Brussels, 9 October 2000

Dear colleague,

We wrote to you ten days ago to give you the latest update on the question of the request for the expulsion of the Transnational Radical Party from the United Nations, made by the Russian Federation in May on the basis of false and defamatory charges.

Last Thursday, thanks to the intervention of several of the member countries of the NGO Committee, in particular France, Germany and the United States, the consensus reached in June, which backed the suspension for three years of the first category consultative status at the ECOSOC that the TRP has enjoyed since 1995, was called into doubt within the NGO Committee of the United Nations.

The final decision now rests with the Assembly of the ECOSOC, which will meet on 18 October and which will have to decide whether to confirm the decision taken by the NGO Committee (with twelve votes in favour, two abstentions and five votes against: Chile, France, Germany, Romania and the United States), or to reject it, finally acknowledging that there is not the slightest evidence to support the charges made by the Russian Federation.

There is very little time left, therefore, to halt this serious attack against the freedom of opinion and of expression, and to guarantee the right to a fair trial and the right to defence within the organs of the United Nations.

It is thus absolutely essential to call the attention of the 54 members of the Assembly of the ECOSOC to the vital need to ensure that the procedures regarding the request for the expulsion of the TRP respect the principles of the fair trial, as well as the principles of freedom of expression within the UN.

In the light of this situation, we feel justified in asking for your support, which you can give by signing the enclosed appeal addressed to the 54 member countries of the ECOSOC.

Thank you in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Emma Bonino Olivier Dupuis