Yes, Uncle1, the WTS secretly became associated with the UN in 1991 as an NGO (non-governmental organization). They renewed this association each year until 2001, when The Guardian published an article exposing the situation. The day after the article, the WTS pulled out as an NGO.
If you look at the document on the UN website, the WTS's application required their SUPPORT and AGREEMENT with the UN philosphy... which was renewed each year. The WTS claims that such support and agreement was not a requirement when they became an NGO (yes, the WTS does admit to being an NGO!!!), but the UN makes it clear that these were required long before 1991. If you read any NGO informational brochure put out by the UN since before 1991, you will see that these requirements are very clearly stated, so they could not simply be missed.
The official excuse by the WTS is the 'need' to have access to the UN's library. They wish you would simply take their word for it. But if you read further, you'll find that affiliation with the UN has never been a requirement for using their library; also, the exact same documents in the UN library are available in locations much nearer to the WTS headquarters.
JWs who learn all of this information must speculate what is really going on here, and if there was really a legitimate reason for the WTS to flagrantly bend its own strict rules.
BTW, I find one point very ironic: that the Watchtower had published in the summer of 1991 a vitriolic, castigating article against Christendom for being such a whore for associating with the UN instead of trusting Jehovah! That is, right at the very time that they were making application to associate with the UN themselves, they had the nerve to publish an absolute denunciation for all others who did.
Must be a theocratic warfare tactic!
Anyway, head on over to www.freeminds.org and follow the links. The details there are well-documented, and not merely biased/urban legend garbage.
Hope you can handle a paradigm shift.
bebu