RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Chinese government has created obstacles for a body of Brazilian evangelical jurists to enjoy official status at the United Nations. In a meeting on Monday in New York, Beijing asked the Brazilian association to demonstrate it has sufficient global reach to justify obtaining a privileged space at the UN.
The National Association of Evangelical Jurists (ANAJURE) had requested consultative status at the United Nations and was hoping that a meeting with the organization this week would authorize its accession.
Upon receiving the stamp of ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) of the United Nations, the bodies may also appoint a representative in New York and Geneva, submit written statements or be called to give testimony. They further enjoy a guaranteed voice in debates and, above all, they may circulate around the UN buildings to lobby.
The evangelical body began the process in 2017. But since 2019, Jair Bolsonaro’s government has been favorable to the organization’s advocacy, since it would represent an important reinforcement for some items on the agenda of Brazilian diplomacy, particularly with regard to human rights.
The evangelicals, however, insist that their relationship with the government is one of total independence and that they do not support all its agendas. The group also insists that it has always worked with different Brazilian governments.
With the Chinese challenge, the ANAJURE will now need to give an answer by May. If China accepts the argument, the block will be removed. In some cases, however, NGOs take years and governments want to prevent them from raising challenges so that the process is permanently deferred.
Another scenario is an answer from ANAJURE in the coming days, through an oral intervention in the UN debates. But there is no guarantee that this will be enough for the Chinese government.
In the Brazilian case, several bodies currently enjoy this status, among them groups representing indigenous, human rights and minority interests.
Throughout 2019, however, this participation of Brazilian civil society resulted in unprecedented pressure on Bolsonaro’s government, denouncing human rights violations in Brazil on more than 30 occasions.
The body is also present in the OAS, the Organization of American States, and for this purpose, it maintained a dialogue with the PT government at the time.
In 2012, in one of its first meetings, ANAJURE paid a tribute to Damares Alves, pastor and today Minister of Human Rights.
Source: UOL