Sixty-second General Assembly

Fourth Committee

1^st Meeting (AM)

FOURTH COMMITTEE, APPROVING WORK PROGRAMME, WILL CONSIDER QUESTION OF PEACEKEEPING

OPERATIONS, PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE, DECOLONIZATION, AMONG TOPICS

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) this morning approved its programme of work for the current session, which was to include 15 topics -- ranging from issues relating to the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples, to the peaceful uses of outer space and the review of the question of peacekeeping operations.

At the brief organizational meeting, Committee Chairman Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad ( Sudan) introduced members of the new Bureau, Hossein Maleki ( Iran), Viktoriia Kuvshynnykova ( Ukraine), Alexandrous Vidouris ( Greece), Vice-Chairpersons, and Renier Valladares Gómez ( Honduras), Rapporteur.

According to the work programme (document A/C.4/62/L.1), the Committee would consider the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (item 40), from 8 to 15 October.  During that time, it would also consider related items such as information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73e of the United Nations Charter (item 36); economic and other activities that affected the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories (item 37); implementation of the decolonization Declaration by United Nations specialized agencies and associated international institutions (item 38); and offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories (item 39).

The Committee had three meetings planned on questions relating to information (item 35), from 18 to 22 October, and on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space (item 31), due to take place from 24 to 26 October.  It agreed today to establish a working group on outer space to be chaired by France.

On 29 October, the Committee would take up the effects of atomic radiation (item 30).  It would convene its annual comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects (item 34), in four meetings, from 31 October to 5 November, and assistance in mine action (item 29), from 6 to 7 November. 

From 7 to 9 November, the Committee would consider the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (item 32) and, on 9 November, it would take up issues on revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (item 121) and programme planning (item 129).  From 12 to 14 November, it would review, in three meetings, the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (item 33).

The Committee expected to conclude its work for the current session on 15 November, with action on all draft resolutions submitted under items 32 and 33.

On the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, an aide-mémoire (document 1/07) containing 59 requests relating to the questions of Gibraltar, Guam, Western Sahara and New Caledonia would be considered at the next meeting.  The Chairman added that he had received communications from the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, who wished to address the Committee.

The Fourth Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. on Monday, 8 October, to take up issues relating to implementation of the decolonization Declaration.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record