Sixty-eighth General Assembly

Second Committee

37^th Meeting (PM)

Second Committee Approves Text on Operational Activities for Development,

 

Takes up Amendments to United Nations University Charter

 

The General Assembly would recognize the importance of strengthening and improving operational activities for development to maximize progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, according to a draft resolution that the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved by consensus today.

In the resolution, entitled “Operational activities for development of the United Nations system”, the Assembly would reaffirm the importance of development activities in building national capacity and in making the United Nations system more effective in addressing key areas in the quadrennial comprehensive policy review.

The Assembly would stress the need to minimize transaction costs associated with reporting and to avoid new or additional formal reporting requirements.  The Assembly would also recall its concern over the lack of progress by the governing bodies in the development and operationalization of the concept of the “critical mass” of core resources.

The Committee also heard the introduction of a draft resolution entitled “Amendments to the Charter of the United Nations University”.  By its terms, the General Assembly would approve several amendments to the Charter of the United Nations University and decide that those amendments enter into force upon the expiration of the present term of those appointed Council members.

Committee Chair Abdou Salam Diallo ( Senegal) said he would write to the President of the General Assembly to request a one-time extension until 6 December for the Committee to conclude its session, and expressed hope that delegations would complete their work within that deadline.

Action on Drafts

The Committee began by taking up a draft resolution entitled “Amendments to the Charter of the United Nations University” (document A/C.2/68/L.46).

The representative of Japan, introducing the text, said that to strengthen the governance of the University, the membership of the Council should be halved, from 24 to 12.  The University could then more effectively play its role as a think tank for the United Nations system and its Member States.

Senegal joined as co-sponsor of the draft, which would be considered at a later date.

The Committee then took up the draft resolution on the Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations System (document A/C.2/68/L.45), submitted by Vice-Chair Waruna Sri Dhanapala ( Sri Lanka).

The representative of Norway said the resolution was a key policy instrument for the United Nations system and must be implemented and respected.  She also said that reporting must be as effective and efficient as possible.

Approving the text without a vote, the Committee withdrew a previous version (document A/C.2/68/L.2).

The Second Committee will meet again to take action on outstanding resolutions on a date to be announced.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record