Sixty-first General Assembly

Plenary

77^th Meeting (PM)

concerned by encroachment, delegates stress need for cooperation among key organs

 

as General Assembly considers revitalization of its work

Revitalization of the General Assembly called for a strategy to enhance the Assembly’s ability to exercise its authority in the face of resistance by other organs, the representative of Egypt said, this afternoon, as delegates took up that subject.

Among other measures, he called for a strengthening of the Assembly’s prerogative to ensure that the Security Council met its responsibilities.  That would entail a strengthening of the Assembly’s ability to address instances when the Council failed to fulfil its obligations, whether as a result of veto abuse or an inability to appreciate the seriousness of a threat.  The Havana Declaration, adopted by the Non-aligned Movement Summit in September, would be submitted to the Assembly as a draft resolution seeking to restore the Assembly’s authority to take action against genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, or in situations involving ceasefires between belligerent parties.

Pakistan’s representative also called for the Assembly to examine more closely the Council’s deliberations and decisions, especially when it authorized action under Charter VII of the United Nations Charter, or when one of its permanent members exercised its right of veto.  There was also a need to enhance the Assembly’s role in formulating and implementing policy in the economic and social fields, and in standard-setting and treaty-making.

San Marino’s representative called for the Assembly to ensure that policymaking was its first priority, emphasizing that it should spend more time on strategic planning before delegating powers to various agencies and other bodies.

Numerous speakers, including the representative of New Zealand -- speaking also on behalf of Canada and Australia -- expressed satisfaction with the increased openness of the 2006 selection of the new Secretary-General.  Nevertheless, they called for the implementation of other measures that would give the Assembly a greater role in that process.

Delegates also called for the re-establishment of the Working Group on Revitalization of the Assembly’s work, with Brazil’s representative noting that the harmonious “checks and balances” interaction between the principal United Nations organs was not working.  Their relationship would be less confrontational if the Security Council were more transparent, inclusive, representative and accountable.  As the debate on Council reform had shown, any mechanism short of enlarging that organ Council and revising its working methods would be nothing but a palliative.

Liechtenstein’s representative, also noting the deteriorating relationship between the Assembly and the Security Council, said the two organs could work to each other’s benefit, if they were both strong and had a genuine interest in a functional and effective counterpart.  The Assembly had demonstrated its ability to be a policymaking body at the heart of the United Nations.

In opening remarks, Assembly President Sheika Haya Rashed Al Khalifa (Bahrain) recalled that the important issue of Assembly revitalization had been on the agenda for 15 years, in which time the Assembly had raised its profile, while also improving its efficiency and working methods.  World leaders at the 2005 World Summit had reaffirmed the Assembly’s central role as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative body of the United Nations.

Since then, she added, the Assembly had been engaged in a “very intense” period of reform, proving it was prepared to take difficult decisions to better equip the United Nations to address the global issues of the day.  That responsibility extended to monitoring the implementation of reforms, particularly in ensuring that newly-established institutions, such as the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council, lived up to their potential.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Cuba (on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement), India, Tunisia, Finland (on behalf of the European Union and associated States), Yemen, Honduras, Argentina, Belarus and Colombia.

The General Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, 14 December, to pay tribute to the outgoing Secretary-General and administer the oath of office to his successor.

Background

The General Assembly met this afternoon to take up the question of revitalizing the work of the General Assembly.

For its consideration, the Assembly had before it the Secretary-General’s report on Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (document A/61/483), which provides an overview of the implementation status of resolutions relating to the revitalization, with a particular focus on those adopted at the fifty-ninth and sixtieth sessions, prior to the establishment of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Revitalization at the sixtieth session.  An annex provides further details on earlier resolutions, and an addendum will be issued on further measures taken during the sixty-first session.

The report covers enhancing the Assembly’s authority and role, improving its working methods and agenda, the General Committee, the role of the President and documentation of activities, and the work of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group.  Revitalization has been examined, at length and in depth, for the last 15 sessions, with measures to improve efficiency and effectiveness taken, even before the process became known as “revitalization”.  At the 2005 World Summit, States reaffirmed the Assembly’s central position as the Organization’s chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ, also reaffirming the Assembly’s role in standard-setting and codifying international law.  Heads of State and Government welcomed measures to strengthen the Assembly’s role and authority, as well as that of its President’s.

Statement by Assembly President

SHEIKHA HAYA RASHED AL KHALIFA (Bahrain), President of the General Assembly, said that the important issue of General Assembly revitalization had been on the agenda for the past 15 years, during which time the Assembly had worked to raise its profile and taken on more work on a range of issues, while also devoting a fair amount of time to improving its efficiency and working methods.  At the 2005 World Summit, world leaders had reaffirmed the Assembly’s central role as the chief deliberative, policy-making and representative body of the United Nations.  “We can be proud of what we have achieved over the years and we should remain resolved to do our utmost to respond to the needs of the peoples of the world.”

Since the 2005 World Summit, the Assembly had been engaged in a “very intense” period of reform, she said.  At its sixtieth and sixty-first sessions, it had agreed on various measures to strengthen the United Nations, most recently, the consensus adoption of a resolution on strengthening the Economic and Social Council.  In adopting various reforms, the Assembly had demonstrated that it was prepared to take difficult decisions, so as to better equip the United Nations to address the global issues of the day.  Member States also had the responsibility to monitor the implementation of their reforms, particularly in ensuring that newly established institutions, such as the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council, lived up to their potential.

As Member States moved forward in their efforts to revitalize the Assembly, delegations should build on previous initiatives and improvements in the Assembly’s work, she said.  While the President’s Office had received the utmost support during the present session, the Assembly, as an institution, had sometimes been unfairly treated, even within the United Nations, and its Presidency would make every effort to enhance the organ’s role, particularly on current issues of importance to Member States.

Overall, the Assembly must focus more on enhancing the impact of its work on the everyday life of the world’s people, she said, adding:  “We must strive to be on the forefront of the global agenda, so that we can play a role in shaping, not merely reacting, to it.”  The Assembly must also be more focused and action-oriented, enhance its visibility, by strengthening efforts to tackle strategic issues, reach out to broader audiences, and communicate its views.  In all aspects of its work, the Assembly needed to build its relationships with external partners, including national and regional actors, civil society and the private sector.  One way to do that was by convening topical interactive debates, and the Presidency intended to hold three of them during the current session.

She said the first interactive debate –- on implementation of the Millennium Development Goals -- had been held on 27 November and two others, planned for the spring, would focus on “Gender and development” and “Dialogue among civilizations,” respectively.  The President’s Office would provide further information on those topics at a later date.  Meanwhile, Assembly resolution 60/628 invited the President to convene consultations among Member States to consider the establishment of an ad hoc working group, open to all Member States, on revitalizing the Assembly.  The Presidency intended to conduct consultations, early next year, on how to proceed on that important matter.

ILEANA NÚÑEZ MORDOCHE (Cuba), speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, said Assembly revitalization was critical to overall United Nations reform, and its objectives should continue to strengthen the organ’s role and authority as the Organization’s principal deliberative, policy-making and representative body.  The Non-Aligned Movement would not support any tactics that sought to undermine or minimize the Assembly’s achievements, diminish its current role and functions, or question its credibility and relevance.  The Movement called on Member States to renew their commitment and political will to implement Assembly resolutions and decisions on a non-selective and non-discriminatory basis, since the lack thereof was at the root of many unresolved questions.

She expressed support for measures to simplify the procedures on the “Uniting for Peace” principle, so as to facilitate the adoption of urgent measures by the General Assembly.  The Non-Aligned Movement further reiterated the Assembly’s role in the maintenance of international peace and security, and expressed its concern at instances where the Security Council failed to fulfil its primary responsibility in that regard.  The Movement would be working on the language of a draft resolution on that matter, for submission to the Assembly, and requested that the agenda item be kept open, so that the Organization’s wider membership could consider the text later on.

The Movement considered close cooperation among the major United Nations organs as essential to the continued relevance of the United Nations and its ability to face ongoing and emerging threats and challenges, she said.  To that end, the Movement was concerned at attempts to move agenda items from the Assembly or the Economic and Social Council to the Security Council, and it opposed the Council’s usurpation of the Assembly’s functions and powers.  The Presidents of the Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council should meet periodically to debate and coordinate questions relative to their respective agendas and work programmes, so as to achieve coherence.  Such a move would actually strengthen the mandates of all three organs.

Citing specific cases under Assembly resolution A/60/286 (on Assembly revitalization), she went on to recommend that the Assembly consider proposing parameters to prepare monthly assessments of the Security Council, in order to ensure that its reports to the Assembly were comprehensive and analytical, as opposed to being basically a chronology of events.  The Movement wished to know whether the Assembly President intended to propose concrete steps to carry out consultations that would allow continuing review of the Council’s report.  Had the current Assembly Presidency received, from its predecessor, a report on best practices and lessons learned during the 60^th session?  Finally, the Non-Aligned Movement was disappointed that the recommendations on the selection of the Secretary-General, included in resolution 60/286, had not been given due consideration this year.

ROSEMARY BANKS ( New Zealand), speaking on behalf of the CANZ ( Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), said the agenda item should not be viewed in isolation, but as part of the overarching project of United Nations reform.  The true measure of success for the United Nations was not how much was promised, but how much was delivered for those who needed the Organization most.

On the topic of revitalization, she said that, equipped with today’s draft resolution, as well as those passed previously, the Assembly was in a good position to move the process forward.  While the CANZ welcomed the enhanced transparency and timeliness of the 2006 process for selecting the new Secretary-General, it was disappointed that many recommendations had yet to be taken up or consistently implemented.

She said progress was imperative in reviewing the mandates of the General Assembly with a view to eliminating some of them and consolidating others.  There had also been agreement that resolutions should be shorter, sharper and more directed towards action.  CANZ remained committed to improving the Assembly’s engagement in the resolution process and implementation of previously-agreed recommendations.  Furthermore, there had been recognition, during the mandate review process, that members needed improved information and structured processes, in order to become better custodians of their resolutions.

AJAI MALHOTRA ( India) said a useful beginning had been made in revitalizing the Assembly’s work, but more substantive aspects of the process should now be taken up as part of the larger, ongoing process of United Nations reform.  Beyond coordination, a revitalized Assembly would focus on setting the global agenda, especially on development issues.  It would also restore the centrality of the United Nations in economic matters, increasing the weight and voice of developing countries in the global economic architecture, so as to exercise a positive influence on the Bretton Woods institutions and enhance the acceptability of their decisions.

He said one substantive area the Assembly could take up concerned its role in the selection of the Secretary-General.  That important issue should be considered on an ongoing basis and not only when the selection process was on the horizon.  The balance among the principal organs should also be considered to curtail encroachments into each others mandates.  Arrangement should be made for the Security Council’s reports to be more analytical and for the Council to provide special reports.  Thematic discussions should be held regularly, even as the Assembly took precautions against incursions into the territory or other organs, when considering cross-cutting issues.  Finally, the President should hold consultations to ascertain views on whether an ad hoc working group on revitalization should be set up for the current session, as had been the case in the last one.

ALI HACHANI ( Tunisia) said further enhancing the role and authority of the Assembly would flow from its holding interactive debates on topical issues, and from taking a more active role in addressing current issues of importance to Member States.  When the Security Council could not reach a decision, or failed to act on matters of international importance, the Assembly could focus on matters of international peace and security within the framework of its mandate under the Charter.  The establishment of de facto legislative bodies under the Council was another matter that required close examination.

Calling for enhanced cooperation between the Presidents of the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, he said the Assembly should enhance the participation of civil society actors, which should conform to the Assembly’s established rules of procedure.  Tunisia agreed with the Secretary-General’s call on Member States to draft proposed resolutions that were more concise and action-oriented, and for a speedy review of, or return to, decisions on Assembly revitalization on which action had been postponed, including the proposal to split the Assembly’s substantive session, and the use of optical scanners to speed up voting.  Finally, Tunisia called on the Assembly President to move expeditiously forward on work to create an ad hoc working group to study Assembly revitalization.

MUNIR AKRAM ( Pakistan), stressing that revitalization was a political rather than a procedural issue, said that, while resolutions certainly needed to be streamlined, more focused discussions were needed.  Reports should also be improved and consolidated, but true revitalization would happen only when the general membership displayed the political will and determination to enable the Assembly to discharge its prescribed role and responsibility.

Stressing the need to reverse the Security Council’s encroachment on the Assembly’s role in the maintenance of international peace and security, he said the Council’s role was reactive rather than proactive.  In addition, the Assembly needed to exercise closer examination of the deliberations and decisions of the Council, especially when it authorized action under Charter VII, or when a veto was exercised.  Likewise, the Assembly had a vital role in the economic and social field, both in policy formulation and implementation.

Pakistan attached great importance to the norm-setting and treaty-making role of the Assembly, he said, calling for the creation of ad hoc committees to elaborate instruments on various issues.  Regarding financial and administrative management, the Assembly’s role needed strengthening, and it was important that it closely scrutinize Council decisions requiring the allocation of resources for peacekeeping or other purposes.  On implementation of resolutions, the Secretariat should be required to submit a report, within a specific time frame, on the status of implementation.

MAGED ABDELAZIZ ( Egypt) said revitalization went beyond such actions as rationalizing the agenda, reducing the number of meetings, or minimizing the volume of reports.  It called for a strategy to enhance the Assembly’s ability to exercise its authority in the face of attempted resistance by other organs.  Despite success in selecting the next Secretary-General, the Assembly’s role in that process must be strengthened by laying down a clear mechanism allowing the Assembly to evaluate candidates and submit names to the Council.

He said the Assembly’s prerogative to supervise the Council’s meeting of its responsibilities also needed strengthening, as did the Assembly’s ability to address instances when the Council failed to fulfil its obligations, whether as a result of abuse of the veto, or a lack of appreciation for the seriousness of a threat.  The September Havana Declaration, adopted by the Non-aligned Movement Heads of State and Government, would be submitted as a draft resolution on when the Assembly could regain its authority in undertaking actions when the Council failed in situations of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the implementation of ceasefires between belligerent parties.

Finally, reform of the Assembly and its main bodies must not be hampered by the raising of financial obstacles to prevent it from implementing its mandate, he said.  The capacity to pay should not be used as a tool to exert pressure.  The principle of “one country, one vote” must be maintained, with balance and confidence between developed and developing countries restored, on the basis of a more just system.  An open-ended working group should be established towards all those ends.

KIRSTI LINTONEN (Finland), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said any reform required that all parties agree upon and then implement realistic, practical and action-oriented steps.  While the European Union welcomed the steps already implemented towards the revitalization of the Assembly, the real challenge was for each and every Member State to implement the necessary measures to ensure that all delegations knew they were required to ensure comprehensive reform of the Assembly.

Reform was an ongoing process that could not be completed through the holding of a series of meetings, she said.  The European Union encouraged the Assembly’s Main Committees to continue rationalizing and streamlining their agendas, including through the clustering of items.  There was a need to consider innovative means to make the Assembly’s debates more in-depth, focused and interactive and to better place the Organization at the service of the international community.

The European Union was concerned that the Assembly had met only limited success in consolidating its reports, she said, adding that some aspects of the overall reform effort should aim to preserve the Organization’s institutional memory.  Exchange of experiences between outgoing and incoming Presidents and bureaux of the Main Committees must become regular practice in order to ensure that all subsidiary bodies of the Assembly were working toward a common goal.  The European Union looked forward to the upcoming study on the use of optical scanners due for presentation to the Assembly later this year, which could turn out to be an essential tool for elections.

AHMED HASSAN HASSAN MOHAMED (Yemen), aligning himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said that, since reform required further debate, it was important not to act in haste and to be careful in decision-making.  The Assembly had a central role at the United Nations as its chief deliberative organ, representing all Member States on an equal footing.  It was where debate took place in a democratic and transparent manner.  It was imperative to prevent the Security Council from encroaching on the Assembly’s mandate, a trend that had led to inconsistencies and a lack of harmony between the two bodies which sometimes left the Assembly paralysed.

The Security Council could also be reformed, he said, noting that its work was sometimes hindered by the excessive use of the veto, which prevented it from achieving the tasks with which it was charged.  The General Assembly must play a fundamental role in the maintenance of peace and security, especially because it accorded no privileges to some Member States.  The Assembly’s authority must be strengthened and given the resources it required to make that happen.

DANIELE BODINI ( San Marino) said the adoption of new resolutions on revitalization may have raised the level of excitement, but business must carry on as usual.  The first and most important reform of the Assembly should be how the membership did business with itself, its missions, its associates, its Member States and the Secretariat.  Decisions must be made on the basis of the Assembly’s collective wisdom.  Policymaking should be the first priority and much more time must be spent on strategic planning, before the Assembly delegated its powers to agencies and other bodies.  The Assembly must not relinquish its role.

IVÁN ROMERO-MARTÍNEZ ( Honduras) said revitalization must reaffirm the central role of the Assembly as the principal deliberative body for the adoption of universal action and policy for the betterment of humanity.  Reform must happen in line with the basic principle that the Assembly was nothing more than what its members wanted it to be, and its action, policies, guidelines and daily activities would reflect the Organization that Member States desired.  While it was important to assume political responsibility for decisions taken, major problems remained that must be dealt with more resolutely.  Similarly, there was a need to make optimum use of available resources so that the United Nations could confront today’s ever-greater challenges.

He said mandate review was an important objective in the reform process.  The adoption of coherent policies would allow unified responses that would benefit both the United Nations and the world’s people.  It was imperative to set priorities and refine the working agenda, while reprogramming the Main Committees and improving their working methods.  Likewise, restoring a proper balance of power between the Council and the General Assembly was necessary.  A coordination mechanism would allow broader cooperation and communication between the two organs, as well as with the Economic and Social Council.  Honduras supported the call to strengthen coordination with outside actors, such as civil society and parliaments, while also supporting the proposal made by the Non-Aligned Movement.

CÉSAR MAYORAL ( Argentina) said it was imperative that the mandates given to the respective organs of the United Nations be fully respected.  The Organization’s main bodies must conduct their work transparently and Argentina welcomed initiatives to boost communication channels between the Assembly and the Security Council, including the holding of regular meetings involving the Presidents of the Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council.  While there had been a welcome transparency in the selection of the new Secretary, the Security Council must make greater efforts to push that process further.

He urged the Assembly to keep in mind that the objective of greater efficiency in the Assembly would not be achieved merely by undertaking a “methodical and formal” exercise.  Instead, they should secure the political will to implement all the mandates agreed upon in Assembly resolutions and ensure that the Secretariat and relevant implementing bodies had sufficient resources to carry out that task.

RONALDO MOTA SARDENBERG ( Brazil) said the conceptual basis for revitalization had been consolidated and the implementation phase had begun.  The rhythm of that was influenced by political motivations and the pace of the wider United Nations reform, which encompassed institutions and practices, as well as the determination of developing countries to participate more meaningfully in decision-making.

He noted that the interaction among the principal organs should be one of harmonious checks and balances, but the system was not working.  Interaction should be less confrontational and more fruitful, and it would be so if the Security Council were more transparent, inclusive, representative and accountable.  Complaints about the Council’s encroachment would be prevented by the Council reforming in line with those objectives.  As the debate on Council reform had shown, any mechanism short of enlargement, in both membership categories and revision of the Council’s working methods, would be nothing more than a palliative.

Calling for a strengthening of the Economic and Social Council as well, he said the Assembly must make full use of the functions and powers entrusted to it by the Charter.  The President’s role was essential in that regard, particularly in promoting debate and strengthening interaction among the principal organs.  The Assembly should also have a greater role in selecting the Secretary-General.

SERGEI RACHKOV ( Belarus), aligning himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said his delegation remained committed to making the Assembly a more authoritative and influential organ.  However, it was regrettable that the mechanism to strengthen the Assembly’s participation in selecting the new Secretary-General had not been fully utilized in 2006.

On the issue of mandate review, he said the Security Council must pay more attention to the settlement of existing and ripening armed conflicts and refrain from considering issues that did not pose a threat to peace and security.  Strengthening the thematic focus of the Assembly’s meetings could serve as an important tool in raising the effectiveness of its work, he said.  For example, the High-level Dialogues on Migration and Financing for Development had given additional impetus to the development of international cooperation on those issues.

CLAUDIA BLUM ( Colombia) said that, as a founding Member of the Organization, her country found the task of revitalizing the Assembly essential to overall United Nations reform, particularly as it would enhance the Assembly’s standing as the top universal forum for international debate.  While some might not recognize it, reform had been slowly taking hold.  For instance, there was increased dialogue between the Assembly President and Member States, and the Assembly’s Main Committees had been steadily rationalizing their work.

Still, frustrations were evident, she said, noting that much work remained to be done in rationalizing the Assembly’s agenda.  The implementation of Assembly resolutions had fallen short of Member States’ expectations and the proliferation of agenda items often overwhelmed smaller delegations.  That required closer examination.  There was also a need to study how the official reports of the Assembly’s meetings could be issued faster.  In addition, the Assembly’s annual review of the Security Council’s work made it clear that cooperation and collaboration between the Organization’s major organs must be enhanced.

She added that further discussions on system-wide coherence must be guided by efforts to strengthen the Assembly for the benefit of Member States.  Indeed, the system would be coherent, so long as the Assembly was strengthened.  For the United Nations to be able to face its current challenges effectively, the Assembly must be able to fully exercise its role and authority, as set out in the Charter.  It was the only world body capable of addressing the hopes and dreams of the world’s peoples.

CHRISTIAN WENAWESER ( Liechtenstein) said the Assembly had illustrated its ability to be the policymaking body at the heart of the United Nations, particularly during the adoption of the resolution establishing the Human Rights Council.  While consensus was not necessarily identical with unanimity, strong numerical support reflected genuine political commitment.

Noting the deteriorating relationship between the Assembly and the Security Council, he said a strong Assembly and a strong Security Council could coexist, and work to each other’s benefit.  Both bodies must have a genuine interest in a functional and effective counterpart.  However, Liechtenstein had mixed feelings about revitalization.  The Assembly must fulfil its assigned tasks, which was essential for a sound institutional balance within the Organization.  At the same time, debates on revitalization did not bring it any closer to that goal.  Instead of engaging in circular discussions, the Assembly should be concerned with issues of real relevance, so as to ensure decisions that had a real impact on the problems they purported to address.

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For information media • not an official record