Permanent Representative of the Russia Federation

to the United Nations

136 East 67th Street

New York, NY 10021

New York, October 9, 2000

Excellency,

I wish to draw your attention to the following.

On June 23, 2000 the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations having considered the complaint of the Russian Federation against the " Transnational Radical Party" and the response submitted by this organization and after the intensive dialogue with the representative of the Transnational Radical Party" took a consensus decision to suspend for three years the consultative status of this organization with ECOSOC.

The "Transnational Radical Party" has seriously abused its consultative status with ECOSOC. It systematically and consistently challenges the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. In an aggressive manner it fights for the legalization of drugs, attacks the UN anti-drug conventions and participates in illegal distribution of drugs. In violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child it has launched a campaign against "odious, condemning and useless legislative measures" aiming to oppose paedophilia and child pornography in the Internet. Finally, the "Transnational Radical Party" is actually not an NGO but a political party with its leaders sitting in national parliaments as well as in legislative bodies of the European Union.

The above mentioned facts clearly show that the activity of the "Transnational Radical Party" is incompatible with the goals and principles of the UN Charter and the conditions for the consultative relationship between NGOs and ECOSOC as established in the ECOSOC resolution 1996/31. Therefore, the Russian Federation originally requested to withdraw the consultative status of this organization.

However, in order to reach a consensus within the NGO Committee and later to maintain it the delegation of the Russian Federation dropped its original request for a withdrawal of the consultative status of the "Transnational Radical Party" and agreed to reduce the sanction against it to a three years suspension, gave the organization a chance to submit a "comprehensive response" and did not press with the proposal to the 2000 ECOSOC substantive session to take a decision on temporary suspension of the consultative status of the "Transnational Radical Party" for three months. The delegation of the Russian Federation was prepared to make additional efforts to accommodate the concerns of other members of the NGO Committee in order to find a compromise solution.

Unfortunately, our good will was rejected. On September 27, 2000 at the resumed 2000 session of the NGO Committee the delegation of France requested for a vote to reconsider the consensus decision of the NGO Committee taken at the same 2000 session on June 23, 2000. The proposal was defeated by a roll-call vote of 5 in favour (Chile, Germany, France, Romania, United States) to 12 against (Algeria, Bolivia, China, Colombia, Cuba, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Russian Federation, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey), with 2 abstentions (Pakistan, Senegal). Thus the NGO Committee confirmed its decision to suspend the consultative status of the

"Transnational Radical Party" for three years.

Due process of consideration of the issue of the "Transnational Radical Party" had been strictly observed. It was confirmed by the Chairman of the NGO Committee at its resumed session September 27, 2000. Concluding the session the Chairman announced that the Committee had completed consideration of the response of the "Transnational Radical Party". He also expressed his disappointment with the turn of events in the Committee recalling that despite some reservations the decision had been reached by consensus in June.

A new attempt to reconsider the consensus decision of the NGO Committee will certainly damage the credibility of the Committee and create a dangerous precedent which risks to undermine the decision-making mechanism in the ECOSOC system.

May I express my sincere hope that at the resumed session of ECOSOC to be held on October l, 2000 your delegation will take a principle position on the issue of the "Transnational Radical Party" and support the adoption of the recommendation of the NGO Committee to suspend the consultative status of the "Transnational Radical Party" with ECOSOC for three years.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Sergey Lavrov