E/AC.70/1995/NGO/8
                                        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 Rotary International, a non-governmental
 organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social
                       Council, category I

    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.  As one of the original non-governmental organizations at the
Charter Conference in San Francisco 50 years ago and with the
largest non-governmental organizations' delegation (49 members in
29 delegations), and as a non-governmental organization holding
three Conferences with and about the United Nations this year
(two in June and one in October), Rotary International is pleased
to submit this statement to the Working Group.

2.  Rotary International is largely an operational non-
governmental organization, a grass-roots organization dedicated
to social and humanitarian work and the promotion of peace,
goodwill and international understanding throughout the world, in
the east, west, north and south.  It has 27,300 clubs in 185
countries and geographical areas with more than 1,200,000
members.  It is growing fastest in the developing world.

3.  Rotary International, as a member of the Conference of Non-
Governmental Organizations in consultative status with the
Economic and Social Council (CONGO), wishes to associate itself
with the statements made by CONGO (see E/AC.70/1995/NGO/2) and
the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) (see
E/AC.70/1995/NGO/3).  Specifically, it agrees with the WFUNA
statement concerning the introduction, which is too long,
redundant, and  somewhat vague and confusing in many places. 
Economic and Social Council resolution 1296 (XLIV) has served the
United Nations and non-governmental organizations well for a
quarter of a century.  The revisions should be made to last a
number of years without reference to specific current agendas of
the United Nations and also to allow for other and future
agendas.

4.  Rotary International also agrees with the WFUNA reservations
concerning paragraphs 7, 11, 3, 50 and 51, and the need to
strengthen section 10 and reword section 7.  It does not
understand the limitations in paragraph 19 to only those United
Nations bodies mentioned.

5.  Again, in paragraph 7, Rotary International calls attention
to the fact that most not-for-profit private organizations are
not business organizations.  Further, it believes that for-profit
business organizations have great potential to help the United
Nations system and work with the United Nations on most social,
economic and humanitarian issues; they should be encouraged to do
so.

6.  Rotary International supports a category system and also
supports option 1 in paragraph 25 as the most practical one. 
Similarly, Rotary International supports option 1 in section 9,
paragraph 58, on increasing membership of the Committee on Non-
Governmental Organizations of the Economic and Social Council.

7.  Finally, if the purpose of the review is to broaden Council
resolution 1296 to include regional and national non-governmental
organizations, which is needed, then the new section 11 should be
strengthened, making provisions for enhanced administration
facilities and necessary financing to handle the interfacing of
non-governmental organizations with the regional commissions, and
at the national levels, not only for ongoing work but also for
United Nations conferences.

________________________

    *   E/AC.70/1995/1.