Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Plenary

40^th and 41^st Meetings (AM & PM)

DELEGATES QUESTION PROPOSED ABSORPTION OF INFORMATION CENTRES INTO REGIONAL

HUBS, AS ASSEMBLY CONTINUES DISCUSSION OF SECRETARY-GENERAL’S REPORT

CORRECTION

On page 7 of Press Release GA/10092 of 31 October, paragraphs 3 and 4 should read as follows:

FELIPE PAOLILLO (Uruguay) said the strengthening of an institution meant the strengthening of its organs.  The fact that the United Nations was currently engaged in finding the best way of improving the functioning of three of its five major organs was eloquent evidence of the need to adapt the Organization to the needs of an international community, which was itself in constant flux.  The reforms of those three organs –- the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Secretariat –- all pursued the same objective, namely to make them more effective instruments for the achievement of the Organization’s common goals.  The processes of reform of those organs, he said, should be allowed to evolve separately.  He particularly commended initiatives designed to ensure the universality of and respect for human rights.  Much work needed to be done to promote human rights, and the report’s proposals should amplify and further that agenda.

In pre-debate consultations, he said, Uruguay had expressed concern on certain proposed measures, including budgeting procedures and public information.  It was now in a position to support many of the measures suggested in the report, in those two areas as well as in human rights.  He hoped that additional information the Secretary-General might provide in response to its concerns would serve to dispel its doubts.  Without prejudice to the foregoing, he believed that the Secretary-General should proceed to put into practice those measures whose execution did not require the authorization or approval of the Assembly.

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