Sixty-second General Assembly

Plenary

62^nd Meeting (AM)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS 20 TEXTS RECOMMENDED BY LEGAL COMMITTEE, ADDRESSING

DIPLOMATIC PROTECTION, UNITED NATIONS ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, TERRORISM

Assembly Calls on States to Take Measures to Hold

United Nations Officials Accountable for Criminal Misconduct on Mission

On the recommendation of its Sixth Committee (Legal), and acting without a vote, the General Assembly this morning adopted 18 resolutions and two decisions, contained in 19 reports, and took note of another; it also decided by the text of one resolution today to call on States to take measures for holding United Nations officials accountable for criminal misconduct on mission.

Reports upon which the Assembly took action this morning addressed an array of issues including articles on diplomatic protection elaborated by the International Law Commission; administration of justice; the International Law Commission; and the 2008 session of the Special Committee on the Charter and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization.  Others concerned the work of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and articles on the responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts.

By a draft on criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission, the Assembly strongly urged States to take all appropriate measures to punish such persons for crimes, to consider establishing jurisdiction over serious crimes committed by their nationals on mission, and to cooperate with each other and with the Organization in their investigations and prosecutions. 

By the terms of another draft on reforming the United Nations, the Assembly established an ad hoc committee to continue working on a new system for the administration of justice at the United Nations by January 2009.

Another resolution on the report of the Special Committee on the Charter called for voluntary contributions to the trust funds for updating the Repertoire and Repertory of Practice.  According to the text, assistance to third States affected by sanctions would be considered on a priority basis during the Committee’s 2008 session, from 27 February to 5 March, and on 7 March.

As has become commonplace during the Legal Committee’s Assembly sessions, the week-long debate on the report of the International Law Commission was a highlight.  By the terms of the 2007 resolution on that report, the Assembly drew the attention of Governments to the importance of sharing views with the Commission on the broad range of topics on its agenda, such as shared natural resources, expulsion of aliens, and the obligation to extradite or prosecute.  Also, legal advisers were encouraged to participate in the commemorative meeting marking the Commission’s sixtieth anniversary, to be held in Geneva from 19-20 May 2008.

A report on the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) contained two resolutions, which were among those adopted today.  By the terms of one, the Assembly reaffirmed the importance of the Commission’s work on technical assistance in the field of international trade law reform and development.  By the other, it welcomed initiatives for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.  The Assembly called for the use of those events to promote wider adherence to the Convention, greater understanding of its provisions, uniformity in interpretation and effectiveness in implementation.

By the terms of a resolution in a report on the United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law, the Assembly called for the implementation of steps recommended by the Secretary-General to improve the administration of programmes being carried out, such as providing international fellowships and scholarships for 2008 and 2009.  The Assembly also decided to appoint 25 States to the Advisory Committee on the Programme of Assistance to serve 4 year terms, beginning 1 January 2008.

In a resolution on the rule of law at the national and international level that was also adopted this morning, the Assembly called on the Secretary-General to prepare an inventory of the current activities of the United Nations system involved in the rule of law.

Addressing measures to eliminate international terrorism, another resolution adopted today called for the Ad Hoc Committee on the matter to convene on 25 and 26 February, and on 6 March, to expedite work.  A related resolution, on the responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts, commended the draft article elaborated and adopted by the International Law Commission in 2001.  The Secretary-General was asked to invite Governments to express views on what form the articles should take.  He was also requested to update the compilation of decisions of international courts, tribunals and other bodies related to the articles for publication by the Assembly’s sixty-fifth session in 2010.  Governments were asked to submit information on practice for that compilation.

By the terms of six resolutions, a related number of organizations were invited today to be observers in the work of the Assembly.  Those were:  the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa; the Italian-Latin American Institute; the Energy Charter Conference; the Eurasian Development Bank; the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia; and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States in the Gulf.

By another text, the Assembly commended to Governments 19 articles on diplomatic protection and decided to include the item on the agenda of its sixty-fifth session in 2010.  The question of formulating the articles into a convention would be considered until then in context of the Legal Committee.

A resolution on another 19 articles on the prevention of transboundary harm was adopted today, in which the Assembly called for consideration of their elaboration into a convention.  Those articles address the concept of prevention in the context of authorization and the regulation of hazardous activities.

The Assembly adopted without a vote a draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Eurasian Economic Community (EURASEC), by which it invited the United Nations system and international financial institutions to develop direct contacts with the Eurasian Economic Community for the purpose of undertaking joint implementation of programmes to achieve their goals.

In other action this morning, based on the recommendations of the Secretary-General in his capacity as Chairman of the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), the Assembly appointed Enrique Roman-Morey ( Peru) as a member of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) for a five-year period, beginning on 1 January 2008 and expiring on 31 December 2012.

The Assembly decided not to discuss a report of its Third Committee on the item “advancement of women”, but adopted, without a vote, a draft decision contained in it on the term of office of the members of the Consultative Committee on the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).  It further decided to include on its agenda, an item entitled “Appointment of the members of the Consultative Committee on the United Nations Development Fund for Women” and consider it directly in plenary.

Finally, the Assembly filled the remaining vacant seat, from among the Latin American and Caribbean States, on the Committee on Conferences.  Acting President Stuart Beck ( Palau) informed the body that the Assembly President had appointed Argentina as a member of the Committee, for a period of three years beginning on 1 January 2008.

Also this morning, the Assembly deferred to a later date action on its agenda item on “implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations”.

The General Assembly will reconvene this afternoon at 3 p.m.

Background

The General Assembly met this morning to consider a number of items on its current agenda:  a report of its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), plus 20 reports of its Sixth Committee (Legal), which contain two decisions and 18 resolutions, including one which would call on States to take measures to hold United Nations officials accountable for criminal wrongdoing.

Some of the various reports of the Legal Committee cover issues such as articles on diplomatic protection presented by the International Law Commission; criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission; the International Law Commission; and the 2008 session of the Special Committee on the Charter and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization.  Others address the work of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and articles on the responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts.

The report of the Third Committee before the Assembly deals with the advancement of women, while the Assembly’s own agenda items that will be taken up address the implementation of resolutions, cooperation and appointments.

Reports of the Sixth Committee

The report on Responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts (document A/62/446) contains one resolution the Committee approved without a vote on 19 November (document A/C.6/62/L.20).  By the terms of this text, the Assembly would again commend the articles on the topic to Governments and would ask the Secretary-General to invite them to submit their comments on any future action.  He would also be requested to update the compilation of decisions of international courts, tribunals and other bodies referring to the articles, and to again invite Governments to submit information on their practice.  The articles were adopted by the International Law Commission at its fifty-third session in 2001.  The Assembly took note of them in resolution 56/83 of that same year. 

The report on the United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law (document A/62/447) contains one resolution, also approved without a vote as orally revised on 19 November (document A/C.6/62/L.12), by which the Assembly would approve guidelines and recommendations in section III of the Secretary-General’s report on the Programme, as well as the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on the Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law, in particular those designed to achieve the best possible results in its administration.  The resolution would also authorize the Secretary-General to carry out, in 2008 and 2009, activities specified in his report (document A/62/503), including the provision of international fellowships for both years and a minimum of one scholarship under the Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Memorial Fellowship on the Law of the Sea, all subject to the availability of new voluntary contributions made specifically to the Fellowship fund.

Further, the text would have the Assembly appoint 25 Member States –- six from Africa, five from Asia, three from Eastern Europe, five from Latin America and the Caribbean, and six from Western Europe and other States -- as members of the Advisory Committee on the Programme of Assistance, for four years, beginning on 1 January 2008.

Also approved without a vote on 19 November is the single resolution in the report on Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission (document A/62/448).  By that text (document A/C.6/62/L.10), the Assembly would strongly urges States to take all appropriate measures to ensure that crimes by United Nations officials and experts on mission do not go unpunished, and that the perpetrators of such crimes are brought to justice, without prejudice to the privileges and immunities of such persons and the United Nations under international law, and in accordance with international human rights standards, including due process.  It would also strongly urges all States to consider establishing jurisdiction, particularly over crimes of a serious nature, committed by their nationals while serving as United Nations officials or experts on mission, and at least where the conduct, as defined in the law of the State establishing jurisdiction, also constitutes a crime under the laws of the host State.

The report on the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) (document A/62/449) contains two resolutions (documents A/C.6/62/L.16 and L.17), both also approved without a vote on 19 November.

By the terms of “L.16” on the Report of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law on the work of its fortieth session, the Assembly would reaffirm the importance of the Commission’s work on technical assistance and cooperation in the field of international trade law reform and development, particularly for developing countries.  The Secretary-General would be encouraged to seek partnerships to increase awareness about the Commission’s work, and to facilitate implementation of legal standards resulting from its work.  The Assembly would consider helping officials from least developed countries participate in the Commission’s work.

By the terms of “L.17” on the Fiftieth anniversary of the Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, done at New York on 10 June 1958, the Assembly would welcome initiatives for its celebrations.  It would encourage the use of such events to promote the wider adherence to the Convention, greater understanding of its provisions, and uniformity in interpretation and effectiveness in its implementation.  Further, States would be invited to consider becoming parties to the Convention if they had not yet done so.

The report on the International Law Commission’s work (document A/62/450) contains one resolution on the Commission’s work of its fifty-ninth session.  The resolution (document A/C.6/62/L.18) was approved without a vote on 19 November, and by its terms the Assembly would draw the attention of Governments to the importance of sharing their views with the Commission on the various topics on its agenda, particularly those included in the report.  They are:  reservations to treaties; shared natural resources; expulsion of aliens; and responsibility of international organizations and the obligation to extradite or prosecute (aut dedere aut judicare).  Governments would also be invited to provide information on their practice vis-à-vis “expulsion of aliens”, “the obligation to extradite or prosecute”, and “effects of armed conflicts on treaties”.  By 1 January 2008, they should provide comments on the draft articles and commentaries on the law of transboundary aquifers.  The Assembly would also decide that the Commission’s next session (sixtieth) would take place in Geneva, from 5 May to 6 June and from 7 July to 8 August 2008.  Legal advisers would be encouraged to participate in the commemorative meeting marking the Commission’s sixtieth anniversary, to be held in Geneva on 19 and 20 May 2008.  The Assembly would ask the Secretary-General to set up a trust fund for voluntary contributions to address the backlog in the Commission’s Yearbook.  The Assembly would recommend that the Sixth Committee’s debate on the Commission’s report commence on 27 October 2008.

The report on Diplomatic protection (document A/62/451) contains one resolution, approved without a vote on 19 November (document A/C.6/62/L.13), which would have the Assembly commend to Governments the 19 articles (annexed to the text) on the subject, which were completed by the International Law Commission at its fifty-eighth session in 2006.  Governments would also be invited to submit written comments on the Commission’s recommendation that a convention be elaborated on the basis of those articles.  Further, the Assembly would decide to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-fifth session in 2010 an item entitled “Diplomatic protection”, and to further examine the question of a convention on the subject.

The report on Consideration of prevention of transboundary harm from hazardous activities and allocation of loss in the case of such harm (document A/62/452) contains a resolution that was approved without a vote on 19 November (document A/C.6/62/L.19), by which the Assembly would commend to Governments the 19 articles, as well as principles, on the subject.  The articles and the text of the principles were completed by the International Law Commission in 2001 and 2006, respectively.  The texts of the articles are annexed to the draft resolution.  Governments would be invited to submit comments on the articles’ future form, taking into account the Commission’s recommendations for the elaboration of a convention on the basis of the draft articles, as well as on any practice in relation to the application of the articles and principles.

A resolution (document A/C.6/62/L.11) in the Report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization (document A/62/453) was approved without a vote on 19 November.  It would have the Assembly reiterate its call for voluntary contributions to the trust funds for updating the Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council and eliminating the backlog in the Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs, respectively, and for sponsoring associate experts to assist in the updates.  The Assembly would decide that the Special Committee would hold its 2008 session from 27 February to 5 March, and, on 7 March, would continue consideration of, among other issues, all proposals on the maintenance of international peace and security.  It would also consider, on a priority basis, the implementation of relevant United Nations Charter provisions on assistance to third States affected by the Organization’s sanctions.

The report on the Rule of law at the national and international levels (document A/62/454) contains one draft resolution of the same title (document A/C.1/62/L.60), which was approved without a vote on 19 November.  That would have the Assembly reiterate its request to the Secretary-General to prepare an inventory of the current activities of the various organs, bodies, offices, departments, funds and programmes within the United Nations system devoted to the promotion of the rule of law.  The Assembly would express support for the Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group, supported by the Rule of Law Unit in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, under the leadership of the Deputy Secretary-General, and would request the Secretary-General to provide details on staffing and other requirements for the Unit, without delay, to the General Assembly.

A report on Measures to eliminate international terrorism (document A/62/455) contains one resolution, again approved without a vote on 19 November (document A/C.6/62/L.14).  By the terms of this text, the Assembly would strongly condemn all acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, and would call upon all Member States and appropriate international organizations to implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, without delay.  It would reiterate its call to all States to adopt further measures, in accordance with the Charter and the relevant provisions of international law, to prevent terrorism and to strengthen international cooperation in combating it.

A report on the Revitalization of the General Assembly’s work (document A/62/456) contains one decision, approved without a vote by the Committee on 19 November (document A/C.6/62/L.21).  By it terms, the Assembly would decide to adopt the Committee’s provisional agenda for the sixty-third session of the Assembly.

A report on Programme planning (document A/62/457) states that the Committee considered the item consigned to it by the General Committee on 19 November and decided no action was required.

A decision in a report on the Administration of justice at the United Nations (document A/62/458) was also approved on 19 November (document A/C.6/62/L.22).  By it terms, the Secretary-General sets out the essential elements of the legal framework for the new justice system at the United Nations, expected to be implemented no later than January 2009.  The elements include the nomination and selection of judges; draft elements of the Tribunal’s statutes; and proposed details for disciplinary procedures, management evaluation and staff legal assistance under the new system.

The Report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country (document A/62/459) contains one resolution adopted without a vote on 12 November (document A/C.6/62/L.15).  According to this text, the Assembly would endorse the Host Country Committee’s recommendations as well as conclusions, and would affirm the importance of the Committee being in a position to fulfil its mandate and meet on short notice to deal with urgent and important matters vis-à-vis relations between the United Nations and the host country.

Finally, the Assembly had before it six reports containing one resolution each, by which the Assembly would request observer status in its work for a number of organizations.

The resolution (document A/C.6/62/L.2/Rev.1) in a report on the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa (document A/62/460) was approved without a vote by the Committee on 23 October.

The resolution (document A/C.6/62/L.5) in the report on the Italian-Latin American Institute (document A/62/461) was also approved on 23 October without a vote, as was the resolution (document A/C.6/62/L.3 and Corr.1) in a report on the Energy Charter Conference (document A/62/462), and another text (document A/C.6/62/L.4) on the Eurasian Development Bank (document A/62/463).

Resolutions in reports were approved without a vote on 12 November for the Conference on Interaction and Confidence–Building Measures in Asia (documents A/62/522 and A/C.6/62/L.8) and the Cooperation Council for Arab States in the Gulf (document A/62/523 and A/C.6/62/L.7).

Action on the Drafts of the Sixth Committee (Legal)

ADAM MULAWARMAN TUGIO ( Indonesia), Committee Rapporteur, introduced the reports of the Sixth Committee in sequence. 

The Assembly first took up the Committee’s report on Responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts (document A/62/446), containing one resolution.  The draft (document A/C.6/62/L.20) was adopted without a vote.

Next the Assembly took up the report on the United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law (document A/62/447), which also contained one resolution.  The text (document A/C.6/62/L.12) was adopted without a vote.

Next, a report was taken up on Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission (document A/62/448).  The single resolution it contained (document A/C.6/62/L.10) was adopted without a vote.

The Committee’s report on the Report of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) (document A/62/449) was then taken up, containing two resolutions (documents A/C.6/62/L.16 and L.17). 

“L.16” on the Commission’s work at its fortieth session was adopted without a vote.  “L.17” on the Fiftieth anniversary of the Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, done at New York on 10 June 1958 was also adopted without a vote.

The Committee’s report on the International Law Commission’s report on the work of its fifty-ninth session (document A/62/450) was taken up, and the single resolution (document A/C.6/62/L.18) on the report was adopted without a vote.

The Assembly then took up the report on Diplomatic protection (document A/62/451).  The single text (document A/C.6/62/L.13) in the report was adopted without a vote.

Next to be taken up was the report on Consideration of prevention of transboundary harm from hazardous activities and allocation of loss in the case of such harm (document A/62/452).  The single resolution (document A/C.6/62/L.19) on the matter was adopted without a vote.

A report on the Special Committee on the Charter and on strengthening the Organization (document A/62/453) was taken up.  The single draft (document A/C.6/62/L.11) in the report was adopted without a vote.

The report on the Rule of law at the national and international levels (document A/62/454) was taken up, and the single resolution (document A/C.1/62/L.60) in it was adopted without a vote.

Continuing, the Assembly then took up the Legal Committee’s report on Measures to eliminate international terrorism (document A/62/455).  The single resolution (document A/C.6/62/L.14) contained in the report was adopted without a vote as orally amended by the representative of Canada on a procedural matter.

The report on Revitalization of the Assembly’s work (document A/62/456) was taken up, and the single decision (document A/C.6/62/L.21) it contained was adopted without a vote.

The Assembly then took up the Committee’s report on Programme planning (document A/62/457) and took note of it.

Next, the Assembly took up the report on Administration of justice at the United Nations (document A/62/458) and without a vote adopted the draft decision (document A/C.6/62/L.22) contained in it.

A report on the Committee on Relations with the Host Country (document A/62/459) was next taken up.  The single resolution (document A/C.6/62/L.15) it contained was adopted without a vote.

Finally, six reports on requests for observer status in the Assembly were taken up and adopted without a vote.  Those related to the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa  (documents A/62/460 and A/C.6/62/L.2/Rev.1); the Italian-Latin American Institute (documents A/62/461 and A/C.6/62/L.5); the Energy Charter Conference (documents A/62/462 and A/C.6/62/L.3 and Corr.1); the Eurasian Development Bank (documents A/62/463 and A/C.6/62/L.4); the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (documents A/62/522 and A/C.6/62/L.8); and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (documents A/62/523 and A/C.6/62/L.7).

Plenary Items

The Assembly then took up several plenary-generated items, including action on a number of outstanding decisions and one plenary-generated text.  It also filled vacancies on several of its subsidiary bodies, and took action on one part of a report of its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).

It deferred consideration of an agenda item on “implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations” to its sixty-third session and decided to include it on the provisional agenda of that session.

Next, the representative of Tajikistan, on behalf of the member States of the Eurasian Economic Community (EURASEC), introduced a draft resolution on Cooperation between the United Nations and the Eurasian Economic Community (document A/62/L.14), saying that the Community had held observer status with the Assembly for the past three years, and had worked closely with the United Nations on many issues at the core of the Organization’s work, including trade and economic development, environmental protection, education, health care and disaster risk reduction.

He went to highlight other efforts EURASEC had taken to strengthen its interaction with the United Nations, including the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) last September.  At the same time, it was becoming clear that it was necessary to further enhance practical cooperation with the Organization on a more systematic basis, especially vis-à-vis coordination of national activities in the socio-economic fields, such as timely achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development objectives.  That was the purpose of the draft before the Assembly today, he said, hoping the text would be adopted by consensus.

Speaking before the vote, the representative of the Russian Federation supported statements by Tajikistan and the Eurasian Economic Community, saying that the outcome document from the 2005 World Summit had decided that the collective approach to consolidating peace and other issues required constant cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations.  More than 50 per cent of trade carried out today was done through regional trade agreements.

Regional integration was indeed necessary, and its success had a direct impact on the economic prosperity of regions around the world, he went on to say.  Among the most successful regional mechanisms was EURASEC.  Since its establishment in October 2000, it had grown into a dynamic and effective union with an institutional basis, and had become integral to multilateral relations.  The Community’s founding treaty had asserted States’ commitment to the Charter and international law.  The Community was an important partner of the United Nations, he continued, adding that it had achieved observer status in the Assembly in 2003.  At the same time, the existing level of interaction between the United Nations and Community did not match its potential.  It was time to work on a more systematic basis and enhance the synergistic effects of achieving common objectives, including the Millennium Development Goals.

He said interest in addressing cooperation had been seen in the regular report of the Secretary-General, which would be submitted at the next Assembly session.  The resolution introduced would be considered.

The representative of Belarus said there was no doubt that expanded cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations would enhance overall effectiveness in solving economic development problems.  The Community was a union of nations involved in socio-economic cooperation, particularly in the areas of energy, finance, health, education and environmental protection.  The resolution would provide an impetus for increasing direct contact between the Community and the United Nations, he continued, noting that opportunities for interaction involved the question of access to energy sources.  Cooperation held promise for countries to access energy, and United Nations assistance was important in that regard.  Also, the entry of EURASEC nations into the world economy, as well as the global trading system, was important, and cooperation with the United Nations would help the rapid inclusion of those States into the World Trade Organization.

T. A. MANSUROV, Secretary-General of EURASEC, thanked the Assembly for considering the draft and highlighted the areas in which the Community had been cooperating with the United Nations system.  Among the most important areas of that cooperation had been the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action for landlocked developing countries.  In that context, EURASEC had helped to carry out transport development programmes, as well as programmes for increasing the efficiency of Europe-Asia transit traffic.  The Community was also emerging as an important institution for regional interaction, ensuring stability and expanding economic cooperation.

He said that EURASEC believed its priorities for the future required enhanced cooperation in areas such as sustainable socio-economic development, energy, water supplies, development of science and technology, transport infrastructure and transit potential, as well as labour markets and the private sector.  The Community was ready to discuss those and other important issues with the relevant United Nations agencies and present its proposals, so that cooperation could be further enhanced.  He was convinced that today’s resolution would contribute to the intensification of joint efforts aimed at strengthening interaction in Eurasia; socio-economic development of EURASEC States; the prosperity of their populations; and, of course, achieving internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

The Assembly then adopted the resolution without a vote.

Next, acting on the recommendations of the Secretary-General, in his capacity as Chairman of the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), the Assembly decided to appoint Mr. Enrique Roman-Morey ( Peru) as a member of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) for a five year period, beginning on 1 January 2008 and expiring on 31 December 2012.

The Assembly then took up the report of its Third Committee on the item “advancement of women” (document A/62/433 (Part I)).

Before action, Cuba’s representative asked for an explanation as to why the item had been included on today’s agenda, as she had understood that it would have been discussed on 18 December, when the plenary was set to take up all of the Third Committee’s reports.

Assembly Vice President STUART BECK ( Palau) responded that the decision had been taken at the request of the Secretary of the Third Committee.

After deciding not to discuss the report, the Assembly adopted without a vote a draft decision (document A/C.3/62/L.18/Rev.1) contained therein on the Term of office of the members of the Consultative Committee on the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), by which it decided that the two new members of the Consultative Committee, who were to be designated by the President of the General Assembly Srgjan Kerim (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), “shall be granted a full term of three years, commencing on 1 January 2008 and ending on 31 December 2010, and that the remaining three members of the Consultative Committee would continue to serve their three-year terms through 31 December 2009.”

The Assembly also decided to include in the agenda of its sixty-second session an item entitled “Appointment of the members of the Consultative Committee on the United Nations Development Fund for Women”, and to consider it directly in plenary.

Finally, the Assembly filled the remaining vacant seat, from among the Latin American and Caribbean States, on the Committee on Conferences.  The Assembly had taken note on 15 November of the President’s appointment of Austria, China, Kenya, Tunisia, and the United States as Members of the Committee.  He had informed the plenary at that time that consultations were required to fill the remaining seat.  Today, Acting President Stuart Beck ( Palau) informed the body that the Assembly President had appointed Saint Kitts and Nevis as a member of the Committee, for a period of three years beginning on 1 January 2008.

[Later, the Secretariat informed the Plenary that the Assembly President had actually appointed Argentina to fill the vacant seat on the Committee on Conferences.]

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