E/AC.70/1995/NGO/1
                                          3 May 1995

                                          ORIGINAL:  ENGLISH

OPEN-ENDED WORKING GROUP ON THE REVIEW
  OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR CONSULTATIONS WITH
  NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
Second session
8-12 May 1995
Item 2 of the provisional agenda*

        GENERAL REVIEW OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR CONSULTATIONS WITH
                   NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Statement submitted by the International Service for Human
Rights, a non-governmental organization in consultative status
with the Economic and Social Council, category II

     The Secretary-General has received the following statement,
which is being circulated in accordance with paragraph 10 of the
annex to Economic and Social Council resolution 1993/80.

                             *  *  *

1.   The United Nations stands to benefit from the wealth of
cultural and political perspectives of the vigorous civil society
emerging in newly democratizing societies, whose voices are
seldom heard in New York and Geneva.  Such expanded participation
is all the more important now that civil society is opening up in
many regions where opportunities for non-governmental
organizations' action were previously restricted.

2.   The purpose of the non-governmental organizations'
participation in meetings of United Nations bodies is to provide
United Nations bodies with expertise and experience that enhance
the quality of its deliberations, while expressing the concerns
and aspirations of constituencies that might otherwise not be
heard.

3.   In the view of the International Service for Human Rights, a
clear distinction needs to be made between non-governmental
organizations' participation in occasional United Nations
conferences and in the normal meetings of United Nations bodies
and committees.  The attendance of great numbers of
non-governmental organizations at international conferences was
only made possible by special voluntary funds not normally
available to them, particularly to national non-governmental
organizations from the South.  In fact, participation by
non-governmental organizations at regular meetings of United
Nations bodies has largely remained steady in the last five
years, and has even decreased in some instances.  For example, at
the Commission on Human Rights, non-governmental organizations'
attendance has dropped from 169 organizations in 1993 to 158 in
1994 and 135 in 1995.  Oral statements from non-governmental
organizations at the Commission declined last year (337 in 1994)
relative to the two previous years (414 in 1993 and 364 in 1992).

4.   Experience has shown that representativeness should not be
the only criterion for granting consultative status.  In fact,
there is not necessarily a direct relationship between the
representativeness (based on size) of a non-governmental
organization and its ability to provide the needed expertise and
knowledge.

5.   Consultation with the Member State concerned, as required by
Article 71 of the Charter of the United Nations, should not
constitute a process of government authorization or clearance. 
The practice used in some international conferences should be
followed in granting consultative status, whereby the Government
of the country where the applicant non-governmental organization
claims to be located is informed and its views, if any, are
shared with the applicant non-governmental organization in order
to assist the Secretariat in clarifying the situation.  The
information provided by the Government and the non-governmental
organizations' response should both be considered by the
Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations in consultative
status with the Economic and Social Council in making its final
decision on the approved criteria.

6.   Another issue of concern in the current draft resolution
(see E/AC.70/1995/CRP.1) is the misunderstanding regarding the
nature of the affiliation of national non-governmental
organizations to regional and international non-governmental
organizations.  International organizations with branches or
field offices in several countries may, as an internal matter,
preclude these branches and offices from seeking consultative
status independently.  On the other hand, many national and
regional non-governmental organizations, especially those coming
from countries with economies in transition and developing
countries, whose work is most relevant to the United Nations, are
affiliated with international organizations or federations but
not as branches or field offices.  These non-governmental
organizations formulate and implement their own policies and
operate entirely independently as indigenous and autonomous
organizations.  It is, therefore, both inappropriate and
counter-productive for the United Nations to attempt to regulate
such internal matters or to exclude in principle national
organizations affiliated to an international or regional
non-governmental organization.

7.   Practical arrangements can be made that will reduce the
burden related to the increased number of non-governmental
organizations with consultative status to manageable proportions,
although we believe that only a limited number of organizations
newly granted status are likely to make written submissions, so
that the financial and practical implications would not be
detrimental to the smooth functioning of the United Nations. 
However, if the financial resources of the United Nations cannot
absorb an increase in translation and reproduction services, the
non-governmental organizations concerned could exceptionally
undertake the translation themselves and accept that their
documents be distributed by the United Nations only in the
languages in which they are submitted.  In many cases, national
non-governmental organizations admitted to consultative status
who are unable to send representatives to United Nations meetings
will rely on submitting documents as their principal form of
interaction with United Nations bodies.

8.   It is generally agreed among non-governmental organizations
that one of the most effective ways of reducing the cost of
non-governmental organizations' participation in United Nations
meetings and procedures is for the organizations to coordinate
joint oral and written submissions.  While such coordination is
in the interest of the work of non-governmental organizations, it
should remain their responsibility and should not be imposed by
the United Nations.

9.   The International Service for Human Rights proposes the
following changes to the draft resolution contained in document
E/AC.70/1995/CRP.1:

     (a) Paragraph 9, line 3, delete the phrase "which are not
affiliated to an international organization already in status,";

     (b) Paragraph 9, add in fine:

     "Such consultations shall allow the Member State concerned
     to be informed that a non-governmental organization claiming
     to be established on its territory is applying for
     consultative status and communicate its views, if any, to
     the Secretariat.  If these views might affect the decision
     on admission, they shall be communicated to the
     non-governmental organization concerned, which shall have
     the opportunity to respond to the views of the Member State. 
     The views of both the Member State and the applicant
     non-governmental organization shall be taken into
     consideration in deciding whether or not the applicant meets
     the criteria for admission.  Negative views by the Member
     State concerned shall not ipso facto preclude admission";

     (c) Paragraph 11, revise to read "The organization shall be
of recognized standing within the particular field of its
competence or of a representative character";

     (d) Paragraph 15, revise to read "National organizations
that are affiliated to an international or regional
non-governmental organization covering the same subjects may be
admitted unless the international or regional non-governmental
organization concerned objects on the basis of its statutory
relation with the affiliate seeking admission";

     (e) Paragraph 16, delete entire paragraph;

     (f) Paragraph 17, add in fine "Consultative arrangements
with a specialized agency shall not preclude consultative status
with the Council";

     (g) Paragraph 23, last line, delete "in all areas and
regions of the world";

     (h) Paragraph 25 (b), line 7, delete "internationally and
regionally";

     (i) Paragraph 26, delete entire paragraph;

     (j) Paragraph 27, line 1, delete "in particular";

     (k) Paragraph 31, add in fine "If exceptionally the
Secretary-General lacks the resources to circulate statements by
non-governmental organizations in all the official languages,
their written statements shall be circulated in the languages in
which they are submitted";

     (l) Paragraph 32 (e), line 3, add, after "special
consultative status," the words "or on the Roster";

     (m) Paragraph 32 (f), delete entire subparagraph;

     (n) Paragraph 33 (a), revise as follows:

           "The Council or any of its subsidiary bodies may
     authorize non-governmental organizations in general or
     special consultative status or on the Roster to be heard. 
     Where the item under consideration concerns a matter in
     which non-governmental organizations have been particularly
     active or in which they possess recognized expertise, the
     body in question should allow such non-governmental
     organizations to make brief statements during the
     consideration of such items";

     (o) Paragraph 37, add in fine "If exceptionally the
Secretary-General lacks the resources to circulate statements by
non-governmental organizations in all the official languages,
their written statements shall be circulated in the languages in
which they are submitted;

     (p) Paragraph 38 (f), replace the word "may" with the words
"shall normally";

     (q) Paragraph 39, revise to read as follows:

           "The commission or other subsidiary organs shall
     normally consult with organizations in general or special
     consultative status or on the Roster either directly or
     through a committee or committees established for the
     purpose.  In all cases, such consultations shall be arranged
     at the request of the organization. Where the item under
     consideration concerns a matter in which non-governmental
     organizations have been particularly active or in which they
     possess recognized expertise, the body in question should
     allow such non-governmental organizations to make brief
     statements during the consideration of such items";

     (r) Paragraph 40, replace the words "paragraph 30" with the
words "paragraph 40";

     (s) Paragraph 42, replace the phrase "in consultative
status" with the phrase "in general or special consultative
status or on the Roster";

     (t) Paragraph 52, revise to read as follows:

            "Relevant non-governmental organizations may make
     written presentations in the official languages of the
     United Nations as they deem appropriate in the conference
     and its preparatory process. Those written presentations
     shall be issued as official documents in accordance with
     United Nations rules or procedure";

     (u) Paragraph 58, add, after the first sentence "In
addition, two seats shall be reserved for non-voting members from
non-governmental organizations with consultative status to be
designated in accordance with a procedure to be established by
the non-governmental organizations with consultative status";

     (v) Paragraph 59 (d), after the words "special consultative
status", add the words "and on the Roster";

     (w) Paragraph 59 (e), after the words "special consultative
status", add the words "and on the Roster", and change "25 (a)"
to "33 (a)".

________________________

     *   E/AC.70/1995/1.