General Assembly Elects Members to Subsidiary Bodies, Committee, Postpones Elections for International Trade Law Commission
The General Assembly today elected members to several of its subsidiary bodies and committees and postponed a vote to appoint members to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
Committee for Programme and Coordination
The General Assembly first took action on the Committee for Programme and Coordination, electing Belgium, Botswana, France, Haiti, Kenya, Paraguay and the Russian Federation for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2025.
Prior to a vote, the Assembly took note that the Economic and Social Council had nominated for a term of office Botswana and Kenya for the two seats among the African States; Lithuania and the Russian Federation for the one seat among the Eastern European States; Haiti and Paraguay for the two seats among the Latin American and Caribbean States; and Belgium and France for the two seats among the Western European and other States.
Since the number of candidates among the African States, Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States corresponded to the number of seats to be filled in those regions, the Assembly elected those candidates without a vote.
The Assembly then elected by secret ballot the Russian Federation, which received 104 votes over Lithuania, which got 83 votes, for a term of office beginning 1 January 2025.
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law
The General Assembly postponed action to 20 November to elect members to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNICTRAL) after the representative of Ukraine requested a vote by secret ballot for the Eastern European States.
Following the request by Ukraine, General Assembly Vice-President François Jackman (Barbados) said voting would commence.
The representative of the Russian Federation, however, said it is difficult to understand why the secret ballot was being conducted for only one group of States but not the other groups of States. Holding elections by secret ballot for all groups will ensure equal treatment for all, he added.
The Assembly Vice-President then deferred the election to the 20 November meeting.
Permanent Forum of People of African Descent
The Assembly then elected Justin Hansford (United States), Martin Kimani (Kenya), Ana Janniel Matarrita Mc Calla (Costa Rica), Mona Omar (Egypt) and June Soomer (Saint Lucia) for a three-year term beginning on 8 March 2025.
Appointment of members of the Committee on Conferences
Next, the Assembly took note of General Assembly President Philémon Yang’s appointments of Brazil, Congo, Iran, Mali, Paraguay and Portugal for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2025 to the Committee on Conferences.
Appointment of members of the Joint Inspection Unit
Vacancies on the Joint Inspection Unit were set to arise from the expiration of the terms of office on 31 December 2025 of Jesús Miranda Hita (Spain), Victor Moraru (Republic of Moldova), Gönke Roscher (Germany), Tesfaalem Seyoum (Eritrea).
The Assembly noted that for the African States, the names of two countries had been communicated, namely Angola and Eritrea; for the Eastern European States, the name of three countries had been communicated, namely Bulgaria, Republic of Moldova and Slovakia; for the Western European and other States, the names of two endorsed countries have been communicated, namely Spain and Switzerland.
As the Group of the Western European and other States had put forward only two countries — Spain and Switzerland — those two countries were requested to propose one candidate each for appointment to the Joint Inspection Unit.
Since the numbers of nominated countries by the Group of African States and the Group of Eastern European States were larger than the number of countries that may propose a candidate, the Assembly held an advisory vote by secret ballot to select one country from each group who would then propose candidates to the Joint Inspection Unit.
Angola received 120 votes while Eritrea got 70 votes. Since no candidate obtained the required majority of 91 ballots among the Eastern European States (Republic of Moldova [84], Bulgaria [67], Slovakia [34]), the Assembly took another vote during which Republic of Moldova obtained 107 votes to Bulgaria’s 74.
Angola, Republic of Moldova, Spain and Switzerland were requested to submit a list of candidates for the Joint Inspection Unit.
Appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments
The Assembly appointed or reappointed the following people as members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2025: Amjad Qaid Al Kumaim (Yemen), Sharon Brennen-Haylock (Bahamas), Jakub Chmielewski (Poland), Paul Djoh Kpeye (Côte d’Ivoire) and Katlego Boase Mmalane (Botswana).
The Assembly also appointed or reappointed Syed Yawar Ali (Pakistan), Jasminka Dinić (Croatia), George Hannum (United States), Ihor Humennyi (Ukraine), Rene Michel Mizingou-Nzaba (Congo) and Suzuki Yoriko (Japan) as members of the Committee on Contributions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2025.
Next, the Assembly confirmed the reappointment by UN Secretary-General António Guterres of Keiko Honda (Japan) as a regular member of the Investments Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2025 and Macky Tall (Mali) as an ad hoc member of the Investments Committee for a one-year term of office, beginning on 1 January 2025.
Turning to the Appointment of members of the International Civil Service Commission, the Assembly decided to appoint or reappoint Larbi Djacta (Algeria), Andrei Ivanov (Russian Federation), Muhammad Abdul Muhith (Bangladesh), Sun Xudong (China) and El Hassane Zahid (Morocco) for a four-year term of office beginning 1 January 2025.
Lastly, the Assembly decided to appoint or reappoint Dmitry Chumakov (Russian Federation), Kozaki Hitoshi (Japan), Lovemore Mazemo (Zimbabwe), Philip Richard Okanda Owade (Kenya), Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), Jörg Stosberg (Germany) and David Traystman (United States) as members or alternate members of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2025.
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