NGO/528
PI/1556
7 January 2004
Department of Public Information Approves 26 Non-Governmental Organizations for Association, 44 Others Dropped from List
NEW YORK, 6 January (UN Headquarters) -- The Department of Public Information Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (DPI/NGOs) approved on 15 December 2003 the association of 26 more organizations, bringing to 1,407 the total number of NGOs associated with DPI.
The Committee noted that the newly associated NGOs represent all regions of the world -– Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North America and Western Europe. Each conforms to the principles of the United Nations Charter, operates solely on a not-for-profit basis and demonstrates involvement with United Nations issues. Most important, all of them have the information programme infrastructure in place to reach a broad audience about their work as it relates to the United Nations. This information-dissemination capacity is a unique criterion for the over 1,400 NGOs associated with DPI.
The newly approved NGOs are advocates for a diverse array of issues ranging from human rights, ageing, nuclear disarmament, development, youth, communications and indigenous peoples, to education, international law, criminal justice, health care, minority rights and peace.
Compared to previous years, there was an increase in the number of approved NGOs from developing regions. Among them, Africa Human Rights Heritage and the ECOWAS Youth and Citizens League, both of them advocates for human rights, have their respective headquarters in Ghana. DemocracyWatch (Sri Lanka) promotes and strengthens democracy and good governance by creating awareness about rights and values through research, training for leadership, advocacy and mobilization of media to fight against injustice and human rights violation. The Progressive Women’s Association (Pakistan) aims to eliminate discrimination against women by bringing female victims’ voices from the grass roots to national and international forums. Fundación Eudes (Mexico) provides personalized and comprehensive attention to individuals with HIV/AIDS and their families in order to restore their sense of dignity.
Seventeen of the approved NGOs are based in developed countries. Among them, Lawyers Without Borders and the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, both from the United States, are dedicated to promoting justice that serves the disadvantaged and underprivileged in society. The Osmane Aidi Foundation for Culture, Communication and Development (France) focuses on media communications, cultural exchanges and professional training while campaigning for the rights of children and indigenous people, fostering law and criminal justice, as well as health care and education. Yad Sarah (Israel) provides an array of services to sick, disabled, elderly, isolated and housebound persons to make home care possible.
Following are the organizations newly associated with DPI, listed alphabetically by region:
Africa: Africa Human Rights Heritage (Ghana); ECOWAS Youth and Citizens League (Ghana).
Asia and the Pacific: DemocracyWatch (Sri Lanka); International Medical Corporation (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea); Progressive Women’s Association (Pakistan); Youth Awareness Environment Forum (Nepal).
Eastern Europe: International University in Moscow (Russia).
Latin America: Fundación Eudes (Mexico).
Middle East: Yad Sarah (Israel).
North America/United States: Atomic Mirror; Community Trust Fund; English Speaking Union; Foundation for the American Indian; International Toy Bank; Lawyers Without Borders; National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice; Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, USA; and World Council of Muslim Communities.
Western Europe: Ageing Research Centre of Chieti (Italy); Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations (Germany); Osmane Aidi Foundation (France); Passionists International (Italy); UNGA Link (United Kingdom).
The DPI Committee also confirmed the association of three NGOs with consultative status with the Economic and Social Council: Buddha’s Light International Association (United States); Fundación Hernandiana (Argentina); and Minority Rights Group International (United Kingdom).
The following NGOs have been disassociated from DPI because they no longer meet the criteria for association: African-American Society for Humanitarian Aid and Development (United States); American Cetacean Society (United States); American College of International Physicians (United States); American Foreign Insurance Association (United States); American Management Associations (United States); American Mideast Educational and Training Services (United States); American Professors for Peace in the Middle East (United States); American Society of Association Executives (United States); Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History (United States); Centre d’Information et de Documentation sur le Mozambique et l’Afrique Australe (Canada); Edward Lamb Foundation Inc. (United States); Federation Internacional De Abogados Fid (United States); Federation of Islamic Associations in the United States and Canada (United States); Find Your Feet Limited (United Kingdom); Foundation Emmes, Inc. (United States); Foundation for Research on International Environment (Pakistan); Gatt Fly (Canada); Inter-American Association for Democracy and Freedom (United States); International Agency for Rural Industrialization (United States); International Association Against Torture (United States); International Association for the Promotion of Democracy Under God (United States); International Federation of Advertising Agencies (United States); International Friendship League –- Young Ifl’ers (Portugal); International Islamic Federation of Students (Turkey); International Sports Organization for the Disabled (Canada); Lankajathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya (Sri Lanka); Medart International (United States); National Alliance of Black School Educators (United States); National Emergency Civil Liberties Foundation (United States); Opam American for World Literacy (United States); Operation Dismantle, Inc. (Canada); Pax World Service (United States); Population Action International (United States); Scientists’ Institute for Public Information (United States); Share International Foundation (United States); Share Our Strength (United States); Together Foundation for Global Unity (United States); Unipax Unione Mondiale Per La Pace Edi Diri (Italy); U.S. Coalition for Life (United States); Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (United States); Women’s Action Alliance (United States); World Education (United States); Yigyansu Tribal Research Centre(India); and Youth Power (United States).
For further information, please contact the DPI/NGO Section, telephone: (212) 963-6842; e-mail: dpi@un.org. The directory of NGOs associated with DPI is also available on the DPI/NGO website: http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection.
* *** *
