SAINT LUCIA TO BE MEMBER OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Press Release
GA/9350

SAINT LUCIA TO BE MEMBER OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

In a single round of voting this afternoon, the General Assembly elected Saint Lucia, from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, to fill the remaining vacancy on the 54-member Economic and Social Council.

According to rule 94 of the Assembly's Rules of Procedure, the first round of voting today was restricted to those two States from among the Latin American and Caribbean States which were not elected but obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely Peru and Saint Lucia. Before the voting, Peru announced it would not contest the election.

Last Thursday, the Assembly filled 17 vacancies by electing Algeria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Comoros, India, Italy, Lesotho, Mauritius, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Sierra Leone, the United States and Viet Nam. On Monday, in three rounds of voting, the Assembly failed to fill the remaining vacancy.

The members of the 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 in the same regional pattern. A third of the members retire each year. Candidates are elected by secret ballot to three-year terms. A two-thirds majority of votes cast is required for election.

Members of the Council retiring at the end of the year -- six of whom were re-elected in last Thursday's voting -- are Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Republic of Congo, South Africa, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda and the United States. (The countries re-elected were Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, India, Poland and the United States.)

General Assembly Plenary - 2 - Press Release GA/9350 46th Meeting (PM) 5 November 1997

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 voting today was as follows:

Latin American and Caribbean States (one vacancy)

Number of ballot papers: 166 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 166 Abstentions: 4 Number of Members voting: 162 Required majority: 108

Number of votes obtained:

Saint Lucia 135 Peru 27

Having obtained the two-thirds majority required, Saint Lucia was elected to fill the remaining seat on the Economic and Social Council.

The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. next Monday, 10 November, to consider the question of the Falklands/Malvinas and the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization.

* *** *