ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL TO HOLD HIGH-LEVEL MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF BRETTON WOODS INSTITUTIONS ON 29 APRIL
Press Release
ECOSOC/5811
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL TO HOLD HIGH-LEVEL MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF BRETTON WOODS INSTITUTIONS ON 29 APRIL
19990202 Alyaksandr Sychou (Belarus) Elected Vice-PresidentThe Economic and Social Council this afternoon decided to hold its high- level meeting with the representatives of the Bretton Woods institutions on 29 April, as it resumed its 1999 organizational session. After action, the Council President, Francesco Paolo Fulci (Italy), strongly urged for ministerial participation at the meeting.
That was among several actions taken without a vote by the Council this afternoon, including the election of Alyaksandr Sychou of Belarus as Vice- President of the Council, thus completing its election of officers. In other actions, the Council approved the provisional agenda for its 1999 substantive session and its basic programme of work for 2000.
By another text, the Council decided to consider at its next substantive session under regional cooperation the following theme: "Economic and social issues arising out of the Asian economic crisis: a regional perspective".
Further, the Council set dates for meetings to consider work on indicators to measure follow-up from conferences and summits to 10 and 11 May; for the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and Development from 5 to 16 April; and for the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations from 1 to 18 June. It also approved the provisional agenda for the 1999 session of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations.
The Council also adopted a draft resolution, submitted by a Council Vice-President, as a further step on the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields.
It also adopted a decision, submitted by Spain, allowing, as an interim measure, the participation of non-governmental organizations accredited to the World Summit for Social Development in the thirty-seventh session of the Commission for Social Development.
By the other decision, submitted by Côte d'Ivoire, the Council recommended an enlargement of the membership of the Executive Committee of the Programme of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from 54 to 55.
The Council will meet again at 3 p.m. tomorrow, 3 February, to hear an address by the Secretary-General on the work of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) and its relationship with the Council. On the morning of Friday, 5 February, it would take up all other pending issues and also hold elections.
On the afternoon of 5 February at 4 p.m. the Council will meet with the Executive Directors of the World Bank, accompanied by the Chairman of the Board of Directors and James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank.
Action
FRANCESCO PAOLO FULCI (Italy), President of the Economic and Social Council, said that at the first meeting of the Council in 1999, ALYAKSANDR SYCHOU (Belarus) had been elected Vice-President on an interim basis. He then read a letter advising him that the Eastern European Group of States wished to nominate Mr. Sychou as Council Vice-President.
The Council then elected ALYAKSANDR SYCHOU (Belarus) as a Council Vice- President.
The Council then took up five draft decisions submitted by the President and members of the bureau on the basis of informal consultations (document E/1999/L.4). They were all adopted without a vote.
By decision I, the Council approved the provisional agenda for its substantive session of 1999. According to the provisional agenda the high- level segment will discuss the following theme: "The role of employment and work in poverty eradication: the empowerment and advancement of women".
By decision II, on the basic programme of work of the Council for 2000, the Council took note of a list of questions and reports to be included in its 2000 programme of work.
By decision III, the Council decided to consider at its 1999 substantive session, under the agenda item on regional cooperation, the question of "Economic and social issues arising out of the Asian economic crisis: a regional perspective".
By decision IV, the Council decided on the following dates of meetings to be held at Headquarters:
Economic and Social Council - 3 - Press Release ECOSOC/5811 2nd Meeting (PM) 2 February 1999
-- 10 and 11 May: informal meeting of the Council to consider work being carried out on basic indicators to measure implementation of follow-up from major conferences and summits;
-- 29 April: high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions;
-- 5 to 16 April: first session of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for Development; and
-- 1 to 18 June: 1999 session of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations.
After action on the above decision, Mr. FULCI (Italy), the Council President, appealed to Permanent Representatives to strongly urge their ministers to give serious consideration to attending the high-level Council meeting with representatives of the Bretton Woods institutions. The previous high-level meeting had been fruitful and productive, he added.
By decision V, the Council approved the provisional agenda for the 1999 session of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations.
Next, AURELIO FERNANDEZ (Spain) introduced a draft decision on participation of non-governmental organizations accredited to the World Summit for Social Development in the work of the thirty-seventh session of the Commission for Social Development (document E/1999/L.3). Under its provisions, the Council would decide, as an interim measure, to invite those non-governmental organizations that were accredited to the Social Summit to attend the thirty-seventh session of the Commission, provided they had started the process of applying for consultative status.
He said this measure was an interim measure. Its main purpose was to enable the more than 80 non-governmental organizations whose status was pending, but had participated in the Summit, to attend and participate.
YU QINGTAI (China) advised that he could not find the printed document of the draft in Chinese, and asked the President to seek advice of the Secretariat as to its availability.
The PRESIDENT advised that the Secretariat had informed him the document had been issued in all official languages yesterday.
The text decision was then adopted without a vote.
Next, the Council took up a draft submitted by MAKARIM WIBISONO (Indonesia), a Council Vice-President, on the basis of informal consultations. Introduced under the agenda item on implementation of General Assembly resolutions 50/227 and 52/12 B (documents E/1999/L.6 and Corr.1), the text
Economic and Social Council - 4 - Press Release ECOSOC/5811 2nd Meeting (PM) 2 February 1999
concerned restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields.
Under part I of the draft, the Council would decide to inform the General Assembly of its progress in implementing Assembly resolutions 50/227 and 52/12 B and, to that end, would request the President of the Council to write to the Assembly President, as a follow-up to his letter dated 26 August 1998 pursuant to Council resolution 1998/46.
[By resolution 50/227, the Assembly called upon the relevant intergovernmental bodies to fully implement the measures for restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields. It requested the Secretary-General to implement the further measures that fell within his responsibility for restructuring and revitalization of the Organization in the same fields. It also invited the specialized agencies, organizations and other bodies of the United Nations to implement, as appropriate, measures for restructuring within their respective areas of competence.]
[By resolution 52/12 B, the Assembly invited the Council to consider at its organizational session and substantive sessions in 1998, the recommendations of the Secretary-General relating to reform of its subsidiary bodies, including a time-frame for implementation of its decisions, as well as his recommendations relating to its organization and methods of work. The Assembly also invited the Council, in consultation with Member States and appropriate intergovernmental and regional bodies, to conduct a general review of the regional commissions at its substantive session of 1998, and to submit a report to the Assembly before the end of its fifty-second session.
Further, the Assembly requested the Council, in the context of the next triennial policy review of the United Nations, to consider arrangements for the coordination of the governance and oversights of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The Assembly also decided to establish a humanitarian affairs segment of the Council, with effect from 1998, and, in that connection, requested the Council to consider the related practical arrangements and make an early recommendation to the Assembly.]
By the terms of part II of the draft, on joint exploratory review of cooperation between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions, the Council would encourage the organizations that participated in the joint exploratory review of cooperation between the Organization and the Bretton Woods institutions collectively to undertake a renewed effort to concert policy approaches and give new impetus to collaborative actions by the organizations and agencies of the United Nations system, in particular in the area of poverty eradication. The Council would request the Secretary-General
Economic and Social Council - 5 - Press Release ECOSOC/5811 2nd Meeting (PM) 2 February 1999
to prepare a progress report on cooperation between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions at all levels.
By the terms of part III, on outcomes of the functional commissions of the Council in 1998, the Council would request the commissions that have not yet done so to implement Assembly resolution 50/227 with regard to the provision of summaries of their resolutions or decisions for action by and/or for the attention of the Council. It would also request the Secretary-General to prepare a further consolidated report on the work of the functional commissions of the Council in 1999 for consideration at its substantive session.
MOCHAMAD SLAMET HIDAYAT (Indonesia) introduced the draft, which was aimed at improving the coordinating role of the Economic and Social Council.
The draft resolution was adopted without a vote.
HELEN WINTER (Germany), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the Union was very pleased with the outcome of the consultations on the text and thanked the coordinator.
The Council then turned to consideration, under its agenda item entitled enlargement of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), of a draft decision submitted by Côte d'Ivoire (document E/1998/L.53). Under its provisions, the Council would recommend that the General Assembly decide, at its fifty-third session, to take a decision on enlarging the membership of the Executive Committee of the Programme of UNHCR from 54 to 55.
DIENEBOU KABA CAMARA (Côte d'Ivoire) introduced the draft. She said Côte d'Ivoire had been a country of asylum for refugees since the Liberian crisis. It had shown great hospitality to them. It still received refugees from Liberia and from Sierra Leone. It wished to share its experience and make a contribution to the work of the UNHCR. She hoped the decision, deferred in 1998, would be taken today.
The Council then adopted the draft decision, without a vote, and recommended it to the General Assembly for action.
The PRESIDENT then advised the Council that it would hold elections for vacant posts, as listed in document E/1999/L.1/Add.1, on Friday, 5 February, at its morning session. An informal paper indicating candidatures received as of today had been circulated. He drew attention to a deadline, established yesterday by the bureau, for additional candidatures. Candidatures must be submitted to the Secretary of the Council by 1 p.m. on 3 February.
* *** *