Trusteeship Council

Sixty-third session

1708^th Meeting (PM)

TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL MEETS, ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

Meeting for the first time since 1998, the Trusteeship Council this afternoon elected Adam Thomson of the United Kingdom as its President and Michel Duclos of France as its Vice-President.  Both will serve for five year terms in their posts.

The Trusteeship Council is composed of the five permanent members of the Security Council, namely China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States.  The Charter established it as a main organ of the United Nations, assigned the task of supervising and administering the 11 Trust Territories placed under the Trusteeship System.  Major goals were to promote the advancement of people in the Territories and to promote their development towards self-government or independence.

The Council suspended operation in 1994, after the last remaining United Nations trust territory, Palau, achieved independence.  The Council amended its rules of procedure to drop the obligation to meet annually and agreed to meet as the occasion required.  It now meets by its own decision, the decision of its President, at a request from a majority of its members, or at a request from the General Assembly or Security Council.

The date of the Council's next meeting will be announced in the Journal.

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