FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY PREPARATORY COMMITTEE APPROVES FINAL REPORT
Press Release
ANV/223
FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY PREPARATORY COMMITTEE APPROVES FINAL REPORT
19951205 The Preparatory Committee for the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations this morning approved its draft report to the General Assembly, thus completing its work. The Committee also approved a draft resolution by which the General Assembly would express appreciation to: the secretariat of the fiftieth anniversary for the commemorative projects it had undertaken; Member States, corporations and individuals which had contributed to the Trust Fund for the Fiftieth Anniversary; national committees, non-governmental and other organizations that had supported the goals of the anniversary; and the host country for arrangements made in support of the commemorative meeting. The Assembly would also request the Secretary-General to ensure that funds remaining in the Trust Fund were applied to the purposes for which they were committed, and to report to it before the end of its current session.Also this morning, the Committee agreed that the bound book of statements made at the fiftieth anniversary special commemorative session of the General Assembly would comprise the texts as orally delivered. The Committee also agreed to commission a commemorative photograph of permanent representatives.
The Preparatory Committee, entrusted with recommending and overseeing activities in connection with the observance of the fiftieth anniversary, was established by General Assembly resolution 46/472 of 13 April 1992. The draft report (document A/AC.240/1995/L.13/Rev.1), which was introduced by the Committee Rapporteur, Patricia Durant (Jamaica), provides background information on the Preparatory Committee and reviews preparations for the commemoration of the Organization's fiftieth anniversary, including a summary of the discussions and debate that took place to prepare the six-part Declaration, eventually adopted at the special commemorative meeting on 24 October. The Declaration itself is included as an annex to the report, along with the list of speakers for the special commemorative meeting and the list of documentation concerning the Preparatory Committee's work.
The report also describes in some detail other commemorative activities organized by national committees, global projects undertaken by the Secretariat of the fiftieth anniversary, activities of the United Nations system, activities of non-governmental organizations and administrative and financial issues. (For detailed summary of the draft report, see Press Release ANV/218 of 18 September.)
The Committee Chairman, Richard Butler (Australia), said this morning that funds remaining in the Trust Fund should be dedicated to the purposes for which they had been committed -- information and education with respect to the fiftieth anniversary. Some $2 million remained in the Trust Fund, with an additional $2 million in royalties expected to accrue. The Secretary-General should be left to determine staffing requirements to manage the expenditure of those remaining funds, he said.
The publication of statements made at the commemorative session of the Assembly would have no financial implications, he continued. Sales of the book were expected to generate revenue for the Organization. The commemorative photograph of Permanent Representatives would cost approximately $5,000. If 200 prints were sold at $25 each, there would be no financial implications. The photograph would be taken at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, 12 December, at the Visitor's Entrance lobby.
The Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for Public Policy, Gillian Martin Sorensen, thanked the preparatory committee for its work in managing activities of the special commemorative session.
Also making statements this morning were the representatives of France, China, United States, Lebanon, Brazil, Canada, India, Libya, Mauritania, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Trinidad and Tobago, and Iraq.
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