"criteria for association as an NGO's" had changed. A similar letter was sent to the Guardian.

The letter to the Guardian and to the Branches is quite untruthful. There was no change requiring NGO's to become associated in order to gain a library card. There are over 400 UN libraries worldwide that can be accessed by anyone. Since 1946, these libraries have had the same access rules, with no change in access requirements in 1991.

"Since 1946, the Dag Hammarskjold Library of the United Nations Secretariat in New York has arranged for the distribution of United Nations documents and publications to users around the world through its depository library system. At present, there are more than 400 depository libraries in over 140 countries maintaining United Nations material from the datewith the United Nations? Without an honest statement from the Watchtower this can only be speculated, though most likely it was in order to gain political favour to enhance Watchtower rights in countries under ban. This was explained in an interview immediately following the Guardian article. The Watchtower spokesman in Portugal stated that United Nations registration was to assist gaining recognition in developing countries. In a newspaper interview on Saturday 20th October 2001, the Watchtowers Portuguese representative stated:

"Registration as a Non Governmental Organisation was only done because you can give humanitarian aid and protect human rights in various countries around the world," says the PUBLIC Pedro Candeias, spokesman for the Association of Jehovah's Witnesses in Portugal. In Portugal, however, a relaxation of registration is not yet known officially