SECOND COMMITTEE ENDS ITS WORK, APPROVING 16 DRAFT TEXTS

Fifty-sixth General Assembly

Second Committee

40^th Meeting (PM)

SECOND COMMITTEE ENDS ITS WORK, APPROVING 16 DRAFT TEXTS

Among Innovative Proposals Forwarded to Assembly:

Nomination of High Representative for Least Developed Countries

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) concluded its substantive work for the fifty-sixth General Assembly session this evening by approving 16 draft texts without a vote.

According to a draft resolution on the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, the General Assembly would decide to establish the Office of the High Representative for Least Developed, Landlocked and Small Island Developing States.

Also by the text, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to take immediate measures to make the Office operational as soon as possible.  It would call on the Secretary-General to enhance the operational capacity of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as well as that of other organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, in their activities aimed at supporting recipient countries, especially developing countries, in particular least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States.

By the terms of a draft on the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the Assembly would decide that the Summit shall be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002, with the participation of heads of State and government during the period 2 to 4 September.

Also approved without a vote was a text on specific action related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries.  By it, the Secretary-General would be requested to convene in 2003 an international ministerial meeting of landlocked and transit developing countries and donor countries and representatives of international financial and development institutions on transit transport cooperation.  The meeting would review the current situation of transit transport systems, and formulate appropriate policy measures and action-oriented programmes aimed at developing efficient transit transport systems.

The draft on strengthening the mandate and status of the Commission on Human Settlements and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) would have the Assembly decide to transform the Commission and the Centre into the

United Nations Human Settlements Programme, to be known as UN-Habitat, by

1 January 2002.  The UN-Habitat would have a governing body and a secretariat, and would take a number of decisions regarding the status, composition, objectives, functions and responsibilities of the governing body, as well as the secretariat.

By the text of a draft on the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to clarify the reason why the Institute does not benefit from rental rates and maintenance costs similar to those enjoyed by other United Nations-affiliated organizations. It would also request him to provide proposals on how to waive or reduce those rates and costs charged to UNITAR to alleviate its current financial difficulties, which are aggravated by the current practice of charging commercial rates.

The Committee also approved without a vote draft texts on the following topics:

-- Science and technology for development;

-- Business and development;

-- Preventing and combating corrupt practices and transfer of funds of illicit origin and returning such funds to the countries of origin;

-- Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1993-2002);

-- Human resources development;

-- Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa;

-- Cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community;

-- Protection of the global climate for present and future generations of mankind (as orally amended);

-- Twenty-fifth special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II); and

-- Triennial policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system.

Background

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this afternoon to take action on draft resolutions and conclude its session.

Before the Committee is the draft resolution on specific action related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries (document A/C.2/56/L.66), submitted by Vice-Chairman Felix Mbayu (Cameroon), on the basis of informals held on document A/C.2/56/L.37.  By its terms, the Assembly would appeal once again to all States, international organizations and financial institutions to implement, as a matter of urgency and priority, the specific actions related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries agreed upon in the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the outcomes of recent major United Nations conferences relevant to those countries.

Also by the draft, the Assembly would invite donor countries, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and multilateral financial and development institutions to provide landlocked and transit developing countries with appropriate financial and technical assistance in the form of grant or concessional loans for the construction, maintenance and improvement of their transport, storage and other transit-related facilities. 

The Assembly would request the Secretary-General to convene in 2003 an international ministerial meeting of landlocked and transit developing countries and donor countries and representatives of international financial and development institutions on transit transport cooperation, within existing resources of the budget for the biennium 2002-2003 and by voluntary contribution, to review the current situation of transit transport systems, including the 1995 Global Framework for Transit Transport Cooperation.  The ministerial meeting would also formulate appropriate policy measures and action-oriented programmes aimed at developing efficient transit transport systems.  It would be held for two days and would be preceded by a three-day meeting of senior officials to finalize the substantive preparation. 

Further, the Assembly would decide to consider the precise timing and venue of the international ministerial meeting at its next session, taking into consideration the generous offer made by Kazakhstan to host the meeting.  In addition, the Secretary-General would be requested to convene in 2003 prior to the international ministerial meeting, within existing resources for the biennium 2002-2003, the Sixth Meeting of Governmental Experts from Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and Representatives of Donor Countries and Financial and Development Institutions, and decide that this meeting shall serve as a preparatory committee for the international ministerial meeting.  It would also request him, in close cooperation with the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), to seek voluntary contributions to facilitate the preparation of the ministerial meeting.

Also before the Committee is the draft resolution on science and technology for development (document A/C.2/56/L.67), submitted by Mr. Mbayu on the basis of informals on document A/C.2/56/L.2.  It would have the Assembly call on the Secretary-General to continue to ensure that the Commission on Science and Technology and its secretariat within UNCTAD be provided with the necessary resources to enable it to better carry out its mandate.  It would also call on the United Nations system and the international community to strengthen South-South cooperation initiatives, as well as subregional and regional cooperation, in the field of science and technology.

In addition, the Assembly would invite the Economic and Social Council to consider, no later than its substantive session of 2002, ways and means to strengthen the Commission by such steps as increasing the frequency of their meetings, including their annualization, and through the implementation of the recommendations set out in the report of the Secretary-General, while taking its mandate and budgetary constraints into consideration.

The Assembly would also invite the Council to consider favourably the request of the Commission to establish a working group, to meet during the regular sessions of the Commission, for the purpose of evaluating the work of the Commission, to strengthen the Commission's role in the United Nations system and increase its effectiveness. 

The draft resolution on business and development (document A/C.2/56/L.18), sponsored by the United States, would have the Assembly request the Secretary-General, in cooperation with relevant United Nations organizations, to submit to it at its fifty-seventh session a follow-up report on the continuing implementation of resolution 54/204.

      Also before the Committee is the draft resolution on preventing and combating corrupt practices and transfer of funds of illicit origin and returning such funds to the countries of origin (document A/C.2/56/L.69), submitted by Committee Vice-Chairman Garfield Barnwell (Guyana), on the basis of informals held on document A/C.2/56/L.26.  It would have the Assembly call, while recognizing the importance of national measures, for increased international cooperation in support of efforts by governments to prevent and address the transfer of funds of illicit origin as well as to return such funds to the countries of origin. 

Also, the Assembly would invite the Economic and Social Council to finalize its consideration of the draft terms of reference for a negotiation of the United Nations convention against corruption, which requests the ad hoc committee to consider the elements of prevention and combating the transfer of funds of illicit origin derived from acts of corruption, including the laundering and returning of such funds, expeditiously.

The draft resolution on the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1993-2002) (document A/C.2/56/L.25) would have the Assembly call on the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to continue to work closely with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other relevant multilateral institutions in the provision of technical assistance to African countries, particularly the least developed among them, so as to enhance their capacity to overcome technical barriers to trade in industrial and other products, and to promote industrial competitiveness within the context of the integrated framework initiative to enable them to integrate fully into the world economy.

The Assembly would also call on the international community to support Africa in strengthening its private sector, in particular through the promotion of investment and exports, the promotion of small- and medium-sized enterprise, productivity, quality assurance and standardization, and financing.  Further, it would call on the international community to support Africa’s efforts to enhance the development of its human resources.

By the terms of the draft resolution on human resources development (document A/C.2/56/L.24), the Assembly would call on the United Nations system to harmonize further its collective human resources development efforts, in accordance with national policies and priorities.  It would also call on developed countries and the United Nations system to increase support to programmes and activities in developing countries for advancing human resources development and capacity-building, particularly those geared towards harnessing information and communication technologies. 

Further, the Assembly would invite international organizations, including international financial institutions, to continue to give priority to supporting the objective of human resources development and to integrating them into their policies, projects and operations.

The Committee had before it a draft resolution on the World Summit on Sustainable Development (document A/C.2/56/L.71), submitted by Vice-Chairman Dharmansjah Djumala (Indonesia), on the basis of informals held on document A/C.2/56/L.11.  It would have the Assembly decide that the Summit shall be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002, with the participation of heads of State and government during the period 2-4 September.  It would also decide that the Summit would be open to all Member States and States members of the specialized agencies, with the participation of observers in accordance with the established practice of the Assembly and its conferences and with the rules of procedure of the Summit.

The Assembly would request the Commission on Sustainable Development, acting as the preparatory committee, to decide on all remaining issues related to the organization of work of the Summit.  It would also request the Secretary-General to launch a public information campaign to raise global awareness of the Summit, including through reprioritization of the budget of the Department of Public Information (DPI) and voluntary contributions.

The Committee also had before it the statement on programme budget implications of draft resolution L.71 (document A/C.2/56/L.19).  It states that should the Assembly adopt L.71, it is estimated that an additional appropriation of $352,500 would arise under the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003 under section 26, Public Information.

Also before the Committee is the draft resolution on implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa (document A/C.2/56/L.70), submitted by Mr. Djumala on the basis of informals held on document A/C.2/56/L.17/Rev.1.  By that draft, the Assembly would decide to include in the calendar of conferences and meetings for the biennium 2002-2003 the sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and its subsidiary bodies, including the sixth ordinary session of the COP and the meetings of its subsidiary bodies.  It would also approve the continuation of the current institutional linkage and related administrative arrangements between the Secretariat and the Convention secretariat, for a further five-year period to be reviewed by the Assembly and the COP not later than 31 December 2006.

      Also, the Assembly would invite all parties to pay promptly and in full the contributions required for the core budget of the Convention for the biennium 2002-2003.  It would urge all parties that have not yet paid their contributions for the year 1999 and/or the biennium 2000-2001 to do so as soon as possible to ensure continuity in the cash flow required to finance the ongoing work of the COP, the Secretariat and the Global Mechanism.

The Committee also had a statement on programme budget implications of draft resolution L.70 (A/C.2/56/L.51).  It states that no additional appropriation under the regular budget would be required as a result of the adoption of the draft resolution.

The draft resolution on protection of global climate for present and future generations of mankind (document A/C.2/56/L.41) is sponsored by Iran, on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China.  By its terms, the Assembly would urge Member States to ratify or to accede to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to ensure its entry into force, preferably by the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, in 2002.  Also, the Assembly would approve the continuation of the institutional linkage of the secretariat of the Convention to the United Nations, and related administrative arrangements, for a further five-year period. 

Further, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to review the functioning of that linkage not later than 31 December 2006, in consultation with the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, to make such modifications as may be considered desirable by both parties, and to report thereon to the Assembly.  

      According to the statement on programme budget implications (A/C.2/56/L.50), no additional appropriations under the regular budget of the United Nations would be required as a result of the adoption of draft resolution A/C.2/56/L.41.

Also before the Committee is a draft resolution on the triennial policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system (document A/C.2/56/L.13), sponsored by Iran on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.  It would have the Assembly take action in the following 13 areas -- role of operational activities in response to global challenges; funding for operational activities; capacity-building; United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF); evaluation of operational activities; simplification and harmonization of rules and procedures; resident coordinator system; planning, programming and implementation; humanitarian assistance; gender; regional dimension of operational activities; South-South cooperation/technical cooperation among developing countries; and follow-up.

Among other things, the Assembly would call on the United Nations system for an assessment of the transaction costs borne by recipient countries in programming and implementing operational activities, and their comparison with the total expenditures of operational activities in the field, and request the Secretary-General to report on this question to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2003.  Also, it would call for renewed efforts in gender mainstreaming in the framework of operational activities in all fields, particularly in support of poverty eradication.

The Committee also had before it a draft decision sponsored by Namibia on cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) (document A/C.2/56/L.64).  The text would have the Assembly decide to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-eighth session a sub-item entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community”.

By the text of a draft on the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) (document A/C.2/56/L.68), submitted by Mr. Mbayu on the basis of informals held on A/C.2/56/L.30, the Assembly would request the Board of Trustees of UNITAR to continue to ensure fair geographical distribution and transparency in the preparation of programmes and in the employment of experts.  It would stress that the courses of the Institute should focus primarily on development issues.

The Assembly would call upon developed countries, which are increasingly participating in the training programmes conducted in New York and Geneva, to make contributions or consider increasing their contributions to the General Fund.  It would also request the Secretary-General to continue to explore ways and means of systematically utilizing the Institute in the execution of training and capacity-building programmes for the economic and social development of developing countries.

The Assembly would request the Secretary-General to clarify the reason why the Institute does not benefit from rental rates and maintenance costs similar to those enjoyed by other United Nations affiliated organizations.  It would request him to provide proposals on how to waive or reduce these rates and costs charged to the Institute to alleviate its current financial difficulties, which are aggravated by the current practice of charging commercial rates.

The statement on programme budget implications of draft resolution L.68 is contained in A/C.2/56/L.55.  It states that should the Assembly adopt L.68, an additional biennial appropriation of $292,600 would be required under the regular budget of the United Nations.  Moreover, by so deciding, the Assembly should also override the provisions of paragraph 3 of its resolution 47/227 of 8 April 1993 that, as of 1 January 1993, the funding of all the administrative budget and

the training programmes of the Institute should be covered from voluntary contributions, donations, special-purpose grants and executing agency overheads. 

In addition, modifications would be required under articles VIII and XI of the statute of UNITAR.  The fashion in which the rental and maintenance costs could be reclassified would be decided by the Fifth Committee in the context of its consideration of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003. 

      The text on the twenty-fifth special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) (document A/C.2/56/L.39) is sponsored by Iran, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.  It would have the Assembly urge the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) to further strengthen its regional programme activity centres to provide improved technical cooperation services to national governments to implement the Habitat Agenda and the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium at the national and local levels. 

Also the Assembly would emphasize the importance of placing adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements developments in an urbanizing world, particularly in developing countries, at the centre of policy-making at the national and international levels.  Further, the Assembly would request the Executive Director to ensure the Centre’s participation in the International Conference on Financing for Development and in the World Summit for Sustainable Development and their preparatory processes. 

Another draft sponsored by Iran is on strengthening the mandate and status of the Commission on Human Settlements and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) (document A/C.2/56/L.40).  It would have the Assembly decide to transform the Commission and its secretariat, the Centre, including its Foundation, with effect from 1 January 2002, into the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, to be known as UN-Habitat, which would have a governing body and a secretariat.  It would also take a number of decisions regarding the status, composition, objectives, functions and responsibilities of the governing body as well as the secretariat.

In the area of the financing of human settlements, the Assembly would authorize the Executive Director of the Programme to launch fresh fund-raising appeals and initiatives to substantially increase the Foundation’s resources.  It would also request the Secretary-General to continue to support the Programme through the provision of adequate regular budget resources. 

With regard to policy coordination, the Assembly would decide that the Programme, as United Nations focal point for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, will participate in the Chief Executives Board for Coordination.  It would also decide that the Programme should maintain linkage with the Commission on Sustainable Development in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda as it relates to sustainable development.

Sponsored by Iran on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, the draft on the Third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (document A/C.2/56/L.59) would have the Assembly decide to establish the Office of the High Representative for Least Developed, Landlocked and Small Island Developing States, with its functions as recommended by the Secretary-General in his report on the matter.  It would also request the Secretary-General to take immediate measures to make the Office operational as soon as possible.

Also by the text, the Assembly would decide that the provisions of this resolution will be implemented within the approved level of the biennium 2002-2003 budget and request the Secretary-General to seek voluntary contributions for the Office of the High Representative.  It would also call on the Secretary-General to enhance the operational capacity of UNCTAD, as well as that of other organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, in their activities aimed at supporting recipient countries, especially developing countries, particularly least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States.

Further, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General of UNCTAD to review the title and functions of the current UNCTAD Office of the Special Coordinator. 

The Committee also has before it a note by the Secretariat containing the draft biennial programme of work for the Second Committee for 2002-2003 (document A/C.2/56/L.60), which was prepared on the basis of existing legislative authority and takes into account the draft proposals on which the Committee has taken action.

Action on Texts

FELIX MBAYU (Cameroon), Vice-Chairman of the Committee, introduced the draft resolution on specific action related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries.

The representative of Japan noted that the full title of the international ministerial meeting should appear in capital letters throughout the text.

Regarding programme budget implications, Committee Secretary MARGARET KELLY informed delegations that no additional appropriations would be required for the meeting of governmental experts for the programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003.  Those portions relating to the Office of the Special Coordinator were being considered by the Fifth Committee. 

The Committee approved the text, as orally revised, without a vote.

Next, Mr. MBAYU introduced the draft resolution on science and technology for development.

Regarding programme budget implications, Ms. KELLY said that they were under consideration by the Fifth Committee. 

That text was also approved without a vote.

      GARFIELD BARNWELL (Guyana), Vice-Chairman of the Committee, introduced the draft resolution on preventing and combating corrupt practices and transfer of funds of illicit origin and returning such funds to the countries of origin.

The Committee, acting without a vote, approved that text.

Following that, Mr. BARNWELL introduced the draft resolution on business and development, which the Committee approved without a vote.

The Committee then turned to the draft resolution on the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Ms. KELLY informed the Committee of the programme budget implications regarding that resolution.

DHARMANSJAH DJUMALA (Indonesia), Committee Vice-Chairman, submitted the text for action.  He said that consensus had been reached on the text, except on operative paragraph 4.

The representative of the United States said that she could not join consensus on an operative paragraph that would require programme budget implications.  The United States could not agree to increased resources for the Department of Public Information (DPI).  The Department should either absorb the costs of the Summit’s public information campaign by reprioritizing its work or look to voluntary resources.  It should not receive new funding from the United Nations general budget.  Her delegation would address the issue thoroughly in the Fifth Committee and would follow the matter closely as it examined the work of DPI generally.

The representative of Belgium, speaking on behalf of the European Union, expressed support for the text as a whole.  He recognized the importance of the public information campaign and the added value it would introduce to the preparatory process.  At the same time, he had great concerns about the financing of that campaign.  The funds should be mobilized through reprioritizing existing DPI funds.

The representative of Canada, speaking on behalf of Australia and New Zealand, said that the CANZ group supported the need for the public information campaign.  At the same time, there was no need for additional appropriation to fund that campaign, which should be financed through existing funds.

The representative of Japan said that he was concerned about the programme budget implications for the public information campaign.  He was willing to continue consideration of those implications within the appropriate committee of the Assembly.

The Committee approved the draft resolution without a vote.

The representative of Iran, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said that the question of the public information campaign was of vital importance, and it was necessary to secure funding for it. 

The representative of Brazil supported the statement by Iran.  She emphasized the need for publicity for the Summit, without which it would be only a meeting of governments.  In order to ensure the full participation of all stakeholders, publicity was crucial. 

The representative of Nigeria said that, while reprioritizing, it was crucial to ensure that funds were made available for the public information campaign.

The representative of Egypt agreed with the statement by Iran.  He said that matters relating to DPI were not up to the Second Committee, but were for the consideration of the Committee on Public Information.

Following that, the Committee took note of the report of the Commission on Sustainable Development, acting as the preparatory committee for the World Summit for Sustainable Development, on its organizational session (document A/56/19, Supplement No. 19).

The Committee then turned to the draft resolution on implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa.

Ms. KELLY informed the Committee of the programme budget implications of that text.

Mr. DJUMALA introduced the draft resolution.

The representative of Iran, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said that the programme budget implications would be considered within the Fifth Committee.  The Secretariat had no reason to propose any modifications to the existing arrangements.

The representative of Nigeria said that the conclusions in the programme budget implications were wrong, since the proposed meeting would not be taking place every year.

The draft resolution was approved without a vote.

The representative of Iran said that the financial mechanism of the Convention had always been a priority for the Group of 77, since that Convention was the only one which did not have a financial mechanism for its implementation.  It was vital to have that mechanism if sustainable development was to be achieved.

The representative of Nigeria said that the question of the financial mechanism would be coming up again and again until the matter was settled.  The ultimate aim was to get that financial mechanism.

The Committee then turned to the draft decision on cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community.

Ms. KELLY read out a correction to the operative paragraph of that resolution.  It should read:

“Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-seventh session under the general item of the plenary “cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations” a sub-item entitled “cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community”.

The representative of Namibia said it was essential to add to that paragraph the sentence:  “and requests the Secretary-General to present a report on this item to the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly”.

The representative of Belgium asked if would be acceptable for the delegation of Namibia to use the wording “Secretary-General to present the current report updated as necessary to the next General Assembly”.  That was to avoid useless multiplication of the report, especially since the current report had not been discussed this year.

Ms. KELLY said the last line of the operative paragraph would then read:  “and requests the Secretary-General to present the current report updated as necessary to the next session of the General Assembly”.

The Committee approved the text, as orally amended, without a vote.

The Committee then turned to the draft resolution on UNITAR.

Ms. KELLY read out a statement by the Secretariat saying there would be no programme budget implications of the draft resolution.

That text was also approved without a vote.

Next, the Committee took note of the report of the Economic and Social Council as contained in documents A/56/3 and Add.1-2, namely, chapters I to V,  VII (sections A through C and E through H) and IX. 

The Committee also took note of the report of the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on the United Nations Population Award, as contained in document A/56/459.

Following that, the Committee took note of the report of the Secretary-General on the five-year assessment of progress made in the implementation of General Assembly resolution 50/225, on public administration and development, contained in documents A/56/127-E/2001/101 and A/56/127/Add.1-E/2001/101/Add.1.

Next, Mr. BARNWELL introduced the draft resolution on the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1993-2002) (document A/C.2/56/L.25), which would be issued as A/C.2/56/L.73.

The Committee approved the text, as orally revised, without a vote.

Mr. BARNWELL then introduced the draft resolution on human resources development (document A/C.2/56/L.24), which would be issued as A/C.2/56/L.74.

That text was also approved without a vote.

JANA SIMONOVA (Czech Republic), Rapporteur of the Committee, submitted the draft resolution on the triennial policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system (document A/C.2/56/L.13), which would be issued as A/C.2/56/L.72.

The Committee approved the text without a vote.

Mr. DJUMALA submitted the draft resolution on the twenty-fifth special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) for action by the Committee.

That text was also approved without a vote.

Following that, Mr. MBAYU submitted the draft resolution on the Third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (document A/C.2/56/L.59), which would be issued with a new document symbol, for action.

The Committee approved the text without a vote.

It then took note of the following reports:  Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Secretary-General of UNCTAD on the effectiveness of the functioning of the Unit for landlocked developing countries and small island developing States (document A/56/208); the report of the Secretary-General on the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (documents A/56/297 and Corr.1); and the note by the Secretary-General on resources available to UNCTAD Office of the Special Coordinator for Least Developing, Landlocked and Island Developing Countries for the biennium 2000-2001 (document A/56/434).

       Following a suspension of the meeting, the Committee turned to the draft resolution on strengthening the mandate and status of the Commission on Human Settlements and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), which was introduced by Mr. Djumala. 

Ms. KELLY informed the Committee that should the Assembly adopt the resolution, no additional provisions were expected to arise in 2002 and 2003.

The Committee approved that text without a vote.

Mr. DJUMALA then introduced the draft resolution on protection of the global climate for present and future generations of mankind. 

The Committee approved the text, as orally revised, without a vote.

The Committee then took up a note by the Secretariat containing the draft biennial programme of work for the Second Committee for 2002-2003, which was introduced by Lixian Xiong, Chief of the Documentation Programming and Monitoring Unit.

The text was approved, as orally revised, without a vote.

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