GENERAL COMMITTEE INCLUDES CENTRAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY REQUEST FOR OBSERVER STATUS ON ASSEMBLY AGENDA
Press Release
GA/9821
GENERAL COMMITTEE INCLUDES CENTRAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY REQUEST FOR OBSERVER STATUS ON ASSEMBLY AGENDA
20001115Also Decides to Allocate Item to Sixth Committee
Without a vote this morning, the General Assembly's General Committee decided to include in the Assembly's agenda for its fifty-fifth regular session an item entitled, "Observer status for the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in the General Assembly". The Committee also decided to allocate the item to the Sixth Committee (Legal) and to have the Assembly consider the item as the first order of business this afternoon.
The Committee was acting on the request of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophone Affairs of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, making the request in his capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the Council of Ministers of ECCAS. The request was transmitted in a letter dated 9 November from the representative of Equatorial Guinea to the Secretary- General (document A/55/237). The letter was accompanied by an explanatory memorandum by the ECCAS. The draft resolution inviting ECCAS to participate in the work of the Assembly as an observer was contained in an addendum (document A/55/237/Add.1).
Speaking at the meeting this morning, SANTIAGO NSOBEYA EFUMAN, Minister for Foreign Affairs for Equitorial Guinea, said the Committee's consideration of the request by ECCAS to participate in the work of the Assembly as an observer was a show of faith in Central Africa. He said the basis for cooperation between ECCAS and the United Nations was justified. It would help to integrate the constructive dynamics already in place for the region. The ECCAS would not be just another observer but would support various regional initiatives and United Nations programmes for Africa. To address conflicts in the region, ECCAS had focused on human integration and on peace and security issues. ECCAS's observer status would affirm its role within the framework of cooperative agreements between the United Nations and African regional groups. It would thus become one of the five pillars of the African economic community.
With no other speakers on the agenda, the Committee adopted the resolution deciding to invite ECCAS to participate in the work of the General Assembly as an observer.
General Committee - 2 - GA/9821 5th Meeting (AM) 15 November 2000
The treaty establishing ECCAS entered into force in 1984, and the Community's secretariat was established in 1985. It was created by the Heads of the Central African countries of Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equitorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda and Sao Tome and Principe.
The General Committee will meet again at a time to be announced in the Journal.
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