India supports UN decision to deny consultative status to NGO

India has supported a decision by a UN council to deny granting consultative status to a Geneva-based human rights NGO that has been declared a terrorist organisation by the UAE and whose founder had been sanctioned by the US and the UN.

The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on July 26 decided against granting consultative status to Fondation Alkarama, following objections by United Arab Emirates over the group’s alleged ties to terrorism.
Concerns over the NGO were also expressed by countries, including India, that said it would work with the international community to fight terrorism.

India’s representative Paulomi Tripathi said during the Council’s meeting that the UAE had raised serious concerns about Fondation Alkarama, affirming that the group had been declared a terrorist organisation.

Tripathi said that at least one of its founders was the subject of the US and the UN sanctions, according to information about the meeting on the UN website.

She said India would work with the international community to fight terrorism and took such concerns seriously.