FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: August 5, 2003

United Nations Grants Priests for Life NGO Status

August 5, 2003, New York. The United Nations Economic and Social Council has decided to grant Priests for Life Special Consultative Status as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).

Priests for Life "may now designate official representatives to the United Nations -- to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and the United Nations offices in Geneva and Vienna," according to the official letter received at the end of July.

NGOs perform a variety of important services and humanitarian functions. Specifically, they bring citizens’ concerns to Governments, monitor government policies, and encourage political participation at the community level.

NGO status was granted to Priests for Life in recognition of its high standing within the field of human rights; the international outreach of Fr. Frank Pavone’s television and radio broadcasts -- which extend to South America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Regions; and the organization’s "proven ability to reach large audiences, such as educators, media representatives, policy makers and the business community."

Priests for Life plans to have an extremely strong presence at UN Conferences, speak at UN subsidiary meetings, and vigorously propose items to be considered for the agenda of the Economic and Social Council.

"We are privileged to join so many excellent organizations who have been working at the UN for decades," Fr. Frank said. "As is true of so many of them, our presence at the UN will be an untiring witness to the need to build a new culture of life worldwide. This includes banning abortion by international law and permanently securing the rights of every unborn child in every nation."

"I encourage all organizations within the Church and the pro-life movement to explore the option of becoming an NGO, so that the good work they do can in some fashion be shared with the whole world," Fr. Frank concluded.