Sixty-eighth General Assembly

Plenary

104^th Meeting (PM)

General Assembly Adopts Resolution Reaffirming Support for Implementation

Of New Partnership for Africa’s Development

Addressing Debt Relief, Better Market Access among Key Measures of Text

The General Assembly today adopted a resolution by consensus that reaffirmed its support for the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

The representative of Bolivia, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, introduced the draft resolution on NEPAD, (document A/68/L.41/Rev.1), which called for the fulfilment of all official development assistance (ODA) commitments, including the commitments to allocate 0.7 per cent of gross national income to ODA.

It also urged the international community to give due attention to Africa’s priorities, including NEPAD, in formulating the post-2015 development agenda, and to continue supporting measures to address the challenges of poverty eradication and hunger, job creation and sustainable development in Africa.  Among such measures, it cited debt relief, improved market access and support for the private sector and entrepreneurship.

Kenya’s delegate, as a facilitator of the NEPAD resolution, had hoped that the text would be adopted by consensus as it had been the case in the Assembly.  He then proposed an oral amendment to operative paragraph 39 regarding the ongoing negotiations in the World Trade Organization.

The text was adopted, without a vote, as orally revised.

Action on the draft resolution on “Organization of work, adoption of the agenda and allocation of items:  Information and communications technologies for development” (document A/68/L.54), was postponed until a later date due to technical reasons.

The Assembly also re-elected Joan Clos (Spain) as Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) for a second four-year term, beginning on 18 October and ending on 31 December 2017, following his nomination by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (document A/68/915).

Following Mr. Clos’ re-election, the representative of Libya, speaking on behalf of the African Group, said he supported Mr. Clos’ nomination, but was concerned about UN-Habitat’s shrinking programmatic footprint, including the discontinuation of some programmes in Africa and the opening and relocation of UN-Habitat offices in Europe.  Such decisions should only be made with consultation and endorsement of all Member States.

He was also disappointed about human resources and personnel developments in the wake of financial challenges UN-Habitat was facing, saying that they adversely affected staff from developing countries.  Further, he stressed the need for mobilization of adequate and predictable financial resources for UN-Habitat’s effective running.  He hoped his Group’s concerns would be addressed urgently.

Following the resignation of Gerhard Kuntzle ( Germany) from the United Nations Staff Pension Committee, Jörg Stosberg was nominated by the Government of Germany to fill the vacancy and his candidature was endorsed by the Group of Western European and Other States (document A/68/940).

The General Assembly will meet again at a date and time to be announced.

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For information media • not an official record