Within a matter of days, the Watchtower Society preemptively withdrew from the UN to avoid a formal investigation. A spokesman for the Society, Paul Gillies, issued an official response to The Guardian , claiming the newspaper had "substantially misrepresented" the facts. He offered two main explanations for the affiliation:
In the 1950s and 1960s, Jehovah's Witnesses began to engage with the UN, primarily through their participation in international conferences and events. The organization's representatives attended sessions of the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and other subsidiary bodies.
The application is approved, granting the Society access to the UN library and briefing facilities. Within a matter of days, the Watchtower Society
The "Theocratic Warfare" justification is one of the most controversial aspects of the entire incident. This doctrine, which effectively permits the "withholding of truth" during spiritual conflict, was used to justify the NGO affiliation. In an internal Watchtower document cited in The Guardian , the organization's stance was explained as follows: "In time of spiritual warfare it is proper to misdirect the enemy by hiding the truth. It is done unselfishly; it does not harm anyone; on the contrary it does much good."
From 1991 to 2001, while the Watchtower Society was publishing literature condemning the UN as the prophesied "Wild Beast," its own legal corporation was secretly applying for and maintaining a formal affiliation with that very organization. This doctrine, which effectively permits the "withholding of
Historians and researchers have meticulously archived the official UN letters, application forms, and corresponding Watchtower articles from the 1990s that highlighted UN humanitarian achievements. This documentation remains a focal point for analyzing the complexities of religious institutional governance versus doctrinal purity. If you want to investigate this historical event further,
The formal statements issued by Paul Hoeffel (Chief of the NGO Section) confirming the Society’s active membership from 1992 to 2001 and clarifying the unchanging nature of the NGO criteria. it does not harm anyone
The relationship between Jehovah's Witnesses and the United Nations is complex and multifaceted. While the Witnesses have faced criticism for their engagement with the UN, their interactions with the international organization have also provided opportunities for them to promote their values and interests.
From , the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society was an associated NGO of the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). This was considered highly controversial for several reasons: