Sixty-first General Assembly

Plenary

44^th Meeting (AM)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATES $128.54 MILLION FOR UNITED NATIONS BURUNDI MISSION;

VOTE FOR SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT REMAINS DEADLOCKED AFTER SIX MORE BALLOTS

The General Assembly this morning appropriated some $128.54 million for the maintenance, and liquidation, of the United Nations mission in Burundi, and held six more inconclusive ballots to fill the non-permanent Latin American and Caribbean Security Council seat, a contest that has been deadlocked between Guatemala and Venezuela through nearly 50 rounds of voting since 16 October.

The Assembly, adopting a resolution on the financing of the United Nations Operation in Burundi without a vote on the recommendation of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) (document A/61/547), also requested the Secretary-General to take measures to ensure an orderly transition into the planned follow-on mission, the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi, including through strong coordination among the Operation, the follow-on mission and the Burundi country team.  The amount appropriated today was for the period from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007, and was inclusive of a $78.96 million amount previously authorized for the period from 1 July 2006 to 31 October of the same year.

Today’s balloting for the Council seat began with round 42, in which a total of 186 votes were cast, 105 in favour of Guatemala, 75 in favour of Venezuela and 1 for Uruguay, with 5 States abstaining.  In the final round for today, the forty-seventh overall, 7 States abstained and 189 votes were cast, 101 in favour of Guatemala, 68 in favour of Venezuela and 1 each for Barbados, Ecuador and Uruguay, with 122 votes needed for the required two-thirds majority.

The Assembly has devoted five days to voting and the pattern has varied little, with approximately the same number of votes being cast for each of the major candidates, occasional votes being cast for an assortment of other countries, and neither candidate close to the two-thirds majority needed.  There are no limits on the rounds of voting that can be held.  The record was set in 1979, when 155 rounds were held before Mexico was chosen to fill the seat for the region.

According to the Assembly’s rules of procedure, alternating restricted and unrestricted votes in clusters of three allow for the nomination of additional regional candidates for the seat.  In today’s action, Uruguay, Ecuador, Jamaica and Barbados received nominations.

When balloting began, four of the non-permanent seats for the Council were quickly filled, for two-year terms beginning 1 January 2007.  Uncontested South Africa was named to take over the seat being vacated by the United Republic of Tanzania.  Endorsed candidates Belgium and Italy were to replace outgoing Western Europeans Denmark and Greece, while Indonesia was named to take the seat now occupied by Japan.

The Security Council consists of 5 veto-wielding permanent members –- China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States -- and 10 non-permanent members chosen for two-year terms, with 5 elected each year.  Congo, Ghana, Peru, Qatar and Slovakia will serve their second year in 2007.  New members are elected on an agreed geographic allocation, which, in this election, awards two seats to African and Asian countries, two to Western European and Other and one to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Assembly will hold another session of secret balloting for the Council seat at 3 p.m. Wednesday, 1 November.

Voting Results

Forty-second Round of Balloting (unrestricted)

Number of ballot papers:	186
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	186
Abstentions:	5
Required majority:	121
Number of votes obtained:
Guatemala	105
Venezuela	75
Uruguay	1

Forty-third Round of Balloting (unrestricted)

Number of ballot papers:	191
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	191
Abstentions:	4
Required majority:	125
Number of votes obtained:
Guatemala	106
Venezuela	78
Ecuador	2
Jamaica	1

Forty-fourth Round of Balloting (restricted)

Number of ballot papers:	190
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	189
Abstentions:	7
Required majority:	122
Number of votes obtained:
Guatemala	106
Venezuela	76

Forty-fifth Round of Balloting (restricted)

Number of ballot papers:	190
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	189
Abstentions:	7
Required majority:	122
Number of votes obtained:
Guatemala	104
Venezuela	78

Forty-sixth Round of Balloting (restricted)

Number of ballot papers:	188
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	188
Abstentions:	8
Required majority:	120
Number of votes obtained:
Guatemala	101
Venezuela	79

Forty-seventh Round of Balloting (unrestricted)

Number of ballot papers:	190
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	189
Abstentions:	7
Required majority:	122
Number of votes obtained:
Guatemala	101
Venezuela	78
Barbados	1
Ecuador	1
Uruguay	1

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For information media • not an official record