AGENDA ITEMS ON PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING COUNTRIES, SOUTH AFRICA, CHILDREN"S SUMMIT RECOMMENDED BY GENERAL COMMITTEE

Press Release
GA/9631

AGENDA ITEMS ON PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING COUNTRIES, SOUTH AFRICA, CHILDREN’S SUMMIT RECOMMENDED BY GENERAL COMMITTEE

The General Committee this morning recommended that the General Assembly include three additional items on the agenda of its current session concerning: Observer status for the community of Portuguese- speaking countries in the General Assembly; a change in South Africa’s classification with regard to apportionment for peacekeeping financing; and the follow-up to the World Summit for Children.

Addressing the Committee, the representative of South Africa requested that South Africa be moved from the Member States group (b) to group (c) regarding administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations. The fact that South Africa was in Category B of the scheme for the apportionment of the costs of United Nations peacekeeping operations was a historical anomaly. That unusual circumstance was attributable to the misguided policy of the apartheid government, which had sought to project South Africa as an economically developed Member State as a way of endearing itself to the international community. In fact, he said, South Africa was a medium-sized developing country with an average per capita gross national product of $3,400 per annum.

Concerning observer status for the community of Portuguese- speaking countries, the representative of Angola, in presenting the request, said cooperation on common objectives and activities of the United Nations and the community would be enhanced and more efficient if the community were granted observer status. The intergovernmental community had been created not only to facilitate communication among them, but also to honour their historic links and common heritage, nurtured by their friendly relationship throughout the centuries.

On the follow-up for the World Summit for Children, a letter from the Chairman of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) said that since the follow-up involved a special session of the Assembly in 2001, it was considered that the preparations and successful outcome of the session could be enhanced if the item was addressed directly in plenary. Furthermore, the substantive issues likely to be considered at the special session involved subjects addressed by other Main Committees.

The Assembly will take action on the recommendations at a date to be announced.

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