Fifty-seventh General Assembly

General Committee

3rd Meeting (AM)

GENERAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS INCLUSION OF SUB-ITEM ON COOPERATION

BETWEEN UN, SOUTH-EAST ASIAN NATIONS GROUP, ON ASSEMBLY AGENDA

The General Committee of the General Assembly this morning recommended the inclusion of an additional sub-item entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)” in the Assembly’s agenda, and recommended that it be taken up directly in the plenary.

Introducing the request for the inclusion of an additional sub-item, the representative of Cambodia said that closer cooperation with the United Nations would deepen regional integration and help to focus on emerging trends in the globalized world.  The proposal identified the need to strengthen closer links with the United Nations and other agencies, from which the ASEAN group of countries would benefit greatly.  Enhanced cooperation would contribute to accelerating economic growth, fostering social and cultural development and promoting stability and peace in the region.

The representative of Indonesia, expressing support for the statement made by the representative of Cambodia, said that the international community faced complex and daunting challenges, which required collective effort to overcome.

The request was contained in a letter dated 26 September from the Permanent Representative of Cambodia addressed to the Secretary-General (document A/57/233).  The sub-item would be included under item 22 of the Assembly’s agenda.

In other action, the General Committee decided to postpone consideration of a request for the inclusion of an item entitled “South American Zone of Peace and Cooperation”, which was contained in a letter dated 23 September from the Permanent Representative of Peru addressed to the Secretary-General (document A/57/232).  The representative of Peru stated that work was ongoing on the request.

The General Committee will meet again on a date to be announced. 

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