The following news release was issued July 19, 2013.
Following a year-long application process with tentative approval coming from the United Nations in New York in February, the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (ECOSOC), holding its high-level meeting this week in Geneva, granted the MCCL Education Fund final approval to hold consultative status with the U.N.
This accreditation will afford MCCL the opportunity to submit written and oral testimony on issues that come before the international body. It will also enable MCCL staff and representatives to attend U.N. meetings and conferences and consult with delegates and ambassadors about life issues.
"This is an exciting time for MCCL!" said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "To have our voice heard at an international level is a wonderful opportunity to share our 45 years of experience in building a life-affirming culture. In Minnesota today we have some of the lowest abortion rates ever recorded; that degree of success internationally would save millions of lives."
Article 71 of the U.N. Charter opened the door for suitable arrangements for consultation with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Consultative status is granted by ECOSOC upon recommendation of the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs, which is comprised of 19 Member States. Approximately 3,700 organizations have been granted consultative status.
Attaining NGO consultative status now comes at one of the most crucial times in the history of the fight to protect the right to life internationally. In the next 12 to 18 months major decisions will be made at the U.N. concerning future global development goals and the continued implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) documents.
NGO status has been a goal of the MCCL Global Outreach program, whose mission is very simply to save as many lives as possible, wherever they may be threatened around the world. The MCCL GO push for recognition of full human rights—beginning with the right to life itself—for all human beings is well grounded in U.N. documents such as the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which states: "The child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth."
"MCCL looks forward to working with U.N. delegates and ambassadors toward fulfilling the human rights goals enshrined in U.N. documents, including the right to life," Fischbach added.
MCCL GO is a pro-life NGO global outreach program of the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Education Fund with one goal: to save as many innocent lives as possible from the destruction of abortion. Learn more at www.mccl-go.org.
