baardkjo@idtünit.no (Baard Kjos) writes:
{...} the following is snipped from the
euro-queer mailing list, originally posted there by Bjorn Skolander:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

  At the European ILGA Conference in Helsinki a short time ago Hans
  Hjerpekjon ( Co Sceretary-General, ILGA) summed up ILGA's standpoint
  regarding the now suspended German member-organisation VSG. The
  following is the VSG-relevant parts of the minutes at the UN workshop
  in Helsinki.

  Bjorn
  --------


  UNITED NATIONS WORKSHOP

  28th December, 1994. Kurt Krickler and Hans Hjerpekjon are
  chairing, Michiel Odijk is taking minutes. About 20 participants
  present.


  Hans gives an extensive overview of the developments in the so-
  called paedophilia issue since the annual ILGA conference in New
  York in June, this year. As everybody will probably know, the UN
  had granted a roster status as non-governmental organisation (NGO)
  to the ILGA in its Economic and Social Council (EcoSoc), and this
  status was under threat because of the news that ILGA had
  paedophile member groups. In the ILGA New York ILGA conference,
  two resolutions were then passed about paedophilia. With an 88%
  majority the ILGA voted for an expulsion of three members that
  were qualified as pedophile groups. Another resolution was about
  a general principle. It said that groups or associations whose
  main objective is to promote or support peadophila are not
  compatible with future ILGA development. This resolution also
  passed p although not in unanimity, as Hans had mentioned earlier.
  This means that these resolutions now set the ILGA policy, and
  that the secretariats, who have to take care of ILGA matters
  between the world conferences, should act according to this
  policy.

  After the New York conference, a lady from the UN-US mission
  called Hans and asked some questions about a Munich-based group
  called VSG [Vereinigung fur Sexuelle Gleichberechtigung]. It was
  not clear why she asked these questions, and Hans could not answer
  her questions. At that time the Brussels office was closed, and
  could not provide the proper information. Mid-September there was
  an urgent warning from the ILGA New York group, that there would
  be a meeting of EcoSoc within two days, and that EcoSoc was going
  to suspend the ILGA NGO status.

  (stuff deleted)

  The votes to suspend ILGA were unanimous. During the debate in the
  EcoSoc, information was spread that was a translated version of
  the Munich gay guide, describing the aims and activities of the
  VSG. It was said that an anonimous fax from Boston tipped the UN
  that their was another paedophile group in ILGA, despite of the
  ILGA declaration that ILGA was now 'clean'. The translation from
  the gay guide was not quite accurate, but on the major points it
  was correct. The ILGA secretariats checked the text with the VSG
  and the VSG have confirmed that they themselves provided this text
  for the gay guide.

  The VSG has also been asked by the sceretariats what their
  position is on the issue of paedophilia. The secretariats
  considered themselves as being responsible to carry out ILGA
  policies, under paragraph 6, section 2 of the ILGA Constitution.
  This section states that the secretariats and secretariats-general
  are responsible for executing the ILGA policies in between
  conferences. The secretariats committee discussed what the New
  York resolutions meant in terms of ILGA policies. They discussed
  the way of dealing with these problems, and decided that it would
  be their first task to define ILGA's policy, then they would
  discuss on how to execute this policy, and only as the third part
  they show look at how the EcoSoc would react on ILGA's policy and
  policy implementation.

  The Secretariats Committee decided that it is important to have a
  definition of paedophilia for the practical implementation of
  ILGA's policies. They came up with a definition: sexual activity
  between adults and prepubertant children, thereby avoiding the
  discussion on the age of consent. The term prepuberty, or rather,
  puberty, should be understood as made up by both physical and
  cultural factors. The Secretariats Committee concluded that the
  ILGA meant that groups having the promotion of such activities as
  their main aim should be expelled from the ILGA. But if ILGA
  member groups have a counseling subgroup on paedophilia, that does
  not mean that this is their main activity. What is the 'main
  objective', as worded in this ILGA decision? VSG has given very
  prompt and adequate information on the questions asked by the
  Secretariats Committee. The only thing that was lacking was their
  position to the ILGA membership. The Secretariats Committee
  decided that this group is not compatible with furure ILGA
  development.

  But the secretariats committee had never been given a mandate to
  expel member groups. Therefore, the Secretariats Committee only
  told the VSG that they were suspended. The world conference should
  then decide how to deal with the VSG.

  (stuff deleted)

  A question is raised about the decision on the VSG. The paedophile
  group is only a subgroup of the VSG. Have the secreteriats dealt
  with the situation on the basis of the written information, or how
  did they end up with their conslusion? Hans answers that yes, they
  have based their ordeal on the written information.

  (stuff deleted)

  Another comment: "It was not necessary to suspend the VSG. It did
  not solve anything, it only created more problems."

  Hans clarifies that the decision to suspend the VSG membership was
  not because of the EcoSoc criteria, but because of ILGA's policy.
  He promises that the text of the Munich gay guide about VSG, and
  both letters from the VSG will be made available to every ILGA
  member, so that on the next annual conference everybody will have
  the same basis for discussion on this issue. He stresses that the
  secretariats wanted to act along the line of the New York
  conference. Alternative or parallel strategies have not been
  discussed.

--
Baard Kjos                            | http://www.idtünit.no/~baardkjo/
Div. of Comp. Sci. and Telematics     | ____
The Norwegian Institute of Technology | \  / The heart is a small
N-7034 Trondheim, NORWAY              |  \/       indomitable muscle...