‘Shameful’ Decision to Deny CPJ Access to United Nations

Washington

In response to the vote of the NGO Committee of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) denying consultative status to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House issued the following statement:

“Denying consultative status at the United Nations to CPJ is a travesty,” said Robert Herman, vice president for emergency assistance programs and multilateral initiatives. “It’s shameful that democratic nations that are members of the NGO Committee, including South Africa and India, joined China, Russia, Cuba, and Iran in voting against or abstaining on CPJ’s application.”
 
Background:
The NGO Committee of ECOSOC votes on applications from NGOs to receive consultative status at the UN. The process has become deeply politicized, as several committee members use their position to block human rights and accountability organizations from gaining formal access to UN bodies and processes. Freedom House is among that organizations that have previously written letters to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to express concern about the pattern of rejecting applications from international organizations critical of practices in NGO Committee member countries.