ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL DECIDES TO HOLD FIRST HIGH-LEVEL MEETING AIMED AT IMPROVING COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

22 January 1998

Press Release
ECOSOC/5745

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL DECIDES TO HOLD FIRST HIGH-LEVEL MEETING AIMED AT IMPROVING COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

19980122 Also Elects Bureau, Adopts Programme of Work For Organizational Session, Juan Somavia (Chile) Elected President

The Economic and Social Council should spare no effort to carry out the reform recommendations of the Secretary-General to make the Council more effective, its newly-elected President, Juan Somavia (Chile), said this morning as the Council held the first meeting of the 1998 organizational session.

Along with Mr. Somavia, the Council elected Paolo Fulci (Italy), Anwarul Chowdhury (Bangladesh), Roble Olhaye (Djibouti) and Alyaksandr Sychou (Belarus) as Vice-Presidents.

Mr. Somavia said that in carrying out the Council's agenda for the year, including improving its work methods, he would make every effort to place development at the heart of United Nations activities.

The outgoing President, Vladimir Galuska (Czech Republic), said the Council had introduced important changes in its work in 1997. For the first time, its substantive session had lasted only four weeks; the high-level segment was finalized by adopting agreed conclusions, instead of only a presidential summary; and consultations on the reform of the Council's subsidiary machinery had started, as requested by the General Assembly. However, despite those achievements, the Council had much more work to do on reform, he added.

Adopting the provisional agenda for its 1998 organizational session, as contained in document E/1998/2, the Council decided to hold its first high- level special meeting on Saturday, 18 April, close to the semi-annual meetings of the Bretton Woods institutions, pursuant to Assembly resolution 50/227, on further measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields, adopted on 24 May 1996.

By that resolution, the Assembly decided that in order to improve communication and cooperation at the intergovernmental level between the Council and the international financial and trade institutions, the Council should schedule periodically a high-level special meeting at a time proximate to the semi-annual meetings of the Bretton Woods institutions with a view to benefiting from high-level ministerial participation and the participation of heads of financial and trade institutions and other relevant organizations.

Also this morning, the Council agreed to meet on coordinated follow-up to United Nations conferences from 13 to 15 May, following its resumed organizational session in May.

Statements on the high-level meeting were made by the representatives of the Russian Federation (on behalf of Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine), United Kingdom (on behalf of the European Union), Germany, Indonesia (on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China) and Romania.

Following the election of the new Council bureau, statements were made by the representatives of Indonesia (on behalf of the Group of 77), United Kingdom (on behalf of the European Union), United States and the Russian Federation.

Under-Secretary-General for Social and Economic Affairs, Nitin Desai, also addressed the meeting.

The Council is scheduled to resume its organizational session on Tuesday, 3 February.

Statements

VLADIMIR GALUSKA (Czech Republic), outgoing President of the Council, said that in the past year the Council had succeeded in introducing some important changes in its working pattern. For the first time, the substantive session lasted only four weeks; the high-level segment was finalized by adopting agreed conclusions, a negotiated document; the agenda and structure of the substantive session were streamlined and clustered so as to facilitate the four-week duration of the session; and consultations on the reform of the Council's subsidiary machinery had started, as requested by the Assembly in resolution 50/227. Despite those successes, there was still some unfinished business in the endeavour to make the Council more relevant to the contemporary world and in implementing needed reform quickly and effectively.

On the topic of United Nations reform, he said it was up to Council members to continue in furthering the restructuring and reform processes in order to achieve tangible results. The Council should also examine its pattern of work. It should eliminate its frequent propensity to slip from rational, sober and efficient negotiation focused on substantive matters into

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the counter-productive "battles in the fortified trenches of agreed language". Complex problems and issues could and should be solved in a simple, straightforward manner and language.

"Life is not in the heaps of papers of agreed language, but in efficient actions aimed at solving the real troubles of real people, real families and their children", he stressed.

He then drew attention to the proposed high-level meeting of the Council to be held close to the meeting of the Development Committee of the World Bank in April. He said the Secretariat had agreed that the date for the high-level meeting should be Saturday, 18 April. A possible theme was "global financial integration and development and recent issues".

The representative of the Russian Federation, speaking on behalf of Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and his own country, said the proposed date posed problems for their countries. That Saturday, 18 April, was a holy day for Orthodox Christians, who celebrated Easter according to the modern Gregorian calendar, which this year would be on 19 April. It was as holy as Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha for Muslims and Passover for Jewish people. They respected other religions and their holy days. They had expected similar respect for the weekend of the Orthodox Easter.

He said they would not block a decision by Member States if the date proposed by the Secretariat was accepted. At the same time, he said that holding the meeting on the proposed date should not create a precedent. They regretted that the Secretariat had failed to consult the membership prior to coming up with the proposal.

The representative of the United Kingdom, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the Union supported in principle the idea of holding the high-level meeting on 18 April. It was regrettable, however, that it fell on a Saturday. The European Union accepted the reason provided by the Secretariat but hoped it would not set a precedent for the future.

The representative of Germany said observers should also participate in the meeting.

The representative of Indonesia, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the meeting was important but the timing should not be a precedent.

The representative of Greece supported the statement made by the United Kingdom, on behalf of the European Union. He expressed reservations on the proposed date, which coincided with the holiest Saturday on the calendar of the Orthodox Church. His delegation, however, did not object to holding the meeting on that date. However, it should not set a precedent.

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The representative of Romania said his delegation sympathized with the Russian and Greek delegations. The proposed date posed some problems, but his delegation understood the reason for the choice. In the future, however, such decisions should be made in consultation with all delegations.

The Council went on to approve the date of the meeting.

The representative of the United Kingdom said the European Union was happy with the note circulated by the Secretariat, but would like additional information on the composition and structure of the high-level meeting at the Council's next organizational session in February.

The outgoing PRESIDENT said the issue would be dealt with at that organizational session.

JUAN SOMAVIA (Chile), the newly-elected President, said he was taking that office at a time of great change and reform of the United Nations and of the Economic and Social Council. The Council would spare no effort to carry forward and make a reality the recommendations of the Secretary-General for reform to make it more effective and more relevant in the social and economic activities of the United Nations. In implementing the agenda of the Council, which included improving its working methods, he would make every effort to place development at the heart of United Nations activities.

During his nine years as Ambassador to the United Nations the Council had been key in the framework of the Organization, he said. His experience in the United Nations had shown that nothing could replace the personal commitment of delegates and of each person to find understanding and overcome the difficulties and contradictions of their work. He was certain that the Council would have an exciting and productive year and would conduct its work with a great deal of spirit.

The representative Indonesia said the Council had a very elaborate agenda for the substantive session and reform measures were an important part of that agenda. His delegation supported the President and his bureau and hoped for a productive and successful year to come.

The representative of the United Kingdom said the Council was fortunate to have Mr. Somavia as its President and everyone on the Council understood the his vested interest in the Council and its success in the past, present and future. The President's experience would prove a valuable asset in the year ahead and Mr. Somavia would continue to work to improve the Council's performance, outcome and image.

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The representative of the United States said her delegation was looking forward to the full implementation by the Council of the Secretary-General's reform recommendations, especially the proposal to combine the Organization's

economic and social activities. The Council depended greatly on the strength of its bureau and she hoped the Council would not restrict its activities to its substantive session only and would present the opportunity for frequent consultations.

The representative of the Russian Federation said the election of Mr. Somavia was an affirmation of the respect the Council had for him and his country. Russia attached great importance to the Council's attempts to enhance its work, especially relating to the review of subsidiary bodies and mechanisms of the Council.

NITIN DESAI, Under-Secretary-General for Social and Economic Affairs, addressing the concerns relating to the high-level meeting on 18 April, said that the meeting date would not set a precedent for the future. The dates of other meetings around that same time gave the Council little scheduling choice. He added that it would be a crucial year for the Council, which had an important task in front of it with the reform process fully in place. He was confident, however, that the Council would meet its challenges.

Provisional agenda

The provisional agenda for the Council's organizational session (document E/1998/2) includes consideration of its basic work programme for the year; proclamation of international years; and regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields.

According to a decision adopted by the Council last December, the high- level segment of its 1998 substantive session will consider "Market access: developments since the Uruguay Round (of international trade negotiations), implications, opportunities and challenges, in particular for the developing countries and the least developed among them, in the context of globalization and liberalization".

The substantive session will also consider "Coordinated follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. Another subject to be discussed is "Advancement of women; implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the role of operational activities in promoting, in particular, capacity-building and resource mobilization for enhancing the participation of women in development".

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The next organizational session in February is expected to consider a draft resolution introduced in 1997 by the Russian Federation entitled "Proclamation of international years" (document E/1997/L.32/Rev.2). It will also consider recommendations contained in the report of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on its sixteenth session. The Council will decide on a subject related to interregional cooperation, of common interest to all regions, for consideration under the agenda item on regional cooperation.

Furthermore, the Council is expected to hold elections postponed from previous sessions to some of its subsidiary bodies, nominate one member from the group of Western European and Other States for election by the Assembly to the Committee for Programme and Coordination, and to confirm the representatives on its functional commissions nominated by Governments since the close of the Council's 1997 substantive session.

Council Membership

The 1998 members of the Council are: Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Cuba, Czech Republic, Djibouti, El Salvador, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Guyana, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam and Zambia.

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