The Transnational Radical Party (TRP) has read with attention the copy of the Report of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations (Part II) sent by means of a fax dated 11 July and attached to a letter by Madame Anifa Mezoui, Chief of the NGO Section / DESA.

According to the Letter of Madame Mezoui, the paragraphs 104 to 200 were transmitted to the TRP as forming the written reasons for the Committee's recommendation to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to suspend TRP Consultative Status for a period of three years.

While the TRP understands that the report contains a summary of the proceedings of the Committee during which it considered a complaint lodged by the distinguished delegation of the Russian Federation, as well as the written and oral responses provided by the TRP and the comments of some Committee members, the TRP does not consider this to constitute the written reasons for the Committee's recommendation to ECOSOC, for no agreed grounds are given for the Committee's decision to suspend the TRP from its consultative status for three years. In accordance with paragraph 56 of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, the TRP is entitled to respond to written reasons for a Committee decision and we therefore await receipt of such agreed reasons before submitting our response to the Committee.

Paragraphs 104 to 200 of the Report of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations do not indicate which of the charges contained in the complaint lodged by the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation were found to be justified and supported by evidence and which were not supported by sufficient evidence or shown to be erroneous. It is entirely unclear for what alleged offence the Committee decided to recommend a three year suspension of the TRP. In its written response and oral statements before the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations the TRP did admit to the impropriety of the reference in Mr. Idigov's statement before the 56th Commission on Human Rights of his capacity as representing the President of the Chechen Republic. The TRP had apologised during the session of the Commission on Human Rights for this reference and for any offense this may have caused to any Member of the UN, and did so again during the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations session. The TRP also reite

rates that, by inviting Mr. Idigov to speak at the session of the Commission on Human Rights, it did not and does not endorse violent secessionist movements or terrorist groups.

All other charges were denied by the TRP, and convincing evidence was submitted to the Committee to substantiate those denials. Indeed, in the course of the Committee's deliberations the Committee at no time agreed or decided that the TRP was guilty of any of the offences other than the transgression for which it had already apologised. The TRP is therefore left to guess whether the three year suspension recommended by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations (by consensus) is recommended on the basis of that one transgression, or whether there are other grounds for the decision. This information is vital for TRP to be in a position to provide a reasoned written response to the written reasons on which the Committee based its decision, as provided under Resolution 31/1996.

The TRP respectfully wishes to reiterate that there is no evidence of abuse of its Consultative Status and should like to take this opportunity to state again that it did not knowingly engage in any pattern of conduct contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as stated in paragraph 57(a) of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31. Moreover, the TRP wishes to emphasise again that it does not act, and has never acted, under the influence of proceeds received from internationally recognised criminal organisations in the sense referred to in paragraph 57(b) of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31.

The TRP is also left in the dark on whether the accusations brought by the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation in the course of the deliberations of the NGO Committee regarding alleged support of the TRP for paedophilia were taken into consideration by the Committee in making its decision. The TRP categorically denies this accusation. The TRP has never violated the principles contained in the Convention on the Right of the Child, nor advocated violation of those principles as alleged by the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation. On the contrary, since Autumn 1998, the TRP has taken initiatives to expose the existence of "sex rings" in various parts of Europe, in order to combat crime committed by paedophiliacs and other sexual abusers of children. It will be noted that this accusation was not contained in the written complaint submitted by the representative of the Russian Federation to the Chairman of the NGO Committee in advance of its 736th meeting. The TRP was conseque

ntly never given an opportunity to formally respond in writing to the new allegation which the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation raised for the first time, without warning, in the course of the Committee's 759th meeting. If this allegation is in any way relevant to the proceedings and since reference is made to it in paragraph 108 of the Report of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations (part II), the TRP wishes to be given the opportunity to respond in writing also to this allegation, which must be based on entirely wrong information.

As well as emphasising that it has never engaged in conduct which violates the purposes and principles of the United Nations, the TRP would like to note that paragraphs 116-120 of the above mentioned Report of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations, containing the summary of the Committee's proceedings, reveal that several Committee members considered the suspension of its Consultative Status for three years to be too harsh a punishment for its past conduct.

The provisions of Resolution 31/1996 which require that the NGO accused of wrongdoing be given written reasons for the Committee's decision and be permitted to respond to these in writing reflect fundamental principles of fair trial. Suspension of Consultative Status of an NGO is a very serious and severe measure, which can greatly affect the work of an NGO such as ours. It is, therefore, only fair and reasonable that we be given a full opportunity to respond to a reasoned decision of the Committee in time for consideration of the case by ECOSOC.

The TRP remains at the Committee's full disposal and hopes to receive, at the Committee's earliest convenience, the written reasons for its recommendation to ECOSOC in order to be able to respond in writing, in accordance with paragraph 56 of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31.

SEPARATE MEMORANDUM

With regard to the issue of paedophilia raised by the distinguished delegate of the Russian Federation during the questioning of the representative of the TRP, and included in paragraph 108 of the Report of the Committee on Non-Governmental organisations, TRP wishes to make the following preliminary remarks.

The TRP believes in combating the crime of paedophilia. It has taken initiatives to expose criminal activities in Europe in this regard as well as to explore ways to combat the crime in a manner that would truly protect children from abuse. The TRP believes that present measures taken by a number of governments, for example with respect to the internet, are misconceived primarily because they fail to protect the children most at risk or to punish the real culprits. 98% of cases of sexual abuse of children are committed by family members or persons close to the child. These are the cases that must be addressed and the perpetrators that must be prosecuted. All too often children are left unprotected and victimised precisely because the police and the courts are reluctant to believe children who claim they are being abused by persons they know. The TRP contributed a statement before the 56th Commission on Human Rights, under Item 13 (rights of the child) delivered by a woman who, as young girl, was a victim of

sexual abuse, calling attention to the unwillingness of some legal systems in Europe to adequately deal with this issue. We attach the text of this intervention (annex 1.)

At this session of the Commission, a delegation from the TRP, which included the Hon. Oliver Dupuis, MEP, Secretary General of TRP, Marco PerDuca, TRP UN Representative, Mrs. Regina Louf, a former victim of sexual abuse and child prostitution and Douglas Deconick a Flemish Journalist, met with Ms. Ofelia Calcetas-Santos, Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, to discuss matters pertaining to the "Report on the mission of the Special Rapporteur to Belgium and the Netherlands on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children (30 November-4 December 1998)". At the meeting the delegation presented a dossier to Ms. Calcetas Santos, (see annex 2 for the index).