From the Tibet Bureau in Geneva July 20, 1995

Update on ECOSOC Meeting Informal Session Fails To Recommend Tibetan NGOs for Accreditation

Tibet Bureau hopes you have received our update yesterday about the happenings at the "Informal Sessions (IS)" dealing with the case of 19 "separated" NGOs accreditation to the Beijing Conference. As you know the "IS" met last night to discuss the fate of 9 NGOs. The meeting which went until 10 pm was not able to finish its work as consensus was not reached on one NGO, Kazem Rajavi International Organization for Defense of Human Rights, Women Committee. The "IS" will resume this evening at 5 pm to reach an agreement on the above NGO on whose behalf the European Union has maintained a strong position.

The "IS" has, nevertheless, finished discussing the fate of 18 NGOs and has decided "to recommend" to the Plenary of the ECOSOC 8 NGOs to be accredited to the Beijing Conference. These eight NGOs are No.:

15 [Al Khoai Foundation],

87A [Association of Iranian Women in the United kingdom],

334 (Human Rights in China, NY),

355 [International Campaign for the Defense of Women's Rights in Iran],

453 [National Committee of Women for Democratic Iran],

506 [The Organization of Iranian Women for Freedom in Denmark],

610 [Sudanese women Organization] and

611 [Sunray Meditation Society].

The 10 NGOs whose case the "IS" decided "not to recommend" for

accreditation are No. :

27 [Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team],

86 [Association of Iranian Women (USA)],

113 [Bhutan Women and Children Organization],

295 [Frauer Fur Demokratie in Iran E.V.],

354 [International Association for Women's Rights and Solidarity with Iranian Women],

356 (International Committee of Lawyers for Tibet),

378 [Iranian Liberation Women's Association],

380 [Iranska Kvinnosamfundet I Sveriget],

639 (Tibet[an] Rights Campaign) and

640 (Tibetan Women's Organisation in Switzerland).

As you see from the above decision of the "IS" our organisations have not been recommended for accreditation which is, of course, most unfortunate. We have been informed that the USA, EU and the Swiss government made a strong case about the relevance of the Tibetan organisations to the Beijing conference. The US delegates push the case of ICLT "very strongly" according to information received by us. While the Swiss did the same thing for TWOS. But in the end, the Western delegates "gave in" to Chinese pressure, particularly when China labeled the Tibetan organisations as groups who "espoused the independence of Tibet." When an American delegate remarked that all people have the right to self-determination, the Chinese delegate quickly asked the American whether that [was] his personal opinion or was he speaking for the government. One of the Swiss delegates told the TWOS that all of China's argument before the "IS" was political. One diplomat who attended the "IS" last night, said the meeting was held in "an

ugly mood." He added that the decision on the Tibetan organisations was definitely "a political one."

Although China joined in the consensus decision on Human Rights [in] China (HRC), the Chinese delegate, nevertheless, told the "IS" that they would "disassociate" from that decision, which means non participation. The Chinese delegates who accused certain Board Members of HRC as "criminals" (the word was not assassins) on Monday "IS" were not able to produce the evidence nor was the issue taken up again by the Western governments.

If the "IS" meeting this evening is not able to resolve the differences on the Iranian NGO then the President has threatened that he will take up the cases of all 19 NGOs to the Plenary for the action, irrespective of the decisions taken by the "IS" so far on other 18 NGOs. Of course, countries like China will definitely object to such a process. If this happens it would then "derail the whole process" which will definitely have a very negative impact for the government discussion in Beijing.

However, it is unlikely that the President will call the Plenary because some sort arrangement is expected to be reached this evening, at least that is what governments like China are hoping for. And, if "IS" fails to reach a consensus then it offers another chance for the three Tibetan organizations although China will make it a political issue during the debate at the Plenary. If the whole matter comes before a vote our chances should not be ruled out. But these are all speculation because the President does not really support a Plenary debate on this issue. By tomorrow morning, we will know what happened at this last "IS" meeting.

Now as for the 267 "non-recommended" NGOs, it being known that the President is not expected to take up the matter before the Plenary of the ECOSOC on the belief that these NGOs were not recommended by the Beijing Conference Secretariat. However, the President has announced that if a government wishes to take up the case of certain NGOs, that particular government should do all the work of seeking consensus from the Member States of ECOSOC. This means that unless a government takes up the cases of 5 Tibetan NGOs and UNPO and works on their behalf for the accreditation, the chance of them getting accreditation is also lost.

Tibet Bureau is now of the opinion that the concerned Tibetan and Tibet- related organizations should immediately alert the media about the politically motivated decision that has been taken by the "Informal Sessions" of the ECOSOC. At this stage it is not known when the decisions of the "IS" will formally be announced by the President to the ECOSOC Plenary. It will all depend how the "IS" concludes this evening.