U.N. Body Turns Away NGO Over Refusal to ID Chinese Members to China
A Christian NGO's bid for consultative status on the United Nations' Economic and Social Council was recently rejected after it refused to answer questions asked by China regarding the names and locations of its members in the communist nation.
The ECOSOC's 23-22 vote to close the application of the Dynamic Christian World Mission Foundation this past week follows a much wider 12-4 vote back in May by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organization, which reviews the application of each NGO that seeks general, special or roster status with the Council.
"Today's vote is a setback for religious freedom," commented UN Watch, the human rights watchdog group that monitors the United Nations, "and could set a dangerous precedent at the U.N. for repressive regimes to launch frivolous objections, or demand sensitive information, in order to subvert and obstruct the important work of civil society organizations in the areas of religion, education, and human rights."
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According to records, China's representative, Wang Qun, proposed to close the NGO's file as the organization had refused to answer questions about the names and location of its members in her country since 2007. The NGO claimed that it did so because there is no freedom of religion there.
Furthermore, Wang argued, the NGO has displayed a pattern of disrespect for the Committee and did not meet the requirements of an ECOSOC resolution that guides the accreditation process.
"[F]or these reasons China believed that they did not have the ability to contribute to the work of the Economic and Social Council," the Chinese representative said, according to a transcript of ECOSOC's general debate on July 27.
In response to those claims, U.S. representative John F. Sammis pointed out that providing the names and residential addresses of an NGO's members in any country was not a requirement.
He also said the Committee had a clear mandate from ECOSOC to accredit qualified NGOs in order to allow more voices to provide input in the democratic institution of the United Nations. The Committee, however, had spent more time trying to exclude NGOs than include them.
"The United States had regretfully come to the conclusion that some delegations on the Committee were trying to use it to silence the voices of the United Nations of NGOs with which they did not agree," Sammis said ahead of the July 27 vote.
Though Sammis said the United States was not asking ECOSOC to accept the NGO but to send the issue back to the Committee – who could legitimately determine then whether the NGO fulfilled the requirements of resolution 1996/31 – the ECOSOC voted 23-22 to close the NGO's file.
Those voting to reject the missionary group included Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, India, Indonesia, China, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Pakistan, and Venezuela.
Countries voting to support its application included the U.S., Brazil, Greece, Guatemala, Canada, El Salvador, Estonia, France, Germany, Japan, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, and Portugal.
Established under the United Nations Charter, ECOSOC is the principal organ that coordinates economic, social, and related work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions. The Council also serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the United Nations system.
Groups enjoying general and special consultative status are allowed attend meetings of the Council and circulate statements.
The Dynamic Christian World Mission Foundation, a group registered in South Korea and the United States, operates religious educational projects in Russia and Kyrgyzstan. Though its specific purpose "is to operate a mission to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ" through its activities, the organization says it also takes an active part in assisting countries and organizations in areas where help is needed.
When asked how it intends to contribute to the work of ECOSOC and/or its subsidiary bodies, the organization wrote in their application: "We intend to contribute to the work of ECOSOC and/or its subsidiary bodies through a solid personal bond or the human race."
