FOURTH COMMITTEE ELECTS VICE-CHAIRMEN, ADOPTS PROGRAMME OF WORK
Press Release
GA/SPD/156
FOURTH COMMITTEE ELECTS VICE-CHAIRMEN, ADOPTS PROGRAMME OF WORK
19990922The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) this morning elected Matia Mulumba Semakula Kiwanuka (Uganda), Yuri Kazhura (Belarus) and Carlos Morales (Spain) as Vice-Chairmen. The Committee deferred election of its Rapporteur until a future meeting. The Chairman of the Committee, Sotirios Zacheos (Cyprus), was elected on 14 September.
Also this morning, the Committee adopted its 14-item programme of work for the fifty-fourth session.
The Committee will begin its substantive work on Monday, 4 October, with a discussion of decolonization issues. That discussion, scheduled to last through 8 October, will include, among other things, consideration: of the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples; of economic activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories; and of information from those Territories transmitted under Article 73e of the United Nations Charter.
The Committee will also be hearing statements from organizations and individuals interested in the questions of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and East Timor. Other matters scheduled for discussion during the current session are: the effects of atomic radiation; international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space; and questions relating to information. The Committee will also conduct a comprehensive review of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.
In addition, the Committee will consider the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as well as the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories.
As the Committee considered its work programme, the representative of Egypt said that there had been a departure from the Committees past practice of considering in sequence the two agenda items related to the Middle East. Indonesias representative asked for a clarification on when the Committee would be considering the question of East Timor, scheduled for debate in the plenary for early December.
The Committee Chairman said the two items on the Middle East had been separated for technical scheduling reasons. Committee Secretary Mohammad Sattar said that on the question of East Timor, the Committee would be hearing statements in the course of its debate on decolonization issues. Its recommendations would be forwarded to the Assembly for consideration.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday, 4 October, to begin its general debate of decolonization issues.
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