After three years of failed efforts, emergency response victim identification organization ZAKA was granted official advisory status by the United Nations last week. The Tuesday night vote was passed unanimously by the UN Committee on Non Governmental Organizations, despite the membership of states hostile to Israel like Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Sudan, and Pakistan.
Another Israeli NGO, AlManarah the Association for Persons with Disabilities was also granted recognition by the UN.
ZAKA Chairman Yehuda Meshi Zahav praised the recognition of ZAKA, saying: “It is a moral and ethical organization, and its acceptance in the UN is a natural extension of its worldwide operations. He said ZAKA was active in many countries, saving lives and maintaining the dignity of disaster victims. Meshi Zahav emphasized the group had been recognized unanimously because of the diplomatic maneuvers of the Israeli embassy at the UN.
Official recognition by the UN grants ZAKA the right to participate in official hearings of all UN arms and thus influence the conversation in the global union’s various committees.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said: “This is a very significant victory for Israeli diplomacy. ZAKA is an organization that reflects Israel's moral values and its acceptance by the UN represents conclusive proof to the world of this fact. ZAKA received the status it deserves.”
The UN Committee on NGOs, which convenes twice a year, has rejected ZAKA’s application for official recognition for the past three years, because of what the Israeli embassy defined as “numerous objections by anti-Israel actors.”
But the efforts of the embassy, with the help and cooperation of US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, helped remove the obstacles.
ZAKA and AlManarah join two other Israeli organizations which have previously been given advisory status by the UN Beit Issie Shaprio and ALUT (the Israeli Society for Autistic Children).
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 1, 2016
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