United Nations

One United Nations Plaza, Room DC1-1477

New York, NY 10017 USA

(212) 963-8652 - Fax. (212) 963-9248

16 May 2000

Dear Mr. Marco Cappato

Please find herewith attached the letter addressed to tile Chair of the Committee of Non-Governmental Organizations by the delegation of the Russian Federation regarding the conduct of the Transnational Radical Party (TRP) at the 56th Session of the Commission on Hunan Rights (CUR) in Geneva. The letter herewith attached also refers to other activities undertaken by your Organization on drug-related issues

This letter was brought to the attention of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations at its current session

The Secretariat will convey to you in due course the questions raised by the Committee when the case is reviewed

Sincere1v yours,

Hanifa Mezouni

Chief NGO Section/DESA

Mr. Marco Cappato

Transnational Radical Patty

866 UN Plaza, #408

New York, NY

Fax: 212-980 1072

Permanent Mission

of the Russian Federation

to the United Nations

New York NY 10021

New York, May 2000

Dear Mr. Bilman,

I would like to express our grave concern regarding the activities of the non-governmental organization Transnational Radical Party (TRP).

1. During the 56th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights the representative of the Chechen separatists and terrorists Mr. A. Idigov was given the floor to address the Commission under the name of the said NGO. In this statement before the CHR Mr.A.Idigov identified himself as a "Representative of President of Cechnya in Europe and to the United Nations" On behalf of the TRP this person was propagating the ideas which are completely incompatibly with the purposes and principles of the Chatter of the United Nations. By offering its banner to those who are responsible for widespread taking of hostages, slave labour and slave trade, burglaries, torture and summary executions, the TRP seriously violated its consultative relations with the ECOSOC, as stipulated in paragraph 51 (a) of the ECOSOC resolution 1996/31.

2 The study of other activities of the TRP showed that the above mentioned incident is not the sole violation by the TRP of the regulations governing the relationship between the UN and NGO's.

In its quadrennial report (E/C.21200012 of May 9,200O) the TRP mentioned that since its affiliation with the ECOSOC it had followed issues related inter alia to international drug trafficking. In reality the TRP aggressively promotes the concept of legalization of drugs by launching civil disobedience campaigns, distributing drugs including by mail, denouncing anti-drug legislation as "a crime", etc. Leaders and members of the TRP have been repeatedly arrested for such actions in different countries. This clearly falls under the provisions contained in paragraph 57(b) of the ECOSOC resolution 1996/31.

It is our firm belief that the general philosophy of the TRP and its public behaviour flagrantly abuse its consultative status with the

ECOSOC.

In the light of the above we request the Committee on Non-

Governmental Organization during its current session to take action in line with the ECOSOC resolution 1996/31 to withdraw the consultative status of the TRP.

All relevant documents are enclosed herewith for your attention

Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.

Alexey Rogov

Counsellor

Representative of the Russian Federation

to the Committee on Non-Goveirinental

Organizations

Mr. Mehrnet Levent Bilniam

Chairman,

Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations

New York

CC.: MS. Hanifa Mezouj

Chief, NGO Section,

Department of Economic and Social Affairs

New York