In progress at UNHQ

GA/9343

ASSEMBLY FAILS TO FILL REMAINING VACANCY ON ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL; FURTHER EFFORT TO BE MADE

3 November 1997


Press Release
GA/9343


ASSEMBLY FAILS TO FILL REMAINING VACANCY ON ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL; FURTHER EFFORT TO BE MADE

19971103 In Three More Ballots, No Member from Latin American And Caribbean Group of Countries Receives Required Vote

In three rounds of secret balloting this morning, the General Assembly failed to elect a candidate from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States to fill the remaining vacancy on the 54-member Economic and Social Council. The election will be held at a later date.

In four rounds of voting last Thursday, the Assembly filled 17 vacancies on the 54-Member Council by electing Algeria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Comoros, India, Italy, Lesotho, Mauritius, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Sierra Leone, Viet Nam and the United States.

According to rule 94 of the Assembly's Rules of Procedure, the first round of voting today was open to all members of the Latin American and Caribbean Group.

Members of the Economic and Social Council are elected according to the following pattern of geographic distribution: 14 from among the African States; 11 from the Asian States; six from Eastern European States; 10 from Latin American and Caribbean States; and 13 from Western European and Other States.

To maintain that distribution, vacated seats are filled on the same pattern. A third of the members retire each year. Candidates to fill their seats are elected by secret ballot to three-year terms. A two-third majority of the votes cast is needed for election.

The outgoing members of the Council are Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda and the United States.

Member States who remain on the Council are Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Djibouti, El Salvador, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Guyana, Iceland, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Mexico, Mozambique,

Nicaragua, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom and Zambia.

The result of the first round of voting today was as follows:

Latin American and Caribbean States (one vacancy)

Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 173 Abstentions: 1 Number of Members voting: 172 Required majority: 115

Number of votes obtained:

Peru 71 Saint Lucia 55 Guatemala 46

The Assembly then proceeded to a second ballot. After the votes were collected, the representatives of Antigua and Barbuda and Swaziland raised a point of order regarding the validity of the second round of voting because, they said, Guatemala had withdrawn before the vote. The President of the Assembly said he would allow the second ballot count to continue and, in accordance with the rules of procedure, a third round of balloting would be held.

The result of the second round of voting was as follows:

Number of ballot papers: 170 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 170 Abstentions: 2 Number of Members voting: 168 Required majority: 112

Number of votes obtained:

Peru 76 Saint Lucia 65 Guatemala 27

General Assembly Plenary - 3 - Press Release GA/9343 43rd Meeting (AM) 3 November 1997

The result of the third round of voting was as follows:

Number of ballot papers: 168 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 168 Abstentions: 1 Number of Members voting: 167 Required majority: 112

Number of votes obtained:

Saint Lucia 89 Peru 78

The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 4 November, to consider the report of the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and to act on a draft resolution relating to the University for Peace.

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For information media. Not an official record.