COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REQUESTS RESOURCES, PREPARATIONS FOR 1998 TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM ON MIGRATION

28 February 1997

Press Release
POP/642

COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REQUESTS RESOURCES, PREPARATIONS FOR 1998 TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM ON MIGRATION

19970228 Acting on Resolutions, Stresses Importance of Population Division; Requests Division to Improve Assessment Analysis of International Migration

The Commission on Population and Development this morning requested the Chairperson of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Task Force on Basic Social Services for All to make every effort to raise the necessary extrabudgetary resources to prepare and hold a technical symposium of experts on international migration in 1998. The request was contained in a decision adopted by the Commission, one of four texts adopted or approved this morning. The text also emphasized the importance of identifying existing linkages among the social, economic, political and cultural factors related to international migration and development, and of taking appropriate steps to intensify analysis of the issues involved. The Commission also urged the working group on international migration of the ACC Task Force to ensure the participation of high-calibre technical experts from all regions. The Commission invited the working group to develop an agenda for the technical symposium that: built on existing recommendations on definitions of international migration; focused on the identification of measurable indicators; and analysed the complex interrelationships between international migration and development, including experiences on policies concerning the management of international migration. By terms of a resolution, the Commission requested that the Population Division, in collaboration with other relevant actors, build an improved assessment and analysis of international migration, as well as an improved understanding of international migration and development. By the text, the Commission stressed, in the context of the reform of the United Nations system and the restructuring and revitalization of the intergovernmental process, the importance of continuing the basic work of the Population Division of the United Nations Secretariat on population matters. It also underlined the need to further enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and capacity of the Population Division in order to successfully implement the above-mentioned preparations. The Commission also emphasized the importance of preparations being made by the Population Division for the review and appraisal of the implementation

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of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, to be conducted by the Commission in 1999.

Under the terms of another resolution approved this morning, the Commission requested that the Secretariat report to the Commission at its thirty-first session on a new document structure and periodicity and revised reporting methodologies for ensuring coverage of currently required reporting,

Also by the text, the Commission decided that the report of the Secretary-General on the monitoring of population programmes should: cover experience in all countries; ensure coverage of the range of activities in the special theme for the year; and be more analytic in focus and relate progress more specifically to the goals and influence of the Cairo Conference.

In another action, the Commission approved a resolution by which the Economic and Social Council would call on governments and intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations to promote and expand the exchange of information and experiences regarding international migration and development in appropriate bilateral, multilateral, regional and interregional forums.

The text would have the Council urge both the Statistics Division and the Population Division of the United Nations Secretariat to collaborate with regional commissions, other relevant United Nations and intergovernmental agencies, and governments providing technical assistance in statistics in the dissemination of the new set of recommendations on statistics of international migration and to provide governments with technical assistance in implementing those recommendations.

In addition, the Commission decided this morning to authorize its bureau to hold intersessional meetings on a yearly basis. It also requested that the Secretariat summarize the comments made on the issue of poverty eradication and transmit them to the Secretary-General for inclusion in his report on the issue to the Economic and Social Council.

Statements were made by the representatives of the Netherlands, speaking on behalf of the European Union, and Belgium.

Taking part in the discussion this morning were the representatives of the Netherlands (on behalf of the European Union), Belgium, Iran, Syria, Algeria, Turkey, Tunisia, Indonesia, Hungary, Philippines, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Peru, United States, Jamaica, Egypt, Nigeria, Malta, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Panama, China. The Director of the Population Division, Joseph Chamie, also addressed the Commission.

The Commission on Population and Development will meet again at 3 p.m. this afternoon to adopt the report of the session and its provisional agenda for the 1998 session.

Commission Work Programme

The Commission on Population and Development met this morning to take action on three draft resolutions and one draft decision. A draft resolution on international migration and development (document E/CN.9/1997/L.4) would have the Economic and Social Council call on governments and intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations to promote and increase the exchange of information and experiences regarding international migration and development in appropriate bilateral, multilateral, regional and interregional forums.

The text, submitted by the representative of the Netherlands, would have the Council call upon the working group on international migration of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Task Force on Basic Social Services for All to ensure that international migration remained a topic of concentration in its follow-up to the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994), by compiling a comprehensive list of issues related to international migration and development and identifying the intergovernmental mechanisms available to address them.

Also by the text, the Council would urge both the Statistics Division and the Population Division of the United Nations Secretariat to collaborate in the dissemination of the new set of recommendations on statistics of international migration and to provide governments with technical assistance in implementing those recommendations.

All relevant organs, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations would collaborate and coordinate their efforts and make full use of the expertise of existing organizations in examining international migration and development, according to the draft.

By the terms of a draft decision on the technical symposium on international migration (document E/CN.9/1997/L.5), the Commission would request the Chairperson of the ACC Task Force on Basic Social Services for All to make every effort to raise the necessary extrabudgetary resources to prepare and hold a technical symposium of experts on international migration in 1998.

Also by the text, the Commission would urge the working group on international migration of the ACC Task Force to ensure the participation of experts from all regions. The working group also would be invited to develop an agenda that focused on the identification of measurable indicators and analyses experiences on policies and mechanisms concerning the management of international migration. The Commission would also invite the working group to continue its collaboration in the planning and convening of the technical

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symposium so as to provide greater insight and information on inflows, outflows, returns and integration of migrants.

The Chairperson of the Task Force would be requested to report to the Commission on Population and Development at its 1998 session on the progress made in the organization of the technical symposium, according to the draft.

By the terms of a draft on reporting requirements to the Commission on Population and Development (document E/CN.9/1997/L.6), the Commission would request that the Secretariat, in view of the decision to streamline reporting, report to the Commission at its thirty-first session on a new document structure and periodicity and revised reporting methodologies for ensuring coverage of currently required reporting.

Also by the text, the Commission would decide the following about the report of the Secretary-General on the monitoring of population programmes: that it should be more analytic in focus and relate progress more specifically to the goals and influence of the International Conference on Population and Development; that it must cover experience in all countries, place a high priority on achieving a better response rate, and use innovative and collaborative approaches; and that it needed to ensure coverage of the range of activities in the special theme for the year.

The text notes that the very broad special theme for the Commission's 1999 session and the need for quinquennial review in the same year would require careful and thorough planning to avoid excess documentation.

Under the terms of the text, The Commission would request that the material normally included in the report of the Secretary-General on the activities of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to be presented to the Commission at its thirty-first session, should be fully integrated into the reports on world population monitoring. It would also reiterate its request for a revised report of the Secretary-General on the activities of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in reproductive health, to be presented to the Commission at its thirty-first session.

Under the terms on a draft resolution on the work programme in the field of population (document E/CN.9/1997/L.7), the Commission would request that the Population Division, in collaboration with other relevant actors, build an improved assessment and analysis of international migration, as well as an improved understanding of international migration and development.

By the text's terms, the Commission would stress, in the context of the reform of the United Nations system and the restructuring and revitalization of the intergovernmental process, the importance of continuing the basic work of the Population Division of the United Nations Secretariat on population

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matters. It would also underline the need to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and capacity of the Population Division in order to successfully implement the above-mentioned preparations.

According to the text, the Commission would emphasize the importance of preparations being made by the Population Division, in collaboration with the organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and other relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental agencies, for the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, to be conducted by the Commission in 1999.

Introduction of Drafts

JENNY GIERVELD (Netherlands), Vice-Chairperson of the Commission, introduced the draft text on international migration, as orally revised.

The orally revised draft was adopted.

Following that, Ms. GIERVELD (Netherlands) introduced, with oral revisions, a draft decision on the Technical Symposium on International Migration.

MOHAMMAD ASAI-ARDAKANI (Iran) said, so far as operative paragraph 3 of the draft was concerned, he wanted the inclusion of words "addressing the needs and requirements of refugees".

TAMMAN SULAIMAN (Syria) said he agreed with the statement made by the representative of Iran. Moreover, the term "refugees" on its own was too generic. A distinction should be made between those who had chosen to be refugees and those who had been displaced.

ZINEDDINE BIROUK (Algeria) said he associated himself with the statement made by the representative of Syria. A clear distinction should be drawn between refugees displaced by force of circumstance and others. Speaking on operative paragraph 2 of the draft, he said the expression "takes note with interest" had been discussed at length in informal consultations. While he did not want to pre-empt the work of the experts, the phrase "takes note with interest" should be replaced by "takes note of the symposium". He also stressed that an expert, by definition, was someone who had mastery over his area. Therefore, the symposium should be open to high-level experts and not just technical experts.

SAMIRA YENER (Turkey) said international migration involved not only migrants, but their families. Therefore, the last line of operative paragraph 3 should read "integration of migrants and their families".

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ABDERRAZAK AZAIEZ (Tunisia) said that as the draft had been the subject of difficult agreement, it should not be revisited.

SAMANTHA ARI WARDHANA (Indonesia) suggested that the delegates should meet again in informal informals for some time. Speaking on operative paragraph 2 of the draft, he said he had reservations on the words "high- calibre technical experts". That should be replaced with the words "high- level experts".

ANDRAS KLINGER (Hungary) said the present discussion should be ended, as the topic had been thoroughly covered in informal discussions.

Ms. GIERVELD (Netherlands) said she supported the suggestion made by the representative of Hungary.

Mr. SULAIMAN (Syria) said that, in view of limited time, the Chairman should suspend the meeting for five minutes in order to hold brief consultations. After the suspension, the parties involved would provide the Chairman with the results of the consultations.

LIBRAN CABACTULAN (Philippines) said he endorsed the Chairman's proposal to move the meeting forward. However, the Commission should take into account the sovereign rights of States who were not represented in the informal consultations. If there was a need for some changes to the text, he would yield to the will of other delegations.

JOSÉ GOMEZ DE LEON (Mexico), the Chairman of the Commission, said to his knowledge there had been no bias in the representation of countries attending the informal consultations. They were well represented by most nation members.

JOHN HOBCRAFT (United Kingdom) said he fully respected the rights of delegations to respond to issues until a resolution was adopted, but the issues being raised now were considered at considerable length during the working group.

The CHAIRMAN adjourned the meeting for five minutes.

After the adjournment, Mr. SULAIMAN (Syria) said he thanked the Chairman for allowing delegation to hold consultation at a very late hour. He had thought a differentiation should be made between refugees and migrants. However, his delegation would accept the version of the resolution as read by the Vice-Chairman from the Netherlands.

RAJ ABDUL KARIM (Malaysia) said, regarding operative paragraph 6, the phrase "including the list of invited experts and the provisional agenda", it was the sovereign right of each State to determine what experts it invited.

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The CHAIRMAN said the issue had been thoroughly discussed in informal consultations.

The Commission approved the decision, as orally amended.

ANA PEÑA DOIG (Peru) said she agreed with speeding up the process in order for the symposium to be held earlier. In the draft decision just adopted, she did not see reflected the suggestion made regarding the advisability of preparatory activities held at subregional and regional levels before the holding of the symposium.

MARGARET POLLACK (United States) said she had resisted making a suggested amendment earlier, but would like to make a statement regarding operative paragraph 6. As with any expert meeting, she was fully confident that the steering committee would select experts with highest technical competence. It should be made clear that any list of experts submitted would be for informational purposes only.

Ms. GIERVELD (Netherlands) introduced the draft resolution on reporting requirements to the Commission on Population and Development and said that no amendments to the text were necessary.

The Commission adopted the resolution.

Ms. GIERVELD (Netherlands) introduced the draft resolution on the work programme in the field of population and said that one editing change had been made to the text of the document. However, it did not change substance of text. So, she would make no amendments to the text as it currently existed.

AMANY FAHMY (Egypt) said, regarding the third preambular paragraph, in informal consultations the discussion concerned the wording of the phrase about the serious financial situation affecting the work programme. Originally, the text read "regretted" and not "took note". Her delegation did not understand what the paragraph now meant. Did the paragraph mean anything to the Secretariat and, if it did, what did it mean?

The CHAIRMAN asked the Vice-Chairman from the Netherlands to clarify the wording. Ms. GIERVELD (Netherlands) said that there had been a long discussion in the informal work grouping regarding the paragraph. After that discussion, it had accepted the proposal to move the paragraph, originally in the operative section, to the preamble and to change the text as currently reflected in the resolution.

AKINTOBI KADEJO (Nigeria) said his delegation was unclear of the meaning of operative paragraph 7. He suggested that the words "efficiency, effectiveness and" be substituted with "continue to".

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The CHAIRMAN said he would like to keep the two issue separate and only hear comments regarding Egypt's proposal.

Mr. CABACTULAN (Philippines) said perhaps the informal consultations had been too smooth and too quick, because there were items that still needed to be resolved. He would like to second the comments made by the representative of Egypt. There had been an agreement in the working group that "regrets" would not be replaced by "notes" in the paragraph regarding the financial situation of the United Nations.

The CHAIRMAN adjourned the meeting for five minutes to clarify the issue.

After the adjournment, Ms. GIERVELD (Netherlands) said the consultations had resulted in the formulation of the following revisions to the draft resolution:

-- third preambular paragraph, line 1, insert the word "also" between the words "and" and "of";

-- third preambular paragraph, line 2, add the phrase "affecting the work programme of the Population Division" at the end of the line;

-- and in operative paragraph 7, line 1, insert the word "further" between the words "to" and "enhance".

The Commission then approved the resolution, as orally amended.

Ms. POLLACK (United States) said she wanted to express her delegation's understanding that the Population Division would organize its work according to the content of all resolutions the Commission had adopted, including the resolution on international migration. She said she wanted to clarify that point for the record, because her delegation would like to have seen it reflected in the work programme. VICTOR SEYCHELL (Malta) said, in reference to the four resolutions adopted by the Commission, his delegation stated the understanding that it submit reservations consistent with reservations made by Malta in document A/CONF.171/13 of 18 October 1994. He requested that his statement be duly reflected and included in the report.

A. DE JONG (Netherlands), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said although the Union was in general satisfied with the work of the session, it believed that there was room for improving the working procedures. The Union was appreciative of the excellent quality of the 1997 World Population Monitoring Report on International Migration and of the reporting on progress towards plans for further improvement on financial flows. Those reports provided a very good basis for the Commission's work.

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However, he said, it was a matter of concern that some of the reports were focused too heavily on description, at the expense of a more thorough analysis on progress that had taken place during the previous year in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo. That concern had been clearly reflected in the resolution on reporting requirements, which had been drafted during the session.

Similarly, the substance and organization of the work programme of the Population Division should be discussed in greater depth in order to achieve a more balanced reflection of the priorities of the Cairo Conference agenda, he said. The new developments and bottlenecks in the implementation of the work programme should be examined. He proposed that the provisional agenda for the thirty-first session include an explicit item on the structure and content of reporting, to be taken as a new agenda item 3, and that the current item 3 should be moved after the current item 5.

There was scope to improve the working methods of the Commission, he said. There should be more opportunity for dialogue and stimulating interactive debate. National statements should be more concise and related to the theme of the year, possibly backed by a short, written background paper. He also supported the holding of an intersessional meeting of the Commission's bureau. He suggested that the time saved by shorter national statements could be used for informal panel discussions with broader participation. That discussion could focus on the selected theme of the year.

Mrs. PEÑA DOIG (Peru) said she had embraced the consensus on the draft resolution on the work programme in the field of population. However, Peru would have liked the draft to reflect the need to strengthen centralized research capabilities. It also wanted to express its support for the Netherlands' suggestion on the need to improve the working procedures of the Commission.

AKINTOBI KADEJO (Nigeria) said he wanted to thank all the delegations for the consensus on that draft. He had supported that consensus. He also asked that the United Nations system better coordinate the meetings of the various commissions. For instance, the simultaneous holding of the meetings of the Commission on Social Development and the Commission on Population and Development was not a good idea.

Mr. SULAIMAN (Syria) said the distinction between refugees and migrants should be clarified in the report of the Commission.

TSVTOLYB BASMAJIEV (Bulgaria) said his delegation aligned itself with the statement made by the Netherlands on behalf of the European Union.

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MUHAMMED ALI (Bangladesh) said he wanted to endorse the statement made by the representative of the Netherlands. Constructive suggestions for a useful outcome of the Commission's meetings had been made, as well as suggestions on further streamlining its meetings. He stressed the necessity of identifying the priority themes of the Commission. He also underlined the need for better coordination between the Population Division and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

GUILLERMO CASTRO HERRERA (Panama) said his country wanted to express its support and backing for the views expressed by the Netherlands.

JOSEPH CHAMIE, Director of the Population Division, said an informal meeting could be held in the afternoon because facilities were available. He agreed that there was room to improve the working procedures of the Commission, and the intersessional meeting of the bureau was one way of doing that. The Commission was one of the most effective bodies and met only for five days. He added that the Population Division would collaborate with its colleagues from the UNFPA.

Mr. DE JONG (Netherlands) asked if there was room in the budget for informal discussions.

Mr. CHAMIE said informal discussion could be incorporated with no budgetary implications.

The CHAIRMAN suggested that the Commission might authorize the Secretariat to summarize the Commission's comments on the issue of poverty eradication and transmit them to the Secretary-General for inclusion in his report to the Economic and Social Council.

The Commission approved the suggestion of the Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN, recalling that the bureau had been meaningful and productive intersessional meeting last June, asked the Commission to authorize the bureau to hold intersessional meetings on a yearly basis.

Mr. KLINGER (Hungary) said, as Chairman of the bureau at its first intersessional meeting, such meetings were necessary, especially considering the format and content of the resolutions just approved by the Commission. His delegation supported allowing the Secretariat to organize another bureau intersessional meeting in due time.

Mr. AZAIEZ (Tunisia) said his delegation could not speak to the subject of the first intersessional meeting, because the summary of the meeting was never released. For whose benefit were those meetings held? Documents summarizing the meeting should be made available to members of the Commission.

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Ms. POLLACK (United States) said intersessional meetings of the bureau were always most useful, no matter what commission or committee was being discussed. Her delegation would like to note that, in the bureau report regarding any intersessional meeting, any decision or recommendations made by the bureau should not be seen as full-fledged recommendations of the full Commission.

SAM OTUYELU (Nigeria) said intersessional meetings in the United Nations system had always had the purposes of facilitating the work of commissions concerned and clarifying areas of ambiguity. If those were the purposes of the bureau, then his delegation would like to support that type of practice. However, the reports of the meetings should be made available as quickly as possible, so that the work of the Commission could be advanced.

Mr. CHAMIE, Director of the Population Division, said that the fashion in which the intersessional meeting of the bureau had been convened was the first for the Commission, in response to the decision made at its previous session. The report of the bureau could be made available as quickly as possible in written form and also put on the POPIN Internet site. Decisions made by the bureau were for the consideration of the Commission as a whole. All comments made by delegations had been noted.

The Commission then authorized the Chairman's suggestion.

R. CLIQUET (Belgium) said that, in order to prepare a World Population Monitoring Report on the topic to be discussed by the Commission on Population and Development at it thirty-first session in 1998, the Population Division intended to hold a technical symposium on health and mortality. That symposium would bring together experts from different regions and backgrounds to address the most pressing issues in the area of health and mortality. The Population and Family Study Centre in Belgium was willing to host that symposium. Due to the financial support of Belgium's Federal Government and the Flemish Government, the costs of the symposium could be covered completely.

The Population and Family Study Centre was a governmental scientific institute of Flanders located in Brussels, he said. Its research programmes covered a relatively broad field and currently concentrated on reproductive behaviour, population ageing and the problems of the elderly, as well as on family impact studies. He stressed that the Centre had offered to host, finance and co-organize the symposium with the Population Division.

The CHAIRMAN said the Commission needed to decide if it would need more than five days to discuss the assessment of the follow-up to the Cairo Conference at its session in 1999.

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Mr. CHAMIE, Director of the Population Division, said the budget for 1998-1999 was now being discussed. He said he would not want to come back and tell the Commission that the session for 1999 was fixed for five days, if it needed time to discuss the follow-up to the Cairo Conference. His Division needed the view of members now, so their opinions could be brought to bear in the formal discussion of the budgeting process.

Mr. HOBCRAFT (United Kingdom) said the Commission would have a rather large agenda in 1999, and it had already registered its concern in the resolution on reporting requirements. In that resolution, the Commission had asked the Secretariat to furnish the Commission with clear proposals for the session. His delegation could not commit to a longer meeting without a clear proposal. If the budget was there for a longer meeting, and a shorter session was held, then that would not necessarily be a bad thing.

Ms. POLLACK (United States) said she wanted to echo the comments of the United Kingdom. At present, her delegation could not agree to any proposal that had financial implications to the overall United Nations budget. She said she understood that Mr. Chamie needed to push the issue forward with regard to the budget for the biennium. To that end, perhaps the Commission could consider creative ways to undertake a focused review of the Cairo Conference, so it could fit it in a period of five days. Her delegation was sympathetic to Mr. Chamie's concern, but unable to give concrete guidance that would have implications to the United Nations system overall.

Mr. ALI (Bangladesh) said his delegation was not quite sure if it was appropriate to keep the five-day schedule or to extend it. The issue needed more explanation and analysis, and the justifications needed to be explained. Some delegate who travelled great distances from various corners of the globe might not be able to take long absences from their capitals.

Mr. WARDHANA (Indonesia) said his delegation understood that in the current year there would also be a special session on Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Could the Secretariat clarify how many days would be dedicated to the review of the Rio Summit of 1992? What were the financial implications of extending the 1999 session from five working days to eight?

VLADIMIR ZELENOV, of the United Nations Secretariat, said the Rio Summit review would take place at the end of June, and it would be for five days. Immediately after that session, the Economic and Social Council would meet in Geneva regarding the subsidiary bodies of the Council. That might be the appropriate forum for a review of the issue. Regarding financial implications, the Secretariat could only recommend to the Economic and Social Council that the Commission be able to extend its session beyond five days.

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Mr. CHAMIE, Director of the Population Division, said the subject would have to be discussed after more information was made available and after further deliberation were held.

The CHAIRMAN then invited the Commission to consider the provisional agenda for the thirty-first session.

Mr. CHAMIE, Director of the Population Division, suggested that the issues relating to the special theme should be moved to the earlier part of the agenda. That would permit greater time for discussion on proposed draft resolutions and would give the Secretariat more time to edit and translate them.

Mr. KLINGER (Hungary) said the suggestion to change the order of items was acceptable to him. In fact, the suggestions made by the representative of the European Union coincided with those made at the meeting of the intersessional bureau of the Commission. He supported the European Union's suggestion that the statements of national representatives should be made available in written form to the Commission in advance. He stressed that the debate on national experience in population matters should focus more on the theme for each session.

Mr. CASTRO HERRERA (Panama) said item 3 of the provisional agenda which dealt with the general debate on national experience in population matters should address both population and development issues.

Mr. HOBCRAFT (United Kingdom) said the European Union had requested that a further item be added to the provisional agenda. The United Kingdom supported that position.

The CHAIRMAN then asked if the European Union wanted an extra item on the structure and content of reporting.

Mr. AZAIEZ (Tunisia) said he wanted more information on the Union's proposal and wanted time to reflect. He was not in a position to accept its suggestion for the next session.

Mr. WARDHANA (Indonesia) said the debate on national experience in population matters was important, and he did not see the need to change the order of items. Moreover, it was too early to decide on the Union's proposal. That decision should be left to the intersessional meeting of the bureau.

Mr. KADEJO (Nigeria) said if the objective of the proposal was to make the Commission more effective, his delegation appreciated the proposal. However, while the Commission complained that five days were not enough for discussion, it did not make sense to add a new item.

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ZHAO ZHIPEI (China) said that while the Union's proposal had its merit, he preferred to go along with Indonesia's suggestion. Placing item 3 after item 5 was not logical.

Mr. HOBCRAFT (United Kingdom) said he wanted to remind representatives that the proposal to move the general debate had not originated with the European Union. The Union had voiced the suggestion, which had been mentioned at the intersessional meeting of the bureau. The order of items was not a reflection on their importance. Moreover, in the Commission, there was no item on the structure and content of reporting.

Mr. AZAIEZ (Tunisia) said he thanked the United Kingdom for its clarification, but his delegation would maintain its position.

The CHAIRMAN then postponed further discussion of the matter to the Commission's meeting at 3 p.m.

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