GENERAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL SUB-ITEM ON ASSISTANCE

TO POORMOUNTAIN COUNTRIES ON CURRENT GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA

 

The General Committee this morning recommended that an additional sub-item on providing development assistance to poor mountain countries be included on the General Assembly’s current agenda, under agenda item 85 on sustainable development, and that it be allocated to the Second Committee (Economic and Financial).

Before the Committee was a letter dated 5 November from the Permanent Representatives of Afghanistan, Costa Rica, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal addressed to the President of the General Assembly (document A/59/238).  According to a memorandum annexed to that document, mountains provided vital resources for both mountain and lowland people, including freshwater for at least half of humanity and critical reserves of biodiversity, food, forests and minerals.

At the same time, about half of the world’s approximately 700 million mountain inhabitants were vulnerable to food shortages and chronic malnutrition, posing great challenges to implementing sustainable development and eradicating poverty in the mountain regions.  Consequently, there was need to create global economic conditions that reflected the higher degree of vulnerability of mountain regions and their people.

The memorandum suggested that one of most important means of solving those problems could be the adoption of measures by which all creditors provided debt relief to the developing mountain countries.  The debts so exempted would allow for sustainable development of those regions.

The representative of Kyrgyzstan expressed his delegation’s gratitude
for the Committee’s consideration of its request, and also stressed that the socio-economic and ecological challenges faced by poor mountain countries, particularly those with most of their territory located in hard-to-access alpine regions, required urgent response.  To that end, the inclusion of a relevant item on the Assembly’s current agenda would be a basis for identifying solutions to help poor mountain countries on their road to sustainable development and a better life.

The United Kingdom’s representative said his delegation had asked for more time for consideration of the proposal to include a new sub-item.  In the future, he would welcome efforts of delegations submitting proposals to allow maximum notice when doing so, in line with the revitalization of the Assembly’s work.

The representatives of France and Belgium said they agreed with the United Kingdom, and thanked the delegation of Kyrgyzstan –- who introduced the proposal
-- for its cooperation.  France noted that the solution found was a good one, while both delegations agreed with the position taken regarding the submission and timeliness of resolutions.

The representative of Kazakhstan supported the process of revitalizing the Assembly and felt that the inclusion of a new item did not contradict the basic principle of reforming that body’s activities.  Therefore, he supported the request by Kyrgyzstan to add the sub-item.

The representative of Peru, who is also Chairman of the Second Committee, said he supported the proposal, as well as the suggestion to include the sub-item under item 85 -- a recommendation that was met with broad support.  However, he wondered how the sub-item would be handled, in light of the fact that the Second Committee had already concluded its consideration of agenda item 85, and was scheduled to conclude its current session on 7 December.

The representative of Morocco said he supported the views of the United Kingdom and others, as they coincided with what he believed was the rationalization of the Assembly’s work.  The sub-item should be considered by the Second Committee and the Assembly.  The recommendation to include the sub-item was supported by the representatives of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Syria.

A representative of the Secretariat said that if the General Committee approved the sub-item, the Committee’s report would go to the plenary tomorrow.  If the Assembly agreed, then the Chairman of the Second Committee would be asked to include the sub-item on that body’s agenda and then it would be up to that Committee how to proceed.

Before the Committee reached its decision, Peru’s representative said that once the item was allocated, the Second Committee would decide how to proceed, particularly whether to extend the deadline for the presentation of resolutions, which had now passed.  He encouraged the delegation of Kyrgyzstan to work rapidly to prepare a text so the Committee could complete its discussions and work on time.

The General Committee will meet again at a time to be announced.

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