Brussels, 18 September 2000

Dear Colleague,

On 18 May 2000, in a letter to the 19-member UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), the delegation of the Russian Federation to the United Nations requested the withdrawal of the consultative status (category 1) that the Transnational Radical Party (TRP) enjoys with the Economic and Social Council of the UN.

The Russian complaint concerns two issues:

- TRP's participation at the 56th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, through Mr. Akhiad Idigov, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chechen Parliament;

- proceeds received by the TRP from international criminal organizations dealing in drug-trafficking and money laundering.

On 26 July 2000, the UN Committee on NGOs confronted with the lack of juridical basis of the above-mentioned allegations, decided to give a third opportunity to the TRP to submit a new comprehensive response allocating a full-day debate on the matter next 27 September.

This offensive against the TRP could be the prelude, as pointed out by several commentators, in particular M. Jean-Claude Burher in his Le Monde article of 17 August (see annex) to a much wider offensive that could be launched by other countries known for their scarce attachment to the principles of democracy and human rights aiming at curbing the right of NGOs to freely speak at the UN.

The risk to create a dangerous precedent is fully understood by some delegations, starting from France and Germany, the two EU countries that are members of the Committee on NGOs and the United States, but also by Canada, Italy and the Netherlands (observers at the same Committee). Those countries are all seriously concerned and thoroughly mobilised to stop this.

These are the facts that induce me to write you today and inform you extensively so that you can, if you reckon it necessary, react the way you may consider the most appropriate.

Thanking you for your kind attention and remaining at your complete disposal, please accept my best regards.

Olivier Dupuis

Secretary general of the TRP

Tel. (Brussels) +32-2-284.71.98

Tel. (New York) +1-212-98.01.031