Jewish group could lose U.N. credentials

By · June 5, 2008

A Jewish group could lose its observer status credentials at the United Nations.

The U.N. Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations was scheduled to take up the issue at its meeting Wednesday.

At issue is whether the representative of the World Union of Progressive Judaism to the U.N. Human Rights Council abused the council when he tried to criticize the Hamas charter during a January session in Geneva.

The only item on the agenda was Israel’s human rights violations caused by military incursions into Gaza.

NGOs with general status, which the union has enjoyed since 1972, are entitled to attend and speak at meetings and propose agenda items for the Human Rights Council.

Cuba, a non-aligned nation, brought what its representative called the abuse of the council to the attention of the committee in charge of NGOs. The 19 members of the committee will make their recommendations.

Sudan chairs the committee. Other members include Cuba, Pakistan, Egypt, Angola, Qatar, United States, Britain, Burundi, China Colombia, Dominica, Guinea, India, Peru, Romania, Russia and Turkey.

Union representatives have been meeting with the countries’ observers in an attempt to convince them not to take away its credentials.