29 Spring-Summer 2017 my exchange with Justice Haim Cohn, in the discussion which took place in the President’s residence mentioned above, the integration of Jewish interests in the struggle for comprehensive, universal subjects facilitates the progress of proposals related to the Jewish issues. A good example is the case of the Convention on Racial Discrimination. The entanglement with political issues dividing states was a major obstacle to a clear-cut mention of antisemitism in the Convention. The position and status of non-governmental organizations in the UN, expressed through the Third Committee and subsidiary bodies, do not reflect the evolution of international law and the changes in international realities. It is therefore necessary to revise the relationship of NGOs in the UN and other interstate organizations, as well as the activities and programs of the several Jewish NGOs, some of which are just obsolete or inadequate. It is a task which the State of Israel should stimulate, support and take part in, but the safeguarding of the organizations’ autonomy is an essential element in every attempt to update their role. This is eminently needed in the present state of the world. n Natan Lerner is Professor Emeritus of International Law, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
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