Economic and Social Council

2006 Substantive Session

48^th Meeting (PM)

Economic and Social Council, resuming 2006 substantive session, defers

addition of Papua New Guinea to list of least developed countries

A decision to include Papua New Guinea in the list of least developed countries, subject to its Government’s acceptance, would be deferred to the next substantive session of the Economic and Social Council, according to a draft resolution approved this afternoon, as that organ resumed its substantive session for 2006.

Meanwhile, the Council approved an oral decision deferring Samoa’s graduation from the same list until the 2007 organizational session.  Other topics deferred until the 2007 organizational session included the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized agencies:  draft annex relating to the World Tourism Organization (document E/2006/70), and the application, by the International Emergency Management Organization, for observer status with the Council (document E/2006/87), which also took note of the withdrawal of a similar application by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Also today, the Council approved a draft decision concerning enlargement of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, by the inclusion of 10 new members.  Three of those seats would be allocated to the Group of African States, two to the Group of Asian States, one to the Group of Eastern European States, two to the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States and two to the Group of Western European and other States.

By other provisions of that text, the terms of office for the new members would coincide with existing terms of membership, with dates to be determined for each region by lottery.  The election of the 10 new members would be held at the organizational session in February 2007.  The Council agreed, however, to defer consideration of remaining matters, contained in the report of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (document E/2006/31), until that date.

Turning to the report of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, at its fifth session (document E/2006/43), the Council approved a draft decision to authorize a three-day international expert group meeting on the Convention on Biological Diversity, in which representatives of the United Nations, members of the Permanent Forum and interested intergovernmental organizations, experts and Member States would participate.  The results of that meeting would be reported to the Permanent Forum at its sixth session in May 2007.

Following that action, the representative of the United Kingdom said his country’s support for the text did not constitute acceptance of the principle that some groups in society should benefit from human rights that were not available to others.  With the exception of the right to self-determination, the United Kingdom did not accept the concept of collective human rights in international law.

In another action, the Council adopted the provisional agenda for the sixth session of the Permanent Forum, specifying “territories, lands and natural resources” as its special theme.  Prior to that action, the Secretary said that, should that decision be adopted, an additional $490,400 would be required for the three-day meeting.

The Council also approved, as orally amended, a draft decision to hold the sixth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York, from 14 to 25 May 2007.  Holding the event in Bangkok, Thailand, as originally intended, would have entailed programme budget implications.

However, the Council decided not to take action on a draft decision to devote the coordination segment of its 2007 substantive session to indigenous issues.  Instead, it approved a text by which it would decide that the theme for that particular segment would be “The role of the United Nations system in promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all”.  A decision on next year’s thematic discussion, and the theme for its Annual Ministerial Review, would be deferred to the first organizational session for 2007.

In a separate action, the Council approved a draft decision on contributions of relevant subsidiary bodies of the Economic and Social Council, including its functional and regional commissions, and the organizations of the United Nations system to the annual ministerial-level substantive review and the Development Cooperation Forum.

By the terms of that text, the Council would invite United Nations entities, the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization to contribute to the Council’s review of progress in implementing the outcomes of the Organization’s major economic and social conferences, as well as those concerning related fields.  Also by the text, that decision would apply to the first annual ministerial-level substantive review and the Development Cooperation Forum to be held in 2007, without prejudice to future modalities of interaction.

In other business, the Council took action regarding elections, nominations, confirmations and appointments postponed from previous sessions.  It elected Grenada and Honduras, by acclamation, to the Commission on Population and Development for a four-year term, beginning at the first meeting of that body’s forty-first session in 2007 and expiring at the close of its forty-fourth session in 2011.

Turning to the Executive Board of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, the Council elected Israel, the Philippines and Syria, also by acclamation, to a three-year term, beginning on 1 January 2007.  However, in the absence of any other candidates, the Council agreed to postpone the election of two members each from the African and Eastern European Groups.

Meanwhile, Lesotho, Malaysia and the Czech Republic were elected, by acclamation, to the Committee for the United Nations Population Award for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2007, while the election of two members from the African Group was postponed.

As for vacancies on the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, Italy was elected, by acclamation, for a four-year term, beginning on 1 January 2007.  In the absence of any other candidates, the Council agreed to postpone the election of three members from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.  The Council was reminded that there were no candidates for a “leftover vacancy” from 2005, for one member from the Asian Group, for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2008.

In other action, Barbara Wilson ( Switzerland) was elected to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to replace Giorgio Malinverni, who was expected to step down on 1 January 2007.  Ms. Wilson would complete the unexpired portion of Mr. Maliverni’s term of office, which would have ended on 31 December 2008.

Also, in view of the resignation of Yoshiki Takeuchi ( Japan) and Talmon de Paula Freitas ( Brazil) from the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, the Council took note of the Secretary-General’s appointment of Nobuyuki Nakamura ( Japan) and Eduardo Zaidensztat Capnikcas ( Uruguay) to complete their terms, both of which were to expire on 30 June 2009.

Having been informed that Sweden was resigning its seat on the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund, the Council elected Denmark for a term beginning on 1 January 2007 and expiring on 31 December 2009.

The Czech Republic was elected, and Indonesia re-elected, to fill upcoming vacancies on the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission for a term beginning on 1 January 2007 and expiring on 22 June 2008.  In the absence of any other candidates, the Council agreed to postpone the election of a member from the Group of Western European and other States.  The newly elected officers would fill posts left by outgoing officers from Belgium and Poland.

The representatives of Guinea-Bissau, Finland (on behalf of the European Union), Guinea and South Africa (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China) congratulated Ali Hachani ( Tunisia) on a successful Presidency.

The Economic and Social Council Council will meet again on 17 January 2007 to elect its new Bureau.

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For information media • not an official record