SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON CHARTER BEGINS TWO-WEEK SESSION; ELECTS TREVOR P. CHIMIMBA (MALAWI) AS CHAIRMAN

26 January 1998

Press Release
L/2849

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON CHARTER BEGINS TWO-WEEK SESSION; ELECTS TREVOR P. CHIMIMBA (MALAWI) AS CHAIRMAN

19980126 To Consider 'On Priority Basis' Charter Provisions on Assistance To Third States Affected by Sanctions Under Charter's Chapter VII

The Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization elected Trevor Pascal Chimimba (Malawi) Chairman as it began work for its 1998 session this morning.

In an introductory statement, Mr. Chimimba said the work of the Special Committee had contributed in the past to the task of successfully running the United Nations, to the maintenance of international peace and security, and to the peaceful settlement of disputes.

He recalled that over the past two years, the Special Committee had been undergoing a reorganization and it was the current members who had the responsibility of making the Committee work. It was hoped that the Committee would be able to consider the proposals currently on the table with a view to submitting concrete proposals to the General Assembly.

In addition to electing Mr. Chimimba as Chairman, the Committee elected Yesim Beykal (Turkey), Gaile Ann Ramoutar (Trinidad and Tobago) and Markiyan Kulyk (Ukraine) Vice-Chairmen. Hiroshi Kawamura (Japan) was elected Rapporteur of the Committee.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today.

Background on Committee's Session

According to the provisional agenda for its current the session (document A/AC.182/L.98), the Committee will consider the questions identified in Assembly resolutions 52/161 and 162 of 15 December 1997, which took note of the Committee's report on its 1997 work. That text requested the Committee to consider this year all proposals concerning the maintenance of international peace and security in order to strengthen the role of the United Nations.

The Committee was also asked to consider on a priority basis the question of the implementing the provisions of the Charter related to assistance to third States affected by the application of sanctions under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

By the same resolution, the General Assembly asked the Committee to continue its work on the question of the peaceful settlement of disputes between States, including the proposal on the establishment of a dispute settlement service and proposals on enhancing the role of the International Court of Justice. It was also requested to consider proposals concerning the Trusteeship Council as well as proposals relating to the enhancement of the role of the International Court of Justice.

Also, under this text, the Secretary-General was requested to make every effort to implement in a timely manner the steps proposed in his report on the preparation and publication of supplements to the Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council and the Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs to update them and to submit a progress report on the matter to the General Assembly at its session beginning in September.

The resolution also invited the Committee to continue to identify new subjects for consideration in its future work with a view to contributing to the revitalization of the work of the United Nations; to discuss how to offer its assistance to the working group of the General Assembly; and to consider ways and means of improving coordination between the Committee and other working groups dealing with the reform of the Organization.

Regarding the maintenance of international peace and security, the Committee will consider two working papers by the Russian Federation, one entitled "Some ideas on the basic conditions and criteria for imposing and implementing sanctions and other enforcement measures" (A/52/33, para.29); and the other "Draft declaration on the basic principles and criteria for the work of the United Nations peacekeeping mission and mechanisms for the prevention and settlement of crises and conflicts" (A/51/33, para.128). Under the same topic, the Committee will also consider a revised working paper by Cuba and a revised proposal by Libya.

Under the heading "peaceful settlement of disputes", the Committee will consider proposals by Sierra Leone and proposals submitted jointly by Guatemala and Costa Rica.

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