Economic and Social Council

 Distr. GENERAL
15 January 1997
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

Organizational session for 1997
23 January and 4-7 February 1997
Item 2 of the provisional agenda


            ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS


                              Provisional agenda

1.   Election of the Bureau.

2.   Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters.

3.   Basic programme of work of the Council.

4.   Implementation of General Assembly resolution 50/227:  Further
     measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the United
     Nations in the economic, social and related fields. 

5.   Review of the subsidiary bodies of the Council.

6.   Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations.

7.   Regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields.

8.   Elections, nominations and confirmations.


                                  Annotations

Item 1.  Election of the Bureau

1.   Rule 18 of the rules of procedure of the Council provides that
each year at the commencement of its 1st meeting, the Council shall
elect a President and four Vice-Presidents from among the
representatives of its members.  The membership of the Council in 1997
is given in the annex below.  According to the rotation of the office
of President among the regional groups, the President for 1997 should
be the representative of a member of the Eastern European States
group.  The four Vice-Presidents of the Council shall be elected on
the basis of equitable geographical distribution from the other four
regional groups.

2.   The President and the Vice-Presidents shall constitute the Bureau. 
The Council, upon the recommendation of the President, shall decide on
the special responsibilities of each Vice-President.

3.   Pursuant to Council resolution 1988/77, a meeting of the Council
will be held on 23 January 1997 for the election of the Bureau.

Item 2.  Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters

4.   Rule 13 of the rules of procedure of the Council provides that, at
the beginning of each session, after the selection of the Bureau when
required under rule 18, the Council shall adopt the agenda for the
session.

5.   The attention of the Council is drawn to annex II of General
Assembly resolution 48/162, in particular section D, which sets out
the agenda for the substantive session of the Council.  The present
provisional agenda has been prepared in conformity with the
indications therein and with other relevant legislative decisions,
including, in particular, the provisions of General Assembly
resolution 50/227.

Item 3.  Basic programme of work of the Council

6.   In accordance with rule 8 of the rules of procedure of the
Council, the Council shall draw up, at its organizational session,
with the assistance of the Secretary-General, its basic programme of
work.

7.   The Council will have before it the proposed basic programme of
work of the Council for 1997 and 1998 prepared by the Secretariat in
accordance with the relevant decisions of the Council and of the
General Assembly.

8.   Pursuant to Council resolution 1988/77 on the revitalization of
the Council, the President, prior to the organizational session, and
with the cooperation of the other members of the Bureau, will arrange
for consultations with members of the Council on the draft programme
of work and provisional agenda prepared by the Secretary-General and
make proposals thereon for consideration by the Council.

9.   In its decision 1996/310 of 13 November 1996, the Council decided
that the high-level segment of its substantive session of 1997 should
be devoted to the following theme:  "Fostering an enabling environment
for development - Financial flows, including capital flows;
Investment; Trade".

10.  In its decision 1996/310 of 13 November 1996, the Council also
decided that the coordination segment of its substantive session of
1997 should be devoted to consideration of the following themes: 
"Mainstreaming of gender perspectives into all policies and programmes
in the United Nations system"; and "Fresh water, including clean and
safe water supply and sanitation".

11.  In its decision 1996/310 of 13 November 1996, the Council further
decided that the high-level meeting of the operational activities
segment of its substantive session of 1997 should be devoted to the
following theme:  "Funding for operational activities for development: 
implementation of General Assembly resolution 50/227".

     Documentation

     Proposed basic programme of work of the Council for 1997 and 1998
     (E/1997/1)

     Proposals by the Bureau of the Council on the proposed basic
     programme of work of the Council for 1997 and 1998

Item 4.  Implementation of General Assembly resolution 50/227: 
         Further measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the
         United Nations in the economic, social and related fields

12.  At its resumed substantive session of 1996, the Council postponed
until its organizational session for 1997 consideration of the
implementation of General Assembly resolution 50/227:  Further
measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the United
Nations in the economic, social and related fields (Council decision
1996/320 of 20 November 1996).  Prior to that decision, the Council
had held a number of informal consultations on the matter.  To
facilitate those consultations, the Secretariat prepared a number of
informal papers including an analysis of the agenda items of the
Council and a comparison thereof with items considered by the Second
and Third Committees of the Assembly; a note on the implementation of
Assembly resolution 50/227:  provisions related to the Economic and
Social Council; and an informal paper on the outcome of informal
Council discussions on Assembly resolution 50/227.

Item 5.  Review of the subsidiary bodies of the Council

13.  Pursuant to the relevant provisions of General Assembly resolution
50/227 the Council should, inter alia, undertake a review of the
mandates, composition, functions and working methods of its functional
commissions and expert groups and bodies, in order to ensure more
effective and coordinated discussions and outcomes of their work.  In
its resolution 1996/41 B, the Council requested the Secretariat to
prepare a comprehensive document compiling information on the
mandates, composition, functions and working methods of the functional
commissions and expert groups and bodies and to submit it to the
Council not later than February 1997.

14.  In its resolution 51/211 A the General Assembly invited the
Economic and Social Council to request all of its subsidiary bodies
that were authorized to meet away from their established headquarters
to review, in the interest of improved efficiency and cost-
effectiveness, the exception to the headquarters rule in the light of
the current situation of their work, and to make recommendations
thereon, through the Committee on Conferences, to the Assembly at its
fifty-second session.  To this end, the Secretariat has prepared a
note on venues of sessions of subsidiary bodies of the Council.

     Documentation

     Subsidiary bodies of the Economic and Social Council and the
     General Assembly in the economic, social and related fields: 
     report of the Secretary-General (E/1996/97)

     Working methods of the Council's subsidiary bodies:  note by the
     Secretariat (E/1996/97/Add.1)

     Venues of sessions of subsidiary bodies of the Council:  note by
     the Secretary-General

Item 6.  Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations

15.  At its resumed substantive session of 1996, the Council postponed
until its organizational session for 1997 consideration of the draft
decision entitled "Documentation of the Committee on Non-Governmental
Organizations" (Council decision 1996/318 of 20 November 1996).

16.  At its 56th plenary meeting, on 20 November 1996, the Council
welcomed the initiative of the Secretariat to prepare, for the
information of Member States, an assessment on ways and means to deal
with the documentation requests emanating from the Committee on Non-
Governmental Organizations at its session in 1997.

17.  At its resumed substantive session of 1996, the Council, in its
decision 1996/313 of 14 November 1996, inter alia, took note of the
recommendation of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations that
the National Society for Human Rights be granted special consultative
status with the Council, and agreed to take a decision on the issue at
its organizational session of 1997 noting, in that context, the
intention of the Government of Namibia to supply relevant information
at that session.

     Documentation

     Draft decision submitted by the Vice-President of the Council,
     Mr. Karel Kovanda (Czech Republic), on the basis of informal
     consultations held on draft decision III contained in the report
     of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (E/1996/102)
     (E/1996/L.57) (Programme budget implications of draft decision
     E/1996/L.57 are contained in document E/1996/L.58)

     Assessment of ways and means to deal with documentation requests
     emanating from the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations: 
     note by the Secretariat

Item 7.  Regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields

18.  At its second regular session of 1982, the Council decided to
identify, at its annual organizational session, a subject related to
interregional cooperation, of common interest to all regions, for
detailed consideration under the agenda item on regional cooperation. 
The Council will have to decide on the subject to be selected so that
a section on interregional cooperation dealing with the topic selected
can be included in the report of the Secretary-General on regional
cooperation.

19.  Additionally, as requested by the Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in its resolution 553 (XXVI), the
Council will also have before it a note by the Secretary-General
concerning the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations
in the economic, social and related fields and their impact on ECLAC. 

     Documentation

     Note by the Secretary-General concerning the restructuring and
     revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and
     related fields and their impact on the Economic Commission for
     Latin America and the Caribbean (E/1997/5)

Item 8.  Elections, nominations and confirmations

                              Postponed elections

20.  The Council is called upon to hold elections and nominations,
postponed from previous sessions, to the following bodies:

Commission on Population and Development                                      

     From Asian States:  one member for a term beginning on the date of
election and expiring on 31 December 2000;

     From Latin American and Caribbean States:  two members for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2000.

Commission for Social Development

     From Asian States:  three members for a term beginning on the date
of election and expiring on a date to be determined by lot;

     From Eastern European States:  one member for a term beginning on
the date of election and expiring on a date to be determined by lot;

     From Latin American and Caribbean States:  three members for a
term beginning on the date of election and expiring on a date to be
determined by lot.

Commission on Science and Technology for Development

     From Western European and other States:  two members for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 1997.

Commission on Human Settlements

     From African States:  one member for a term beginning on the date
of election and expiring on 31 December 1999;

     From Asian States:  one member for a term beginning on the date of
election and expiring on 31 December 2000 and one member for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 1999;

     From Latin American and Caribbean States:  two members for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2000.

Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards
of Accounting and Reporting

     From African States:  one member for a term beginning on the date
of election and expiring on 31 December 1999 and one member for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 1997;

     From Asian States:  two members for a term beginning on the date
of election and expiring on 31 December 1999;

     From Latin American and Caribbean States:  two members for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 1999;
two members for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring
on 31 December 1997;

     From Western European and other States:  three members for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 1999.

Committee on Natural Resources

     From Asian States:  two members for a term beginning on the date
of election and expiring on a date to be determined by lot;

     From Eastern European States:  two members for a term beginning on
the date of election and expiring on a date to be determined by lot;

     From Latin American and Caribbean States:  one member for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on a date to be
determined by lot;

     From Western European and other States:  three members for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on a date to be
determined by lot.

Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and Energy for
Development

     From African States:  six members for a term beginning on the date
of election and expiring on a date to be determined by lot;

     From Asian States:  one member for a term beginning on the date of
election and expiring on a date to be determined by lot;

     From Eastern European States:  two members for a term beginning on
the date of election and expiring on a date to be determined by lot;

     From Latin American and Caribbean States:  one member for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on a date to be
determined by lot;

     From Western European and other States:  one member for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on a date to be
determined by lot.

Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees

21.  In accordance with General Assembly resolution 51/72 of 12
December 1996, the Council will be called upon to elect two additional
members of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.


                             Postponed nominations

Committee for Programme and Coordination

22.  In accordance with General Assembly decision 51/305 of 14 October
1996, the Council will be called upon to nominate two members for
election by the General Assembly at its resumed fifty-first session,
as follows:

     From Western European and other States:  two members for a term
beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 1999.


                                 Confirmations

23.  The Secretary-General will submit for confirmation by the Council
the names of persons nominated to serve as representatives on the
functional commissions of the Council since the close of the
organizational session for 1996.


                                     Annex

              MEMBERS OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL FOR 1997


                                                            Term expires on
                                                              31 December 

Argentina ................................................       1998
Australia ................................................       1997
Bangladesh ...............................................       1998
Belarus ..................................................       1997
Brazil ...................................................       1997
Canada ...................................................       1998
Cape Verde ...............................................       1999
Central African Republic .................................       1998
Chile ....................................................       1999
China ....................................................       1998
Colombia .................................................       1997
Congo ....................................................       1997
Co^te d'Ivoire ............................................     1997
Cuba .....................................................       1999
Czech Republic ...........................................       1998
Djibouti .................................................       1999
El Salvador ..............................................       1999
Finland ..................................................       1998
France ...................................................       1999
Gabon ....................................................       1998
Gambia ...................................................       1999
Germany ..................................................       1999
Guyana ...................................................       1998
Iceland ..................................................       1999
India ....................................................       1997
Jamaica ..................................................       1997
Japan ....................................................       1999
Jordan ...................................................       1998
Latvia ...................................................       1999
Lebanon ..................................................       1998
Luxembourg ...............................................       1997
Malaysia .................................................       1997
Mexico ...................................................       1999
Mozambique ...............................................       1999
Netherlands ..............................................       1997
Nicaragua ................................................       1998
Philippines ..............................................       1997
Poland ...................................................       1997
Republic of Korea ........................................       1999
Romania ..................................................       1998
Russian Federation .......................................       1998
South Africa .............................................       1997
Spain ....................................................       1999
Sri Lanka ................................................       1999
Sudan ....................................................       1997
Sweden ...................................................       1998
Thailand .................................................       1997
Togo .....................................................       1998
Tunisia ..................................................       1998
Turkey ...................................................       1999
Uganda ...................................................       1997
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .....       1998
United States of America .................................       1997
Zambia ...................................................       1999

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Date last posted: 29 November 1999 12:16:05
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