Sixty-third General Assembly

Second Committee

27^th Meeting (AM)

second committee in consensus approval of text calling for increased

international aid to countries affected by el nino phenomenon

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved by consensus this morning a draft resolution by which the General Assembly would call upon the international community to step up assistance to countries affected by the El Nino phenomenon.

Also by that text, the Assembly would call upon the international community, the Secretary-General and relevant United Nations organs, funds and programmes, particularly those involved in the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, to adopt measures to strengthen the International Research Centre on El Niño in Guayaquil, Ecuador.  Further, the Assembly would recognize the efforts of the Ecuadorean Government, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Inter-Agency Secretariat for the International Strategy that had led to the creation of the Research Centre.

By other terms of the text, the Assembly would ask the international community to provide scientific, technical and financial assistance and cooperation for strengthening the Research Centre and others like it devoted to studying El Niño.  The Assembly would underscore the importance of maintaining the El Niño/Southern Oscillation observation system, continuing research into extreme weather events, improving forecasting skills, developing appropriate policies for reducing El Nino’s impact, and further developing and strengthening those institutional capacities in all countries, particularly developing ones.  Further, it would encourage the WMO to strengthen collaboration as well as the exchange of data and information with relevant institutions.

The Committee also heard the introduction of 10 other draft resolutions.

In other business, Committee Chairperson Uche Joy Ogwu ( Nigeria) said that, in addition to its primary duties, the Committee was responsible for negotiating the draft outcome of the follow-up to and outcome of the 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus.  Delegates should conclude discussion of legislative drafts in a timely and successful way by 26 November, before the Doha Conference took place.

The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 20 November, to take action on draft resolutions relating to permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources; international financial system and development; external debt and development:  towards a durable solution to the debt problems of developing countries; and sustainable development.

Background

Committee members were expected to take action on a draft resolution relating to the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.  They were was also expected to hear the introduction of 10 other drafts, including texts on:  follow-up to and implementation of the outcome of the 2002 International Conference on Financing Development and the preparation of the 2008 Review Conference; sustainable development; implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT); and globalization and interdependence.

Introduction of Drafts Resolutions

JANIL GREENAWAY (Antigua and Barbuda), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, introduced draft resolutions on the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus (document A/C.2/63/L.37), and, as orally corrected, the Oil slick on Lebanese shores (document A/C.2/63/L.24).

She also presented drafts on Implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (document A/C.2/63/L.27); International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (document A/C.2/63/L.28); Natural disasters and vulnerability (document A/C.2/63/L.30); Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) (document A/C.2/63/L.26); and, as orally revised, Development cooperation with middle-income countries (document A/C.2/63/L.33).

She also introduced texts on International migration and development (document A/C.2/63/L.31); Preventing and combating corrupt practices and transfer of assets of illicit origin and returning such assets, in particular to the countries of origin, consistent with the United Nations Convention against Corruption (document A/C.2/63/L.32); and the Role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence (document A/C.2/63/L.29).

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For information media • not an official record