Nigeria Votes Yes, UN Committee Grants CPJ Accreditation

Nigeria was among the forty member countries that nodded in agreement, as the United Nations Economic Social Council (ECOSOC) voted to grant consultative status to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The step will allow the independent nonprofit organization to access U.N. bodies and processes, such as the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where accredited NGOs can deliver a counter-narrative to states.

"The council's vote today recognizes the important role that CPJ has played and continues to play at the U.N. by providing expert knowledge and analysis on press freedom related issues," said Joel Simon, executive director of CPJ. "While we are grateful that the vote finally grants CPJ accreditation, we remain disheartened at the politicized process for gaining accreditation and hope that the fact that our application took so long and was so contentious is a wakeup call for the bodies that ensure NGOs are able to access the United Nations." 

The decision to grant CPJ consultative status culminates a four-year process that included seven deferrals based on arcane U.N. procedure. On May 26, CPJ's application was denied by a vote of the NGO committee. Today's vote by the full 54-member council overrides that rejection.

At today's vote, 40 members voted in favor of CPJ's application, five voted against, six members abstained, and three were not present. The full list of votes is below.

CPJ's application had the support of many journalists and press freedom organizations around the world.

Members of the ECOSOC council voted as follows: Nigeria was among the 40 countries that voted in favour of CPJ, while Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Russia, Rwanda, and China voted against; six member countries abstained and three others not present.