United Nations. The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has voted in favor of granting special consultative status to nine non-governmental organizations despite objections from several countries, including China, Russia and India. ECOSOC is one of the six principal bodies of the United Nations dealing with economic and social issues.
ECOSOC voted on Wednesday on the US draft on ‘Applications of Non-Governmental Organizations for Consultative Status’ with the Economic and Social Council, granting special consultative status to nine groups. These NGOs include International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN), Arab European Center of Human Rights and International Law, Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Coptic Solidarity Gulf Center for Human Rights, Interregional NGO Man and Law, The Andri Rilkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice, The World Union of Cossack Atamans, and World Without Genocide.
In the voting, 24 votes were cast in favor of the draft, while 17 votes were cast against it. And 12 members were not present at the time of voting. UN director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) Louis Charbonneau said in a statement on Tuesday that UN member states in the Economic and Social Council should “vote to recognize nine human rights and other civil organizations”. whose UN applications are stuck due to obstruction of the recognition process by several countries, including China, Russia and India.
Charbonneau said, “India has presented the biggest obstacle to recognition of IDSN, IDSN advocates for the elimination of caste discrimination and other forms of discrimination around the world.” Charbonneau said that these nine groups Recognition would send a “strong signal” to UN member states about the importance of civil organizations in the United Nations.
