialogue of civilizations; and

Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) – a national Bangladesh-based organization aiming to promote human rights among the most vulnerable.

General Consultative Status

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

World Society for the Protection of Animals — an international organization based in the United Kingdom seeking to promote animal welfare worldwide.

Postponed

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

African Refugee Development Center — an international Israel-based organization aiming to protect and empower refugees and asylum seekers in Israel — as the representative of Sudan requested further clarification on a partnering organization.

Business and Professional Women Voluntary Organization — Sudan — an international organization aiming to empower women to rise out of poverty and participate in policy — as the representative of Sudan requested written clarification on its work with women’s domestic and international organizations.

Committee to Project Journalists, Inc. — an international organization based in the United States working to promote press freedom by defending the rights of journalist — as the representative of the Russian Federation asked whether it intended to protect journalists’ rights worldwide rather than in a few countries.

The representative of Cuba asked if the journalists with whom organizations worked were independent from their news sources.

Conservation International Foundation — an international organization based in the United States seeking to promote global biodiversity — as the delegate from Venezuela requested further information on source of funding.

Defense Small Arms Advisory Council — a national organization based in the United States serving as a means of communication between its members and the Government — as the Russian Federation asked whether it took into account the recent Arms Trade Treaty.

Earth Charter Associates Ltd. — an international organization based in the United States aiming to promote the transition to sustainable ways of living — as the representative of China requested it correct on its website references to Tibet and Taiwan Province of China.

EarthGame — a national organization based in the United States aiming to develop tools that inform and empower people to solve global and local problems — as the representative of Venezuela requested more information on its methodology.

EG Justice — an international organization based in the United States aiming to promote human rights and the rule of law — as the representative of Sudan requested additional information on its funding and activities in Angola.

EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs, Inc. — an international organization based in the United States aiming to build psychological resilience by improving capacity in local mental health communities — as the representative of China requested it correct on its website terminology referring to Taiwan Province of China.

Freedom from Hunger — an international organization based in the United States aiming to provide innovative solutions to end chronic hunger and poverty — as the representative of China requested it correct on its website terminology referring to Taiwan Province of China.

Freedom Now — a international organization based in the United States working to free prisoners of conscience through legal, political and media advocacy efforts — as representatives, including Peru, requested in writing the type of cases and projects being conducted worldwide.

Harm Reduction Coalition — a national organization based in the United States aiming to promote the health of communities impacted by drug use — as the representative of the Russian Federation asked whether the organization believed methods applied to drug addicts were universal.

Human Life International, Inc. — an international organization based in the United States aiming to strengthen human rights for all cultures and ethnicities — as the representative of Cuba requested a list of countries and organizations with which it conducted activities, as well as an explanation of why there was a contradiction between the latest response documents and previous documents.

The delegate from Venezuela requested verification of information appearing on its website concerning her country.

Institut de Drets Humans de Catalunya — a national Spain-based organization aiming to promote human rights from an interdisciplinary perspective — as the representative of China requested it to correct its reference to Tibet.

The representative of Cuba requested additional information on activities conducted in Latin America.

International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations — an international organization based in the United States aiming to represent patients of all nationalities — as the representative of China requested it correct on its website its reference to Taiwan Province of China.

International Eurasia Press Fund — an international Azerbaijan-based organization aiming to participate in community development and strengthen the role of media in the process — as the representative of China requested it correct on its website its reference to Taiwan Province of China.

International Mediation Institute Stichting — a Netherlands-based organization aiming to improve mediation standards — as the representative of China requested it correct on its website its reference to Taiwan Province of China.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Educational Fund — an international organization based in the United States aiming to create drug policies which benefit society — the representative of Russian Federation requested information on whether its work was based on scientific studies or mere conviction.

Let’s Breakthrough, Inc. — an international organization based in the United States working with media and communities to inspire bold action — as the delegate from China requested financial information and a correction regarding Tibet.

Muslim Hands — an international organization based in the United Kingdom aiming to work with diverse communities to relieve poverty — as the representative of Israel asked for further information on partnering organizations.

Phelps Stoke — an international organization based in the United States aiming to build sustainable communities by nurturing a new generation of leaders — as the representative of China asked for further clarification of its position on Taiwan Province of China and information on activities it had undertaken in China.

The representative of Peru requested information on programmes conducted in Latin America.

Solar Electric Light Fund — an international organization based in the United States aiming to design solar energy solutions — as the representative of China requested it correct on its website its reference to Taiwan Province of China.

Stichting Global Forest Coalition — an international organization based in the Netherlands aiming to facilitate the participation of various organizations in the global policy debate relating to forests — as the representative of China requested it correct on its website its reference to Taiwan Province of China.

Structural Analysis of Cultural Systems — an international organization based in Germany aiming to study the structure of cultures — as the representative of China requested it correct on the website its reference to Taiwan Province of China.

Swadhikar — a national India-based organization aiming to eliminate discrimination based on caste — as the representative of Pakistan requested further clarification on its members and the organizations it worked with.

The Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention, Inc. — a national organization based in the United States working to advance education — as the representative of Turkey requested information on its outreach programmes and a list of universities it was working with.

The Institute of Development Studies — an international organization based in the United Kingdom aiming to eradicate poverty and promote social justice — as China’s delegate requested explanation of its activities in his country.

The Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust — an international organization based in India aiming to organize communities and protect property rights — as the representative of China requested in writing further details on its activities.

The Law Society — an international organization based in the United Kingdom seeking to harness the expertise of lawyers in driving law reform — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested further clarification regarding the bulk of the organization’s budget being used for administrative tasks rather than projects.

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For information media • not an official record