Continuing Session, Non-Governmental Organizations Committee Approves 42 Entities for Status with Economic and Social Council, Defers Action on 40 Others
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, on day three of its resumed session, today recommended 42 entities for special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, while deferring action on the status of 40 others.
Action on a number of applications was postponed as Committee members requested additional information from the candidates about sources of funding, the status of their projects, and their neutrality and independence, among other things.
In the afternoon, the Committee held a question-and-answer session, during which it heard from one non-governmental organization, deferring action on it, pending written responses to delegates’ questions.
The 19-member Committee vets applications submitted by non-governmental organizations, recommending general, special or roster status on the basis of the applicant’s mandate, governance and financial regime. Organizations with roster status can only attend meetings of the Economic and Social Council. Those enjoying special status can attend meetings and issue statements, while those with general status can speak during meetings and propose agenda items. Those with roster status can only attend meetings.
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 24 May, to continue its session.
Interactive Discussion
The representative of The Union of Non-governmental Associations "The International Non-governmental Organization "The World Union of Cossack Atamans" (Kazakhstan) said his group represented the interests of a people, present in more than 40 countries, who had endured severe cruelty and genocide, but never got justice. Given a new phase in the cold war, they had a moral duty to present their views. Emphasizing the need for dialogue between the West and the Russian Federation, he conveyed his organization’s support for the Presidents of the United States and the Russian Federation, who both deserved the Nobel Peace Prize and who should be outspoken and candid while resolving their differences. He went on to note the success being made by the President of the United States in combating nuclear weapons and hoped that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea regime would give up such arms.
The representative of the United States asked that the speaker clarify his intention, as his remarks were more in the order of a political statement, not a brief description of his organization.
JORGE DOTTA (Uruguay), Chair of the Committee, asked that the speaker limit his remarks to the contributions his organization could make to the work of the Economic and Social Council as well as information that would support a recommendation for special consultative status. Entering into a political discussion would not be appropriate, he added.
Responding, the representative of the The Union of Non-governmental Associations "The International Non-governmental Organization "The World Union of Cossack Atamans" said it was the third time he had addressed the Committee and that his organization had replied to all the questions put to it by Iran, the Russian Federation and China.
The representative of the Russian Federation said now was not the time for a political discussion, however interesting it might prove to be. He went on to ask about the candidate’s involvement with the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples.
Responding, the representative of the The Union of Non-governmental Associations "The International Non-governmental Organization "The World Union of Cossack Atamans" said that at a social level, it had met delegations and raised certain matters.
The representative of China asked for details of the candidate’s work in the area of settling disputes and conflicts.
The representative of the Russian Federation asked for more information about the sources of its funding.
The representative of Iran requested an update of the candidate’s activities in 2017 and its plans for 2018.
The representative of the The Union of Non-governmental Associations "The International Non-governmental Organization "The World Union of Cossack Atamans" said he was surprised that his statement had been taken as a political one.
The Committee then postponed consideration of its application.
Requests for Special Consultative Status
The Committee recommended that the Economic and Social Council grant special consultative status to the following 42 organizations:
Fundacja Małgorzaty Koniuszewski i Adama Koniuszewski The Bridge (Poland);
Global Dairy Platform, Inc. (United States);
Global Empowerment Movement Corporation (United States);
Hayal Ortakları Derneği (Turkey);
Healey International Relief Foundation, Inc. (United States);
Independent Movement (Sweden);
Institut International de l’Écologie Industrielle et de l’Économie Verte (Switzerland);
International Youth Aid Council (United Kingdom);
Krembo Wings (RA) (Israel);
Kuwait Society for Human Rights (Kuwait);
Le Secours Catholique (France);
League of European Research Universities (Belgium);
Lebanese Children's Foundation, Inc. (United States);
Mednarodni Inštitut za Bližnjevzhodne in Balkanske Študije (Slovenia);
Ocean Lifeline, Inc. (United States);
Organisation Européenne des Radioamateurs (EURAO) (France);
Plataforma Mulheres em Acção (Angola);
Pramacare (United Kingdom);
Sam Ban Noah of America Organization, Inc. (United States);
Standing Voice (United Kingdom);
Stichting Chinese Initiative on International Law (Netherlands);
The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, Inc. (United States);
Education Globale et Dévloppement (Belgium);
The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women (United Kingdom);
The Environmental Law Institute (United States);
The Girls' Brigade International Council (United Kingdom);
The Global LPG Partnership, Inc. (United States);
The National Association of Familial Security (Kuwait);
Towards Zero Foundation (United Kingdom);
UCP Wheels for Humanity (United States);
United Malian Women Association USA, Inc. (United States);
United Nations Association of Australia Incorporated (Australia);
Women Graduates - USA, Inc. (United States)
Women[at]TheTable (Switzerland);
İstanbul Kadin Ve Kadin Kuruluşlari Derneği (Turkey);
1M1B Foundation (India);
Associação Brasileira Interdisciplinar de AIDS (Brazil);
Sociedade Filantropica Maria de Nazare (Brazil);
Brazzaville Foundation for Peace and Conservation (United Kingdom);
Idheas, Litigio Estratégico en Derechos Humanos, Asociación Civil (Mexico);
Kedner Stiven Foundation, Inc. (United States); and
The American International Center for Peace and Human Rights (United States).
The Committee postponed consideration of the following 40 organizations:
Fédération Euro-Méditerranéenne contre les Disparitions Forcées (France) — as the representative of Cuba requested that it provide the nationalities of the members of its multicultural team.
Geneva Agape Foundation (Switzerland) — as the representative of South Africa asked in which countries in Africa did it support programmes.
Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage (United Kingdom) — as the representative of Cuba requested a breakdown of the individuals and private institutions which accounted for 92 per cent of its income.
Interregional non-governmental human rights organization "Man and Law" (Russian Federation) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested specifics about which of its projects had received governmental and non-governmental funding from abroad.
Israel Trauma Coalition for Response and Preparedness (R.A.) (Israel) — as the representative of Venezuela requested that it clarify its sphere of activity. The representative of South Africa requested the names of the seven Israeli organizations which had come together in 2001 to create the Coalition. Noting that the organization in its application had indicated that it was part of an exclusive expert advisory group working with the Prime Minister’s office, she asked who the other members of that group were and how it functioned. She went on to request clarification about the partnership of some 40 groups which the Coalition said it managed. The representative of Cuba asked for clarification of the Coalition’s funding, including who were the donors that accounted for 49 per cent of its income. The representative of the Russian Federation, noting that the candidate in its application spoke of cooperation with a non-Israeli organization in Ukraine, asked what support it gave to people in Ukraine and in what region of that country.
Knowledge for Development Without Borders (Austria) — as the representative of China requested that it use the correct United Nations terminology when referring to Taiwan on its website.
Les femmes, la force du changement (France) — as the representative of Iran asked for information on any online activities it carried out to spread its objectives. He also asked if the organization had developed any partnerships with other groups having the same objectives.
Medair (Switzerland) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested details about its projects in Syria and their funding.
NAUH (Now Action & Unity for Human Rights) (Republic of Korea) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested a complete and exhaustive list of the countries in which it worked.
The representative of Cuba asked for the identities of the directors of its various boards.
Open Net Incorporated Association (Republic of Korea) — as the representative of China requested that it use the correct United Nations terminology when referring to Taiwan on its website.
PRO Leadership Global, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Cuba asked for a breakdown of the nationalities of its volunteers from Africa, Asia and South America.
Partners for Peace and Prosperity, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Burundi asked for further details about funding received from sources other than international organizations.
Ranney School (United States) — as the representative of Cuba asked for the number and nationalities of non-United States citizens among its employees and whether having such personnel did not contradict its description as a national entity.
SAM, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Cuba asked if it had any projects that were geared to supporting the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, through which it could contribute to the work of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. She also requested details about the sources of its funding, given that 100 per cent of it derived from individuals and private philanthropic organizations.
Stephen Lewis Foundation (Canada) — as the representative of China asked that it clarify its position on the Dalai Lama and the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Stichting Wildlife Justice Commission (Netherlands) — as the representative of India requested concrete examples of its engagement with Governments, law enforcement agencies and civil society.The representative of Cuba asked for more details about its funding.
Terram Pacis (Norway) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested a complete list of all the countries in which it worked.
Trade and Economic Development Council (Russian Federation) — as the representative of the United States requested a more detailed breakdown of its funding sources.
UCC Whale Center, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of South Africa requested that it elaborate on its educational and humanitarian programmes in her country.
Women's Ordination Conference (United States) — as the representative of Cuba asked for clarification of its national status, as its application referred to international projects as well as members from 19 countries.
Women's Spirit (Ruach Nashit) – Financial Independence for Women Survivors of Violence (Israel) — as the representative of Cuba asked that it explain how, with a budget deficit of $194,000, it would maintain sustainability to continue with its programmes.
İslam Dünyası Sivil Toplum Kuruluşları Birliği (Turkey) — as the representative of India requested details of additional projects that were being undertaken in the 63 countries where its more than 300 member organizations were based. The representative of Greece asked for more details about the candidate’s International Civil Society Academy project.
Andean Information Network (Bolivia) — as the representative of Venezuela requested details as to why it spent 63 per cent of its funds on administrative expenses, and to update its budget for 2017. The representative of Cuba, noting that it had offices in, and board members from, Bolivia and the United States, requested that it clarify whether it was a national, regional or international organization.
HUJRA Village Support Organization (Pakistan) — as the representative of Pakistan requested a list of its international donors and a breakdown of the thematic areas in which funds from those donors were being utilized.
Komitet pravnika za ljudska prava (Serbia) — as the representative of China requested a breakdown of its income from international organizations.
Asociacion Enraizados en Cristo y en la Sociedad (Spain) — as the representative of Cuba requested details about the private contributors who represented 54 per cent of its budget.
Caritas in Veritate International USA (United States) — as the representative of Venezuela, noting that it operated in more than 80 countries, requested examples of its projects in Latin America as well as a breakdown of their funding and budgets.
Catholic Relief Services - United States (United States) — as the representative of Cuba requested more up-to-date information about the funding it had received from various organizations and donors. She also requested a list of countries in which the candidate was represented, and those in which it was not represented but in which it worked. In addition, she asked what projects it was carrying out in her country and what Cuban organizations it had ties with there. In addition, the representative of China said the candidate should use proper United Nations terminology when referring to Taiwan, which was a province of her country, and the representative of Iran requested more information on its activities in the Middle East, particularly those countries in which it did relief work.
Centre international pour la paix et les droits de l'homme (Switzerland) — as the representative of Cuba requested a detailed list of its donors. The representative of China, posing a similar question, asked for more details, particularly about donations from the private sector and governmental sources.
Child Foundation USA (United States) — as the representative of the United States requested more information on its activities with United Nations entities in New York and Geneva, and what it intended to do with special consultative status vis-à-vis the work of the Economic and Social Council.
DePaul University (United States) — as the representative of Cuba requested that it explain why, being a university in Chicago, it considered itself an international organization.
Fundacja Otwarty Dialog (Poland) — as the representative of the Russian Federation asked that it explain how it ensured its independence and neutrality, given that it said in its application that it reported directly to the Ministry of Health of a certain Government.
Fédération internationale des associations d'inventeurs (Switzerland) — as the representative of China requested that it use proper United Nations terminology when referring to Taiwan.
Hazar Eğitim Kültür ve Dayanışma Derneği (Turkey) — as the representative of China requested to know why, in its application, its project expenditures were zero.
IFEX (Canada) — as the representative of China requested that it explain how it could maintain its independence when it received 68 per cent of its funding from Governments.
Non c'è pace senza giustizia (Italy) — as the representative of China asked that it explain how it could maintain its independence when it received 58 per cent of its funding from Government sources.
Specified Non-Profit Organization Diamonds for Peace (Japan) — as the representative of China requested that, on its website, it use correct United Nations terminology when referring to Taiwan.
The Center for Justice and Accountability (United States) — as the representative of Cuba requested for details about income from other sources.
The Centre for International Governance Innovation (Canada) — as the representative of Cuba requested that it identify its “many” affiliated organizations.