General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

11 December 1987

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                   A/RES/42/185
                                                   96th plenary meeting
                                                   11 December 1987
 
              Biennial cycle of sessions of the Governing Council
                 of the United Nations Environment Programme
 
      The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolution 2997 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972, by which it
 decided to establish the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment
 Programme and specified the duration of the term of office of members of the
 Council,
 
      Mindful that one of the main functions and responsibilities it entrusted
 to the Council in resolution 2997 (XXVII) was to review and approve annually
 the programme of utilization of resources of the Environment Fund referred to
 in section III of that resolution,
 
      Recalling its decision in section I, paragraph 3, of resolution
 2997 (XXVII) that the Governing Council should report to the General Assembly
 annually through the Economic and Social Council and its request in
 paragraph 5 of resolution 3436 (XXX) of 9 December 1975 that the Governing
 Council should keep the Assembly informed annually of any new international
 convention concluded in the field of the environment and of the status of
 existing conventions,
 
      Bearing in mind its resolution 38/32 D of 25 November 1983, in which it
 requested its subsidiary organs to consider meeting and reporting on a
 biennial basis, and its resolution 40/200 of 17 December 1985, in which it
 welcomed the decision of the Governing Council to change to a biennial cycle
 of sessions on an experimental basis,
 
      Taking note with satisfaction of Governing Council decision 14/4 of
 18 June 1987 on the periodicity and duration of sessions of the Council,
 
      Having considered the possibility of changing the duration of the term of
 office of members of the Governing Council in recognition of the change to a
 biennial cycle of sessions,
 
      1.   Decides that there shall be no regular session of the Governing
 Council of the United Nations Environment Programme in 1988 and that,
 beginning in 1989, the regular sessions of the Council shall be held only in
 odd-numbered years;
 
      2.   Also decides that the Governing Council shall hold a special
 one-week session every six years, beginning in 1988, to consider and approve
 the system-wide medium-term environment programme and to consider the global
 programme on the environment of the proposed United Nations medium-term plan;
 
      3.   Further decides that in 1988 the Governing Council shall meet to
 consider and approve the next system-wide medium-term environment programme
 and to consider appropriate changes to the global programme on the environment
 of the extended United Nations medium-term plan for the period 1984-1989, and
 that it shall, at its regular session in 1989, consider the global programme
 on the environment of the next United Nations medium-term plan before
 submitting it to the General Assembly for approval;
 
      4.   Requests the Secretary-General to conduct consultations with
 Governments to establish the necessary transitional arrangements for a change
 in the term of office of members of the Governing Council from three years to
 four, with half of the membership being elected every two years;
 
      5.   Decides that the reports requested of the Governing Council in
 section I, paragraph 3, of its resolution 2997 (XXVII) and in paragraph 5 of
 its resolution 3436 (XXX) shall be submitted biennially instead of annually.