Hi lurk,
I kinda know a little about the subject and the politics of of the Department of Public Information at the UN.
I was provided with letters from Mr. Hoeffel and Mr. Hoeffel's boss. They refuse to locate or give me the original application blank forms.
They also, based on their own privacy information, refuse to hand over anything from the Watchtower's file at DPI.
Unfortunately, unlike my Province where I can request government information through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privcay Act, the UN has no statute and thus they can do whatever they please.
It is so bad with that DPI office that I remember just after I got Hoeffel to send me that October 11, 2001 letter (that is now all over the net), that Hoeffel started directing all calls to his office on the WTS subject directly to me. I literally had hundreds of JWs and nonJWs phoning my office and asking me about this "partnership" (UN's actual wording) between the Watchtower (acting as am "Associated" Non Governmental Organization) and the United Nations Department of Inofrmation. I had to phone Hoeffel back up and literally scream at the guy until he agreed NOT to direct these phone calls (that the UN should have been dealing with) directly to me. My parting words were "... why the hell do countries give money to the UN, if its staff are directing information requests to other people who aren't part of the UN and are not getting paid to answer the phone on their time?
I am actually still on it - believe it or not and one of these days I hope I or someone else will get a hold of the orginal documents.
Remember though - in order to become an "associated" NGO with the UN's DPI, they, the WTS, had to voluntarily ask the DPI to associate with the UN and then agree to supporting the UN charter.
hawk
hawk