UN and Non-Governmental Organizations:

This statement was released in May, but I just learned about it:

[1.] The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), acting on a complaint by China, this afternoon withdrew the general consultative status of Liberal International, a United Kingdom-based body that had won that status in 1995.

By a vote of 13 in favour to 3 against (Israel, United Kingdom, United States), with 2 abstentions (Peru and Romania), the Committee stripped Liberal International of its consultative status with the Economic and Social Council on the grounds that the organization had severely abused that status on 4 March by assisting a ranking official from China's Province of Taiwan to gain access to a meeting of the Human Rights Council and advocate Taiwan's membership in the World Health Organization (WHO)...

[Text moved:] The Committee resumed its consideration of a complaint in which the representative of China requested the withdrawal of consultative status from Liberal International, reiterating her delegation's statement earlier in the week that the NGO, in promoting the secession of China's Province of Taiwan, had failed to respect that country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The NGO's behaviour was, thus, "severely" contrary to the principles of the United Nations Charter. The Committee had reviewed the case during the past week and it was now time to take action. Any delay would only indulge abuses of such nature.

As the representatives of Cuba, Sudan, Egypt, Angola, Burundi and Syria supported China's request, those of the United Kingdom, United States, Romania and Israel said Liberal International should have the right to respond to the allegations and requested the Committee defer the matter to a later date.

The representative of the United States, speaking in explanation of position before the vote, said that, while his country acknowledged the "One China" policy, it did not support Taiwan's application for full membership in the United Nations. However, it did support Taiwan's meaningful participation in the technical activities of international organizations. The United States also supported Taiwan's participation in international organizations for which statehood was not a membership requirement. Moreover, Taiwan had made no politically motivated acts against China during the Human Rights Council session.

Stressing that Taiwan's membership in WHO was in the best interest of public health, he said Liberal International's actions did not constitute a pattern that would warrant sanctions under Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31. The Committee should bear in mind that the secretariat of the Human Rights Council had already taken full responsibility of the incident. The United States could not support China's call to withdraw Liberal International's status.... [End moved text.] [2.] As it considered new applications and reclassifications, the Committee granted special consultative status to the following organizations:

-- Inner Trip Reiyukai International, an NGO based in the United States that promotes peace, culture and education through information technology and training, values education, women's empowerment through education and technology, youth initiatives, multi-faith dialogue, health care for AIDS victims and cultural restoration;

-- National Children's and Youth Law Centre, an Australia-based organization that provides advocacy, information and education for children, and conducts legal research and policy development to improve laws and policies that impact children and promote their rights;

-- Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an NGO that supports women entrepreneurs through training, fair trade participation, exposure to domestic and global markets and loan guarantees;

-- Jamaica Association on Mental Retardation, an organization that aims to prevent and manage intellectual disabilities through advocacy, special education, educational assessment and placement, guidance and counselling, adult services and public education;

-- Microteam Education Apprentissage et Nouvelles Technologies, a Niger-based NGO that promotes new information and communication technology, trains primary and secondary school teachers and pupils to use computers and the Internet, and integrates information technology and the Internet into the country's education system; and

-- Maryam Ghasemi Educational Charity Institute, an Iran-based NGO that promotes poverty eradication through free and universal education for children and through social development.... [3.] As the Committee took action on the deferred application for consultative status of the Jewish National Fund, the representative said in explaining his delegation's position before the vote that the NGO had satisfactorily answered the Committee's questions. It was not a politically motivated organization. Rather, it worked on sustainable development and environmental conservation issues, and the United States supported its application.

The representative of the Palestine Observer Mission said the NGO had not provided information to show it was not active in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Its activities, including those with the Gizo Park project, violated the Geneva Convention and it should not be granted consultative status....

By a vote of 7 in favour (Colombia, Israel, Peru, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States) to 8 against (Burundi, China, Cuba, Egypt, Guinea, Russian Federation, Qatar, Sudan), with 3 abstentions (Angola, India, Pakistan), the Committee rejected the Jewish National Fund's application.... [4.] The Committee also took action on the deferred application for consultative status of the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights, rejecting a motion to close that application by a vote of 7 in favour (Burundi, China, Egypt, Guinea, Qatar, Russian Federation, Sudan) to 7 against (Colombia, India, Israel, Peru, Romania, United Kingdom, United States), with 2 abstentions (Pakistan, Turkey)....

I'm not up on UN-NGO relations, but this struck me as an interesting set of data points -- any thoughts from people who follow the matter more closely than I do?