"JNF (US) Rejected for UN ECOSOC Consultative Status"
The highly politicized nature of the procedures of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in voting on applications by NGOs for accreditation and “Consultative Status” has been highlighted again in the rejection of the application from the US branch of the Jewish National Fund (JNF-US) . In contrast, in 2006, the radical Palestinian NGO, Badil, was given consultative status despite the rejection of its application in 2005. Other politicized NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status include the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), Adalah, Al Haq, HRW, and Ittijah. The status confers an NGO with significant power and influence including the ability to recommend agenda items and participate at UN meetings, submit written statements to official UN bodies, and provides the NGO with much-needed publicity. In fact, Adalah and Badil exercised this power to lobby against the JNF’s inclusion. As a result of this blatant political bias, some UN delegations may consider ending consultative status for NGOs, or replacing the process with a less divisive method.