Sixty-second General Assembly

General Committee

2^nd Meeting* (AM)

GENERAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS INCLUSION OF FOUR AGENDA ITEMS

The General Committee today recommended the inclusion of four additional items on the Assembly’s current agenda, among them a request by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea to consider a joint draft resolution calling on the United Nations to support peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula in the wake of a historic summit between the leaders of the two Koreas in Pyongyang earlier this month.

Ahead of the Committee’s decision, the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea said that, at the 2 to 4 October summit, Roh Moo-hyun, President of the Republic of Korea, and Kim Jong-il, President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, had adopted a Declaration on the Advancement of North-South Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity.  All this represented a major milestone in improving inter-Korean relations.  Under the current “positive circumstances”, a United Nations resolution welcoming and supporting those two events, if adopted, would go a long way towards supporting the Korean Governments and people in their search for a peaceful resolution.

The representative of the Republic of Korea said that, with the adoption of the Declaration, Seoul and Pyongyang had clearly expressed their intention and dedication to achieving peace, denuclearization and eventual reunification of the peninsula.  He agreed that the developments marked a major milestone and could pave the way on common prosperity and resolving long-standing regional concerns.

Following those statements, the representatives of Indonesia, Benin, China and Malaysia spoke in support of recommending that the Assembly include an item entitled “Peace, Security and Reunification on the Korean Peninsula”, and that the item and related draft resolution (document A/62/234) be considered directly in a plenary meeting.

Acting on the request of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Committee next decided to recommend that the General Assembly include on its agenda an item on the financing of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad, and allocate that item to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).

Also, following a proposal by the representative of Benin -– on behalf of “two interested countries” Comoros and France -– and supported by the representative of the United Kingdom, the Committee also decided to recommend to the Assembly that it defer its item on the “Question of the Comorian Island of Mayotte”, (document A/BUR/62/1) to its sixty-third session.

In other business, the representative of Saudi Arabia requested the inclusion of an item on observer status for the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf Region (document A/62/233).

Before the Committee took action, Iran’s representative drew the members’ attention to the title of the item and expressed his delegation’s dismay over the use of the nomenclature other than “Persian Gulf” to describe the body of water between Iran and the Arabian peninsula.  Indeed, “Persian Gulf” was the only name for the region that Iran recognized and was the iteration that had been recognized worldwide since “time immemorial”.  “ Persian Gulf” was the only standard geographical designation applicable to that body of water used at the United Nations and other global organizations, and was its only universally recognized name, he said.

Responding, Saudi Arabia’s representative said that his delegation appreciated Iran’s concerns.  At the same time, “Gulf Cooperation Council” was the official name of that organization recognized and registered with the United Nations.  Saudi Arabia did not wish to change the name of the organization in the documents it had submitted.   Iran might, if it so wished, submit a memorandum on the matter to the United Nations.

The Committee then decided to recommend that the Assembly include the item on its agenda and allocate it to the Sixth Committee (Legal).

Also today, the representative of Kazakhstan requested inclusion of an item on granting observer status to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (document A/62/232).  His delegation served as Chairman of that body, he said, stressing that its goals were in keeping with the Charter and objectives of the United Nations.

The Committee recommended that the Assembly consider including that item and allocating it to the Sixth Committee.

Wrapping up the Committee’s work, Assembly President Srgjan Kerim ( Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) said that the Assembly would take action on all the Committee’s recommendations at 3 p.m., Monday, 22 October.

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

* *** *

__________

*     The 1^st Meeting was closed.

For information media • not an official record