Non-Governmental Organizations Committee, Continuing Regular Session, Recommends 30 Entities for Consultative Status, Postpones Action on 79 Others
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations continued its 2021 regular session today, recommending 30 organizations for special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and postponing action on the status of 79 others.
The 19-member Committee considers applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification submitted by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Once an application has been reviewed and approved by the Committee, it is considered recommended for consultative status. Organizations which were 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.
Action on several applications was postponed because Committee members requested further information from the candidates about, among other items, details of their respective organizations’ activities, partners, expenditures and sources of funding.
In the afternoon, the Committee held an interactive dialogue with a representative of a non-governmental organization.
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations will meet again at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 26 May, to continue its session.
Special Consultative Status
The Committee recommended that the Economic and Social Council grant special consultative status to the following organizations:
ACEH Les compagnons solidaires Action terre d’Afrique (ACEH Association de Coopération et d’Entraide Humanitaire) (France);
AKIM Israel — National Organization for People with Intellectual Disabilities and their families (Registered Association) (Israel);
Ashinaga (Japan);
Association pour la défense des droits de l’homme et des revendications démocratiques/culturelles du peuple Azerbaidjanais-Iran — “ARC” (France);
Centre Zagros pour les Droits de l’Homme (Switzerland);
Civitas Maxima (Switzerland);
Eagle Vision Charity, Inc. (United States);
Forum international des plateformes nationales d’ONG (France);
Foundation for Development Planning, Inc (United States);
Global Aid for Africa — (GAA) (United States);
IAP — International Association of Prosecutors (Netherlands);
Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (Switzerland);
Institute of the Black World 21st Century Inc. (United States);
Interfaith Encounter Association (Israel);
Jerusalem Institute of Justice (Israel);
Lifelong Learning Platform (Belgium);
Organisation Européenne des Centres Islamiques (OECI) (Switzerland);
Partners for Peace and Prosperity, Inc. (United States);
Rights and Resources Institute, Inc. (United States);
Réseau européen pour l’Afrique centrale — European Network for Central Africa (Belgium);
Sosyal Akıl Derneği (Turkey);
Stichting Mama Cash (Netherlands);
SuperHealth Inc (United States);
Terram Pacis (Norway);
Uluslararası Doktorlar Derneği (Turkey);
Všį “Žmogaus teisių apsauga” (Lithuania);
White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, Inc. (United States);
Women’s Earth and Climate Caucus (United States);
Women’s Freedom Forum, Inc. (United States); and
Youth RISE (Resource, Information, Support, Education) Limited (United Kingdom).
The Committee postponed action on the applications of the following organizations:
Arabian Rights Watch Association (United States) — as the representative of Burundi requested updated financial information;
Association Québécoise des Organismes de Coopération Internationale (AQOCI) (Canada) — as the representative of Nicaragua asked for details on projects and activities planned for 2021 and 2022;
Associazione European Federation for Freedom of Belief (Italy) — as the representative of China requested an explanation about its new website, and the representative of the Russian Federation asked for details on sources of financing;
Assyrian Aid Society of America Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Turkey requested details on its participation at United Nations conferences over the past five years;
Assyrian Documentation Centre (United States) — as the representative of Turkey asked for clarification on the scope of its work;
Avocats sans frontieres France (France) — as the representative of Turkey requested further information on the scope of its international solidarity projects;
Baloch Voice Association (France) — as the representative of Pakistan requested details on its financial information from 2018 to 2020 and a breakdown of donors;
Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (Republic of Korea) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested clarification on its status as a national, and not international, organization based on the location of activities and partners;
Committee for Justice (Switzerland) — as the representative of China asked for details on projects and their outcomes;
Conflict Dynamics International, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested clarification if the organization has permission from Syria to operate projects;
Congres mondial Amazigh — CMA (France) — as the representative of Libya asked for details on projects in North Africa with Government partners;
Coptic Solidarity (United States) — as the representative of China asked for more information on events it hosts and on financial details;
Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) (Republic of Korea) — as the representative of Cuba asked for updated financial information and planned activities for 2021;
Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation (Netherlands) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested clarification on its global network for victims and its partnerships;
Eri-Platform (Belgium) — as the representative of the Russian Federation asked for clarification on the criteria used for contributions;
Ethiopian Genocide Committee 1935-1941, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Turkey asked for clarification on membership benefits;
European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF) (France) — as the representative of China asked for details on its 2020 activities;
Foreningen Tryggere Ruspolitikk (Norway) — as the representative of the Russian Federation asked for details on a conference it participated in, including a list of other participants and outcome documents;
French Refugee Council (France) — as the representative of Burundi asked for details on 2021 activities;
Global Center on Cooperative Security Inc (United States) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested a list of local organizations and partners in countries in which it operates;
Global Detention Project (Switzerland) — as the representative of China asked for details about projects in 2018 and 2019;
Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Pakistan asked for details on partnerships and areas of collaboration;
Global Rights for Women (United States) — as the representative of China asked for a list of countries in which it works and of related projects;
Humanitarian Tracker (United States) — as the representative of the Russian Federation asked for details on its system of gathering information and related criteria;
Ilankai Thamil Sangam, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Pakistan requested further information on financing and details on its partnerships with charitable organizations;
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (United States) — as the representative of China asked for details on its projects;
International Action Network for Gender Equity and Law (United States) — as the representative of China asked for information on its contributions to United Nations meetings;
International Association of Genocide Scholars, Inc., The (United States) — as the representative of Cuba asked why it had not sought to participate in United Nations events and whether its work contributes to the work of the Organization; He also requested detailed financial information;
International Child Rights Center (Republic of Korea) — as the representative of China requested details on its work and collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF);
International Economic Organization World Distribution Federation (WDF) (Republic of Korea) — as the representative of Turkey asked for details on how it maintains its independence, given that local governments or government officials are among its members;
International Medical Corps (United States) — as the representative of Nicaragua asked for financial statements from the past four years;
International Medical Crisis Response Alliance — Direct operation (United States) — as the representative of Nicaragua asked for financial statements from the past four years;
International Organisation to Preserve Human Rights Ltd. (United Kingdom) — as the representative of Nicaragua asked for financial statements from the past four years;
International Society of Criminology (United States) — as the representative of China requested information on a congress held in Qatar in 2019;
Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation (United States) — as the representative of China asked how it can carry out activities and contribute to the work of the United Nations;
Le Collectif de la Paix au Sri Lanka (France) — as the representative of India asked for details on debates it has organized and how it can contribute to the work of the United Nations;
Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak (Canada) — as the representative of Nicaragua requested details on projects planned for 2021 and 2022;
Mangfoldhuset (Norway) — as the representative of Turkey asked for details on a specific project;
MenEngage Global Alliance (United States) — as the representative of Nicaragua asked for a list of partner groups operating in his country;
NAUH (Now Action & Unity for Human rights) (Republic of Korea) — as the representative of the Russian Federation asked for details about choosing candidates for membership;
National Peace Corps Association (United States) — as the representative of China asked for responses to outstanding questions the Committee had previously asked;
Nobel Women’s Initiative (Canada) — as the representative of Bahrain asked, with reference to its written response of 8 April 2020, whether it has undertaken any recent initiatives with women’s organizations in the Middle East, and if so, could it provide details;
Organisation mondiale pour les femmes et les enfants (Switzerland) — as the representative of Libya requested details about the project it intended to carry out into the empirical situation of women in his country after the old regime, including where it took place;
PeaceCorea (Republic of Korea) — as the representative of the Russian Federation sought more details about its projects, and affiliations with other groups, in his country;
People for Equality and Relief in Lanka Inc (United States) — as the representative of China asked whether it has branches in other countries, and if so, could it provide details;
Photographers without Borders (Canada) — as the representative of China requested a list of the more than 35 countries in which it says it completed nearly 175 projects targeting all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals;
Réseau des Droits Humains du Kurdistan (Kurdistan Human Rights Network) — RDH-K (France) — as the representative of Turkey asked whether it maintains any regional or international partnerships to carry out its mandate, and if so, could it provide details of those partners and the projects it undertakes with them;
RüstungsInformationsBüro e.V. (Germany) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested information about its studies into the illegal trade in arms in Germany, Austria and Czech Republic, which it referred to in its letter to the Committee dated 3 February 2020;
Secours Islamique France (France) — as the representative of Cuba, noting that it draws 18 per cent of its income, or $7.7 million, from Government subsidies, requested up-to-date information on those Governments, the amounts they are contributing and which projects and activities the funds are used for; he also asked for details about the activities in plans for 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic;
Sex & Samfund (Denmark) — as the representative of Nicaragua requested its financial statements for the last six years;
Shurat HaDin (R.A.) (Israel) — as the representative of the Russian Federation, citing its letter of 24 January 2020, requested a list of its local partner organizations and their countries of origin;
Solidarites International (France) — as the representative of Pakistan requested details about the countries in which it works, its charitable projects and their funding sources, and as the representative of China asked to know more about its humanitarian projects in the past year, including the targeted beneficiaries;
Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (Republic of Korea) — as the representative of China requested more information about its participation in the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons;
South Asian Legal Clinic (Ontario) (Canada) — as the representative of Pakistan requested its financial statement for 2020 and a breakdown of its funding sources, particularly from foreign sources;
Tai Studies Center (United States) — as the representative of Cuba asked how it guarantees its independence when it receives 98 per cent of its income from other organizations; he also wanted to know how it covered its day-to-day administrative costs, given that it spends 100 per cent of its income on projects;
The Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (United States) — as the representative of Turkey requested information about a seminar it held in May 2018 in Guatemala on migration and mobility, including the source of funding, the number of participants and results obtained;
The Center for Bioethics and Culture (United States) — as the representative of China requested some examples of its educational events;
The Center for Justice and Accountability (United States) — as the representative of Pakistan asked whether it undertakes other projects besides legal support and counselling;
The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (Switzerland) — as the representative of Turkey asked that it elaborate on why consultant costs and fees are a major expenditure;
The International Center for Supporting Rights and Freedoms (Switzerland) — as the representative of Bahrain sought a list of its recent activities in the areas of human rights and political culture, together with a brief description of each one of those activities;
The ONE Campaign (United States) — as the representative of China requested updated information about its activities;
Together for Girls, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Nicaragua asked for information about its official and parallel events, including participants and outcomes;
Tom Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice (United States) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested details about how it elects and chooses its leadership, including any clear-cut criteria for potential candidates;
Treatment Action Group (United States) — as the representative of Cuba asked how it has overcome its reported $500,000 deficit and if it has not, how it plans to function going forward;
Uluslararası Mülteci Hakları Derneği (Turkey) — as the representative of China requested a brief introduction to its main activities and projects in 2020;
Vang Pao Peace Institute (United States) — as the representative of China asked whether it is registered in the countries in which it carries out projects;
War Child (United Kingdom) — as the representative of Nicaragua requested that it explain the disparity between its total membership of nine and its income of $18 million;
Wikimedia Foundation Inc. (United States) — as the representative of China requested a brief introduction to its participation in the Internet Governance Forum;
Women’s Refugee Commission, Inc. (United States) — as the representative of Cuba requested details on how its executive director is appointed and why it believes its board of directors is independent; he also asked for details about the projects it implemented in 2021 and its plans for 2022, including the countries in which those projects are being undertaking and their funding;
World Association for Sexual Health (United Kingdom) — as the representative of Nicaragua sought more details about its projects and activities in 2021 and 2022;
World Without Genocide (United States) — as the representative of Pakistan sought information about its school chapters;
Adivasi Yuva Seva Sangh (India) — as the representative of Pakistan requested details about its programmes and activities for 2019 and 2020, including expenditures incurred and outcomes;
Advocacy, Research, Training and Services (ARTS) Foundation (Pakistan) — as the representative of Pakistan requested details of its donor funding, including from foreign sources, as well as information on the projects for which those funds were utilized;
Asia Pacific Transgender Network (Thailand) — as the representative of the Russian Federation requested clarification of its overseas activities, including its affiliations and partnerships with local organizations, and as the representative of China requested that it use the correct terminology for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region;
Associación Red de Mujeres Afrolatinoamericanas, Afrocaribeñas y de la Diáspora (Nicaragua) — as the representative of Nicaragua asked for more information about its projects in 2020 and 2021, its financial statements for 2019 and 2020, and details about funds it received from the Embassy of the Netherlands;
Associação Nacional de Juristas Evangélicos — ANAJURE (Brazil) — as the representative of Cuba requested details about the support it has received from Government entities such as the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and as the representative of Nicaragua requested clarification about its dues structure; and
Baghbaan (Pakistan) — as the representative of Pakistan requested information about its programmes and activities for poverty eradication over the last five years, including expenses incurred and outcomes.
Interactive Discussion
During a question-and-answer session, NGO representatives faced questions from Committee members.
The representative of the National Youth Organization of Pakistan, Inc. (United States) said that he established the organization in Brooklyn, New York, in response to a “communication gap” and language barrier between Pakistani newcomers the United States and their children. Focusing on community engagement, it launched one of New York’s first Urdu language programmes. Since 2015, it has also organized Urdu language conferences, with the next one planned for September or October this year. With a budget of $20,000 to $30,000, including contributions from the City of New York, it is a low-profile NGO, with its members including grocery store staff, security guards, taxi and Uber drivers, and construction workers. It applied three years ago for special consultative status and is looking forward to a good result, he said.
The representative of the Russian Federation asked to know more about its cultural activities.
The group’s representative said that its cultural programmes are based on its language programmes. Many young Americans of Pakistani heritage may not be familiar with marriage ceremonies or the different forms of bhangra dancing, he said, leaving them feeling isolated when they travel to Pakistan.
The representative of China asked about its involvement with the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, as outlined in its application.
He replied that when he wrote the application, he may have been slightly over-enthusiastic. Two years ago, he was hired by the World Welfare Association (Pakistan), which has special consultative status, to represent it at meetings of the Commission on the Status of Women, which he attended twice. If there has been any misinterpretation, he would correct that.
The representative of Pakistan asked how the organization wishes to contribute to the work of the United Nations in general and of the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies in particular. She also requested its financial statements for 2019 and 2020, including a breakdown of its funding sources.
The Committee deferred action on the application of the organization, pending a written response to its questions.