Chapter 2

NOTE: TO READ THE FULL CONTEXT OF QUOTES CITED CLICK HERE

Hopefully it will become apparent that after reading this chapter you'll see how fitting this picture is to what "3W" is doing--by comparing the ECOSOC consultative status NGO's and the DPI associated ones in regards to support of the UN. Before we divulge into the difference between the two, lets examine how the UN views ALL of their NGO's whether they have consultative status or not. They are viewed as partners in the "common quest for peace, democracy (through political means), and development." View the scan below...

(1994 DPI handbook page 1)

We are told that many websites and at least one book deliberately misleads their readers by quoting rules and stipulations to ECOSOC NGOs, and then pretending that those resolutions and rules apply to DPI NGOs, of which the Watchtower Society was one. No matter how deep we go into the forest trekking on the rabbit trails laid before us, we must keep one thing in mind at all times here. The Watchtower willingly joined a branch of the UN, their publicity department in effect. This reality cannot be disregarded as merely a door to something else, a house that the WBTS should not have been in, according to their politically neutral standards. "3W" gives us two quotes from the online Insight magazine explaining NGO's under the DPI and ones with consultative status via the ECOSOC.

DPI

“For an NGO to be recognized by the United Nations, however, there are requirements, and even two statuses for which an NGO might apply. The DPI status is under the authority of the U.N. Department of Public Information (UNDPI), which controls U.N. archives and research facilities...

ECOSOC

“The other status for which the NGOs may apply is ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) status. The U.N. Website says that to obtain ECOSOC standing an NGO must prove that its work is directly relevant to U.N. goals. With ECOSOC standing an NGO may enter into a formal consultative relationship with access to officials of U.N. member states and must provide useful or special information to the U.N. Economic and Social Council...”

It is stated correctly that ECOSOC NGOs have a “formal consultative relationship” with the United Nations, and it's work must be “directly relevant” to the UN's goals. In other words, the ECOSOC NGO consults with the UN on it's policies and helps it achieve it's political aims and direct it's policy-making. No one is going to deny that "ECOSOC NGO's" have some political clout in association with the UN, whereas the DPI associated ones do not. However, to claim that DPI associated NGO's are relegated to a "lesser support" since they don't have consultative status, is disingenuous. To me this is like saying that because the Los Angeles Dodger's "farm team" players (such as AA etc) don't play on the actual team (MLB), their support for the organization as a whole is less and insignificant. "I wasn't the shooter or the driver, just a casual passenger that observed the murder so leave me out of it". Surely we've all heard the term "guilty by association", right?

Lets view another document that shows how the UN views all of it's associated NGO's. Below...


The most crucial statement in this document is "The arrangements for NGO's at the United Nations as a whole were updated and adopted by ECOSOC resolution 1996/31." This reveals two main points:

1. All NGO's are subject to ECOSOC resolutions.
2. The NGO association criteria with the UN didn't change until 1996. Four years after the WBTS had joined.

We are told that...They (DPI) are to use NGOs to “to provide the public with information about the United Nations”. Thats it. It is not a resolution about NGOs supporting the charter of the UN. It is not a resolution about NGOs supporting the goals of the UN. There is not even a resolution that NGOs must share the ideals of the UN charter. There is no 1296 vs 1297 resolution issue, or any other resolution compartmentalization support for the UN. It's important to understand that there is plenty of documentation showing that the UN expects all of their associated NGO's to support them and their ideals/charter, regardless of their association status. Just one example of this is a 1992 press release from the year the Watchtower was granted association with the DPI. Read below...

"3W" makes it appear that DPI associated NGO's are not subject to or under any resolution--be it the 1296, 1297, or any other sort of formal mandate/agreement. He says If you carefully examine the forms, you will notice that it nowhere says that the Watchtower Society should (concerning the 1297 resolution) “bear in mind the letter and spirit of Council resolution 1296”. Why? Because as said, the instruction was to “the Secretary-General” — just as it says in the resolution — and not to the NGOs at all. The reality is that the same criteria used for NGO's to qualify for consultative status (1296 XLIV) is also used for for associative status (1297 XLIV). "3W" would have us to believe that all the criteria for NGO's to be associated with the DPI is on the application form. At least that's what he implies. Even most corporations have rule handbooks for their employees, why does "3W" expect us to believe that the UN is any different? We know there is a DPI handbook given to their associated NGO's as affirmed by this 2004 UN letter below. To read the full letter from the UN website CLICK HERE

Please be informed that it is the policy of the Department of Public Information of the United Nations to keep correspondence between the United Nations and NGOs associated with DPI confidential. However, please see below the paragraph included in all letters sent to NGOs approved for association in 1992:

“The principal purpose of association of non-governmental organizations with the United Nations Department of Public Information is the redissemination of information in order to increase public understanding of the principles, activities and achievements of the United Nations and its Agencies. Consequently, it is important that you should keep us informed about your organization's information programme as it relates to the United Nations, including sending us issues of your relevant publications. We are enclosing a brochure on the “The United Nations and Non-Governmental Organizations”, which will give you some information regarding the NGO relationship.”

We'll discuss in a future chapter what the exact listed association criteria in this DPI handbook is.