Presenting Draft Report, NGO Committee Grants Special Consultative Status to Six Entities, Postpones Action on 35 Others
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today concluded substantive work of its 2016 regular session with the presentation of the body’s draft report, which will be finalized for adoption on 16 February.
It also recommended that the Economic and Social Council grant special consultative status to six organizations, postponing its consideration of 35 others, and closed the applications of 23 organizations which had not responded to the Committee’s last three reminders as of 3 February 2016.
The 19-member Committee considers applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification submitted by non-governmental organizations. Once an application has been reviewed and approved by the Committee it is considered recommended for consultative status. Organizations which are granted 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.
The Committee’s report on the current session (E/C.2/2016/L.1), which was presented by Rapporteur Farid Jabrayilov (Azerbaijan), would be finalized through informal consultations.
The Committee will reconvene to conclude its regular session on Tuesday, 16 February.
Special Consultative Status
The Committee recommended that the Economic and Social Council grant special consultative status to the following six organizations:
Stichting Soham Baba Mission (Netherlands);
WEConnect International, Inc. (United States);
International Human Rights Commission Relief Fund Trust (Pakistan);
Earth Charter Associates, Ltd. (United States);
Ensemble contre la Peine de Mort (France);
and The Death Penalty Project Limited (United Kingdom).
The Committee postponed its consideration of the following 35 non-governmental organizations:
The Aspen Institute, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of China asked the organization to explain its channels of income.
Work In Progress (France) — as the representative of Sudan asked for a clarification on one of the organization’s responses, which dealt with the members of its executive body.
Ambedkar Center for Justice and Peace (India) — as the representative of Cuba asked the group for more details on its decision-making process.
Al-Marsad, The Arab Centre for Human Rights in the Golan Heights (Occupied Syrian Golan) — as the representative of Israel questioned a discrepancy in the organization’s list of board members and asked how it operated in Israel with only Syrian nationals on its board.
Diplomatic Mission Peace and Prosperity (Albania) — as the representative of China said the organization had misunderstood one of its previous questions on the “issue of Tibet”, and asked for clarification regarding the group’s position on that matter.
Heavenly Shower of Peace Church of God (Nigeria) — as the representative of South Africa asked for more information about the group’s work beyond Nigeria and about its private sector funding. She also noted that the organization had not fully responded to previous questions.
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office (Armenia) — as the representative of Azerbaijan said the organization had recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent State, and asked it to clarify its position on that matter.
RESDAL Red de Seguridad y Defensa de América Latina Asociación Civil (Argentina) — as the representative of Sudan asked for a list of the organization’s projects “serving the United Nations”.
Sheikh Eid Bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Association (Qatar) — as the representative of Iran asked the organization to clarify its relationship with a number of other groups throughout the world. Several representatives, including of the observer State of Qatar, expressed support for the organization.
Social Services Trust (India) — as the representative of India asked for more information about the organization’s activities and its financing and budget.
Swadhikar (India) — as the representative of India asked how the organization’s National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights was funded and asked what activities had been undertaken in conjunction with the Asia Dalit Rights Forum in the last two years.
VOICE (Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscience Empowerment) (Philippines) — as the representative of Iran asked for more information regarding one of its past questions, and whether the group undertook any work in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
Association for Human Rights and Solidarity with Oppressed People (Turkey) — as the representative of South Africa said that a number of questions had just been posed to the organization yesterday. The representative of the Secretariat said those responses would be reviewed at the Committee’s resumed session.
Center for Constitutional Rights, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Iran asked the organization to provide more information on upcoming case work and whether it had legal issues pending internationally.
Center for Media & Peace Initiative, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of South Africa said the group had not fully responded to a past question posed by her delegation regarding its work in Africa.
Centre Zagros pour les Droits de l'Homme (Switzerland) — as the representative of Iran said the organization had not fully responded to past questions.
Child Soldiers International (United Kingdom) — as the representative of India asked the group what it meant when it referenced his country in the context of military hostilities and recruitment of children.
Congrès National des Arméniens Occidentaux (France) — as the representative of Turkey asked the group about the contents, participants and outcome of a congress held in 2015.
Droits de l'Homme sans Frontières — Human Rights Without Frontiers (Belgium) — as the representative of Greece asked the organization to provide a breakdown of its funding.
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of China requested a list of the organization’s board members in China and asked what types of activities the group had carried out with those members. The representatives of the United States and Israel expressed concern about the phrasing of that question, which was then reformulated to ask about the group’s activities in China.
Federal Lezghin National and Cultural Autonomy (Russian Federation) — as the representative of Azerbaijan asked the organization to clarify its position regarding the recent Presidential elections in his country.
Global Institute for Water, Environment and Health (Switzerland) — as the representative of Israel asked the group for more information on its work with particular United Nations agencies.
Hokok Coalición Internacional Contra la Impunidad (Spain) — as the representative of Sudan asked about the group’s recent activities in the Middle East.
International Association of Independent Journalists, Inc. (Canada) — as the representative of Cuba asked the group for more information about its budget.
Interregional Non-governmental Organization "Committee against Torture" (Russian Federation) — as the representative of the Russian Federation asked what sources of information the group used in monitoring and taking testimony about cases of torture, and whether it cooperated with the relevant authorities in that regard.
Jeunesse Canada Monde — Canada World Youth (Canada) — as the representative of Nicaragua asked the organization to provide more detail on its work in Latin America. The representative of the United States said the group had already provided that information. However, the representative of Nicaragua stated that she wished to have more details on the organization’s future work in her region.
Mittetulundusühing Fenno-Ugria Asutus (Estonia) — as the representative of the Russian Federation asked about the organization’s work with the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues since 2012.
New Jersey Minority Educational Development (United States) — as the representative of Cuba asked about the organization’s current financial status given that it provided free services.
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (Germany) — as the representative of Cuba asked the Committee to continue its consideration of the organization after it had uploaded responses to the questions posed to it during yesterday’s question-and-answer session.
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Israel asked the organization to elaborate on its legal work and its work undertaken in his nation, as well as in other countries apart from the United States.
The Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention Inc. (United States) — as the representative of South Africa asked about the organization’s work healing victims of trauma with a seven-step model.
The Jewish Renaissance Foundation (United States) — as the representative of Cuba asked which Governments provided funds to the group.
United Sikhs (United States) — as the representative of China asked the group to confirm that it understood that “Tibet is an inalienable part of China”.
We Care for Humanity (United States) — as the representative of China said the group had not provided a clear answer regarding “the question of Tibet”. The representative of the United States said the organization had, in fact, answered that question clearly. The representative of China responded that, on its website, the group had not corrected a mention of a “prime minister in exile”.
ELA-Equipo Latinoamericano de Justicia y Género (Argentina) — as the representative of Nicaragua asked for more information on the meetings and projects planned for Latin America.
Closure of Applications
The Committee decided to close, without prejudice, the deferred applications of the following organizations, which had not responded to its last three reminders as of 3 February 2016:
AIDES(France);
Al-Dameer Association for Supporting Prisoners and Human Rights (Palestine);
All-Ukraine Association of Civil Organizations “Union of Americans of Ukraine” (United States);
American Medical Overseas Relief (United States);
American Society for Nutrition, Inc. (United States);
Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre and Sexual Assault Services Association (Canada);
Arbeiter Samariter-Bund Deutschland e.V. (Germany);
Dalit Foundation — Ahmedabad (India);
École de la Paix (Canada);
Education for Human Rights Public Association (Azerbaijan);
Fondation des jeunes pour un dévélopment durable (Canada);
Global Partnership for Afghanistan (United States);
Health Squared Limited (United Kingdom);
Le Collectif de la Paix au Sri Lanka (France);
Little People of Kosovo (Kosovo);
Maori Women’s Welfare League, Inc. (New Zealand);
Mother Helpage (UK) (United Kingdom);
O.N.G. Casa de Acogida La Esperanza (Chile);
The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes Education Trust (South Africa);
The Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation (United Kingdom);
The Medtronic Foundation (Switzerland);
Uçan Süpürge Kadin iletişim ve Araştırma Derneği (Turkey);
and Universal Cultural Society, Inc. (United States).