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A Hezbollah terrorist in Lebanon (File photo)

UN Wants Israel to Pay for Defending Itself from Hezbollah Article

UN Resolution Seeks $1.17 Million from Israel for Defending Itself from Hezbollah Attack Development

Children and armed conflict, Report of the Secretary-General, A/70/836–S/2016/360 Development

(File photo)

On May 26, 2016, the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO Committee) voted to deny UN accreditation to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a US-based organization dedicated to protecting freedom of the press around the world. The UN NGO Committee is responsible for reviewing the applications of NGOs and recommending them for UN accreditation - a status that gives them the ability to participate in various UN events. The NGO Committee is well-known for holding up or denying accreditation of NGOs for political reasons. Members include China, Iran, Russia, Sudan, and Venezuela - countries which have little respect for freedom of speech or association and hinder the operation of independent NGOs.

After "deferring" consideration of the Committee to Protect Journalists' application for accreditation since 2012, the NGO Committee voted to reject its application by a vote of 10 to 6, with 3 abstentions. The states voting against the Committee to Protect Journalists were the following human rights stalwarts: Azerbaijan, Burundi, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Sudan, and Venezuela. India, Iran, and Turkey abstained. and Greece, Guinea, Israel, Mauritania, Uruguay, and United States voted to approve - and lost.

UN NGO Committee Denies UN Access to NGO Dedicated to Freedom of the Press Development