Subject: Request for the Withdrawal of Consultative Status of RADDHO for Violating the Standards of Neutrality and Independence
To: His Excellency the President of ECOSOC
CC: Members of the Committee on NGOs
Dear Excellency,
We, the undersigned, Independent UN Watch formally request that the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) initiate an urgent review of the consultative status of Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (RADDHO) due to credible evidence indicating that the organization has violated the principles of neutrality and independence required of NGOs holding this status. Rather than functioning as an impartial human rights organization, RADDHO has increasingly operated as a tool of influence for specific UN member states, particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE), thereby undermining the integrity of ECOSOC’s consultative framework.
Violations of ECOSOC’s Principles
RADDHO was founded in 1990 in Dakar, Senegal, with the stated mission of promoting human rights and democracy in Africa. However, recent reports and documented financial records reveal that RADDHO has received over €500,000 from UAE-linked sources, which has directly influenced its advocacy priorities. This funding has enabled RADDHO’s active participation in UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva, where it has consistently advanced narratives that align with UAE foreign policy—particularly by amplifying anti-Qatar rhetoric while remaining silent on human rights abuses in UAE-aligned states such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Despite the well-documented repression of dissent, political prisoners, and human rights violations in UAE-backed governments, RADDHO has avoided condemning these abuses. Instead, its advocacy efforts have disproportionately focused on Qatar, particularly regarding labor rights issues during the FIFA World Cup preparations, while ignoring similar or worse abuses in the UAE itself, including migrant worker exploitation, press censorship, and suppression of political opposition.
Breach of UN NGO Committee Standards
Under ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31, NGOs in consultative status must adhere to the following principles:
1. Independence from governmental influence – NGOs must operate without financial or political control from specific UN member states.
2. Objective and impartial advocacy – NGOs must contribute to international human rights discourse without advancing the geopolitical agenda of any country.
3. Commitment to universal human rights standards – NGOs must address violations in all regions and by all governments, without selective bias.
RADDHO has blatantly violated these principles by functioning as an extension of UAE foreign policy interests, using its ECOSOC status to legitimize politically motivated campaigns against UAE rivals while shielding UAE-aligned regimes from scrutiny.
Furthermore, under the leadership of Mr. Nishkarsh Singh, RADDHO has actively recruited other African NGOs to align with UAE interests in Geneva. This operation is reportedly conducted under the guidance of Isa al Arabi, a Bahraini activist known for directing funds into networks that promote UAE foreign policy narratives at the UN.
Call for Action
In light of these serious violations, we respectfully urge ECOSOC to:
• Launch an immediate investigation into RADDHO’s activities and financial links to determine whether it has breached its obligations under consultative status.
• Suspend or revoke its consultative status if it is found to have engaged in politically motivated advocacy on behalf of UAE interests.
• Strengthen oversight mechanisms to prevent state-backed NGOs from manipulating ECOSOC’s consultative framework to advance geopolitical objectives.
We trust that ECOSOC will take decisive action to uphold the integrity of civil society participation within the United Nations. We remain available to provide further documentation, testimonies, and reports regarding these concerns.
Sincerely,
Laura J Adams
