GENERAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 158 ITEMS FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA
Press Release
GA/9300
GENERAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 158 ITEMS FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA
19970918 Speakers Express Concern over Mechanism To Be Set Up for Proper And Detailed Consideration of Measures and Proposals for United Nations ReformThe General Committee this morning recommended that the fifty-second session of the General Assembly adopt an agenda of 158 items, including their allocation among the six Main Committees.
During the discussion of allocation of items to the plenary, the representative of Pakistan, referring to the item "United Nations reform: measures and proposals", said the question of reform and the Secretary- General's proposals were issues of major importance which would probably dominate the general debate this year. He expressed concern, however, about the implications the item's allocation to the plenary would have on the mechanism which would have to be set up later for the proper and detailed consideration of reform issues.
Noting that several possibilities of mechanism existed -- the plenary itself, a committee of the whole, a working group on reform or splitting the item into elements for consideration in the relevant Main Committees, he stressed that the mechanism could only be decided on after the general debate concluded, as that would determine whether the reform issues "must be seen as a `take-it-or-leave-it package' or as a compendium of proposals which can be examined, each on its own merits". He also expressed concern about how small delegations could effectively participate in a meaningful exercise on reform issues.
Statements on United Nations reform were also made by the representatives of the United States, Mexico, Slovakia, Syria and Cuba.
Completing its review of the draft agenda contained in a memorandum by the Secretary-General, the Committee recommended two additional new items -- "Towards a culture of peace", which was allocated to the Sixth Committee (Legal), and "Observer Status for the Andean Community" in the General Assembly, which was allocated to the plenary.
General Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/9300 2nd Meeting (AM) 18 September 1997
Statements on the inclusion of the item "Towards a culture of peace" were made by Bangladesh, Senegal, Nicaragua, Philippines, Guatemala and El Salvador.
At its meeting yesterday, the Committee had recommended one new item on amending the statute of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal. It had also recommended the inclusion of an item on "Draft guiding principles for international negotiations", as a sub-item of item 148, on the United Nations Decade on International Law. Both items were allocated to the Sixth Committee.
Also yesterday, the Committee decided not to recommend that the Assembly consider a proposed item on the "Need to review General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI) of 25 October 1971 owing to the fundamental change in the international situation and the coexistence of two governments across the Taiwan Strait". That decision was taken after a debate involving 47 speakers.
In addition, yesterday, the Committee recommended that the items on the question of the Malagasy islands of Glorieuses, Juan de Nova, Europa and Bassas da India and on the question of East Timor be deferred to the Assembly's next session. It also approved inclusion of a footnote on the Assembly's agenda stating that the Assembly would consider the question of an international conference on financing of development at its current session.
Regarding allocation of items among the Main Committees, the Committee made a number of recommendations today, including the following:
-- Under the item on the implementation of the Declaration on decolonization, all the chapters of the report of the Special Committee on decolonization relating to specific Territories should be referred to the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization). The question of the implementation of the Declaration as a whole would be taken up in the plenary;
-- The question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) should be considered directly in plenary while the Fourth Committee would hear interested organizations and individuals;
-- The item on the question of Cyprus should be allocated at an appropriate time during the current session;
-- Certain relevant paragraphs of the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should be drawn to the attention of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security);
(Page 1b follows)
General Committee - 1b - Press Release GA/9300 2nd Meeting (AM) 18 September 1997
-- The annual report on the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) should be referred to the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) for consideration under item 101, on operational activities for development.
Also this morning the Committee recommended that the Assembly hear a brief presentation by the Secretary-General on his annual report on Monday, 22 September, as the first item prior to the opening of the general debate.
The General Committee will meet again at a date to be announced in the Journal.
General Committee Work Programme
The General Committee met this morning to continue its consideration of the organization of work of the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. Comprising the President of the Assembly, Vice-Presidents and Committee Chairmen, the Committee reviews the provisional agenda for the Assembly's session and makes recommendations regarding the inclusion of new items and the allocation of agenda items to the six Main Committees.
The Committee has before it a memorandum by the Secretary-General (document A/BUR/52/1) containing the 162-item provisional agenda for the Assembly's current session. The memorandum also reviews the past procedures of the Assembly and decisions dealing with the organization of its work, including the recently adopted resolution 51/241 of 31 July entitled "Strengthening of the United Nations system".
At its meeting today, the Committee is expected to complete its review of the remaining agenda items and allocate agenda items to the six Main Committees. Of the remaining three items still to be considered, two are new -- towards a culture of peace (item 160) and observer status for the Andean Community in the General Assembly (item 162). Item 161, United Nations reform: measures and proposals, is still to be decided on. (For details on the new items in the agenda, see Press Release GA/9299 of 17 September.)
'Towards a Culture of Peace'
The representative of Bangladesh said that at the Assembly's last session, resolution 51/101 had been adopted. By its provisions, the Secretary-General was requested to submit to the fifty-second session elements for a draft provisional declaration and programme of action relating to the transdisciplinary project entitled "Towards a culture of peace". In view of the formidable and complex task of elaborating a programme of action, the sponsors of the proposal request that a separate agenda item be included in the agenda of the Assembly's current session on the matter, entitled "Towards a culture of peace", and allocated to plenary.
The representative of Senegal said racial, ethnic or religious hatred, cultural hatred, xenophobia and the crushing of civil liberties were the most damaging factors to the peaceful co-existence of civil societies. By accepting that request the Assembly would renew its obligations under the United Nations Charter and send to the world a strong message of peace, tolerance and justice. The project "Towards a culture of peace" implied the renunciation of violence and hinged on the reverence for peace on a daily basis. His Government unreservedly supported the inclusion of the item in the agenda of the Assembly.
General Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/9300 2nd Meeting (AM) 18 September 1997
The representative of Nicaragua said his Government had a deep commitment to peace for all peoples of the world and called for the inclusion of the item in the agenda.
The representative of the Philippines expressed full support for the statements of previous speakers. The task of transforming a culture of violence into one of peace and non-violence was complex and arduous. The programmes and activities to achieve that task would cut across a broad spectrum of issues and would best be done in plenary under a separate item. If "Towards a culture of peace" were included under another item, the task's importance would be diluted.
The representative of Guatemala, speaking on behalf of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, said his Government believed in the importance of the inclusion of that item. The work of the United Nations should now help to promote decisive measures to promote non-violence and the respect for human rights, which were the foundation of the culture of peace. His Government joined the other delegations in calling for the inscription of an additional item in the Assembly's agenda to be considered in plenary.
The representative of El Salvador said the search for peace was a multidimensional and dynamic undertaking. The culture of peace was a fundamental process which pursued human development and focused on the aspirations of people. His Government duly supported the inclusion of a separate item on "Towards a culture of peace" and was convinced of its practicality and effectiveness in building new paradigms for the twenty-first century.
The Committee decided to recommend the inclusion of the item in the agenda of the Assembly.
Allocation of Agenda Items
The representative of Pakistan, speaking on the item "United Nations reform: measures and proposals", said he needed clarification on the exact implications of the allocation of the item to the plenary. The question of reform and the consideration of the Secretary-General's proposals were issues of major importance, and would probably dominate the general debate this year. All delegations were expected to give their views. Since there were different aspects of the reform issues which related to different areas of United Nations activities, the item should be allocated to the plenary.
He expressed concern, however, about the implications the item's allocation to the plenary would have on the mechanism which would have to be set up later for the proper and detailed consideration of reform issues. Several possibilities of mechanisms existed -- such as the plenary itself, a
General Committee - 4 - Press Release GA/9300 2nd Meeting (AM) 18 September 1997
committee of the whole, a working group on reform or splitting the item into its constituent elements for consideration in the relevant Main Committee, according to areas of competence
He said the question had been discussed in meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement and of the "Group of 77" developing countries, where it was felt that only after the general debate could the Assembly decide on the mechanism for examining the reform issues thoroughly -- whether the reform issues "must be see as a take-it-or-leave-it package or as a compendium of proposals which can be examined, each on its own merits". The Assembly would also have to consider how all delegations, including small ones, could effectively participate in a meaningful exercise.
He wanted to be sure that in allocating the matter to the plenary the Committee was not prejudging the mechanism to be set up subsequently. He suggested that the issue of the mechanism should be discussed again further in the General Committee after the conclusion of the general debate.
The representative of the United States concurred with the view that the item should be allocated to the plenary. That was the appropriate step to take as the item contained interrelated items which represented a larger whole. His Government was confident that effective working methods would be found within the plenary and results would be obtained at the earliest possible time. Allocation of the item to the plenary should be the General Committee's unqualified recommendation to the Assembly.
The CHAIRMAN said it was up to the Assembly to decide what kind of mechanism would be used to give further consideration to the item.
The representative of Mexico said it was very clear that the bureau would decide that the allocation of the item to the plenary was logical, in so far as it was in the plenary that the Secretary-General had presented his measures for reform on 16 July. That said, his Government shared the concern voiced by Pakistan, that inscribing the item in the agenda of the plenary should not prejudge any decision of the plenary in the context of the general debate.
The representative of Slovakia said the item was a comprehensive issue and related to more than one Committee. Assembly resolution 48/264 stated that such items should be considered in the General Assembly in plenary meetings. His Government believed the item should be allocated to the plenary.
The representative of Syria said his Government supported the proposals of the representative of Pakistan. The reforms proposed by the Secretary- General were a vast and complex undertaking, and it should be clear that the
General Committee - 5 - Press Release GA/9300 2nd Meeting (AM) 18 September 1997
various forums of the Assembly and different bodies would have to consider that agenda item. Thus, the proposal by Pakistan should be considered most seriously by the Committee during its decision-making process.
The representative of Cuba said his Government shared the same doubts as Pakistan. The Chairman's explanation was clear that the Committee would allocate the item to the plenary without prejudging how it would be considered.
* *** *