In the previous chapter, we showed how the Watchtower Society, as a UN Department of Public Information (DPI) Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), was not under the authority of the ECOSOC resolution which said NGOs should “support” the UN. The fact that the Watchtower Society was not under that resolution is reflected in the forms it completed in 1991.
No where on those forms is there anything which would compromise the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. If there was something there then we could read it on those forms ourselves — as some critics would expect — but instead there is simply nothing there. —See the original 1991 forms
You will also notice that there doesn't even seem to be a place to put a signature. This corroborates what the Watchtower Society itself said in it's letter to The Guardian newspaper, where the spokesman for the London Bethel explained, “At the time of the initial application no signature was required on the form.”
However, some critics claim that the Society is being deliberately misleading. They claim that NGOs had to renew their status with the DPI each year and re-apply. They usually show a copy of a 2005 “Accreditation Form” for yearly status renewal — complete with a place for a signature and date at the bottom. That form states that the NGO “must support and respect the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”. Therefore, they make the accusation that the Watchtower Society not only had to sign a new application every year, but were also well aware that they were supporting the United Nations because it was on the form. However, is this argument valid?
No, the argument is not valid. In fact, the critics are being deliberately misleading and are hoping you won't notice. If we actually take the time to read through the 2005 “Accreditation Form”, yes the very document they present as “proof” that the Society renewed it's application each year, what do we find? We find that is says this:
“In 2002 we instituted the review process for NGOs associated with DPI.”
That's right — the renewal process where the NGO must reapply and sign a form each year was not started until the year after the Watchtower Society resigned as an NGO! This very fact is stated in the document apostates use a “proof” that the Society “renewed their application each year”! Evidently, the apostates just hope you will believe what they say and won't notice what's written in the text of the document. Amazing.
This fact is further confirmed by a United Nations Press Release in December of 2001, which says, in part:
"During the year the DPI has instituted a review process for the first time, in order to better measure the effectiveness of its liaison activities with associated NGOs.”
So the evidence shows that the Watchtower Society did not have to renew it's NGO status at any time during it's membership, nor did any other NGO associated with the DPI. Only between the end of 2001 to the beginning of 2002 did the process begin, months after the Society resigned as an NGO. That is when the Accreditation Form was changed to say NGOs must support he UN and when the form became a renewal application.
However, prior to that date the Society (and other NGOs) certainly did have to sign the previous version of the Accreditation Form every year. What did the previous version of the form say? Who signed it?
Each year, the DPI required its NGOs to sign the Accreditation Form to state who its representatives would be — to allow them to gain access to the DPI's extensive facilities at the United Nations in New York.
Here we have a copy of the Accreditation Form as it appeared prior to 2002 — before the renewal process began and before the form was changed to become a renewal application. See the form for yourself at this location. As you can see, this earlier version of the form says nothing about supporting the United Nations. The form is merely there to allow representatives of the NGO to access the DPI's facilities. The form itself clearly states:
“This form should be used to confirm your currently accredited representative and/or to authorize newly appointed representatives.”
The form the Society signed each year was obviously not a renewal application. To deny this and continue to insist that they did renew their status each year, would be senseless. Interestingly, also appearing on this earlier form is the following question:
“Please indicate your organization's main area(s) of interest (e.g. development, disarmament, religion, environment, human rights, conflict resolution, women, etc.)”
Some apostates have found lists of UN NGOs where the Watchtower Society is listed, complete with items such as “human rights”, and “women” listed as the Society's areas of interest. They have noticed how these areas of interest have changed in the records from year-to-year. Therefore, they have argued that it “proves” the Society must have annually renewed their NGO membership because the “areas of interest” kept changing. Yet, as we can clearly see from the form, that question did not appear on a yearly renewal form at all — but on the form to get the representatives their access passes.
It is clear, then, that the Watchtower Society did not reapply for it's NGO status each year, and that the Accreditation Form (prior to 2001/2002) which the Society did sign annually, was simply to state who it's representatives would be along with their areas of interest for accessing the DPI's facilities.
It is also clear that the Watchtower Society was being truthful when it said “At the time of the initial application no signature was required on the form”, and that the forms signed by the Society really did not conflict with Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs. We can see the evidence for ourselves.