India Avoids Voting On UN Resolution On U.S. NGO

New Delhi

India has abstained from voting on a UN resolution that granted special consultative status to an American NGO that works to free political prisoners across the world.

India was among the 11 countries that abstained from voting on the resolution in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to grant special consultative non-governmental organisation (NGO) status to the Freedom Now group.

Of the 54 ECOSOC members present, 29 voted in favour of the resolution sponsored by Albania, Australia, Estonia, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, UK, U.S. and Uruguay.

Nine nations, including China and Pakistan voted against the resolution.

Freedom Now said being granted the status is important not merely as acknowledgement of its important work but to provide the organisation, its imprisoned clients, and their families a platform to address the UN Human Rights Council, ECOSOC, and the General Assembly during relevant discussions.

Freedom Now is a U.S.-based non-partisan NGO that works to free individual prisoners of conscience through focused legal, political, and public relations advocacy efforts.

“Today’s vote is the culmination of a six year application process unnecessarily prolonged by politics,” Freedom Now Executive Director Maran Turner said.

PTI