After years of delay 6 rights groups get UN accreditation

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

After years of delays, six human rights organizations have finally received accreditation from the U.N. body overseeing economic development and social issues. The United States had pushed for a vote on the six groups in June in the U.N. Committee on Non-governmental Organization that handles requests for accreditation to the U.N. Economic and Social Council. But a majority of the 19 members on the NGO committee voted to take no action. So the U.S., and others called for a vote Thursday in the 54-member council Thursday which approved their accreditation 23-7 with 18 abstentions.