Consultative Status with the Ecosoc of

the Transnational Radical Party

by the Russian Federation

1. The Transnational Radical Party

The Transnational Radical Party (TRP) is a political organization, which believes in the international rule of law and in the enforcement of democracy, and carries out its campaigns through nonviolent initiatives. Since 1995, TRP enjoys a consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

2. Activities

Ever since '95, at the UN, TRP has been thoroughly engaged in activities in support of the enjoyment of fundamental human rights and freedoms all over the world. In fact, at the UN Commission on Human Rights of Geneva, TRP has always availed itself of the opportunity provided by the Consultative Status to deliver oral and written statements on situations where the principles of the UN Charter were at risk. On behalf of TRP several personalities have taken the floor in Geneva to denounce serious violations of fundamental rights in countries like China and Tibet, the Former Yugoslavia and Kosovo, Burma, Indonesia, Cuba, Afghanistan, and others, and has raised its concerns on children's, women's, religious, ethnic, cultural and linguistic minorities' rights.

As a member of the NGO Community, in 1995, TRP was among the founders of an NGO Coalition for the establishment of an International Criminal Court. Through its campaign "There is no peace without justice", TRP has been instrumental in the convening of the Rome Diplomatic Conference of 1998, which led to the adoption of the Court's Statute. In 1997, TRP also promoted the creation of an NGO coalition to support the adoption of a universal language in international institutions. TRP is also firmly committed to fight the illicit traffic of drugs and international mafias; to this end, TRO is currently member of the NGO Committee on Narcotics in New York and in Vienna.

TRP's activities at the United Nations have never been formally criticized by any UN Member State. As many other international NGOs, TRP has always been very closely monitored with particular attention by those countries on which, from time to time, it was promoting public initiatives as well as delivering interventions in international fora.

3. the Chechen Affair

On May 15, the Chief of the UN NGO Section has conveyed to our New York office a letter coming from the Russian Mission to the UN, in which the Russian Federation was asking the Committee on NGO to withdraw TRP Consultative Status for having accredited a Chechen individual that Russians consider being a rebel fighting against the Chechen people and against the founding principles of the Charter of the UN, accusing TRP to have broken the rules of procedure of NGO participation, which allow individuals to speak only on behalf of the organization that accredits him. Mr. Akhiad Idigov is a member of the Chechen Parliament legally elected according to the peace treaty adopted by the two parties after the first Chechen war. Mr. Idigov is also the special envoy of the Chechen President and Vice-Chairman of the Unrepresented Peoples and Nations Organization (UNPO) and is currently in Europe for a series of political meetings and has been recently granted visas to enter the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the U.S. and t

he Schengen community. Last but not least, Mr. Idigov is a member of the Transnational Radical Party.

The first part of the Russian Complaint against TRP specifically mentions art. 57 a of ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31. Mr. Idigov's intervention was delivered in accordance with the provisions contained in art. 57 a, in fact, many of TRP arguments and concerns presented in the questioned statement have been included in a resolution adopted by the Commission on the situation in Chechnya (E/CN.4/2000/L.3).

As it can be easily read in Mr. Idigov' intervention, Russia's allegations against TRP not portray what happened, and are completely inconsistent with regards to ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31.

4. The Drug Question

In its letter to the Committee on NGOs, the Russian Federation also takes the opportunity to raise the question of TRP compliance with art. 57 b with regard to TRP activities on the revision of current international policies on Narcotics.

Art. 57 b regulates the withdrawal of the Consultative Status "If there exists substantiated evidence of influence from proceeds resulting from internationally recognized criminal activities such as the illicit drugs trade, money-laundering or the illegal arms trade".

TRP has actually questioned, before the competent UN agencies, the effectiveness of current policies on drugs with particular attention to international conventions that regulate it. But it has never questioned the fight against illicit trafficking. In fact, TRP believes that the best way to pursue the objective set by the United Nations - the fight against illicit traffic of narcotics and psychotropic substances - passes through the legalization of those substances that today are the object of a total prohibition. TRP believes that this is the only way to destroy the huge source of profits that enriches the multinationals of narcotics. This antiprohibitionist position is also supported by several prestigious international personalities.

TRP drug-related activities at the UN have always been in conformity with the rules and regulations of the Consultative Status, and have never created a problem neither to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which has often allowed TRP to take the floor during the last three years in Vienna, nor to the Committee of the Whole of the UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs of 6 - 8 June 1998.

5. Next Deadlines

The Committee on NGOs, has asked TRP to present a written response to the Russian complaints but 9 June 2000. TRP has also been invited to be present at the next Committee session 12 - 23 June.

6. Members of the Committee on NGOs

Algeria, Bolivia, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey, United States.