The Committee to Protect Journalists has been denied access to the UN Human Rights Council and other UN bodies and processes after a vote by the UN NGO (nongovernmental organization) Committee.
CPJ at least finally got a vote by the committee, which he said had been blocked procedurally since it first applied to gain "consultative" status in 2012, which it says would have allowed it to counter the narratives of member states.
The vote to deny it that status with the Economic Social Council (ECOSOC) was 10 to six, according to CPJ, with three abstentions. The six voting "yes" were the U.S., Uruguay, Mauritania, Greece, Guinea and Israel. The "no's" were Azerbaijan, Burundi, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, and Sudan.
Abstentions were India, Iran, and Turkey.
"A small group of countries with poor press freedom records are using bureaucratic delaying tactics to sabotage and undermine any efforts that call their own abusive policies into high relief," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.
CPJ still has a shot, though. The ECOSOC, which meets in July can override the committee vote and approve CPJ's application, the group said.
