An examination of the statements made by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society shows they are desperate to contain the situation. Each of these statements was made after the Guardian articles came out.
"We had been using the library for many years prior to 1991, but in that year UN personnel on duty at the time told our representative that it would be necessary to register as an NGO to have continued access." Link
Lets give them the benefit of doubt and say this is what happened. My question is now, did this happen every year for the next ten years of their association? Why do I ask this? Because an NGO must reapply every year for association. They are reviewed by the DPI as to how they are meeting the requirements for association and if they are continuing to support the United Nations by the having the commitment and the means to conduct effective information programmes, with its constituents and to a broader audience (about UN activities). They must fill out a yearly accreditation form in which they must list their representatives for the coming year, tell them their main areas of interest and it must be signed by the Chief Administrator or Executive Officer of the organization. link Link#2
If the reason the Watchtower Society had to join in association with the United Nations was because some guy on duty at the time said they must join in order to have continued library access then what about the next nine times they had to reapply and prove they were meeting the requirements? Was the same guy on duty? Did the United Nations make special concessions for the Watchtower Society so that they had no clue as to what was required of them until nine years later? Anyone with a reasoning mind could see that there is no way that could happen. An NGO must reapply every year and meet the requirements or they are disassociated. If fact, the year that the Watchtower Society applied for association many desiring to become an NGOs were not accepted. Also some were disassociated for not meeting the requirements or being inactive in their roll as an NGO. See this link.
One more thing to consider is the procedure for becoming a NGO. The Watchtower Society and the United Nations are both very big organizations with very thorough practices and procedures. The United Nations does not just accept everyone who applies but they must meet the criteria and prove they can!
"An NGO that meets the established criteria should send an official letter from its headquarters to the Chief of the NGO Section, Department of Public Information, expressing interest in association with DPI. The letter should state the reasons why the organization seeks such association and should briefly describe its information programmes. This letter should be accompanied by at least six samples of recent information materials produced by the applying organization. Letters of reference from UN Departments, UN Programmes and Specialized Agencies, and/or UN Information Centres and Services (UNICs and UNISs) will greatly enhance consideration of the application."
"Still, the criteria for association of NGOs...at least in their latest version...contain language that we cannot subscribe to. When we realized this, we immediately withdrew our registration." Link
In this next statement the Watchtower Society claims that somewhere along the line the criteria for association changed and that they were unaware of it until it was brought to their attention and that in the latest version of the criteria there is language that they cannot subscribe to. Can this statement stand up to scrutiny? According to the United Nations the requirements for association have not changed since 1991. Link
Another question that comes to mind is, what is the language that has changed that they cannot subscribe to? The Watchtower Society provides no answer but only makes the statement that it has changed. In my research I can find nothing in the language of the criteria that is different then in 1991. In fact as far back as 1968 NGOs were required to support the goals of the United Nations. Link
"In 1968, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), by resolution 1297 (XLIV) of 27 May, called on DPI to associate NGOs, bearing in mind the letter and spirit of its resolution 1296 (XLIV) of 23 May 1968, which stated that an NGO “...shall undertake to support the work of the UN and to promote knowledge of its principles and activities, in accordance with its own aims and purposes and the nature and scope of its competence and activities”.
What language has change even since 1968? Nothing!
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