an NGO can form with the United Nations. The application was renewed annually and is a matter of public record.

Watchtower remained an Associate Member until a few days after knowledge of this involvement became public through the release of breaking news in The Guardian on 8th October 2001.

Jehovah's Witnesses link to UN queried

Sect accused of hypocrisy over association with organisation it has demonised.

"The United Nations is being asked to investigate why it has granted associate status to the Jehovah's Witnesses, the fundamentalist US-based Christian sect, which regards it as the scarlet beast predicted in the Book of Revelation. Disaffected members of the 6m-strong group, which has 130,000 followers in the UK, have accused the Witnesses' elderly governing body of hypocrisy in secretly accepting links with an organisation thatthey continue to denounce in apocalyptic terms. The UN itself admitted yesterday that it was surprised that the sect, whose formal name is the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, had been accepted on its list of non-governmental organisations for the last 10 years."

As the above letter outlines, the Watchtower was an associated NGO and to become associated required the Watchtower to accept the following:

that the NGO share the ideals of the UN Charter;

have a demonstrated interest in United Nations issues and a proven ability to reach target or specialized audiences, such as educators, media representatives, policy makers and the business community;

have the commitment and means to conduct effective information programs about UN activities by publishing newsletters, bulletins and pamphlets, organizing conferences, seminars and round tables;