SECOND COMMITTEE APPROVES TEXT URGING ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR OFFICE OF HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Second Committee

41^st Meeting (PM)

SECOND COMMITTEE APPROVES TEXT URGING ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR OFFICE OF HIGH

REPRESENTATIVE FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

It Also Acts on Drafts Regarding UN-Habitat,

Science and Technology, Public Administration for Development

The General Assembly would call for adequate resources for the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, according to one of four draft resolutions approved by the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this afternoon.

By the same terms of that draft, on the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (document A/C.2/57/L.60), the Assembly would welcome the Secretary-General's decision to set up a trust fund to support the Office of the High Representative, and call on Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as the private sector to contribute voluntarily to the fund.

Also by that text, approved as orally revised, the Assembly would invite least developed countries (LDCs) to translate the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 into specific measures in their national development frameworks and poverty eradication strategies.  It would also stress the need for efficient and strengthened coordination, monitoring and follow-up of the Programme's implementation.

A second draft (document A/C.2/57/L.59), also approved as orally revised, related to the twenty-fifth special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and the strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).  By that text, the General Assembly would underline the commitments made by governments to implement the Habitat Agenda and the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements, to the goal of significantly improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2002, as contained in the Millennium Declaration.

Further by that draft, the Assembly would underline the commitments made at the World Summit for Sustainable Development, including the commitment to halve, by 2015, the number of people unable to reach or afford safe drinking water and the proportion of those without access to basic sanitation.  The Assembly would also emphasize, at all policy-making levels and in the context of sustainable

development, the importance of giving high priority to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements, including achieving the goals of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world, particularly in developing countries.

The Assembly would, by further terms, urge all countries to strengthen and incorporate shelter and human settlement development activities into their national development frameworks.  It would also request UN-Habitat’s Executive Director to step up efforts to achieve, via the Cities Alliance Initiative, adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world.  

By further terms, the Assembly would call on UN-Habitat, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other relevant United Nations organs to better coordinate activities promoting implementation of Agenda 21 and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.  It would call on UN-Habitat to further support implementation of the Water for African Cities programme, as requested by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and invite governments and relevant international institutions and agencies to step up support for UN-Habitat, so that it may function as a fully fledged United Nations programme.

A third draft resolution, on science and technology for development (document A/C.2/57/L.61), would have the Assembly take note of the Chilean Government's proposal to host a global biotechnology forum in December 2003, under the auspices of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and to take adequate measures for its successful organization.

Also by the draft, the Assembly would encourage Member States to work with UNIDO to ensure that the forum would have realistic objectives and produce useful outcomes, as related to UNIDO's mandate in its medium-term programme framework for 2002-2005.  The Assembly would also encourage Member States to consider providing financial or other support to the forum and/or regional preparatory meetings.    

According to the final draft resolution approved today, on public administration and development (document A/C.2/57/L.58), the General Assembly would designate 23 June as United Nations Public Service Day, and encourage Member States to organize special events on that day to highlight the contribution of public service to development.

By other terms, the Assembly would express its appreciation to Morocco for offering to host the fourth Global Forum in Marrakesh in December 2002, and welcome the Secretariat's substantive support for that event.

Belgium's representative introduced the first draft and the representative of Morocco the other three.

In other business, a representative of the Budget Division responded to questions relating to the programme budget implications of meetings on the United Nations Convention on Climate Change.

The Second Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday           10 December, to take up further draft resolutions.