Sixty-fifth General Assembly

Fourth Committee

1^st Meeting (AM)

Decolonization, Outer Space, Peacekeeping, Palestine Refugees, Information Top

 

Agenda of Fourth Committee, Which Completes Bureau in Organizational Meeting

In a brief organizational meeting today, the Fourth Committee (Special, Political and Decolonization) approved its work programme for the current session, during which it planned to consider more than a dozen topics, ranging from the peaceful uses of outer space to the to a review of peacekeeping operations and the decolonization of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories.

Meeting for the first time since the start of the General Assembly’s sixty-fifth session, the Committee elected Vice-Chairperson Marcela Zamora ( Costa Rica).  Following that action, Chairperson Chipaziwa introduced the other Vice-Chairs, David Windsor ( Australia) and Radosław Flisiuk ( Poland), as well as the Committee’s Rapporteur Mohammad Wali Naeemi ( Afghanistan).

According to its work programme (document A/C.4/65/L.1),the Committee would consider a cluster of items relating to decolonization, among them, implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, during its general debate from 4 to 8 October.

Further in that regard, an aide-memoire (document 01/10/add.1), containing 109 requests for hearings related to the questions of Gibraltar, Guam, New Caledonia, Turks and Caicos, United States Virgin Islands and Western Sahara, were issued.  The Chief Minister of Gibraltarand the President of the Government of New Caledonia would make statements, the Chairperson announced.

The Committee would devote four meetings to considering the peaceful uses of outer space, from 12 to 15 October.  The Committee also agreed, as was its tradition, to establish a working group on outer space, to be chaired this year by Romania.

During three meetings on 19, 20 and 21 October, the Committee would consider questions relating to information.  Delegations would also consider the effects of atomic radiation on 28 October, and would hold a comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations, on 22, 25, 26 and 27 October.  On 28 October, the Committee would also consider the effects of atomic radiation.

Inaddition, the Committee would consider the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), from 1 to 3 November.  On 5, 8 and 9 November, it would take up 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.

Panels and interactive dialogues were scheduled under items on outer space, questions relating to information, peacekeeping,atomic radiation, and UNRWA.

The Committee expected to complete its work by Wednesday, 11 November, once action had been taken on all draft resolutions submitted under the last two agenda items related to the Middle East.

The Fourth Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. on Monday, 4 October, to begin its consideration of the issues relating to the implementation of the decolonization Declaration.

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For information media • not an official record