General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

22 November 1993

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                 A/RES/48/21
                                                 60th plenary meeting
                                                 22 November 1993
 
             Cooperation between the United Nations and the
                          League of Arab States
 
      The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its previous resolutions on the promotion of cooperation
between the United Nations and the League of Arab States,
 
      Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on cooperation
between the United Nations and the League of Arab States,
 
      Recalling also the decision of the Council of the League of Arab States
that it considers the League as a regional organization within the meaning of
Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations,
 
      Noting the desire of the League of Arab States to consolidate and
develop the existing ties with the United Nations in the political, economic,
social, humanitarian, cultural and administrative fields,
 
      Taking into account the report of the Secretary-General entitled "An
Agenda for Peace", in particular section VII, concerning cooperation with
regional arrangements and organizations,
 
      Convinced that the maintenance and further strengthening of cooperation
between the United Nations system and the League of Arab States contribute to
the promotion of the purposes and principles of the United Nations,
 
      Also convinced of the need for more efficient and coordinated
utilization of available economic and financial resources to promote common
objectives of the two organizations,
 
      Recognizing the need for closer cooperation between the United Nations
system and the League of Arab States and its specialized organizations in
realizing the goals and objectives of both organizations,
 
      Welcoming the general meeting on cooperation between the representatives
of the secretariats of the United Nations system and the General Secretariat
of the League of Arab States and its specialized institutions, held at Geneva
on 30 and 31 August 1993, in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the
first meeting of cooperation between the two organizations,
 
      1.    Takes note with satisfaction of the report of the
Secretary-General;
 
      2.    Commends the continued efforts of the League of Arab States to
promote multilateral cooperation among Arab States, and requests the United
Nations system to continue to lend its support;
 
      3.    Takes note of the conclusions and recommendations adopted at the
general meeting on cooperation between the representatives of the secretariats
of the United Nations system and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab
States and its specialized organizations, held at Geneva on 30 and 31 August
1993;
 
      4.    Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General for the
follow-up action taken by him to implement the proposals adopted at the
meetings between the representatives of the secretariats of the United Nations
and other organizations of the United Nations system and the General
Secretariat of the League of Arab States and its specialized organizations,
held at Tunis in 1983, at Amman in 1985 and at Geneva in 1988 and 1993;
 
      5.    Also expresses its appreciation to the organizational entities of
the United Nations system and the League of Arab States and its specialized
organizations for their contributions leading to the success of the general
meeting on cooperation between the two organizations;
 
      6.    Requests the Secretariat of the United Nations and the General
Secretariat of the League of Arab States, within their respective fields of
competence, to intensify further their cooperation towards the realization of
the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the
strengthening of international peace and security, economic development,
disarmament, decolonization, self-determination and the eradication of all
forms of racism and racial discrimination;
 
      7.    Requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to
strengthen cooperation and coordination between the United Nations and other
organizations and agencies of the United Nations system and the League of Arab
States and its specialized organizations in order to enhance their capacity to
serve the mutual interests of the two organizations in the political,
economic, social, humanitarian, cultural and administrative fields;
 
      8.    Also requests the Secretary-General to continue to coordinate the
follow- up action to facilitate the implementation of the proposals of a
multilateral nature adopted at the Tunis meeting in 1983 and to take
appropriate action regarding the proposals adopted at previous meetings,
including the following:
 
      (a)   Promotion of contacts and consultations between the counterpart
programmes of the United Nations system;
 
      (b)   Setting up joint sectoral inter-agency working groups;
 
      9.    Calls upon the specialized agencies and other organizations and
programmes of the United Nations system:
 
      (a)   To continue to cooperate with the Secretary-General and among
themselves, as well as with the League of Arab States and its specialized
organizations, in the follow-up of multilateral proposals aimed at
strengthening and expanding cooperation in all fields between the United
Nations system and the League of Arab States and its specialized
organizations;
 
      (b)   To maintain and increase contacts and improve the mechanism of
consultation with the counterpart programmes, organizations and agencies
concerned regarding projects and programmes, in order to facilitate their
implementation;
 
      (c)   To associate whenever possible with organizations and institutions
of the League of Arab States in the execution and implementation of
development projects in the Arab region;
 
      (d)   To inform the Secretary-General, not later than 15 May 1994, of
the progress of their cooperation with the League of Arab States and its
specialized organizations, in particular the follow-up action taken on the
multilateral and bilateral proposals adopted at the previous meetings between
the two organizations;
 
      10.   Decides that, in order to intensify cooperation and for the
purpose of review and appraisal of progress as well as to prepare
comprehensive periodic reports, a general meeting between the United Nations
system and the League of Arab States should take place once every two years,
and inter-agency sectoral meetings should be organized annually on areas of
priority and wide importance in the development of the Arab States;
 
      11.   Recommends that the next general meeting on cooperation between
the representatives of the secretariats of the United Nations system and the
General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and its specialized
organizations be held during 1995;
 
      12.   Requests the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in
cooperation with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, to
encourage periodic consultation between representatives of the Secretariat of
the United Nations and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States to
review and strengthen coordination mechanisms with a view to accelerating
implementation and follow-up action of multilateral projects, proposals and
recommendations adopted at the meetings between the two organizations;
 
      13.   Also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General
Assembly at its forty-ninth session a progress report on the implementation of
the present resolution;
 
      14.   Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-ninth
session the item entitled "Cooperation between the United Nations and the
League of Arab States".