| United Nations | E/C.2/1995/2/Add.3 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
11 November 1994
ENGLISH
ORIGINAL: SPANISH
COMMITTEE ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS
20-31 March 1995
Item 4 of the provisional agenda*
* E/C.2/1995/1.
QUADRENNIAL REPORTS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS IN CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH THE ECONOMIC
AND SOCIAL COUNCIL, CATEGORIES I AND II
Quadrennial reports, 1988-1991
Reports submitted through the Secretary-General pursuant
to Economic and Social Council resolution 1296 (XLIV) of
23 May 1968
Addendum
Note
In accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1296 (XLIV) on
arrangements for consultation with non-governmental organizations,
organizations in consultative status in categories I and II shall submit to
the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, through the Secretary-
General, every fourth year, a brief report of their activities, specifically
as regards the support they have given to the work of the United Nations.
Based on findings of the Committee's examination of the report and other
relevant information, the Committee may recommend to the Council any
reclassification in status of the organization concerned as it deems
appropriate.
At its 1981 session, the Committee decided that quadrennial reports
submitted by non-governmental organizations should be limited to no more than
two single-spaced pages. At its 1989 session, the Committee stressed the need
for non-governmental organizations required to submit quadrennial reports to
provide the Secretariat with clear and timely information, including,
inter alia, a brief introductory statement recalling the aims and purposes of
the organization.
At its 1991 session, the Committee emphasized the need for
non-governmental organizations requested to submit quadrennial reports to
provide a clear picture of their activities as they related to the United
Nations. The Committee further noted that the reports should conform to the
guidelines elaborated by the Non-Governmental Organizations Unit pursuant to
the relevant decisions of the Committee (see E/1991/20, para. 47). The
Committee decided that only those reports elaborated in conformity with the
guidelines and submitted to the Non-Governmental Organizations Unit no later
than 1 June of the year preceding the Committee's session would be transmitted
to the Committee for consideration. The Committee recalled that organizations
failing to submit adequate reports on time would be subject to
reclassification in status that the Committee might deem appropriate, in
conformity with paragraph 40 (b) of Council resolution 1296 (XLIV) (see
E/1991/20, para. 48). Pursuant to these decisions, the Secretariat, in
December 1993, communicated to all relevant organizations guidelines for the
completion of quadrennial reports.
The material issued in the present series of documents (E/C.2/1995/2 and
addenda) has been reproduced as submitted and therefore reflects the policies
and terminology of the organizations concerned. The designations employed do
not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United
Nations Secretariat concerning the legal status of any country, territory,
city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its
frontiers or boundaries.
Supplementary material, such as annual reports and samples of
publications, is available in the Non-Governmental Organizations section of
the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development.
CONTENTS
Page
Note ....................................................................2
1. American Association of Jurists .....................................4
2. Inter-American Statistical Institute ................................8
3. Christian Democrat International (CDI) ..............................9
4. International Organization of Journalists ...........................13
1. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF JURISTS
(Category II)
1. Aims and purposes:
(a) To fight for the self-determination of peoples, full economic
independence and State sovereignty over natural resources and wealth;
(b) To take action against imperialism, fascism, colonialism,
neo-colonialism, racial discrimination and discrimination against women,
indigenous people and national minorities;
(c) To safeguard an effective peace based on the principle of peaceful
coexistence among States having different social and economic systems;
(d) To defend and promote human rights and to institute better and more
effective safeguards;
(e) To condemn and denounce existing repressive laws in the Americas
which violate or distort the aims and purposes of this body;
(f) To establish fraternal relations and carry out joint activities with
world-wide jurists and legal organizations working towards objectives similar
to those set forth in this statute;
(g) To mobilize jurists in the Americas in order to carry out joint
activities aimed at ensuring that legal science in their countries contributes
actively to those socio-economic changes which correspond to the aims and
purposes announced herein;
(h) To defend, protect effectively and dignify the legal profession and
to act in solidarity with any jurists persecuted as a result of their efforts
in support of the principles expressed herein.
2. Participation in conferences and other meetings of the Economic and
Social Council and its subsidiary bodies:
(a) Geneva, February/March 1990, Commission on Human Rights:
Four oral statements: Panama, Chile, El Salvador, enforced
disappearances, impunity and obstacles to its investigation, situation in
Guatemala and Haiti.
(b) Geneva, August 1990, Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination
and Protection of Minorities:
Six oral statements: Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Panama, work of
the Subcommission, the right to freedom of opinion and expression,
independence of the judiciary, the right to development, foreign debt.
Two written statements:
(i) "The administration of justice and the human rights of detainees"
(E/CN.4/Sub.2/1990/NGO/1);
(ii) "The realization of economic, social and cultural rights"
(E/CN.4/Sub.2/1990/NGO/16).
(c) Geneva, February/March 1991, Commission on Human Rights:
Eight oral statements: the right to development, debt, the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), Panama, the right to freedom of
opinion, security for human rights advocates, the Gulf war, advisory services
and technical assistance of the Centre for Human Rights, racism, work of the
Subcommission.
Two written statements:
(i) "Report of the Subcommission" (E/CN.4/191/NGO/18);
(ii) "Question of enforced or involuntary disappearances"
(E/CN.4/1991/NGO/17).
(d) Geneva, August 1991, Subcommission:
Four oral statements: Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Morocco,
the Kurds, Iraq, IMF and IBRD, corruption and international offences, the
Philippines, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), impartiality of the
judiciary and impunity.
Written statement: "Realization of economic, social and cultural
rights" (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1991/NGO/7).
(e) Geneva, January/February 1992, Commission on Human Rights:
Six oral statements: economic rights, foreign debt, IMF and World Bank
policies and practices, Indonesia, plebescite in Western Sahara, enforced
disappearances, financial situation of the United Nations, industrial
pollutants, Haiti.
Three written statements:
(i) Declaration on enforced disappearances;
(ii) Embargo against Cuba;
(iii) "Question of the realization of the right to development"
(E/CN.4/1992/NGO/12).
(f) Geneva, August 1992, Subcommission:
Eight oral statements: work methods of the Subcommission, impunity of
economic offences, Lockerbie case (Libya vs. the United States of America),
the right to development and IMF and World Bank policies, Cuba, Peru,
Colombia, Guatemala, independence of the judiciary, attacks against and
assassinations of judges, the United States of America, the environment, the
right to freedom of opinion, AIDS, female night-shift workers, habeas corpus.
(g) Geneva, February/March 1993, Commission on Human Rights:
Eight oral statements:
(i) Right to development and economic, social and cultural rights;
(ii) Right of intervention, United States intervention in Latin America,
the Gulf war, Somalia;
(iii) Right to freedom of expression and the media, Peru, torture;
(iv) International criminal court, towards the establishment of an
international tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, reform of the
Security Council;
(v) Advisory services and technical assistance, and administration of
those services;
(vi) Childhood in Latin America, tracing missing children (Argentina),
identity, histocompatibility;
(vii) Yugoslavia;
(viii) Argentina's honouring of Pinochet.
Written statement: "Question of the human rights of all persons
subjected to any form of detention or imprisonment ..." (E/CN.4/1993/NGO/20).
(h) Vienna, June 1993, World Conference on Human Rights:
Oral statements before the Main Committee, the plenary and the Drafting
Committee.
Four written statements:
(i) The United Nations Security Council. Establishment of the Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights;
(ii) "Criminalization of violations of the right to development and
economic, social and cultural rights" (A/CONF.157/PC/63/Add.8);
(iii) Functioning of the Subcommission. Proposal for improving
procedures, technical assistance services, non-governmental
organizations;
(iv) Financial and human resources of the United Nations.
(i) Geneva, August 1993, Subcommission:
Six oral statements:
(i) Report on impunity;
(ii) Peru and Columbia;
(iii) IMF and IBRD, Haiti;
(iv) Habeas corpus;
(v) Establishment of an international tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia, military tribunals;
(vi) Humanitarian assistance, Somalia, expanding the membership of the
Security Council and eliminating the right of veto.
3. Cooperation with United Nations programmes, bodies and specialized
agencies:
(a) Economic and Social Council:
Written statement: "Unsatisfied needs of the Centre for Human Rights"
(E/1991/NGO/3).
(b) Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the Economic
and Social Council:
Written statement: "Implementation of the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" (E/C.12/1993/NGO.2), submitted by the
Pan-Canadian section.
4. Other relevant activities: the American Association of Jurists has
collaborated with various working groups and rapporteurs of the Commission on
Human Rights and its Subcommission, in particular with Mr. Joinet and
Mr. Guisse. Various United Nations documents have been published in the
review of the Association.
2. INTER-AMERICAN STATISTICAL INSTITUTE
(Category II)
1. Aims and purposes: The Inter-American Statistical Institute is a
professional body whose purpose is to promote the development of statistics in
the Americas. It pursues the following objectives:
(a) The development and strengthening of the statistical profession;
(b) The promotion and dissemination of theoretical advances and
statistical methods;
(c) Improvement of the methodology used in statistical output, at both
governmental and non-governmental levels;
(d) The promotion of measures to improve the comparability and use of
economic and social statistics among the nations of the region;
(e) Cooperation with national and international organizations in
activities designed to improve statistics in the region.
On 1 January 1985 the Agreement on Cooperation and Coordination between
the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the
Institute came into effect. OAS provides the Institute with secretariat
support and manages its funds.
2. Participation in activities of the Economic and Social Council: the
Institute's secretariat has provided the basic information used to prepare
reports for the sessions of the Statistical Commission and the annual meetings
of the Subcommittee on Statistical Activities of the Administrative Committee
on Coordination.
3. Cooperation with United Nations bodies and specialized agencies: The
Institute's secretariat organized, in conjunction with the Statistical
Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
the third and fourth sessions of the Working Group on Agricultural Statistics,
held in March 1990 at the headquarters of the FAO Regional Office for Latin
America, in Santiago, Chile, and in April 1993 in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
respectively. The Technical Secretary took part in the Meeting of Directors
of Statistics of the Americas, convened by the Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and held in Madrid, Spain, in 1992.
3. CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT INTERNATIONAL
(Category II)
A. Nature of the organization
Christian Democrat International (CDI) is a world organization of
political parties and regional and international organizations inspired by the
values of Christian humanism. Its primary aims are to establish in every
country a just, prosperous and democratic society based on solidarity and
grass-roots participation, and to help strengthen an international community
of free nations which work together effectively to ensure peace, social
justice, security and the protection of the environment and of everything that
constitutes the human heritage.
CDI and its member parties and organizations strive to imbue civil
society at the national and international levels with the values of Christian
humanism in a completely open manner and in full cooperation with all
ideological, social and political currents which share the same values: in
particular, democratic pluralism, full respect for human rights, the rejection
of violence, the promotion of disarmament, the creation and just distribution
of wealth and the promotion of peace within each country and among all
nations.
CDI accordingly attaches the utmost importance to the work of the United
Nations and has worked steadily and in a creative and concrete manner with it
for many years - remaining closely involved in all its programmes and
institutions.
During the period covered by this report, CDI has substantially expanded
its geographical scope and its membership, which increased from 53 members at
the end of 1990 to 67 members at present. These parties are not only from
countries in the former Soviet bloc but also from African countries. The
number of affiliates and observers in the countries of Latin America and Asia,
where some member parties and organizations already existed, also has
increased.
CDI also expanded its own internal structure with the organization of
world Christian democrats in the first Christian Democratic Workers
International (CDWI), whose constituent congress met in Brussels on 5 and
6 September 1991.
This expansion of activities was accompanied by a substantial increase
in resources, although the source of these funds - the member parties of CDI
and Christian Democratic foundations in various countries of the world -
remained largely unchanged.
B. Activities of the organization
CDI Has regularly convened internal meetings and congresses at both the
international and regional levels. The major events included meetings of the
Political Bureau (Brussels, 8 and 9 February 1990; Budapest, 1 July 1990;
Brussels, 17 and 18 January 1991; Brussels, 7 September 1991; Santiago, Chile,
16 and 17 March 1992; Brussels, 10 and 11 December 1992; Brussels,
28 February 1993; Luxembourg, June 1993; and Strasbourg, November 1993) and
the meeting of the statutory General Assembly (World Congress) in Brussels (1
and 2 March 1993).
The regional organizations of CDI, the European Union of Christian
Democrats and the European People's Party-Christian Democrats, held their own
congresses (Dublin, 1990; Athens, 1992; Brussels, 1993), and the Christian
Democratic Organization of America held its statutory congress in Caracas (20
and 21 November 1991).
Congresses were also convened by the Christian Democrat Feminine
International (Brussels, 1993) and the International Union of Young Christian
Democrats (San Jose', Costa Rica, 1991).
C. Participation in the work of the United Nations Economic
and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies
CDI has had accredited representatives every year at United Nations
Headquarters in New York, Geneva and Vienna, as well as at regional
organizations in Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. Their primary
activities were the following:
(a) Participation in the annual meetings of the Commission on Human
Rights in Geneva, i.e., the forty-sixth to forty-ninth sessions;
(b) Participation in three of the four preparatory meetings for the
World Conference on Human Rights (Geneva and San Jose', Costa Rica);
(c) Participation in the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna;
(d) Participation in a round-table meeting on human rights in the
Austrian Parliament for political internationals; the Secretaries-General of
the four political internationals participated and the Secretary-General of
the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights was the invited speaker
(Vienna, June 1993). The joint statement by the four internationals adopted
at the meeting was distributed as a United Nations document to participants at
the World Conference on Human Rights;
(e) Participation in the annual meetings of the International Labour
Organization (ILO) in Geneva (in June 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993).CDI has
cooperated on a regular basis with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),
in particular at round-table meetings of UNFPA and the political
internationals (Rome, September 1991, and Vienna, 9 and 10 November 1993).
The so-called "Vienna Manifesto" was issued at the latter meeting, on
10 November 1993;
(f) Participation in the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (Rio de Janeiro, June 1991); a statement was issued on the topic;
(g) Statement of support for the World Summit for Children (New York,
September 1991);
(h) Participation in two working meetings (London, April and May 1993)
of the four political internationals in support of the World Summit for Social
Development to be held in Copenhagen in 1995.
D. Promotion of peace and democracy
Activities of this type, which embody the very essence of the objectives
of CDI have received the highest priority in support of the work of the United
Nations in this field.
Major activities include the following:
(a) Support for the peace process, reconciliation and/or democratization
in a number of countries: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Madagascar, Burundi,
Rwanda, Cuba, Haiti, Zaire and the Philippines;
(b) CDI sent election observers on its own initiative or at the
invitation of international organizations to, inter alia, Nicaragua, El
Salvador, the Central African Republic, Angola and Peru. It has provided
support for the democratization of Central Europe through the work of the
summit of world leaders held in Budapest in June 1990;
(c) Support for democratic forces during the attempted coup in Russia,
through the presence in Moscow, as the decisive events were unfolding, of a
CDI delegation headed by its Secretary General (1991);
(d) Support for the restoration of the sovereignty of the Baltic
countries through the establishment, on 29 September 1990, and funding of a
Baltic office in Brussels. This pluralistic office served as the first and
only embassy of those countries which were still under the control of the
former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). On 1 June 1991 the office
was honoured by a visit by the heads of State and Government of the three
Baltic States following the restoration of full sovereignty;
(e) A dialogue with representatives of the Islamic world (Rabitah/CDI,
Paris, January 1993, St. Petersburg, April 1993).
A number of pluralistic conferences held in various countries of the
world with the political and financial support of the European Economic
Community (EEC) deserve particular mention. These were:
(a) A conference on democratization in Central America, held in San
Jose', Costa Rica, 25 and 26 February 1991;
(b) A conference on democratization in the Southern Cone, held in
Santiago, Chile, from 13 to 15 March 1992, which was preceded by four round-
table meetings; one of these - dealing with Latin America's response to the
nuclear threat - received the support of the Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI); the remaining three meetings - on debt problems,
drug production and trafficking and political violence - enjoyed the support
of the Institute for European-Latin American Relations (IRELA).
E. Papers and publications
CDI has continued its publications programme and has added new
publications. Its primary publications are as follows:
(a) DC-Info Human Rights (seven issues in French, English and Spanish;
5,000 copies per issue). The subjects covered include: the human rights
situation in Cuba, Iraq, occupied Kuwait and the Philippines; the Kurds; the
United Nations World Conference on Human Rights;
(b) DC-Info (information quarterly for CDI and its member parties; four
issues in French, English and Spanish; 5,000 copies per issue);
(c) DC-Info Documents (11 issues in French, English and Spanish; 5,000
copies per issue). The subjects dealt with include democratization in the
Philippines, Central America and the Southern Cone of Latin America; drug
trafficking; violence; the nuclear threat;
(d) Khristianskaya Demokratia (18 issues in French, English and Spanish;
1,000 copies per issue). Some issues of this publication were also published
in German, Russian, Polish and Hungarian.
As the above information indicates, some of the activities, conferences,
seminars and publications focus primarily, if not exclusively, on publicizing
and supporting the positions and activities of the United Nations.
This is particularly true for the publications on human rights and the
core issue discussed at the General Assembly in Brussels (1 and 2 March 1993),
when the debates and resolutions focused on the mission and structure of the
United Nations today and in the future.
4. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF JOURNALISTS
(Category II)
The International Organization of Journalists (IOJ) is a world
organization of trade unions and professional organizations of journalists,
the purpose of which is to coordinate activities for the defence and promotion
of the interests and aspirations of journalists, and thereby to guarantee the
right of peoples to truthful information based on the principles of
professional ethics. Another of its objectives is to represent the profession
at the United Nations and its specialized agencies.
Participation of representatives or delegations of the organization in
meetings and sessions of the United Nations, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization and other bodies:
(a) Forty-sixth session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
and discussions with the Centre for Human Rights, Geneva, March 1990;
(b) Eleventh meeting of the Intergovernmental Council of the
International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), Paris, 19
and 20 March 1990;
(c) Asia/Pacific workshop on international human rights issues, Manila,
7 to 11 May 1990;
(d) Twenty-second Conference of International Non-Governmental
Organizations in Consultative Relationship (Categories A and B) with UNESCO,
Paris, 11 to 15 June 1990;
(e) Meeting of the Non-Governmental Organizations Subcommittee on
Racism, Racial Discrimination, Apartheid and Decolonization, Geneva,
27 June 1990;
(f) IOJ proposed to Jan Martenson, Under-Secretary-General for Human
Rights, that consultations be held with the United Nations Centre for Human
Rights in November 1990, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, with the
participation of various member organizations of IOJ, to discuss the role of
journalists in the World Public Information Campaign for Human Rights and
cooperation in that regard with the United Nations Centre for Human Rights;
(g) Meeting between a representative of the organization's leadership
and officials of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights on the joint
organization of a workshop on activities in the field of human rights, Geneva,
May 1991;
(h) Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development, Geneva, 12 August 1991;
(i) On 1 November 1991, in Geneva, the Deputy Secretary General and
Second Vice-President of IOJ met with the Chief of the Legislation and
Prevention of Discrimination Branch of the United Nations Centre for Human
Rights to discuss mutual cooperation on human rights;
(j) The 1992 session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights,
Geneva;
(k) During his visit to Geneva from 5 to 10 June 1992, the Deputy
Secretary General met with representatives of the United Nations Centre for
Human Rights; he participated in the meeting of the Non-Governmental
Organizations Subcommittee on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Apartheid and
Decolonization;
(l) Sixth European NGO Symposium on the Question of Palestine and the
ninth meeting of non-governmental organizations on the same topic, 24 to
28 August 1992;
(m) Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on
Human Rights, which began on 14 September 1992 in Geneva;
(n) Conference in Africa on the topic "The Journalist and Human Rights
in Africa", 31 October to 1 November 1992, Tunis. The Conference was
organized in cooperation with the International Organization of Journalists
and the United Nations Centre for Human Rights;
(o) Forum on human rights for Latin American and Caribbean journalists,
San Jose', Costa Rica, 16 and 17 January 1993, organized by the Union of Costa
Rican Journalists and IOJ in cooperation with the United Nations Centre for
Human Rights;
(p) A delegation of the organization visited United Nations Headquarters
in New York, from 16 to 19 March 1993, and discussed the establishment of an
IOJ office at the United Nations;
(q) The President and the Secretary General of IOJ represented the
organization at the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights held in
Vienna, Austria, from 14 to 25 June 1993;
(r) A delegation headed by the President of IOJ visited Mogadishu,
Somalia, in August 1993 to investigate the deaths of four journalists murdered
there on 12 July and to discuss with United Nations forces in Somalia (UNOSOM)
measures to provide better protection to journalists;
(s) In 1992 and 1993, IOJ facilitated meetings between the heads of
various international journalists' organizations and representatives of the
United Nations. The information provided by the United Nations was widely
disseminated among journalists through the organizational structure and
publications of IOJ;
(t) Biannual meetings of the Standing Committee of Non-Governmental
Organizations.
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