The UN’s Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in its session in New York on May 29, 2002, has decided to ask the French NGO, France Libertes: Fondation Danielle Miterrand, for another special report on its position on Tibet, following a request by the Chinese delegation.
The Committee’s Chairperson Mihaela Blajan (Romania) will be respont to France-Libertes on the matter.
France-Libertes was established by Mrs. Danielle Miterrand, the widow of a former French president and a strong advocate of human rights throughout the world.
The controversy over France-Libertes arose when the Chinese government launched an objection against France-Libertes’ reference to Tibet in its reports submitted to the UN Committee for NGOs from 1994 to 1997. This report features several countries and refers to the situation in Tibet.
The Chinese government asked the UN NGO Committee to urge the Foundation to revise its report on Tibet because they consider it as political in nature. The Chinese also raised this matter with the French Government.
France-Libertes submitted a revised report to the Committee at its New York meeting this month.
According to a UN press release on May 29, 2002, the Chinese representative said France Libertes’ report “had wantonly ignored that Tibet was part of Chinese territory and flagrantly asserted that China had invaded and occupied Tibet. That constituted gross tampering with the United Nations Charter and provocation with respect to China’s sovereignty and territory. It also seriously violated Economic and Social Council resolution 96/31 regarding the conduct of NGOs with consultative status.”
She appealed to the Committee to review the report objectively and reach a fair decision.
The Committee decided to ask France-Libertes to submit another special report on the organization’s position on Tibet
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations is a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Its membership consists of 19 countries, including China and the United States. Over 1,600 NGOs have consultative status with ECOSOC.