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Authority and accountability · Claim record

The UN's 2004 letter states that the criteria — including support for the UN Charter and an information programme about UN activities — were agreed 'by accepting association' in 1992 and quotes the paragraph 'included in all letters sent to NGOs approved for association in 1992'; a 2002 DPI letter reproduced by a discovery site adds that 'the criteria for association for NGOs have not been changed since 1991'.

Claim ID claim-authority-2002-2004-un-said-criteria-unchanged-and-agreed-at-associationConcerns 4 March 2004Independent finding
Independent finding · 4 March 2004 Verified

The UN's 2004 letter states that the criteria — including support for the UN Charter and an information programme about UN activities — were agreed 'by accepting association' in 1992 and quotes the paragraph 'included in all letters sent to NGOs approved for association in 1992'; a 2002 DPI letter reproduced by a discovery site adds that 'the criteria for association for NGOs have not been changed since 1991'. United Nations Department of Public Information, NGO Section, 4 March 2004United Nations Department of Public Information, Public Liaison Service, 18 March 2002

The organisation’s position or later explanation: See.

Show the evidence (2 sources)
Official public record Verified

United Nations Department of Public Information, NGO Section, “Letter 'To Whom It May Concern' re association of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York with DPI”

4 March 2004 · pp.1-2 · Paul Hoeffel, Chief, NGO Section, Department of Public Information · United Nations

“This organization applied for association with DPI in 1991 and was granted association in 1992. By accepting association with DPI, the organization agreed to meet criteria for association, including support and respect of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and commitment and means to conduct effective information programmes with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities. In October 2001, the Main Representative of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York to the United Nations, Ciro Aulicino, requested termination of its association with DPI. Following this request, the DPI made a decision to disassociate the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York as of 9 October 2001.”

The letter also reproduces the paragraph 'included in all letters sent to NGOs approved for association in 1992' (its ‘principle purpose’ [sic]: 'redissemination of information … about the United Nations'; asks NGOs to send 'issues of your relevant publications') and lists the criteria: share the ideals of the UN Charter; not-for-profit; demonstrated interest in UN issues; commitment and means to conduct effective information programmes.

Official source Archived or alternative copy Scan of original

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Downloaded the PDF from un.org and read both pages as images in this session; wording above transcribed from the scan.

Scan provenance. United Nations (un.org file store, linked from https://www.un.org/en/civil-society/watchtowerletter); two-page scanned PDF with DPI/NGO letterhead and signature

Corroborated by. src-un-2026-0000-civil-society-watchtower-page, src-archive-2022-0224-un-letter-copy, src-guardian-2001-1008-jw-link-to-un-queried

Notes. Also reachable via https://www.un.org/en/file/92547. A lawful scan exists at the official URL — the site can link rather than host.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-un-2004-0304-hoeffel-dpi-letter

Official public record Supported

United Nations Department of Public Information, Public Liaison Service, “Letter in reply to enquiry of 19 February 2002”

18 March 2002 · p.1 · Lyutha Al-Mughairy, Chief, Public Liaison Service, DPI · United Nations

“1. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., an NGO, had been associated with the DPI since 1992 and requested to terminate its association in 2001. … 2. The United Nations does not force or “trick” any NGO to be associated with DPI. 3. The criteria for association for NGOs have not been changed since 1991.”

Directly addresses the organisation's explanation that the 'Criteria for Association' had changed.

Scan of original

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Read the scan (image) on jwfacts. Not available on un.org. Content is consistent with the official 2004 letter (which states the criteria as agreed at association) and is cited by multiple secondary sources, but the original UN copy was not opened.

Scan provenance. Scan hosted by jwfacts.com (discovery site); recipient's name redacted; cc S. Tharoor, T. Gastaut, P. Hoeffel

Corroborated by. src-un-2004-0304-hoeffel-dpi-letter, src-jwfacts-2026-0000-un-association-page

Notes. Publish with attribution to the scan's provenance, or describe rather than reproduce.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-un-2002-0318-al-mughairy-dpi-letter

Claim page

A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-authority-2002-2004-un-said-criteria-unchanged-and-agreed-at-association/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.