GENERAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 159 ITEMS FOR FIFTY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA

Press Release
GA/9092

GENERAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 159 ITEMS FOR FIFTY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA

The General Committee this morning recommended that the fifty-first General Assembly adopt an agenda of 159 items.

Recommendations on the inclusion of agenda items and their allocation to the Assembly's six Main Committees were made during a paragraph-by-paragraph review of a memorandum of the Secretary-General on the organization of work for the session.

Among the new items recommended for inclusion in the agenda were the question of the elaboration of an international convention against organized transnational crime, and the elimination of coercive economic measures to apply political and economic pressures. New items dealing with the observer status of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the financing of the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) were also included.

A proposed new item on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality of nuclear weapons was recommended for inclusion as a sub-item of agenda item 71 on general and complete disarmament.

The Committee did not recommend that the General Assembly consider a proposed item on the "exceptional situation of the inability, resulting from General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI), of the 21.3 million people on Taiwan, Republic of China, to participate in the activities of the United Nations". The request for inclusion of the item was sponsored by Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Gambia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Nicaragua, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Swaziland and Solomon Islands.

The decision was made following a lengthy debate during which a number of speakers supported the initiative, stating that the 21 million people of Taiwan should be represented in the activities of the international community.

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However, numerous participants also took the floor to oppose the initiative, stating that the question of China's representation had been decided once and for all in the Assembly.

The representative of the People's Republic of China said that the proposal to include the new item was a brazen attempt to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" at the United Nations. Such a situation would be a serious encroachment upon China's sovereignty and a gross interference in its internal affairs, he said.

As one of the sponsors of the request for inclusion of the item, the representative of Solomon Islands said resolution 2758 (XXVI), which recognized the People's Republic of China as the only lawful representative of China to the United Nations, had been adopted 25 years ago and reflected the language of the cold war. The new item should be included on the agenda to allow, as an interim measure, the people of Taiwan to participate in and contribute to the work of the United Nations.

Statements on the proposed inclusion of the item concerning Taiwan were made by the representatives of Chile, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Brazil, Cuba, Peru, Swaziland, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Senegal, Niger, United Republic of Tanzania, Kazakstan, Belize, Myanmar, Gambia, Nepal, Burkina Faso, Philippines, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Saint Lucia, Malawi, Guatemala, Central African Republic, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, El Salvador, Algeria, Zambia, Cyprus, Russian Federation, Zimbabwe, Libya, Syria, Mongolia, Iran, Mauritania, Mexico, Burundi, Sudan, Turkey, Angola, Botswana, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Belarus, Ghana and Afghanistan.

In response to an appeal by the President of the General Assembly and Committee Chairman Razali Ismail (Malaysia) to come to a decision on the Taiwan item, a number of speakers agreed to submit their full statements for the Committee record and limit their oral presentation to only their position in support of or in opposition to the proposal.

Regarding the other new items, the Committee recommended that the new items relating to the observer status of Interpol and the elimination of coercive economic measures be considered directly in plenary. The Committee also recommended that the elaboration of an international convention against transnational crime be considered by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) and that the financing of UNSMIH be allocated to the Fifth Committee.

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The Committee also recommended that, in the item on the implementation of the Declaration on Granting Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, all chapters of the report of the Special Committee relating to specific Territories should be referred to the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), thus enabling the Assembly to deal in plenary with the question of implementation of the Declaration as a whole.

The Committee recommended that the question of the Falkland Islands (Maldives) be considered directly in plenary, on the understanding that interested bodies and individuals would be heard in the Fourth Committee.

The Committee further recommended that certain relevant paragraphs of the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) be drawn to the attention of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security). Also, the Committee recommended that the report of the United Nations Development Fund for Women be referred to the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) for consideration under item 100, on operational activities for development. The Committee deferred allocation of the item "Question of Cyprus" until later in the current session.

In connection with the item on human resources management, the Committee recommended that the Sixth Committee (Legal) examine the legal implications of proposals made by the Secretary-General on reform of the Secretariat's internal system of justice and that the Fifth Committee revert to the internal system of justice during the current session.

While recommending that the allocation of other agenda items be based on the pattern of previous years, the Committee decided that items previously allocated to the plenary meetings be referred to Main Committees unless there were compelling circumstances requiring continued plenary consideration. In that regard, the Committee recommended the allocation of lists of items to the respective Main Committees as proposed in the Memorandum of the Secretary- General. The Committee also recommended several practices be employed by the Main Committees to expedite their work.

Also this morning, the General Committee approved the Assembly's organization of work. It recommended that the fifty-first session should recess no later than Tuesday, 17 December 1996, and close on Monday, 15 September 1997; all Main Committees should start their work as soon as possible and make every effort to complete it by Friday, 29 November 1996; morning meetings should start at 10 a.m. and, as a cost saving measure, every effort should be made to ensure that the afternoon meetings adjourn by 6 p.m., and that no meetings should be held on weekends.

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The Committee endorsed the Secretary-General's suggestion that the general debate should begin on Monday, 23 September, and close on Friday, 11 October, and that the list of speakers in that debate should be closed on Wednesday, 25 September, at 6 p.m. It decided that past practices should be followed concerning such matters as explanations of vote, right of reply, length of statements, records of meetings, reproduction of statements in the Main Committees and limitation of concluding statements.

The Committee recommended that the Assembly should adopt the suggested format for commemorative meetings, including limiting each statement to 15 minutes. It also endorsed the suggestion of the Secretary-General that observances and commemorative meetings take place, as far as possible, immediately following the general debate. The Committee also drew the Assembly's attention to the recommendations of the Committee on Conferences regarding special conferences.

The Committee also decided to draw the Assembly's attention to the recommendations by the Committee on Conferences that the following subsidiary organs be authorized to meet during the fifty-first session: the Committee on Conferences; Committee on Relations with the Host Country; Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian Peoples; Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); and the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

As had been the practice in previous years, the agenda items on the "question of the Malagasy islands of the Glorieuses, Juan de Nova, Europa and Bassas da India" and the "question of East Timor" were deferred until the Assembly's next session.

In other action this morning, the Committee recommended that the Assembly hold a special commemorative meeting marking the fiftieth anniversary of the operations of UNICEF on Wednesday, 11 December.

The report of the General Committee is scheduled to be taken up by the Assembly at 10 a.m. Friday, 20 September.

General Committee Work Programme

The General Committee met this morning to consider the organization of work for the fifty-first session of the General Assembly. It was expected to recommend a provisional agenda for the Assembly's session and the allocation of agenda items to the six Main Committees.

The Committee had before it a memorandum by the Secretary-General (document A/BUR/51/1) which lists 163 items proposed for inclusion in the agenda. The memorandum also reviews the past procedures of the Assembly and past decisions dealing with the organization of its work.

Six new items have been proposed for inclusion on the agenda, among them the consideration of the inability of the people of Taiwan, Republic of China, to participate in the activities of the United Nations, as a result of Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI), which recognized the People's Republic of China as the only lawful representative of China to the United Nations.

Also proposed for inclusion are the consideration by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the legality of nuclear weapons; the question of the elaboration of an international convention against organized transnational crime; and the elimination of coercive economic measures to apply political and economic pressures.

Other new items proposed for inclusion in the agenda deal with observer status of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and with financing of the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH).

Statements

Chairman of the General Committee and President of the General Assembly RAZALI ISMAIL (Malaysia) at the opening of the meeting emphasized the absolute necessity for starting and ending meetings on time. He called for a new spirit of efficiency and punctuality. It was unacceptable for money to be wasted by the Assembly at the current juncture by an inefficient use of services. While acknowledging the importance of the work of General Committee, he also suggested a need to streamline in the future the procedures of the Committee.

Action on Provisional Agenda

During action on the provisional agenda, the representative of the Netherlands said item 55 on launching of global negotiations on international economic cooperation for development had been on the agenda for quite some time and was covered by other agenda items, such as 98 (b) on an agenda for development. He called for deleting the item and focusing the work on the issue under 98 (b).

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The CHAIRMAN called for consultations with the creators of the agenda item and the Committee agreed to consider consolidating the item for the fifty-second session.

The representative of Niger, speaking on item 92, on the question of the Malagasy islands, asked that the item be deferred to the fifty-second session.

The representative of the Netherlands, associating his Government with Madagascar and France, supported the proposal of Niger.

The Committee recommended deferral of the item until the fifty-second session of the Assembly and that it be included in its provisional agenda.

The representative of the Netherlands pointed out that the Secretary- General in his report on the work of the Organization indicated that the last two rounds of negotiations between Portugal and Indonesia had focused on short-term issues on the question of East Timor. Talks were continuing. The Secretary-General, Indonesia and Portugal should be allowed more time to continue their ongoing dialogue.

The representative of the Philippines supported the proposal of the Netherlands. Despite differences the two Governments were carrying out productive talks. The item should be deferred to the next session.

The Committee then recommended the deferral of item 93 to the fifty- second session of the Assembly.

The representative of the Netherlands requested that consideration should be given to future deletion of item 95 on the question of the composition of the relevant organs of the United Nations in the interests of streamlining the work of the Assembly.

On item 116 on programme planning, the representative of Cuba said the item should be pursued by the Assembly in each one of the Main Committees and not solely in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary). The item should be allocated to allow a broad debate on the subject.

The representative of the United States said the suggestion was out of order and was not a useful idea.

The representative of Zimbabwe said the input of all the Committees would be useful on the agenda item.

The CHAIRMAN said the views put forward by the representatives would be taken into account. The item had been recommended for inclusion in the agenda.

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As the Committee turned to the consideration of the inclusion of new items, the representative of Sweden noted that Sweden and 10 other States had proposed the inclusion of a new item on granting observer status to Interpol. Interpol was an intergovernmental organization which fulfilled the requirements for observer status. The work of Interpol was relevant to the United Nations in a number of fields related to crime prevention. Granting Interpol observer status would support international efforts towards crime prevention.

Consideration of Agenda Item Concerning Taiwan, Republic of China

Regarding the inclusion of agenda item 159 of the provisional agenda relating to Taiwan, the representative of Solomon Islands said resolution 2758 (XXVI), which recognized the People's Republic of China as the only lawful representative of China to the United Nations, had been adopted 25 years ago. That resolution reflected the language of the cold war. Today, a new age had developed that was founded on democracy and universality. In that spirit, Solomon Islands recommended the inclusion of the new item entitled "Consideration of the exceptional situation of the inability, resulting from General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI), of the 21.3 million people on Taiwan, Republic of China, to participate in the activities of the United Nations".

Taiwan had developed into a thriving democracy and it aided development in countries throughout the world, he continued. Officials of the Government of Taiwan had pledged themselves to the peaceful reunification of Taiwan, Republic of China, and the People's Republic of China. However, negotiations towards that goal would take time, during which the people of Taiwan would be deprived of representation in Taiwan and would deprive the United Nations of the potential contribution that Taiwan could make to the Organization. The inclusion of the new item on the agenda would allow for a contribution by Taiwan to the United Nations during an interim period of negotiations.

Noting the lengthy list of speakers on the subject, the CHAIRMAN counselled the Committee on the need to limit discussion to the issue of inclusion. He acknowledged the significance of the issue, but reminded the Committee of the need to proceed with its work.

The representative of China said a very small number of countries, disregarding the norms of international law and the resolutions of the Assembly, had once again put forward the proposal on the so-called Taiwan's "participation in the United Nations", despite its repeated rejection by the General Committee. The proposal was a brazen attempt to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" in the United Nations, which constituted a serious encroachment upon China's sovereignty and a gross interference in its internal affairs. He expressed his country's "strong condemnation and utmost indignation" and firmly opposed inclusion of the item in the agenda of the Assembly.

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He went on to say that Taiwan had been a part of Chinese territory since ancient times. The 159 countries that had established diplomatic relations with China had all recognized that there was but one China in the world, that the Government of the People's Republic of China was the sole legal government representing China as a whole and its people and that Taiwan was an inalienable part of China. Twenty-five years ago the Assembly adopted by an overwhelming majority its resolution 2758 which clearly recognized that "representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China and that the People's Republic of China is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council". The proponents of the proposal have claimed that resolution 2758 was a product of the cold war. In fact, the resolution had redressed an historical error caused by the cold war and settled once and for all the question of China's representation at the United Nations.

He said the two sides of the Taiwan Straits had been in a state of temporary separation since 1949 for well-known reasons. However, Taiwan's status as a province of China had never changed. The Government of the People's Republic of China had never given up its jurisdiction over Taiwan. The recent elections or any other activities carried out in that province were activities at the local level and could never be used as the basis to split the country into separate regimes.

Taiwan, therefore, had no qualifications whatsoever to join in whatever form the United Nations or any intergovernmental international organizations of the United Nations system represented by sovereign States, he continued. The question of Taiwan was purely an internal affair of China, which would be settled by the Chinese people themselves. The proponents of the proposal distort the meaning of preventive diplomacy and use it as a pretext for their dual recognition activities aimed at splitting China.

Dialogue between the two sides of the Straits could only be resumed on the basis of the "one China" principle and when the Taiwan authorities desisted from secessionist activities, he said. A small number of countries had in recent years abetted those secessionist activities. He advised those countries "to rein in at the brink of the precipice and refrain from further erroneous moves against the international law and the United Nations Charter". He reaffirmed the consistent position of his Government on talks for peaceful reunification between the two sides of the Straits. He called on the Committee to continue its support of his country's position and firmly reject the inclusion of the proposed agenda item.

The representative of Burundi proposed, in the interests of pragmatism and since the sponsors had made statements along with the most concerned party -- China -- that all statements beyond that be shortened.

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In response to a request by the Chairman, the Committee agreed to an omnibus reading of the list of sponsors and non-sponsors of the proposed agenda item which were not members of the Committee, in order to allow them to address the Committee on the issue. That procedure was not to be considered a precedent.

The representative of Chile said the question of Taiwan was an internal question for the people of China. It would be inappropriate for the Assembly to consider the proposed agenda item.

The representative of the Dominican Republic said there now existed no valid reason to deny Taiwan access to the United Nations. The structures of the Organization were becoming more open and accountable. The time had come to consider the achievements of the past and the realities of the future, according to the Secretary-General. The item should be included to allow Taiwan access to the United Nations.

The representative of Nicaragua supported the inclusion of the item. Support for the creation of an ad hoc committee on the question of Taiwan was an expression of support for a spirit of universality and the peaceful settlement of disputes. The people of Taiwan should have representation in the world community and be allowed to make their due contribution to that community. Taiwan had a democratically elected government that had the capacity to join the international community. Resolution 2758 of 1971 should be reviewed in the light of present circumstances by an ad hoc committee.

The representative of Pakistan said that proposals on inclusion of an item on Taiwan in the past three years went against the expressed will of the Assembly that settled the representation of China 25 years ago. He supported the statement of China on the subject. The co-sponsors of the resolution had used the model of parallel representation as an argument. It did not apply to a situation where only one China had been recognized by the Assembly. It was an interference in the internal affairs of the People's Republic of China. The people of China should make their own decisions on the internal affair of Taiwan.

The representative of Brazil said the question of the representation of China at the United Nations had been settled. The new item should not be included on the agenda.

The representative of Cuba said the matter of representation of China had been settled definitively. The question of Taiwan was an internal matter and the inclusion of the item on the agenda would be a violation of China's sovereignty.

The representative of Peru said the question of Taiwan was a matter under the authority of China. His country was not in agreement with the inclusion of the item on the agenda.

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The representative of Swaziland said he hoped a solution could be found to the matter. His country supported the inclusion of the item on the agenda.

The representative of Kuwait said the matter of China's representation had been settled and any attempt to include the item on the agenda would violate an earlier decision of the Assembly. The item should not be included on the agenda.

The representative of the Lao People's Democratic Republic said that it was the view of his Government, one in line with the vast majority of Member States, that the People's Republic of China was the only representative of all the people of China. His Government was opposed to the inclusion of the item on the agenda.

The representative of Egypt said the vast majority of Member States, including his country, did not support the inclusion of the item on the agenda. The historic resolution adopted by the Assembly 25 years ago had determined that the only representative of China would be the People's Republic of China.

The representative of Iraq said his delegation supported the position of China on the question. Inclusion of the matter would violate the earlier decision of the Assembly.

The representative of Senegal said that Taiwan, Republic of China, could be proud that it was an economic and social world leader, and that its leaders had developed a state of law. His Government had resumed relationships with the Republic of China, believing that the Republic of China should regain its place in the family of nations. He supported inclusion of the item on the agenda.

The representative of the Niger said her country was not in a position to support inclusion of the item on the agenda.

The representative of the United Republic of Tanzania said the representation of China to the United Nations had been resolved and he was opposed to the inclusion of the new item on the agenda.

The representative of the Kazakstan said his delegation did not support inclusion of the item on the agenda.

The representative of Belize said that Taiwan had a population larger than 141 Member States. In the Organization's time of financial austerity, each national group should shoulder part of the burden to contribute to the economic welfare of the planet. Denying Taiwan that duty and denying the international community the reciprocal opportunity appeared to be self- defeating. It would be an act of realism for the Assembly at least to study the matter of the participation of an entity like Taiwan. Belize did not

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support any impairment or diminution of the sovereignty of the People's Republic of China.

The representative of Myanmar said his delegation supported the position of China and was opposed to the inclusion of the item on the agenda.

The representative of the Gambia said the 21 million people of Taiwan should be represented in the activities of the United Nations. The promotion of peace and security in that region of the world and greater discussion and dialogue should be encouraged.

The representative of Nepal said inclusion of the item would undermine a decision already taken by the Assembly, as well as principles of the Charter. It would be an interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign State. The representation of China had been decided once and for all by the Assembly.

The representative of Burkina Faso supported the inclusion of the item. The matter did not require a decision on the substance. It was only a request for inclusion of the subject for later consideration by an ad hoc committee.

The CHAIRMAN appealed to the Committee to come to closure on the item, as the Committee appeared to be ready to make a decision.

The representative of Swaziland suggested that the other delegations simply state their positions in support of or in opposition to inclusion of the item and submit their statements for inclusion in the record of the meeting.

The representatives of the Philippines, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Saint Lucia, Malawi, Guatemala, Central African Republic, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and El Salvador spoke in support of including the proposed agenda item.

Speaking in opposition to inclusion to the proposed agenda item were the representatives of Algeria, Zambia, Cyprus, Russian Federation, Zimbabwe, Libya, Syria, Mongolia, Iran, Mauritania, Mexico, Burundi, Sudan, Turkey, Angola, Botswana, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Belarus, Ghana and Afghanistan.

The Committee decided not to recommend inclusion of the item on Taiwan, Republic of China, in the agenda of the fifty-first session.

The representative of Poland recommended inclusion of the new item entitled "Question of elaboration of an international convention against organized transnational crime". The best measure to combat international crime would be an international convention to combat organized crime. International legislation was too important a topic not to be considered independently.

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The representatives of Chile, Latvia, Honduras and Paraguay supported the inclusion of the item.

The Committee decided to recommend the inclusion of the item on the agenda.

The representative of Mexico, concerning Committee review of the rights of the child, proposed that the report of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on the rights of the child be presented directly to the plenary and then be sent for further consideration in the Second and Third Committees.

That proposal was accepted by the Committee.

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