Economic and Social Council Appoints Additional Member of Advisory Group on Haiti

Decisions regarding Global Geospatial Information Management, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Executive Committee Also Adopted

The Economic and Social Council today appointed an additional member of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, adopting three decisions including those on geospatial information and enlargement of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Emer Herity, Secretary of the Council, announced that under the terms of draft decision E/2023/L.3, the permanent representative of Kenya will be appointed to the United Nations as an additional member of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti.  The outlined resource for travel of representatives to Washington, D.C., and to Haiti are $900 in 2022 and $2,800 in 2023, which will be accommodated within the existing resources for 2022 and currently proposed resources for 2023 and will therefore not trigger any budgetary implications.  The decision E/2023/L.3 was then adopted without a vote.  The representative of Canada then welcomed the new member, observing that the addition will enrich the quality of the Advisory Group.

The Council then turned to a draft decision recommended by the Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (document E/2023/46), adopting it without a vote.  The representative of Mexico expressed support for the work of Committee of Experts and their contribution to the generation of geospatial information.

Next, the Council took up draft decision E/2023/L.2 titled “Enlargement of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees”, as submitted by the delegation of Angola, which recommends that the General Assembly, at its seventy‑seventh session, decide on the question of enlarging the membership of the Executive Committee from 107 to 108 States.

The representative of Angola affirmed that her Government places particular importance on the High Commissioner’s mandate, and holds an unwavering commitment to refugee issues.  Stressing the increasing number of refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide, she noted her country is currently hosting 50,000 refugees from neighbouring countries, citing the role of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).  Draft decision E/2023/L.2 was then adopted without a vote.