NGO COMMITTEE -- INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACTION ON

UNCLAS STATE 060300 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC UN SOCI NGO SUBJECT: NGO COMMITTEE -- INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACTION ON SEVERAL NGO APPLICATIONS. ¶1. World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ). ACTION REQUEST. Action in the NGO Committee on a complaint against the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) has been deferred until tomorrow, June 5. Mission is instructed to continue to use vigorous efforts to seek an outcome favorable to WUPJ. If it is not possible to secure outright dismissal or rejection of the complaints, deferral until the next session of the NGO Committee in January 2009 would be an acceptable outcome. If some compromise outcome other than suspension or revocation of WUPJ's consultative status, such as a letter of reprimand, should appear possible, Mission should support such a compromise if and only if it is acceptable to WUPJ. Mission should continue to consult closely with WUPJ and with the Department on this matter. ¶2. The NGO Committee will be taking action on June 5 and 6 on the following NGO applications for ECOSOC consultative status: -- Assyrian Academic Society. -- Democracy Coalition Project -- Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). -- Hudson Institute. -- Human Rights Foundation. ACTION REQUEST. The U.S. supports these applications. Opposition to the applications appears to be based on the organizations' human rights advocacy and/or their associations with other human rights advocates rather than on legitimate non-ideological concerns. Mission is instructed to support these applications vigorously and to oppose deferral. In the event it should be impossible to secure consensus approval of one or more applications, Mission should advise the organizations in question about the likely consequences of calling a vote, including Mission's best assessment of the chances that our position would prevail. Mission should call a vote on the application of any of these organizations that requests us to do so after being so advised. Mission should vote in favor of the applications and use its best efforts to encourage other Committee members to do so. ¶3. Asociacao Brasileira de Gays, Lesbicas e Transgenerous (ABGLT). ABGLT, a Brazilian NGO, is also applying for ECOSOC consultative status. Opponents of the application have presented evidence that Luiz Mott, a prominent member and former officer of the organization, has written and posted on the Internet a number of statements advocating sexual relations between adults and minors and/or describing in detail what he sees as the appealing aspects of such relationships. The organization's reaction to widespread publicity over these writings has been to maintain its ties to Mott, make clear that it will continue to maintain these ties until and unless Mott should be convicted of a criminal offense, and to wage a vigorous campaign on behalf of Mott and against those who have publicized his advocacy of pedophilia. ABGLT's campaign on behalf of Mott does not appear to deny that he is the author of the statements and writings in question. Rather, its position appears to be that these statements and writings are acceptable and that criticism of them is unacceptable. U.S. policy is to support NGO consultative status for organizations with whose positions the United States disagrees, however strongly, but to vote against such status for any organization closely linked to advocacy of pedophilia, regardless of whether criminal charges have been filed against the organization or any of its members. ACTION REQUEST. The U.S. should join a consensus decision to defer consideration of ABGLT's application, but if a vote is called, Mission is instructed to vote against the application. RICE