GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS 170 ITEM AGENDA FOR FIFTY-FOURTH SESSION
Press Release
GA/9594
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS 170 ITEM AGENDA FOR FIFTY-FOURTH SESSION
19990917The General Assembly this afternoon adopted an agenda of 170 items for its fifty-fourth session.
Six new items will be considered this year by the Assembly. Among those are observer status for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in the Assembly; commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; cooperation between the United Nations and the preparatory commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization; granting of observer status in the Assembly for the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization; armed aggression against the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and financing of United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET).
The agenda was adopted based on the recommendations of its General Committee. Seventy-three items will be considered directly in the plenary. All others have been referred to one of the Assembly's six Main Committees, which will report on the issues to the Assembly later in the session.
The item relating to the Malagasy islands of Glorieuses, Juan de Nova, Europa and Bassas da India was deferred until the fifty-fifth session and will be inscribed on the provisional agenda of that session. The Assembly also decided to defer consideration of inclusion of the proposed item on observer status for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance to a later date.
The Assembly further decided to accept the recommendation of its General Committee not to include a proposed item that called for a review of General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI) of 25 October 1971, which recognized the Government of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China in the United Nations. The General Committee had taken the decision not to recommend inclusion after it became apparent that there was a lack of consensus over the issue after a debate involving 68 speakers.
Also this morning the Assembly decided to hold the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 15 November in the morning.
The Assembly was also informed that Equatorial Guinea had made the necessary payment to reduce its arrears below the amount specified in Article 19 of the Organizations Charter. [By Article 19, a member of the United Nations, which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due for the preceding two full years.]
Speaking on the inclusion of the item on armed aggression in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the representative of Rwanda said the matter had not been brought to the attention of the General Committee in time. Based on the rules of procedure, he insisted that the matter be resolved by a vote, in which a majority of two thirds of those present and voting was needed to make a decision.
The President, Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia), reminded the representative of Rwanda that on the last day of the fifty-third session, the General Assembly had decided to include the item on the draft agenda of the fifty-fourth session. Therefore, rules of procedure cited did not apply to consideration of the inclusion of the item today.
Regarding Palestines participation, the Assembly decided that the Observer for Palestine would participate in its work in accordance with relevant resolutions.
Also this morning, the Acting President of the Assembly, Abdallah Baali (Algeria), expressed his sympathy to the Government and people of the Bahamas in connection with the loss of life and property as a result of a recent hurricane. He said that he also hoped that the Members of the international community would provide assistance to the stricken State.
The recess date for the Assembly's current session was set for 14 December and the closing date for 5 September 2000. According to other decisions taken, the General Debate will be held from Monday, 20 September to Saturday, 25 September, and from Wednesday, 29 September to Saturday, 2 October. Immediately prior to the opening of the General Debate, the Secretary-General will make a brief presentation of his Annual Report on the work of the Organization. So far, over 180 participants have been inscribed to speak in the Debate. Also the Assembly will review its decision taken last year establishing a fixed opening and closing date for General Assembly sessions.
Finally, the Assembly authorized the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to meet during the main part of the Assembly's current session.
The Acting President, reminding delegations to make a special effort to start meeting promptly, said that a 10-minute delay for the start of every meeting at Headquarters would cost the United Nations $800,000 every year. In order to avoid the late start of meetings, the Assembly decided to waive the requirement of the presence of at least one third of the Members to declare a plenary meeting open and to permit the debate to proceed.
The Assembly will meet again on Monday, 20 September to begin its General Debate and to consider the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization.
Adopted Agenda
1. Opening of the session by the Chairman of the delegation of Uruguay.
2. Minute of silent prayer or meditation.
3. Credentials of representatives to the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly:
(a) Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee;
(b) Report of the Credentials Committee.
4. Election of the President of the General Assembly.
5. Election of the officers of the Main Committees.
6. Election of the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly.
7. Notification by the Secretary-General under Article 12, paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations.
8. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work: reports of the General Committee.
9. General debate.
10. Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization.
11. Report of the Security Council.
12. Report of the Economic and Social Council.
13. Report of the International Court of Justice.
14. Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
15. Elections to fill vacancies in principal organs:
(a) Election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council;
(b) Election of eighteen members of the Economic and Social Council;
(c) Election of five members of the International Court of Justice.
16. Elections to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other elections:
(a) Election of twenty members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination;
(b) Election of twenty-nine members of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme.
17. Appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments:
(a) Appointment of members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;
(b) Appointment of members of the Committee on Contributions;
(c) Appointment of a member of the Board of Auditors;
(d) Confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee;
(e) Appointment of members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal;
(f) Appointment of a member of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee;
(g) Appointment of members of the Committee on Conferences;
(h) Appointment of members of the Joint Inspection Unit;
(i) Appointment of the Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services (decision 53/489 of 13 September 1999).
18. Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
19. Admission of new Members to the United Nations.
20. Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance:
(a) Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations;
(b) Special economic assistance to individual countries or regions;
(c) Strengthening of international cooperation and coordination of efforts to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster;
(d) Participation of volunteers, White Helmets, in activities of the United Nations in the field of humanitarian relief, rehabilitation and technical cooperation for development;
(e) Assistance to the Palestinian people;
(f) Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan.
21. University for Peace.
22. Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal.
23. Multilingualism.
24. Return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin.
25. Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie.
26. Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States.
27. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
28. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Cooperation Organization.
29. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
30. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
31. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity.
32. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Latin American Economic System.
33. Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.
34. Dialogue among civilizations.
35. Assistance in mine action.
36. Bethlehem 2000.
37. Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development.
38. Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters.
39. Support by the United Nations system of the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies.
40. Oceans and the law of the sea:
(a) Law of the sea;
(b) Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks;
(c) Results of the review by the Commission on Sustainable Development of the sectoral theme of oceans and seas.
41. Zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic.
42. The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
43. The situation in the Middle East.
44. Question of Palestine.
45. Global implications of the year 2000 date conversion problem of computers.
46. Causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa.
47. The situation in Central America: procedures for the establishment of a firm and lasting peace and progress in fashioning a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development.
48. The situation of democracy and human rights in Haiti.
49. United Nations reform: measures and proposals:
(a) United Nations reform: measures and proposals;
(b) The Millennium Assembly of the United Nations.
50. The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security.
51. Report of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994.
52. Question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).
53. Report of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991.
54. Declaration of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity on the aerial and naval military attack against the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya by the present United States Administration in April 1986.
55. Armed Israeli aggression against the Iraqi nuclear installations and its grave consequences for the established international system concerning the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and international peace and security.
56. Consequences of the Iraqi occupation of and aggression against Kuwait.
57. Implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations.
58. Launching of global negotiations on international economic cooperation for development.
59. Strengthening of the United Nations system.
60. Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly.
61. Restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields.
62. Question of the Comorian island of Mayotte.
63. Question of Cyprus.
64. Reduction of military budgets:
(a) Reduction of military budgets;
(b) Objective information on military matters, including transparency of military expenditures.
65. Prohibition of the development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons: report of the Conference on Disarmament.
66. Question of Antarctica.
67. Compliance with arms limitation and disarmament and non-proliferation agreements.
68. Verification in all its aspects, including the role of the United Nations in the field of verification.
69. Implementation of the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace.
70. African Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty.
71. Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security.
72. Role of science and technology in the context of international security and disarmament.
73. Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East.
74. Conclusion of effective international arrangements to assure non- nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
75. Prevention of an arms race in outer space.
76. General and complete disarmament:
(a) Notification of nuclear tests;
(b) Transparency in armaments;
(c) Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia;
(d) Assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in small arms and collecting them;
(e) Prohibition of the dumping of radioactive wastes;
(f) Small arms;
(g) Reducing nuclear danger;
(h) Observance of environmental norms in the drafting and implementation of agreements on disarmament and arms control;
(i) Relationship between disarmament and development;
(j) Consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures;
(k) Regional disarmament;
(l) Conventional arms control at the regional and sub-regional levels;
(m) Nuclear-weapon-free southern hemisphere and adjacent areas;
(n) Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction;
(o) Illicit traffic in small arms;
(p) Follow-up to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons;
(q) Nuclear disarmament;
(r) Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: the need for a new agenda;
(s) Convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament.
77. Review and implementation of the Concluding Document of the Twelfth Special Session of the General Assembly:
(a) Regional confidence-building measures: activities of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa;
(b) United Nations Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific;
(c) United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa;
(d) Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons;
(e) United Nations regional centers for peace and disarmament.
78. Review of the implementation of the recommendations and decisions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth special session:
(a) Report of the Disarmament Commission;
(b) Report of the Conference on Disarmament;
(c) Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters;
(d) United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.
79. The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
80. Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects.
81. Strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region.
82. Consolidation of the regime established by the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco).
83. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction.
84. Review of the implementation of the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security.
85. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
86. Effects of atomic radiation.
87. International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
88. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
89. Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories.
90. Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.
91. Questions relating to information.
92. Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations.
93. Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories.
94. Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations.
95. Offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
96. Question of East Timor.
97. Macroeconomic policy questions:
(a) High-level international intergovernmental consideration of financing for development;
(b) Financing of development, including net transfer of resources between developing and developed countries;
(c) Trade and development;
(d) Science and technology for development;
(e) External debt crisis and development.
98. Sectoral policy questions:
(a) Industrial development cooperation;
(b) Business and development.
99. Sustainable development and international economic cooperation:
(a) Implementation of the commitments and policies agreed upon in the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation, in particular the Revitalization of Economic Growth and Development of the Developing Countries, and implementation of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade;
(b) Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II);
(c) Women in development;
(d) Human resources development;
(e) International migration and development, including the question of the convening of a United Nations conference on international migration and development to address migration issues;
(f) Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s;
(g) Renewal of the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership;
(h) Implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.
100. Environment and sustainable development:
(a) Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21;
(b) International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction;
(c) Convention on Biological Diversity;
(d) Protection of global climate for present and future generations of mankind;
(e) Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa;
(f) Implementation of the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.
101. Operational activities for development:
(a) Operational activities for development of the United Nations system;
(b) Economic and technical cooperation among developing countries.
102. Training and research.
103. Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.
104. Globalization and interdependence.
105. Implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006).
106. Social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family.
107. Crime prevention and criminal justice.
108. International drug control.
109. Advancement of women.
110. Implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
111. Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions.
112. Promotion and protection of the rights of children .
113. Programme of activities of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People.
114. Elimination of racism and racial discrimination.
115. Right of peoples to self-determination.
116. Human rights questions:
(a) Implementation of human rights instruments;
(b) Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
(c) Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives;
(d) Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;
(e) Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
117. Financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors:
(a) United Nations peacekeeping operations;
(b) United Nations Institute for Training and Research;
(c) Voluntary funds administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
118. Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations.
119. Programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999.
120. Programme planning.
121. Proposed programme budget for the biennium 2000-2001.
122. Improving the financial situation of the United Nations.
123. Joint Inspection Unit.
124. Pattern of conferences.
125. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations.
126. United Nations common system.
127. Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services.
128. Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Middle East:
(a) United Nations Disengagement Observer Force;
(b) United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
129. Financing of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission and the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola.
130. Financing of the activities arising from Security Council resolution 687 (1991):
(a) United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission;
(b) Other activities.
131. Financing of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.
132. Financing and liquidation of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia.
133. Financing of the United Nations Protection Force, the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia, the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force and the United Nations Peace Forces headquarters.
134. Financing of the United Nations Operation in Somalia.
135. Financing of the United Nations Operation in Mozambique.
136. Financing of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.
137. Financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia.
138. Financing of the United Nations Mission in Haiti.
139. Financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia.
140. Financing of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda.
141. Financing of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan.
142. Financing of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991.
143. Financing of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994.
144. Financing of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
145. Financing of the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium and the Civilian Police Support Group.
146. Financing of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force.
147. Financing of the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti, the United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti and the United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti.
148. Financing of the Military Observer Group of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala.
149. Financing of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic.
150. Financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone.
151. Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations:
(a) Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations;
(b) Relocation of Ukraine to the group of Member States set out in paragraph 3 (c) of General Assembly resolution 43/232.
152. Convention on jurisdictional immunities of States and their property.
153. United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law.
154. United Nations Decade of International Law:
(a) United Nations Decade of International Law; b) Outcome of the action dedicated to the 1999 centennial of the first International Peace Conference.
155. Report of the International Law Commission on the work of its fifty- first session.
156. Report of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law on the work of its thirty-second session.
157. Report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country.
158. Establishment of an international criminal court.
159. Report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization.
160. Measures to eliminate international terrorism.
161. Review of the Statute of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal.
162. Observer status for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in the General Assembly.
163. Review of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 48/218 B.
164. Human resources management.
165. Commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
166. Financing of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.
167. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.
168. Granting of observer status in the General Assembly for the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization.
1. Financing of the United Nations Mission in East Timor.
170. Armed aggression against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (decision 53/488 of 13 September 1999).
* *** *