Fourth Committee Sends Drafts to General Assembly on Peacekeeping, Upcoming Work Programme

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today approved without a vote a draft resolution on peacekeeping and a draft decision outlining its proposed work programme and timetable for the next General Assembly session.

By the terms of the text on peacekeeping, introduced by the representative of Egypt in his capacity as Rapporteur, on behalf of Argentina, Canada, Egypt, Japan, Nigeria and Poland, the Assembly would endorse the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping and urge Member States, the Secretariat and relevant United Nations bodies to take all necessary steps to implement them.

In an effort to enhance the Organization’s capacity to fulfil its peacekeeping responsibilities, the Assembly would decide that the Special Committee would continue its comprehensive review of the operations in all their aspects.  It would reiterate that Member States contributing to the missions in future or which participated in the Committee for three consecutive years as observers would become members at that body’s following session.

It was noted that the Special Committee’s membership had increased to 151 Member States with the addition of Bhutan, Liberia and Myanmar, in line with General Assembly resolution 51/136 of 13 December 1996.  Eleven States and organizations had participated in its last session as observers.

Following that action, the representative of Morocco, speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement of countries, thanked delegations for the adoption of the Special Committee’s report and expressed appreciation for the positive spirit that had prevailed during some “difficult moments” in the negotiations.

Prior to the draft’s consideration, the Committee Chair noted today’s International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, paying tribute to all those who served in the operations and honouring those who had lost their lives.

The draft decision submitted by the Fourth Committee Bureau pencils in the updated calendar for the next session, which would begin on 7 October to, among other organizational tasks, establish a working group of the whole and consider requests to petition on Non-Self-Governing Territories.  It would hold its general debate on decolonization from 8 to 15 October.

As in past years, the Committee would next consider mine action assistance, followed by cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space; effects of atomic radiation; questions relating to information; review of peacekeeping and of special political missions; the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices; and the revitalization of the work of the Assembly.

Relevant draft proposals would be considered throughout its session.

The Fourth Committee will meet again on Monday, 15 June, to elect its new Chair and other members of the Bureau for the coming session.