Fifty-Ninth General Assembly

Plenary Meeting

40^th Meeting (AM)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY adopts seven texts aiming to enhance ORGANIZATION’S

cooperation with REGIONAL, OTHER ACTORS

 

Text on Cooperation with Preparatory Commission

For Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Adopted by Vote of 104-1-0

Continuing its drive towards creating a network of effective and mutually reinforcing mechanisms -- regional and global -- that would be both flexible and responsive to today’s complex realities, the General Assembly today adopted seven resolutions aimed at enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations.

Six of the texts were adopted unanimously, with one, on cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, adopted by a vote of 104 in favour, to 1 against (United States), with no abstentions (See Annex).  By all the texts adopted today, the Assembly decided to continue its biennial consideration of cooperation issues and included relevant items on the provisional agenda of its sixty-first session.

The other resolutions covered, respectively, cooperation between the United Nations and the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO); the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO); the Association of South-East Nations (ASEAN); the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW); the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC); and the League of Arab States.  All aimed to consolidate the ties of the United Nations system and the organizations towards the furtherance of shared objectives and the promotion of cooperation in resolving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems.  

The Assembly’s action today capped a two-day joint debate, in which nearly 60 speakers urged the world body to take advantage of the expertise and on-the-ground experience of local and regional actors to assist in key areas such as promoting sustainable development, in line with the Millennium Declaration; monitoring environmental degradation and the use of natural resources; and even conflict resolution and peace-building, a particular concern for speakers from Africa and the wider developing world.

Today, the Secretary-General of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) said the United Nations, its specialized agencies and other international and regional organizations were the only instruments available for effectively responding to current challenges.  The complexity of global problems had turned the world body into a special setting for developing fruitful cooperative relationships, and it could, therefore, benefit from the experiences and capacity of regional organizations on issues of common interest. 

“Civil society representatives are interpreters who form the link between the international and the local,” Belgium’s representative said, adding that United Nations resolutions and decisions would not have any meaning unless they were relayed for public opinion and to civil society.  In that light, the Assembly’s revitalization would also have no impact unless such an opening up took place.  He reminded delegations that the Charter began with the words, “We the peoples of the United Nations”.  As such, the Organization must remain in contact with the “peoples”, and it must listen to them via their elected representatives because they were important partners.

Echoing that sentiment, the Observer for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) said that the United Nations was the pre-eminent multilateral instrument through which common solutions could be found to shared problems.  The CARICOM’s continued cooperation with the Organization was a critical aspect of its efforts to improve the well-being of its citizens and to lay the foundation for peaceful and sustainable development in the region.  He appreciated the solidarity displayed by the international community and the United Nations and its specialized agencies, particularly in their initial efforts to assist the CARICOM States devastated by the recent deadly hurricanes, as well as in the region’s fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Finland, Cape Verde, Greece, Iran, Ethiopia, Armenia and Republic of Korea.

The Observers for the League of Arab States, the International Organization of la Francophonie and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) also addressed the Assembly.

The Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, the Acting Secretary-General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC), and the Deputy Secretary-General of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) also spoke.

The Assembly will meet again at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 26 October, to begin its consideration of the annual report of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and hold a joint debate on the culture of peace, including matters related to the International Year of Sport.  It is also expected to consider follow-up of the General Assembly Special Session on Children.

Background

The General Assembly met today to continue its discussion of cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations.  It was also expected to act on eight draft resolutions on strengthening such cooperation. 

In addition to the texts the Assembly had before it (See Press Release GA/10282 issued on 21 October), it was also expected to hear the introduction of a draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States (document A/59/L.13).  By that text, the Assembly would call on the specialized agencies and other organizations and programmes of the United Nations system to increase their cooperation with the League and its specialized organizations in the priority sectors of energy, rural development, training and vocational education, trade and finance, empowerment of women, and promotion of the role of the private sector and capacity building, among others.

Statements

TOM GRÖNBERG (Finland) said that, despite the fact that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty had not entered into force, it could be said that its fundamental objective had been attained in so far as all States had continued to refrain from nuclear explosions.  Through its final declaration, the conference held last year to consider measures to accelerate the ratification process adopted a list of concrete measures to promote the early entry into force of the Treaty.  He hoped those measures would serve its purpose and speed up the entry into force of the Treaty.  Finland had been elected to serve as the coordinator to promote cooperation, through informal consultations with all interested countries, aimed at promoting further signatures and ratifications. 

The Treaty enjoyed broad support, he said, as demonstrated both by the high-level attendance at the meetings and by the number of signatures and ratifications.  As a result of that support, he was confident that there would be success in reaching the final goal, though much still remained to be done.  As the coordinator for the activities to facilitate the entry into force, Finland appealed to all signatory States to remove the obstacles still preventing the entry into force.  By convincing all those States that had not yet signed or ratified the Treaty of its importance, the Treaty’s entry into force would be ensured.

FATIMA VEIGA (Cape Verde) said the encouraging proposals and discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations were in line with overall United Nations reform and essential to efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals.  United Nations cooperation with the African Union had helped promote among African countries a common approach for the management of conflict, the maintenance of peace and the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

Cape Verde was a member of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries and hoped that the Organization’s relationship with those countries could be established formally and then reinforced.  Although not a regional organization in the traditional sense, the Community was an intergovernmental organization with eight member countries spanning four continents.  Its principles centred on three main pillars:  political and diplomatic collaboration; cooperation for development; and promoting the Portuguese language.  The Community also advocated regional dialogue and, although relatively young, it had already had positive experiences in handling crises and promoting peace, with the help of other countries and organizations.  She hoped the draft on strengthening cooperation with the Community would be approved by consensus today.

ELIAS KATSAREAS (Greece) said his country, as a future Chair of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC), would do its best both for the promotion of that body’s goals and to strengthen its standing within the family of international organizations, especially with the United Nations.  Although the BSEC was not directly involved in peacekeeping and conflict management, it participated in peace and security processes through economic cooperation and the implementation of so called “soft” security measures.  It contributed to regional and international peace, security, stability and welfare by developing economic and trade relations between its member States.  He welcomed the report of the Secretary-General and supported the recommendations included.

MEHDI DANESH YAZDI (Iran) said the main aim of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the collective voice of the Islamic world, was to enhance solidarity and cooperation among all its members in various fields, and to make an effective contribution to the endeavours of the international community in pursuit of peace and development.  Over the years, the OIC had been engaged in effective and fruitful cooperation with the United Nations and other international organizations.  The report of the Secretary-General indicated that consultations at all levels continued between the United Nations and the OIC on a wide range of economic, social and humanitarian issues.  He welcomed the continuation of consultations between the two organizations on a number of highly important political issues, particularly Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Sudan, as well as conflict prevention and the fight against terrorism.

Given the ever-increasing importance of Islamic countries in the political, economic and social equations of the world today, he believed that the expansion of cooperation between the United Nations and the OIC had become all the more instrumental for the maintenance of global peace and security.  Turning to cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), he found it encouraging that, according to the Secretary-General’s report, the various bodies of the United Nations and the secretariat of the ECO had continued to expand the scope of cooperation in different areas.  The existing pace of cooperation and joint programmes and projects between the two should be accelerated and encouraged within the United Nations system.  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) should be more involved in capacity building with the ECO secretariat and its relevant programmes.

He added that the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) continued to play an active role, in cooperation with the United Nations, in harmonizing the positions of Asian and African countries concerning international legal issues.  The expansion of relations between the United Nations and regional organizations through high-level contact, regular consultations and technical meetings could serve the objective of addressing global challenges.

FESSEHA TESFU (Ethiopia) highlighted the various cooperative efforts underway between the United Nations and the African Union (AU), particularly the Organization’s assistance in efforts towards the establishment of the AU Peace and Security Council.  In addition, the United Nations had contributed to the strengthening of the Union’s structures, and Ethiopia further recognized the Organization’s continuing involvement in peacekeeping efforts in Africa, particularly in the Horn of Africa in particular.  Ethiopia also recognized the changing concepts and general nature of modern peacekeeping efforts, which now addressed such issues as the establishment of institutions to ensure the rule of law, enforcement of human rights, reintegration of troops and internally displaced persons, as well as the rehabilitation of infrastructure in countries emerging from conflict.

Africa still faced several conflict situations that were hindering progress towards wider peace and development, he continued.  Ethiopia believed that the AU Peace and Security Council would be a useful tool to augment cooperation with the United Nations in the area of conflict prevention.  He added that despite the African Union’s willingness to tackle conflict in the region, it still faced financial shortfalls and lacked requisite technical resources.  Enhanced cooperation with the United Nations would facilitate the provision of assistance in that regards.

ALAIN COOLS (Belgium) said United Nations resolutions would not have any meaning unless they were relayed for public opinion and to civil society.  In that light, the revitalization of the General Assembly would also have no impact unless such an opening up took place.  Civil society representatives were interpreters who formed the link between the international and the local.  He reminded delegations that the Charter began with the words, “We the peoples of the United Nations”.  As such, the Organization must remain in contact with the “peoples”, and it must listen to them via their elected representatives because they were important partners.  Belgium welcomed the strengthening of cooperation between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and hoped for more efforts in that regard.  His country had co-sponsored and fully supported the resolution on cooperation with the United Nations and the IPU, introduced yesterday by Chile.  The text had been produced based on broad consultations, and he hoped it would be adopted by consensus.

ARMEN MARTIROSYAN (Armenia) said that the phenomenon of globalization affected every aspect of the modern international scene, even the intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working within it.  So it was encouraging to see that the Assembly’s traditional discussion on enhancing United Nations cooperation with other organizations had expanded its scope to include more discussions on improving relationships and initiatives with regional groups.  That growth was reflective of the international community’s acknowledgement of the increasing role such organizations could play in efforts to meet today’s global challenges, particularly since they brought to the table a more localized expertise and deep understanding of ground realities and developments.

Armenia had cooperated extensively with a number of regional organizations, he said, mentioning his country’s ongoing collaboration within the framework of the tripartite process of informal consultations with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe, and the United Nations.  Noting the OSCE’s extensive experience with conflict prevention and resolution, he stressed that his region’s Nagorno Karabagh conflict was in need of peaceful settlement.  The resolution of that conflict was one of the OSCE’s important mandates, exercised through the Minsk Group, which also gave a regular report on the situation to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.  The Nagorno Karabagh peace process had had its ups and downs, but seemed recently to have picked up speed.  Armenia supported the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group in their efforts and expressed hope for a just and lasting solution to the protracted conflict.

SHIN KAK-SOO (Republic of Korea) said that global issues such as terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and environmental degradation were so far-reaching that they affected distinct geographical regions in different ways.  Regional organizations were often well-suited to offer region-specific remedies and approaches, that could reinforce global efforts to address those issues.  His delegation saw a great potential for close cooperation between the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations on security matters.  Joint activities related to humanitarian assistance, preventive measures and an early warning system merited further consideration.  His country supported the valuable partnership between the ASEAN and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which particularly focused on bridging the development gap.

He also strongly believed in the importance of cooperation between the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations.  The Union had been an essential link between the citizens of the world, as represented by their parliamentarians, and the United Nations.  Moreover, national parliaments played a vital role as the central institutions that adapted and translated global norms and agreements into domestic laws.  The Republic of Korea reaffirmed its support for the Union’s efforts to provide greater parliamentary contribution and enhanced support to the United Nations.  He also endorsed the Union’s efforts to consult parliamentarians on the recommendations made by the Panel of Eminent Persons on United Nations-Civil Society Relations in order to engage parliamentarians in the work of the United Nations in a more systematic way.

TERRY DAVIS, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, said his organization today encompassed more than 800 million people.  Many lived in societies in the throes of rapid socio-economic and political transition.  Many were abused and brutalized.  Others were victims of armed conflict and discrimination, living in socially excluded and marginalized families.  Their plight made a mockery of social justice and human rights.  The same applied to the millions of others outside of Europe, and compelled the international community to join forces to build freer and fairer societies where peace, human rights and the rule of law could flourish and thrive.  Reconciliation, reconstruction and the prevention of new conflicts were the hallmark of the Council’s mission.  And not only did the Council share the causes and concerns of the United Nations, but in many areas, both organizations had a common agenda.

He went on to say that while terrorism required intensive cooperation between governments and international organizations, the need for partnership was not an excuse to neglect individual responsibilities.  The Council of Europe had adopted a threefold approach based on increased legal cooperation, respect for human rights and the promotion of intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.  The obligation to take appropriate measures to protect fundamental human rights by trying to prevent terrorist attacks was reflected in 11 Council conventions, ranging from special measures to deal with cyber crime and money laundering to a straightforward attempt to combat the evil by an updated convention on the suppression of terrorism.  He stressed, however, that while terrorism must be combated, it must be done so in accordance with international law, including those that applied to human rights and the treatment of refugees.  “If we behave like terrorists, we will destroy our own credibility, we will descend to their level and we will increase support for them”, he said.

On the issue of breaking down cultural and religious barriers, he said the Council was strengthening its cooperation with the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Dialogue was also a prerequisite for fighting racism and xenophobia.  There the Council had been particularly active through its European Commission against Racism and Intolerance -- an independent watchdog dealing with human rights issues in those areas.  The Council was also active in many other areas, and in several cases cross-fertilisation with the United Nations had proved beneficial to both organizations.  Some examples of issues where there was joint cooperation were human trafficking; violence against children; rights of the disabled; and the participation of women in peace-building.  In conclusion, he said that the Council, like Secretary-General Kofi Annan, wished to create a human rights framework which recognized the disparities of wealth between North and South and which recognized the legitimate rights of people to migrate in search of a better life.

YAHYA MAHMASSANI, Observer for the League of Arab States, said the League and its specialized agencies were keen to improve cooperation with the United Nations in all areas.  Since 2002, such cooperation had covered areas including the holding of joint meetings and conferences, the setting up of an expert committee on the Arab region, as well as joint initiatives in the areas of population and development.  That cooperation had also included joint programmes with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Vienna-based anti-drug agencies.

Above all, the League aimed to promote research and to help find ways to better implement the Organization’s resolutions and decisions relevant to the important matters on its agenda.  It also hoped to work with the United Nations and others to find a lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, as well as to find ways to bring peace to the wider Middle East towards the eventual creation of a “zone of peace” and a region free of nuclear and other dangerous weapons.  He added that the League considered its work with other organizations to be an important ingredient to overall efforts to promote and enhance dialogue among civilizations.

WAFIK Z. KAMIL, Secretary-General of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), said the United Nations, its specialized agencies and other international and regional organizations were the only instruments available for effectively responding to current challenges.  The complexity of global problems had turned the United Nations into a special setting for developing fruitful cooperation.  The Organization could benefit from the experiences and capacity of regional organizations on issues of common interest.  Those organizations were indispensable for managing issues at the regional and national levels.  In that regard, he said relations between the AALCO and the United Nations had grown in strength, in consonance with the purposes and principles of the Charter.  The AALCO was dedicated to contributing to the work of the United Nations, in particular in the field of international law in Asia and Africa.

Since its inception, he said, the AALCO had contributed to the work of the International Law Commission by presenting Asian-African perspectives.  The role of the AALCO in the development of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was well recognized.  Concepts such as Exclusive Economic Zones and ArchipelagicStates had their origin in AALCO deliberations.  Twenty years after the entry into force of the Law of the Sea Convention, the item remained high on the AALCO agenda.  He added that legal issues involved in the Palestinian question remained an important item on the work programme of the AALCO, which had been monitoring developments in the region for nearly 30 years and updating Member States on them. 

The struggle against terrorism, he said, could not be fought in isolation; the answer lay in multilateralism.  The AALCO had been following the debate in the United Nations Ad hoc Committee on the elaboration of a comprehensive convention on the subject, as well as the Counter-Terrorism Committee.  The AALCO’s work programme also focused on the compilation of national legislation to combat corruption, in order to establish a network between law enforcement agencies, and to assist Member States in the implementation of the Convention on Corruption.

HAMID MOHAMMED, Observer for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said that, as an organization bringing together 15 small developing States, CARICOM placed great importance on the United Nations as the pre-eminent multilateral instrument through which common solutions to common problems could be sought.  The CARICOM’s continued cooperation with the United Nations was a critical aspect of its efforts to attain its objective of improving the well-being of its citizens and laying the foundation for the peaceful and sustainable development of all CARICOM member States.  He appreciated the solidarity displayed by the international community and the United Nations and its specialized agencies, particularly in their initial efforts to assist the CARICOM States devastated by the hurricanes and also for the launching of the United Nations Flash Appeal for Grenada and Haiti.

The establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy was one of the key priorities of the Community, he continued.  That undertaking would seek to create a seamless economic space by the end of 2005, allowing for the free movement of the key factors of production -- persons, capital, goods and services.  New institutions would have to be established -- key among which was the Caribbean Court of Justice -- and new principles would have to be implemented.  The court would require enabling domestic legislation and, in some States, constitutional amendments, which was a potential source of delay.  The support of the UNDP had enabled the Community to make progress in the establishment of the court, as well as to initiate a process of administrative reform at the national level.  The Caribbean Community had also received significant support from the United Nations system in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and looked forward to further cooperation with the Organization in the area of training and knowledge management.

NELSON M. COSME, Deputy Secretary-General of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), said the proposed resolution on cooperation between his organisation and the United Nations strengthened his conviction that the latter had welcomed Central Africa into its ranks.  His region was potentially rich but still faced obstacles such as armed conflicts, which contributed to weakened economies and poverty.  Central Africa had witnessed a reduction of conflicts in the last four years.  Out of 11, there were now only three with serious consequences -- Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad.

Nevertheless, the whole issue of conflicts needed to be addressed so that they were not allowed to destabilize the region further.  The use of mercenaries, the persistence of border disputes and serious cross-border human crises further aggravated the situation.  Recognizing that peace was the indispensable prerequisite for economic growth, the Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa was engaged in a great deal of dialogue on mediation and good governance, as was the ECCAS.

While real efforts were being undertaken by central African States to address socio-economic issues, they still had not yielded the desired results, he said.  Poverty, underdevelopment and HIV/AIDS were still real factors of life.  But the ECCAS was addressing those issues and a number of other key development challenges, including implementation of the NEPAD.  The dialogue between the ECCAS, the United Nations and the European Union was a fruitful exercise, particularly when addressing the issue of early warning mechanisms.  The launching of an energy pool and a free-trade area in the central African region in June 2004 were encouraging developments.  The establishment of a United Nations subregional office in his region would help address many problems, including conflicts and their prevention. 

TUGAY ULUCEVIK, Acting Secretary-General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC), said its member States had adopted the BSEC Economic Agenda in April 2001 in order to be in a better position to meet the challenges of globalization.  The main goal of the Agenda was to strengthen, through a project-based approach, existing collaboration and expansion into new fields.  The BSEC’s Development Fund, established to promote projects with high regional cooperation and development impact in the BSEC region, was made up of voluntary contributions from States, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank and other related bodies.  He appealed to all international financial institutions and donors to explore the possibility of contributing to the activities of the Development Fund.  His organization represented a forum for discussion and cooperation in areas ranging from energy and transport, trade and economic development, to the environment and agriculture.

As a regional economic organization, the BSEC was not directly involved in peacekeeping and conflict management, he said.  Instead, it rendered its contribution to peace and security through economic cooperation and by means of implementing the so-called “soft” security measures.  Throughout the past decade, the BSEC region had become an integral part of the European political and economic landscape, he said, adding that the BSEC region had become the immediate neighbour of the enlarged European Union.  Moreover, the Black Sea region was becoming Europe’s main transport and energy transfer corridor.  The BSEC served as a model of cooperation, uniting nations of different cultures and varying historic experience.  That, he continued, would help the BSEC assert its place in the new emerging European architecture.  Paying tribute to the Permanent Mission of Georgia for initiating consultations on a draft resolution to be submitted to the General Assembly on cooperation between the United Nations and the BSEC, he appealed for the adoption of that text by consensus. 

RIDHA BOUABID, Observer for the International Organization of Francophonie, said his organization had developed synergies with the United Nations, owing to the two organizations’ complementary mandates and very similar objectives.  It was committed to multilateralism, cooperation and negotiation.  Its areas of operation were expanding to include peace, security and support for democracy, among others.  The Francophonie supported and used the United Nations to promote cooperative efforts to ensure peace, security and reconciliation in many countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, the Comoros and Central African Republic, among others.  It also sought to have its member countries play an increased role in the peacekeeping operations that had been established this past year, particularly through the provision of civilian police in Central and West Africa, as well as Haiti.  It had also supported United Nations electoral assistance work.

He said a fairer world would not be possible unless all countries were involved in decision-making, particularly on matters related to the adoption of international norms and addressing the effects of globalization.  His organization was working with Tunisia and Mauritius during the run-up to two important conferences, respectively, the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the ten-year review of the Barbados Programme for Action on small island developing States.  The Francophonie also supported multilingualism and thanked the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) for working with it in providing opportunities to explore expanding multilingualism, particularly on the United Nations web site.

MOKHTAR LAMANI, Observer of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said that, as reflected in the report of the Secretary-General on the cooperation between the United Nations and the OIC, the progress of implementation of programmes and activities in priority areas of cooperation was encouraging.  As called for in the draft resolution, the Organization of the Islamic Conference would continue to play its role in maintaining meaningful and effective contacts between its organization and the United Nations, and its respective agencies and institutions.  Those contacts would continue to be strengthened through the support of the OIC group in New York and Geneva, and through the various OIC contact groups and committees at the United Nations.

The specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system were encouraged to continue to expand their cooperation with the subsidiary organs and specialized and affiliated institutions of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, particularly by negotiating cooperation agreements, and through necessary contacts and meetings of the respective focal points in priority areas of interest to the two organizations.  That emerged from the encouraging reports of the outcome of cooperation among the subsidiary and affiliated bodies of the two organizations during the period under review.  He looked forward to more strengthened, better coordinated and mutually cooperative interactions.

Action on Drafts

The Assembly then took up the draft resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization” (document A/59/L.1) and adopted it without a vote.

A draft resolution entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Cooperation Organization” (document A/59/L.3) was also adopted without a vote.

Following that, the Assembly adopted, without a vote, the draft resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Association of South-East Nations” (document A/59/L.6).

Next, the Assembly took up the draft resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization” (document A/59/L.7), which was adopted by vote of 104 in favour to 1 against (United States) with no abstentions.

The Assembly then adopted, without a vote, the draft resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons” (document A/59/L.8).

After that, the Assembly took up the draft resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference” (document A/59/L.12), as orally revised by Turkey yesterday, and adopted it without a vote.

Finally, a draft resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States” (document A/59/L.13) was considered and adopted without a vote.

Before adjourning the meeting, Assembly President JEAN PING (Gabon) informed delegations that action on the resolutions on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union” (document A/59/L.5/Rev.1) and “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum” (document A/59/L.11) would be taken up at a later date.

ANNEX

Vote on text on Cooperation with the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO

The draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (document 59/L.7) was adopted by a recorded vote of 104 in favour to 1 against, with no abstentions, as follows:

In favour:  Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia and

Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia

Against:  United States

Abstain:  None

Absent:  Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium,

Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe.

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