Economic and Social Council

2008 Organizational Session

6^th Meeting (AM)

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL FILLS VACANCIES ON SUBSIDIARY BODIES, INCLUDING

SIX NEW MEMBERS TO EXECUTIVE BOARD OF WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

 

In a resumed organizational session today, the Economic and Social Council adopted three decisions and filled vacancies in 17 of its subsidiary bodies with only a single vote.  It also concluded outstanding items on its agenda.

The Council decided that the theme for the humanitarian affairs segment of its substantive session this year would be “Building capabilities and capacities at all levels for timely humanitarian assistance, including disaster risk reduction” (document E/2008/L.2).  It further decided that two panels would be convened on the subject, one of which would deal with disaster risk reduction and preparedness, while the other would deal with food aid.

By another decision, the Council agreed to hold an event on the morning of 15 July to discuss the transition from relief to development (document E/2008/L.4).  The theme of the event -- which would consist of a panel discussion with no negotiated outcome -- would be “coordination in the transition phase between emergency relief and sustainable recovery”.

According to a third decision, adopted as orally amended to reflect the accurate date, the Council agreed that the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) would meet in Sana’a, Yemen, from 26 to 29 May (document E/2008/L.3).

The 17 subsidiary bodies for which there were elections, nominations, confirmations or appointments were the Statistical Commission (eight new members); Commission on Population and Development (13); Commission for Social Development (13); Commission on the Status of Women (11); Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (19); Commission on Sustainable Development (14); Commission on Science and Technology for Development (15); and the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classified and Labelling of Chemicals (1).

Also the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (10); Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)(11); Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (4); Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (11); Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP) (6); Programme Coordination Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) (4); Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) (12); and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (9).

Among other matters taken up today, the Council took note of a resolution and annex relating the conferring of privileges and immunities to the World Tourism Organization under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies (document E/2008/8).  The representative of France said she could not support paragraph 6 of the annex relating to the conferring of those privileges and immunities.

The Council also took up the Secretary-General’s report on financing of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters (document E/2008/4), which was introduced by Manuel Montes, the Chief of the Policy Analysis and Development Branch of the Financing for Development Office.  He reported on activities of the 35-member Committee and said more funding was needed to enable developing countries to take part in the work of elaborating global tax model laws.  At the request of Slovenia on behalf of the European Union, however, the Council deferred consideration of the report to allow for further study.

As background, the 54-member Council is the principal coordinating organ for the socio-economic and related work of the United Nations.  The Council’s subsidiary bodies include 14 United Nations specialized agencies, 10 functional commissions and 5 regional commissions.  The Council also receives reports from 11 United Nations funds and programmes, serving as the central forum for economic and social issues and as a policy adviser to States and the United Nations system.

Candidates in today’s proceedings were elected on the basis of equitable geographical distribution and were mostly endorsed by the five geographical groups representing African States, Asian States, Eastern European States, Latin American and Caribbean States, and Western European and Other States.  Background documentation on candidates and positions can be found in documents E/2008/9 and Adds 1-13.

In closing remarks, Council President Léo Mérorès of Haiti noted that the work of the resumed preparatory session had been finished in a half day, when it had been expected that two days would have been needed.  Perhaps, he suggested, that was the new spirit of the Economic and Social Council.

The Council will meet again at a time to be announced.

Election of Members to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

In the action to fill vacancies, the only vote, by secret ballot, took place in relation to the election of nine members of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, where the African States group had four candidates to fill two positions and the other groups had equal or fewer candidates than openings for four-year terms beginning 1 January 2009.

Results for African States
Number of ballots	53
Number of invalid ballots	1
Number of valid votes	52
Number of abstentions	1
Number of members voting	51
Majority required	26
Number of votes obtained
Mohamed Ezzeldin Abdel-Moneim ( Egypt)	42
Jean-Pierre Mavungu ( Democratic Republic of the Congo)	7
Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay ( Mauritius)	44
Marc Somda ( Burkina Faso)	9

Having obtained the required majority and largest numbers of votes, Mohamed Ezzeldin Abdel-Moneim ( Egypt) and Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay ( Mauritius) were elected to the Committee.

In relation to that election, it was announced that the Governments of Georgia and Greece had withdrawn the candidacies of Devi Tabidze and Ismini Kriari-Catranis, respectively.  Canada’s representative said the candidacies were endorsed for Nikolaas Jan Schrijver ( Netherlands) and Philippe Texier ( France) of the Western European and Other States group.

A total of nine new members were elected to the Committee.  The others were Waleed Sa’di (Jordan) and Daode Zhan (China), both endorsed by the Asian States group; Zdzislaw Kedzi (Poland) and Sergei Martynov (Belarus), both endorsed by the Eastern European States group; and María del Rocío (Costa Rica) of the Latin American and Caribbean States group.

Speaking after action, the representative of the United States said the Foreign Minister of Belarus should not even have been considered for a position on a human rights committee.  The human rights record of Belarus was reflected in a resolution of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).  As a full-time employee of his Government, the newly elected Committee member could not possibly be objective.  The United Nations must hold Member States accountable for their adherence to the Organization’s principles and not elect abusers to human rights bodies.

Canada’s representative said that only the highest possible calibre of candidates should be considered for positions on Committees dealing with human rights.  The criteria for ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights were for candidates to be in agreement with the articles.  That standard could not fit the Foreign Minister of Belarus.

The representative of Belarus said she was well aware of the need to hold candidates for positions on human rights committees to the highest standard and the newly elected candidate from Belarus did meet those standards.  The Council had been informed of the candidature and there had been no objection.  Furthermore, the candidacy had been approved by the regional group who had endorsed the candidate.  Was the region’s right to its views being questioned?  Belarus met the highest standards in the area of human rights.

The representative of the Russian Federation also said the election of the candidate from Belarus was welcome since his qualifications were of the highest standards.   It was unfortunate that the sovereign right of States to exercise their views was not respected.  Furthermore, the referenced resolution on Belarus had not received the support of a majority of States.  Most States had abstained or voted against it in the Committee. 

Other Elections, Appointments and Nominations

All other candidates were elected by acclamation after it was announced that elections for seven seats on the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission would be held later since consultations were still ongoing with regard to the distribution of the two rotating seats.

The Council then elected eight new members of the Statistical Commission to fill an equal number of vacancies.  China, Japan, Armenia, Mexico, Suriname, Germany, Netherlands and United Kingdom would begin serving four-year terms on 1 January 2009.

Next, 13 members were elected to the Commission on Population and Development for four-year terms beginning at the Commission’s first meeting in 2009 and expiring at the close of its session in 2013, with one candidate from the Asian States group to be elected later.  Those elected today were Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Belarus, Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Belgium, Germany, Israel and Switzerland.  The Council also filled two outstanding vacancies from previous elections for the Commission.  Finland and Netherlands would serve terms beginning today and expiring at the close of the Commission’s 2012 session.

Turning to vacancies on the Commission for Social Development, the Council elected 13 new members to serve four-year terms beginning at the first meeting in 2009 and expiring at the close of its session in 2013: Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mauritius, China, Iran, Philippines, Qatar, Albania, Haiti, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland.  It was also announced that Slovakia had been elected for a term beginning on today and ending at the close of the Commission’s 2011 session.  Vacancies still to be filled included one member each of the African States and Eastern European States groups and two members from the Latin American and Caribbean States group.

Vacancies for the Commission on the Status of Women were next to be filled and the representative of Philippines said he was withdrawing his country’s candidate in the spirit of solidarity with the Asian Group and of lending support of Iraq, who had not been endorsed.  Iraq’s representative expressed appreciation.

The Council then elected 11 new members for four-year terms beginning at the Commission’s first meeting in 2009 and expiring at the close of the 2013 session:  Guinea, Mauritania, Rwanda, Japan, Iraq, Belarus, Colombia, Nicaragua, Germany, Israel and Italy.

Turning to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the Council elected 19 new members to serve three-year terms beginning 1 January 2009:  Algeria, Comoros, Kenya, Ghana, Lesotho, Libya, Sudan, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Romania, Russian Federation, Cuba, El Salvador, Uruguay, Austria, Belgium and Germany.  The election of one member from the African States group was postponed.

To fill vacancies on the Commission on Sustainable Development, the Council elected 14 new members to three-year terms beginning at the organizational meeting in 2009 and expiring at the close of the Commission’s 2012 session:  Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Nigeria, China, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Antigua and Barbuda, Colombia, Cuba, United States and, lastly, Australia, who was not endorsed.  Two vacancies from the Western European and Other States group remained to be filled.  In addition, a vacancy to be filled from the same group still open from last year’s election was for a term to begin at the Commission’s next organizational meeting next month.    

Next, vacancies on the Commission on Science and Technology for Development were to be filled and the representative of Costa Rica asked that her country’s candidacy be considered.  The Council then elected 15 new Commission members to serve four-year terms beginning 1 January 2009:  Ghana, Mali, South Africa, Jordan, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Austria, Israel and Switzerland.  Five vacancies remained to be filled, by two members each from the African States and Western European and Other States Group and one member from the Latin American and Caribbean States Group.  An outstanding vacancy from the Eastern European States group remained to be filled with a term that would begin with the election and expire on 31 December 2010. 

For three-year terms beginning 1 January 2009 on the Committee for Programme and Coordination, the Council elected 16 new members:  Guinea, Nigeria, Swaziland, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Uruguay, Italy and Spain.  Four vacancies remained to be filled with one member from the African States group and three members from the Western European and other States group.  Also, two outstanding vacancies from the Western European and Other States group were still to be filled, one seat for a term expiring at the end of 2008 and the other expiring at the end of 2009.

Next, the Council endorsed a decision by the Secretary-General (document E/2008/9/Add.12) to approve an application by Nigeria for membership in the Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals of the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.

Turning to vacancies on the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting, the Council elected 10 new members to serve three-year terms beginning 1 January 2009:  Botswana, Eritrea, South Africa, China, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Russian Federation, Germany, Malta and Sweden.  Eleven vacancies remained to be filled, two with candidates from African States, three with candidates from the Latin American and Caribbean States and six with candidates from Western European and Other States.  In addition, 10 vacancies remained unfilled from previous elections.  Regional groups should submit nominees at the earliest opportunity.

Next, 11 new members were elected to the Executive Board of UNICEF to serve three-year terms beginning 1 January 2009:  Liberia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Cuba, Uruguay, Finland, Norway, Switzerland and United States.  Then, since Austria and the United Kingdom were resigning seats effective 1 January 2009, Denmark and France were elected, upon endorsement, to complete those terms of office expiring 31 December 2009.  Similarly, Canada and Italy were elected, on endorsement, to complete the terms of office of Australia and Greece, which were due to expire 31 December 2010 after resigning their seats effective 1 January 2009.

Four States were then elected to the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees so as to increase the membership from 72 to 76 as requested by the General Assembly.  Those States were Benin, Luxembourg, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro.

Vacancies on the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA were taken up next for the election of 11 new members for three-year terms beginning 1 January 2009:  Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Iran, Yemen, Russian Federation, Cuba, Mexico, Austria, Germany, Norway and United Kingdom.  In addition, Australia, Ireland and Italy were resigning seats as of 1 January 2009.  The Council elected New Zealand, Turkey and Finland to complete the terms of offices expiring 31 December 2010 in line with their regional endorsements.

Six new members were next elected to the Executive Board of WFP to serve three-year terms beginning 1 January 2009:  Angola, China, Guatemala, Japan, United Kingdom and Czech Republic.

Four members were elected to the Programme Coordination Board of UNAIDS.  Thailand, Brazil, Denmark and Turkey will serve three-year terms beginning 1 January 2009.  In addition, Italy was resigning its seat effective 28 April and Ireland was elected to complete that term of office expiring on 31 December 2009 in accordance with its request.  Luxembourg was resigning its seat effective 1 January 2009; the Council elected Netherlands to complete the term of office expiring 31 December 2009 in accordance with the region’s endorsements.  Monaco was resigning its seat also effective 1 January 2009 and the Council elected France to complete that term of office expiring 31 December 2010 in line with the endorsement.  One remaining vacancy was to be filled by a member from the African States group for a three-year term of office beginning 1 January 2009.

Finally, the Council elected 12 new members to the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT.  Serving four-year terms beginning 1 January 2009 would be Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan, Tunisia, Bangladesh, China, Republic of Korea, Armenia, Czech Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, and Guatemala.  Iraq was elected to fill a vacancy from a previous election and would serve a term from the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2011.  Eight vacancies remaining were to be filled with a member each from the African States group, the Asian States Group and the Latin American and Caribbean States group, in addition to five members from the Western European and Other States group.

In addition, vacancies for the Governing Council from previous elections would be filled by a member from the Asian States group for a term beginning on the day of election and expiring on 31 December 2008.  Two members from the Western European and Other States Group would serve terms beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2011.

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For information media • not an official record