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GA/SHC/3409

THIRD COMMITTEE APPROVES 1997-1998 WORK PROGRAMME, CONCLUDES WORK FOR CURRENT ASSEMBLY SESSION

29 November 1996


Press Release
GA/SHC/3409


THIRD COMMITTEE APPROVES 1997-1998 WORK PROGRAMME, CONCLUDES WORK FOR CURRENT ASSEMBLY SESSION

19961129 The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its current session this afternoon by approving an orally revised programme of work for the 1997-1998 biennium.

The report on the Committee's programme of work (document A/C.3/51/L.72) was presented by the Chief of the Programme and Documentation Planning Section, William Bunch. The Committee's agenda items for its next session include: social development, including questions on the world social situation, youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family; crime prevention and criminal justice; international drug control; advancement of women; implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women; report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions; promotion and protection of the rights of children; programme of activities of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People; elimination of racism and racial discrimination; right of peoples to self- determination; and the report of the Economic and Social Council.

The Committee will consider human rights under five sub-items: implementation of human rights instruments; human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms; human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives; comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action; and the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Committee also decided this afternoon to recommend that the General Assembly take note of the Secretary-General's report on the human rights situation in Southern Lebanon and Western Bekka (document A/51/507), and his note transmitting the Special Rapporteur's report on the human rights in Burundi (document A/51/459). It also recommended that the Assembly take note of the report of the Economic and Social Council (A/51/3 Part I and Part II, particularly chapters I to IV, V (sections A and E), and VII).

During the discussion on the programme of work, Costa Rica, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, El Salvador,

Morocco, Peru and the Philippines, said the "Culture of Peace" should be listed in the report as a separate agenda item, not under human rights. Mr. Bunch replied, however, that allocating the Culture of Peace to a separate agenda item was the prerogative of the General Committee.

The representative of Ireland said, as a co-sponsor of the draft resolution on the Culture of Peace, he believed the text was carefully worded to avoid any confusion, and the Committee should not dictate to the General Committee under which agenda item it was placed. The Secretary of the Committee said its report could reflect the different views of Committee members regarding the allocation of the Culture of Peace to a separate agenda item.

In response to a request by Australia, the Committee decided to delete the report's reference to the United Nations Voluntary Fund For Indigenous Populations, as it would be addressed under the agenda item on the International Decade for the World's Indigenous Populations. The Committee also decided that the Secretary-General's report on activities to implement the Decade should be included in the report.

A number of delegates spoke about the timely distribution of documents. The representative of Ireland said it was a central issue to the Committee's work and deserved its own sub-heading. The representative of France emphasized the importance of documents being distributed in all official languages. The Committee decided to include a separate paragraph dealing with the distribution of documents. The representative of Iran said he wanted it placed on record that addenda to some documents had been issued after action on related draft resolutions, especially those on the human rights situations in specific countries.

The reports of the Third Committee will be taken up by the Assembly at a date to be determined.

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For information media. Not an official record.