Fifty-Ninth General Assembly

Second Committee

27^th Meeting (PM)

second committee approves draft resolution underscoring importance

of action, policies to reduce impact of extreme weather

 

Two Other Texts Approved as Delegates Take Action without Vote

The General Assembly would underscore the importance of maintaining the El Niño/Southern Oscillation observation system, continuing research into extreme weather, improving forecasting skills and developing policies for reducing the impact of the El Niño phenomenon and other extreme weather events, according to one of three draft resolutions that the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved this afternoon.  All three texts were approved without a vote.

By other terms of the draft, on international cooperation to reduce the impact of the El Niño phenomenon (document A/C.2/59/L.23), the Assembly would call on the Secretary-General and relevant United Nations bodies, particularly those taking part in the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, to support the International Centre for the Study of the El Niño Phenomenon.  It would invite the international community to provide scientific, technical and financial support for that purpose, and strengthen other centres studying the El Niño phenomenon.

Further by that text, presented by the representative of Switzerland, the Assembly would encourage the Centre to strengthen its links with national meteorological and hydrological services in Latin America, the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific, the Inter-American Institute for Climate Prediction and other relevant regional and global organizations studying climate to ensure the effective use of available resources.

By the terms of a second draft resolution, on further implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (document A/C.2/59/L.27), the Assembly would decide to hold two days of informal consultations in Mauritius, on 8 and 9 January 2005, to prepare for the International Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, to be held in Mauritius from 10 to 14 January 2005.

Also by that text, introduced by the representative of New Zealand, the Assembly would urge the highest level of participation at the International Meeting.  It would request the Secretary-General to strengthen the Small Island Developing States Unit in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, so that it could support the full implementation of the Declaration of Barbados, the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the outcomes of the International Meeting.

A third draft, on the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (document A/C.2/59/L.24), presented by the representative of Slovenia, would have the Assembly encourage governments to include measures to implement the Decade in their educational strategies and national development plans, considering the finalized International Implementation Scheme.

By further terms, the Assembly would invite governments to promote public awareness of the Decade by cooperating with civil society and other relevant stakeholders.  It would also call on the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to prepare a mid-term review of implementation of the Decade for submission to the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session.

Also today, Qatar’s delegate introduced, on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, a draft resolution on the role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence (document A/C.2/59/L.20), and called for action at all levels to help developing countries to meet the challenges of an increasingly globalized world.

He then introduced texts relating to international migration and development (document A/C.2/59/L.21), and the prevention of corrupt practices and transfer of illicit funds, and their return to their countries of origin (document A/C.2/59/L.22).

The Second Committee will meet again at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, 8 November to take up its agenda item on coordination of United Nations humanitarian and disaster relief assistance.

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