VZCZCXYZ0314
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #0300 1570043
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 050035Z JUN 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 2026

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