1.    Opening of the session by the Chairman of the delegation of Malaysia

In accordance with rule 1 of the rules of procedure (A/520/Rev.15 and Amend.1 and 2), the General Assembly meets every year in regular session commencing on the third Tuesday in September.

Rule 30 of the rules of procedure provides that, at the opening of each session of the General Assembly, the Chairman of that delegation from which the President of the previous session was elected shall preside until the Assembly has elected a President for the session. Accordingly, the temporary President is not necessarily the individual who presided at the preceding session.⁽⁸⁾

2.    Minute of silent prayer or meditation

Rule 62 of the rules of procedure provides that, immediately after the opening of the 1st plenary meeting and immediately preceding the closing of the final plenary meeting of each session of the General Assembly, the President shall invite the representatives to observe one minute of silence dedicated to prayer or meditation. This provision was incorporated in the rules of procedure at the fourth session (resolution 362 (IV), annex I).

3.    Credentials of representatives to the fifty-second session of the General Assembly

(a)    Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee

(b)    Report of the Credentials Committee

In accordance with rule 27 of the rules of procedure, the credentials of representatives and the names of members of a delegation are to be submitted to the Secretary-General, if possible not less than one week before the opening of the session. The credentials must be issued either by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Under rule 28 of the rules of procedure, a Credentials Committee consisting of nine members is appointed by the General Assembly at the beginning of each session on the proposal of the President. The members of the Committee are traditionally appointed at the 1st plenary meeting, on the proposal of the temporary President and before the election of the President for the session. The Committee elects a Chairman, but no Vice-Chairman or Rapporteur.

On completion of its work, the Committee submits a report to the General Assembly.

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁹⁾ the General Assembly appointed the following States members of the Credentials Committee: China, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Netherlands, Paraguay, Philippines, Russian Federation, Sierra Leone and United States of America (decision 51/301). At that session, the Assembly approved the reports of the Committee (resolutions 51/9 A and B).

Document: Report of the Credentials Committee.

4.    Election of the President of the General Assembly

Under rule 31 of the rules of procedure, the President of the General Assembly is elected by the Assembly and holds office until the close of the session at which he was elected. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election is held by secret ballot and there are no nominations. The President is elected by a simple majority. It should be noted, however, that since the thirty-second session, with the exception of the thirty-sixth, thirty-eighth and forty-sixth sessions, the President has been elected by acclamation.

At its eighteenth session, in 1963, the General Assembly decided (resolution 1990 (XVIII), annex, para. 1) that, in the election of the President, regard should be had for equitable geographical rotation of this office among the following States:

(a)    African and Asian States;

(b)    Eastern European States;

(c)    Latin American States;

(d)    Western European and other States.

(a)    African States;

(b)    Asian States;

(c)    Eastern European States;

(d)    Latin American States;

(e)    Western European and other States.

The names of the past Presidents of the General Assembly are listed in annex I.⁽¹⁰⁾

5.    Election of the officers of the Main Committees

As indicated in rule 98 of the rules of procedure, the General Assembly has six Main Committees (see General Assembly resolution 47/233, annex).

Rule 103 stipulates that each Main Committee shall elect a Chairman, two Vice-Chairmen and a Rapporteur. It also states that the elections shall be held by secret ballot unless the Committee decides otherwise in an election where only one candidate is standing. Since in the great majority of cases only one candidate is nominated, most officers of Main Committees are elected by acclamation.

In addition, rule 103 provides that the nomination of each candidate shall be limited to one speaker, after which the Committee shall immediately proceed to the election.

Rule 99 (a) stipulates that all the Main Committees shall, during the first week of the session, hold the elections provided for in rule 103.

At its eighteenth session, in 1963, the General Assembly decided (resolution 1990 (XVIII), annex, para. 4) that the Chairmen of the Main Committees should be elected according to the following pattern:

(a)    Three representatives from African and Asian States;

(b)    One representative from an Eastern European State;

(c)    One representative from a Latin American State;

(d)    One representative from a Western European or other State;

(e)    The seventh chairmanship should rotate every alternate year among representatives of States mentioned in subparagraphs (c) and (d).

(a)    Two representatives from African States;

(b)    One representative from an Asian State;

(c)    One representative from an Eastern European State;

(d)    One representative from a Latin American State;

(e)    One representative from a Western European or other State;

(f)    The seventh chairmanship should rotate every alternate year among representatives of States mentioned in subparagraphs (b) and (d).

(a)    Two representatives from African States;

(b)    One representative from an Asian State;

(c)    One representative from an Eastern European State;

(d)    One representative from a Latin American or Caribbean State;

(e)    One representative from a Western European or other State.

(a)    One representative from an African State;

(b)    One representative from an Asian State;

(c)    One representative from an Eastern European State;

(d)    One representative from a Latin American or Caribbean State;

(e)    One representative from a Western European or other State;

(f)    The sixth chairmanship shall rotate over a period of 20 sessions according to the following pattern:

1. One representative from an African State;
2. One representative from an Asian State;
3. One representative from a Latin American or Caribbean State;
4. One representative from an African State;
5. One representative from an Asian State;
6. One representative from an African State;
7. One representative from a Latin American or Caribbean State;
8. One representative from an Asian State;
9. One representative from an African State;
10. One representative from an Asian State;
11. One representative from a Latin American or Caribbean State;
12. One representative from an African State;
13. One representative from an Asian State;
14. One representative from an African State;
15. One representative from a Latin American or Caribbean State;
16. One representative from an Asian State;
17. One representative from an African State;
18. One representative from an Asian State;
19. One representative from a Latin American or Caribbean State;
20. One representative from an African State.

The two Vice-Chairmen and the Rapporteur of each Main Committee are elected later, during the first week of the session.

The names of the officers of the Main Committees from the twentieth session onwards are listed in annex II.⁽¹¹⁾

6.    Election of the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly

The President of the General Assembly is assisted by 21 Vice-Presidents. The duties involved are performed by heads of delegations of Member States, and not by individuals elected in their personal capacity. The Assembly decided on four occasions to increase the number of Vice-Presidents (resolutions 1104 (XI), 1192 (XII), 1990 (XVIII) and 33/138).

Under rule 31 of the rules of procedure, the Vice-Presidents are elected by the General Assembly and hold office until the close of the session at which they were elected. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election is held by secret ballot and there are no nominations. Vice-Presidents are elected by a simple majority. It should be noted, however, that since the thirty-second session, with the exception of the thirty-sixth, thirty-eighth, forty-first and forty-second sessions in the case of one of the regional groups, the Vice-Presidents have been elected by acclamation.

Rule 31 also provides that the Vice-Presidents shall be elected after the election of the Chairmen of the Main Committees (see item 5), in such a way as to ensure the representative character of the General Committee (see item 8).

At its eighteenth session, in 1963, the General Assembly decided (resolution 1990 (XVIII), annex, para. 2) that the 17 Vice-Presidents should be elected according to the following pattern:

(a)    Seven representatives from African and Asian States;

(b)    One representative from an Eastern European State;

(c)    Three representatives from Latin American States;

(d)    Two representatives from Western European and other States;

(e)    Five representatives from the permanent members of the Security Council.

(a)    Six representatives from African States;

(b) Five representatives from Asian States;

(c)    One representative from an Eastern European State;

(d)    Three representatives from Latin American States;

(e)    Two representatives from Western European and other States;

(f)    Five representatives from the permanent members of the Security Council.

The Vice-Presidents are generally elected on the first day of the session.

At its thirty-fourth session, the General Assembly decided that the practice of dispensing with the secret ballot for elections to subsidiary organs when the number of candidates corresponded to the number of seats to be filled should become standard and the same practice should apply to the election of the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, unless a delegation specifically requested a vote on a given election (decision 34/401, para. 16).

The names of the States that have held the office of Vice-President of the General Assembly are listed in annex III.⁽¹²⁾

7.    Notification by the Secretary-General under Article 12, paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations

Article 12, paragraph 1, of the Charter stipulates that, while the Security Council is exercising in respect of any dispute or situation the functions assigned to it in the Charter, the General Assembly shall not make any recommendation with regard to that dispute or situation unless the Council so requests.

Article 12, paragraph 2, provides that the Secretary-General, with the consent of the Security Council, shall notify the General Assembly at each session of any matters relative to the maintenance of international peace and security that are being dealt with by the Council. He is similarly to notify the Assembly immediately if the Council ceases to deal with such matters.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹³⁾ the General Assembly took note of the communication from the Secretary-General (A/51/521) without discussion (decision 51/416).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General.

8.    Adoption of the agenda and organization of work: reports of the General Committee

Rules 12 to 15 of the rules of procedure deal with the agenda for regular sessions.

Provisional agenda

Under rule 12 of the rules of procedure, the provisional agenda is to be communicated to the Members of the United Nations at least 60 days before the opening of the session. The preliminary list of items to be included in the provisional agenda of the fifty-second session (see sect. I, para. 1) was circulated on 14 February and reissued on 20 February 1997 (A/52/50). The provisional agenda for the fifty-second session (A/52/150) will appear on 18 July 1997.

Rule 13 of the rules of procedure indicates what items shall or may be included in the provisional agenda.

Supplementary items

Rule 14 of the rules of procedure provides that any Member or principal organ of the United Nations or the Secretary-General may, at least 30 days before the date fixed for the opening of a regular session, request the inclusion of supplementary items in the agenda. Such items shall be placed on a supplementary list, which shall be communicated to the Members of the United Nations at least 20 days before the opening of the session.

The supplementary list (A/52/200) will be issued on 22 August 1997.

Additional items

Rule 15 of the rules of procedure stipulates, inter alia, that additional items of an important and urgent character, proposed for inclusion in the agenda less than 30 days before the opening of a regular session or during a regular session, may be placed on the agenda if the General Assembly so decides by a majority of the members present and voting.

Consideration of the draft agenda by the General Committee

Rules 38 to 44 of the rules of procedure deal with the composition, organization and functions of the General Committee. The Committee is composed of the President of the General Assembly, who presides (see item 4 and annex I), the 21 Vice-Presidents of the Assembly (see item 6 and annex III) and the Chairmen of the Main Committees (see item 5 and annex II).

The General Committee usually meets on the second day of the session for the purpose of making recommendations to the General Assembly concerning the adoption of the agenda, the allocation of items and the organization of the work of the Assembly. For this purpose, it has before it a memorandum by the Secretary-General containing the draft agenda (provisional agenda, supplementary items and additional items), the proposed allocation of items and a number of recommendations concerning the organization of the session.

Document: Memorandum by the Secretary-General, A/BUR/52/1.

Adoption of the agenda by the General Assembly⁽¹⁴⁾

The final agenda, the allocation of items included in the agenda and arrangements for the organization of the session are adopted by the General Assembly by a simple majority.

Rule 23 of the rules of procedure provides, inter alia, that debate on the inclusion of an item in the agenda, when that item has been recommended for inclusion by the General Committee, shall be limited to three speakers in favour of, and three against, the inclusion.

9.    General debate

At the beginning of the session, the General Assembly devotes a period of three weeks to the general debate, during which heads of delegations may state the views of their Governments on any item before the Assembly.

In accordance with paragraph 46 of annex V to the rules of procedure, the list of speakers wishing to take part in the general debate is closed at the end of the third day after the opening of the debate.

At the fifty-first session, 27 plenary meetings were devoted to the general debate (A/51/PV.4-30), during which 169 speakers took the floor.⁽¹⁵⁾

10.   Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization¹

Article 98 of the Charter requires the Secretary-General to make an annual report to the General Assembly on the work of the Organization. That report is included in the provisional agenda of the Assembly pursuant to rule 13 (a) of the rules of procedure.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁶⁾ the General Assembly took note of the report of the Secretary-General (decision 51/404).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General, Supplement No. 1 (A/52/1).

An Agenda for Peace: preventive diplomacy and related matters

At its forty-seventh session, in 1992, the Secretary-General submitted a report entitled "An Agenda for Peace: preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peacekeeping" (A/47/277-S/24111). The Assembly considered the proposals contained therein (resolutions 47/120 A and B).

In November 1992, the President of the General Assembly established an open-ended working group of the General Assembly to consider the recommendations contained in the report. The Chairman (originally Egypt and now Namibia) and a Vice-Chairman (Spain) were designated by the President of the Assembly.

In January 1995, the Secretary-General submitted a report entitled "Supplement to an Agenda for Peace: position paper of the Secretary-General on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations" (A/50/60-S/1995/1).

In March 1995, the President of the General Assembly reconvened the Informal Open-ended Working Group on an Agenda for Peace, which discussed the recommendations contained in the Supplement.

The Working Group elected four coordinators (Australia, Brazil, Norway and Singapore) to coordinate subgroups in which discussions are being held on preventive diplomacy and peacemaking, the question of United Nations-imposed sanctions, coordination, and post-conflict peace-building.

At its resumed forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly decided that the Working Group should continue to meet during the following session (see A/49/PV.108 and A/50/PV.126).

At its fifty-first session,¹⁶ the President of the General Assembly informed the Assembly that, following consultations, he had designated the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Working Group (see A/51/PV.57).

Financial situation of the United Nations

At its forty-ninth session, the General Assembly established the High-level Open-ended Working Group on the Financial Situation of the United Nations under the chairmanship of the President of the Assembly and with two vice-chairmen (resolution 49/143).

The Working Group commenced its work during the forty-ninth session and submitted, through the Fifth Committee, a report on its work (A/49/43).

In accordance with a decision taken at the forty-ninth session, the Working Group continued its work during the fiftieth session of the Assembly (decision 49/496).

At its resumed fiftieth session,⁽¹⁷⁾ in September 1996, the General Assembly noted the work of the Working Group and decided that the latter should continue its work, taking into account, inter alia, its considerations during the forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions and the views expressed at the fifty-first session of the Assembly, and submit to the Assembly at its fifty-first session, through the Fifth Committee, a report on its work, including any possible recommendations (decision 50/488).

Following the conclusion of its meetings during the fifty-first session,¹⁶ the Working Group decided to recommend that the General Assembly note its work on the understanding that the work of the Group would be resumed when appropriate after consultations with Member States (A/51/43, para. 18).

No advance documentation is expected.

8.    For the election of the President, see item 4.
9.    References for the fifty-first session (agenda item 3):

(a)   Reports of the Credentials Committee: A/51/548 and Add.1;
(b)   Resolutions 51/9 A and B and decision 51/301;
(c)   Plenary meetings: A/51/PV.1, 43 and 87.

11.   Report of the Security Council

The Security Council (see item 15 (a)) submits an annual report to the General Assembly under Article 24, paragraph 3, of the Charter; the Assembly considers the report in accordance with Article 15, paragraph 1. The Council's report is included in the provisional agenda of the Assembly pursuant to rule 13 (b) of the rules of procedure.

The General Assembly usually takes note of the report of the Security Council without discussion. However, at its twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh sessions, in 1971 and 1972, the Assembly, in connection with its consideration of the Council's report, decided to seek the views of Member States on ways and means of enhancing the effectiveness of the Council in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Charter (resolutions 2864 (XXVI) and 2991 (XXVII)). At its twenty-eighth session, the Assembly drew the attention of the Council, when considering steps to enhance its effectiveness in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Charter, to the views and suggestions submitted by Member States in response to the above-mentioned resolutions as contained in the Secretary-General's reports on the matter (A/8447 and Add.1 and A/9243) (resolution 3186 (XXVIII)).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁸⁾ the General Assembly took note of the report of the Security Council covering the period from 16 June 1995 to 15 June 1996; encouraged the Security Council, in the submission of its reports to the General Assembly, to provide, inter alia, a substantive, analytical and material account of its work; requested that the annual report of the Security Council be made available before the beginning of the general debate of the General Assembly; requested the President of the General Assembly to raise with the President of the Security Council during their monthly informal meetings, and when deemed appropriate, the matters covered by the resolution and to report to the Assembly on the steps taken by the Council in that regard; and invited the Security Council, through an appropriate procedure or mechanism, to update the General Assembly on a regular basis on the steps it had taken or was contemplating with respect to improving its reporting to the Assembly (resolution 51/193).

Document: Report of the Security Council, covering the period from 16 June 1996 to 15 June 1997, Supplement No. 2 (A/52/2).

12.   Report of the Economic and Social Council¹

Prevention and control of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

The question of prevention and control of AIDS was first considered by the General Assembly at its forty-second session (resolution 42/8).

The General Assembly continued to consider the question at its forty-third to forty-sixth sessions (resolutions 43/15, 44/233, 45/187, 46/203). At its forty-seventh session, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to invite the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), in close collaboration with the appropriate bodies, organs and programmes of the United Nations system, to report, through the Secretary-General, to the Assembly at its forty-eighth session, and biennially thereafter, through the Economic and Social Council, on progress in the implementation of the global strategy for the prevention and control of AIDS (resolution 47/40).

At its forty-eighth and fiftieth sessions,⁽¹⁹⁾ respectively, the General Assembly took note of the notes by the Secretary-General transmitting the reports of the Director-General of WHO on the implementation of the global strategy for the prevention and control of AIDS (decisions 48/452 and 50/439). At its substantive session of 1997, the Economic and Social Council had before it a report of the Secretary-General on the Joint and Co-sponsored United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (E/1997/63).

United Nations Population Award 1997

At its thirty-sixth session, in 1981, the General Assembly decided to establish an annual United Nations Population Award for the most outstanding contribution to the awareness of population questions or to their solutions by an individual or individuals or by an institution (resolution 36/201).

The laureates are selected by the Committee for the United Nations Population Award, which is composed of representatives of 10 Member States (Belarus, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo,⁽²⁰⁾ El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Japan, Netherlands and Philippines), which are elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of three years (currently 1995 to 1997).

At its first session of 1982, the Economic and Social Council approved the rules of procedure of the Committee, rule 8 of which calls for the proceedings of the Committee to be reflected in a report attached to the annual report to be submitted to the General Assembly by the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (decision 1982/112).

At its fifty-first session,⁽²¹⁾ the General Assembly took note of the note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Executive Director of UNFPA (decision 51/448).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Executive Director of UNFPA (decision 1982/112), A/52/212.

Coordination of the activities of the organizations of the United Nations system in the field of energy

At its substantive session of 1996, the Economic and Social Council requested the Secretary-General to take into account the report and views of the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development when preparing the report requested in decision 4/15 of the Commission on Sustainable Development; and requested him to prepare a report on the possibilities of strengthening the coordination of the organizations and bodies of the United Nations system in the field of energy within the framework of the Administrative Committee on Coordination, and to submit the report, through the Council, to the General Assembly for consideration at its fifty-second session (Council resolution 1996/44).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/44), A/52/175-E/1997/75.

New and innovative ideas for generating funds

At its substantive session of 1996, the Economic and Social Council reaffirmed the commitments and targets made with regard to official development assistance, and stressed in that context that funds generated by new and innovative ideas should not replace official development assistance; emphasized that new and innovative funding should be distinct from funding the regular and peacekeeping budgets of the United Nations, and should be part of global partnership and interdependence; stressed the role of private investment in financing development; requested the Secretary-General to submit a report, to be prepared in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme, on all aspects of new and innovative ideas for generating funds for globally agreed commitments and priorities as well as the costs and benefits of their implementation, to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session; invited Governments to submit their written views on new and innovative ideas for generating funds to the Secretary-General, and requested the Secretary-General, in a supplement to his report, to communicate those views to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (Council resolution 1996/48).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/48), A/52/203-E/1997/85.

13.   Report of the International Court of Justice

Since the twenty-third session of the General Assembly, in 1968, the International Court of Justice has submitted an annual report to the General Assembly, which considers it in accordance with Article 15, paragraph 2, of the Charter. The report of the Court is included in the provisional agenda of the Assembly pursuant to rule 13 (b) of the rules of procedure.

At its fifty-first session⁽²²⁾ the General Assembly took note of the report of the International Court of Justice covering the period from 1 August 1995 to 31 July 1996 (decision 51/405).

Document: Report of the International Court of Justice, Supplement No. 4 (A/52/4).

14.   Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency

The Agreement covering the relationship between the United Nations and IAEA was approved by the General Conference of the Agency on 23 October 1957 and by the General Assembly on 14 November 1957 (resolution 1145 (XII), annex). In accordance with article III of the Agreement, the Agency submits to the Assembly an annual report on its work.

At its fifty-first session,⁽²³⁾ the General Assembly took note of the report of the Agency for 1995, affirmed its confidence in the role of the Agency in the application of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; urged all States to strive for effective and harmonious international cooperation in carrying out the work of the Agency, pursuant to its statute, in promoting the use of nuclear energy and the application of the necessary measures to strengthen further the safety of nuclear installations and to minimize risks to life, health and the environment, in strengthening technical assistance and cooperation for developing countries, and in ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the Agency's safeguards system; welcomed the establishment by the Board of Governors of a committee tasked with the drafting of a model protocol in order to strengthen the effectiveness and improve the efficiency of the nuclear safeguards system and thereby reinforce and improve the Agency's capacity to detect any undeclared nuclear activities, and called upon that Committee to bring its work to a successful conclusion at the earliest possible date; welcomed also the measures and decisions taken by the Agency to strengthen and fund its technical cooperation activities, which should contribute to achieving sustainable development in developing countries; commended the Director General and the secretariat of the Agency for their continuing, impartial efforts to implement the safeguards agreement still in force between the Agency and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, including their efforts to monitor the freeze of specified facilities as requested by the Security Council, expressed concern over the continuing non-compliance of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with the safeguards agreement, and urged that State to cooperate fully with the Agency in the implementation of the safeguards agreement and to take all steps the Agency might deem necessary to preserve all information relevant to verifying the accuracy and completeness of the initial report of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on the inventory of nuclear material subject to safeguards until it came into full compliance with its safeguards agreement; also commended the Director General of the Agency and his staff for their strenuous efforts in the implementation of Security Council resolutions 687 (1991), 707 (1991) and 715 (1991) and while noting that Iraq had adopted over the last 12 months a more constructive approach, expressed concern that Iraq had failed to provide immediate access on 7 July 1996 to the Agency's Action Team and that it had previously withheld from the Agency information about its nuclear-weapons programme in violation of its obligations under relevant Council resolutions, and stressed the need for Iraq to cooperate fully with the Agency in achieving the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, and stressed that the Agency's Action Team would continue to exercise its right to investigate further any aspects of the past nuclear weapons capability of Iraq. The Assembly welcomed the entry into force on 24 October 1996 of the Convention on Nuclear Safety and appealed to all States to become parties to it so that it obtains the widest possible adherence, and expressed its satisfaction that a preparatory meeting of the contracting parties would be convened not later than April 1997; also welcomed the measures taken by the Agency in support of efforts to prevent illicit trafficking in nuclear materials and other radioactive sources, and called upon other States to join the programme for preventing and combating illicit trafficking in nuclear material agreed upon by the participants at the Moscow Nuclear Safety and Security Summit of April 1996; took note with appreciation of the work of the open-ended Group of Technical and Legal Experts on a Convention on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management established by the Board of Governors of the Agency; and expressed hope for the timely completion of the preparatory work and adoption of a convention in the near future; noted with satisfaction the substantial progress achieved in the negotiations to strengthen the international regime of liability and compensation for damage arising from a nuclear incident, in particular, by amending the 1963 Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage as well as by adopting a convention on supplementary compensation, and expressed the hope that the diplomatic conference for that purpose would soon be convened (resolution 51/10).

Document: Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency for 1996. In his statement to the Assembly, the Director General of the Agency will give an account of any major developments since the date of issue of the report.

15.   Elections to fill vacancies in principal organs (a)   Election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council

In accordance with Article 23 of the Charter, as amended,⁽²⁴⁾ the Security Council consists of five permanent members (China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America) and 10 non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for a term of two years. At its eighteenth session, in 1963, the Assembly decided that the non-permanent members of the Council should be elected according to the following pattern (resolution 1991 A (XVIII)):

(a)   Five from African and Asian States;

(b)   One from Eastern European States;

(c)   Two from Latin American States;

(d)   Two from Western European and other States.

Chile,^* China, Costa Rica,^** Egypt,^* France, Guinea-Bissau,^* Japan,^** Kenya,^** Poland,^* Portugal,^** Republic of Korea,^* Russian Federation, Sweden,^** United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America.

^*Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
^**Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.

At the fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the seats being vacated by the following States: Chile, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Poland and Republic of Korea. As stipulated in rule 144 of the rules of procedure, a retiring member is not eligible for immediate re-election.

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election is held by secret ballot and there are no nominations. Under rule 83 of the rules of procedure, the non-permanent members of the Security Council are elected by a two-thirds majority.

The names of the States that have served as non-permanent members of the Security Council are listed in annex IV.

(b)   Election of eighteen members of the Economic and Social Council

In accordance with Article 61 of the Charter, as amended,⁽²⁶⁾ the Economic and Social Council consists of 54 members elected for a term of three years. At its twenty-sixth session, in 1971, the General Assembly decided that the members of the Council should be elected according to the following pattern (resolution 2847 (XXVI)):

(a)   Fourteen from African States;

(b)   Eleven from Asian States;

(c)   Ten from Latin American States;

(d)   Thirteen from Western European and other States;

(e)   Six from socialist States of Eastern Europe.

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

^*Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
^**Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
^***Term of office expires on 31 December 1999.

At the fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the seats being vacated by the following States: Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda and United States of America. As stipulated in rule 146 of the rules of procedure, a retiring member is eligible for immediate re-election.

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election is held by secret ballot and there are no nominations. Under rule 83 of the rules of procedure, the members of the Economic and Social Council are elected by a two-thirds majority.

The names of the States which have served as members of the Economic and Social Council are listed in annex V.

16.   Elections to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other elections

(a)   Election of twenty-nine members of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 2997 (XXVII), section I, paragraph 1, and decision 43/406, the Governing Council of UNEP (see also item 100 consists of 58 members elected by the Assembly according to the following pattern:

(a)   Sixteen seats for African States;

(b)   Thirteen seats for Asian States;

(c)   Six seats for Eastern European States;

(d)   Ten seats for Latin American States;

(e)   Thirteen seats for Western European and other States.

Algeria,^** Argentina,^* Australia,^** Benin,^** Brazil,^* Bulgaria,^* Burkina Faso,^** Burundi,^* Canada,^* Central African Republic,^** Chile,^** China,^* Colombia,^** Costa Rica,^* Czech Republic,^** Democratic People's Republic of Korea,^* Democratic Republic of the Congo,^* Finland,^** France,^* Gabon,^* Gambia,^* Germany,^* Guinea-Bissau,^* Hungary,^* India,^** Indonesia,^* Iran (Islamic Republic of),^** Italy,^** Japan,^* Kenya,^** Marshall Islands,^** Mauritania,^** Mexico,^** Morocco,^** Nicaragua,^* Netherlands,^** Pakistan,^** Panama,^** Peru,^** Philippines,^** Poland,^** Republic of Korea,^* Russian Federation,^* Samoa,^** Slovakia,^** Spain,^* Sudan,^* Sweden,^* Switzerland,^* Syrian Arab Republic,^* Thailand,^** Tunisia,^** Turkey,^** United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,^** United States of America,^* Venezuela,^* Zambia^* and Zimbabwe.^*(29)

^*Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
^**Term of office expires on 31 December 1999.

At the fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the seats being vacated by the following States: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Nicaragua, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, United States of America, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Members of the Governing Council are eligible for immediate re-election.

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election is held by secret ballot and there are no nominations. The members of the Governing Council are elected by a simple majority.⁽³⁰⁾

(b)   Election of seven members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination¹

In accordance with paragraph 7 of the terms of reference of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (Economic and Social Council resolution 2008 (XL), annex) (see also items 116, 117 and 118), the Committee consists of 21 members nominated by the Economic and Social Council and elected by the General Assembly for a term of office of three years on the basis of equitable geographical distribution. At its forty-second session, the Assembly decided (decision 42/450) that the Committee for Programme and Coordination should be composed of 34 States Members of the United Nations, elected for three-year terms on the basis of equitable geographical distribution, as follows:

Nine seats for African States;

Seven seats for Asian States;

Seven seats for Latin American and Caribbean States;

Seven seats for Western European and other States;

Four seats for Eastern European States.

At its fifty-first session⁽³¹⁾ the General Assembly elected 18 members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (decision 51/305). At present, the Committee is composed of the following 32 States:

Argentina,^*** Austria,^*** Bahamas,^* Benin,^* Brazil,^*** Cameroon,^*** China,^** Congo,^*** Egypt,^** France,^* Germany,^*** Ghana,^* Indonesia,^*** Iran (Islamic Republic of),^*** Japan,^** Mexico,^* Nicaragua,^*** Nigeria,^*** Pakistan,^*** Poland,^*** Republic of Korea,^** Romania,^*** Russian Federation,^* Thailand,^*** Togo,^** Trinidad and Tobago,^*** Ukraine,^*** United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,^*** United States of America,^* Uruguay^** Zaire^** and Zimbabwe.^***

^*Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
^**Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
^***Term of office expires on 31 December 1999.

At the same meeting, the General Assembly decided to retain sub-item (b) of item 17 of the agenda of its fifty-first session for the election, at a later date, on the basis of the nominations by the Economic and Social Council, of members to the two seats remaining to be filled on the Committee for Programme and Coordination (decision 51/305).

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the seats being vacated by the following States: Bahamas, Benin, France, Ghana, Mexico, Russian Federation and United States of America. Members of the Committee are eligible for immediate re-election.³⁰

(c)   Election of nineteen members of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 2205 (XXI), section II, paragraph 1, as amended by paragraph 8 of Assembly resolution 3108 (XXVIII), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (see also item 150) consists of 36 States elected by the Assembly for a term of six years.

Of the current membership, 19 members were elected by the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session, and 17 were elected at its forty-ninth session.⁽³²⁾ At present, the Commission is composed of the following States:

Algeria,^** Argentina,^* Australia,^** Austria,^* Botswana,^** Brazil,^** Bulgaria,^** Cameroon,^** Chile,^* China,^** Ecuador,^* Egypt,^** Finland,^** France,^** Germany,^** Hungary,^* India,^* Iran (Islamic Republic of)^* Italy,^* Japan,^** Kenya,^* Mexico,^** Nigeria,^** Poland,^* Russian Federation,^** Saudi Arabia,^* Singapore,^** Slovakia,^* Spain,^* Sudan,^* Thailand,^* Uganda,^* United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,^** United Republic of Tanzania,^* United States of America* and Uruguay.^*

^*Term of office expires on the day before the opening of the thirty-first session of the Commission in 1998.
^**Term of office expires on the day before the opening of the thirty-fourth session of the Commission in 2001.

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the seats being vacated by the following States: Argentina, Austria, Chile, Ecuador, Hungary, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Italy, Kenya, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America and Uruguay.

Under the terms of resolution 2205 (XXI), as amended by resolution 3108 (XXVIII), in electing the members of the Commission, the General Assembly shall observe the following distribution of seats:

(a)   Nine from African States;

(b)   Seven from Asian States;

(c)   Five from Eastern European States;

(d)   Six from Latin American States;

(e)   Nine from Western European and other States.

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election is held by secret ballot and there are no nominations. The members of the Commission are elected by a simple majority.

(d)   Election of the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

At its twenty-seventh session, in 1972, the General Assembly decided, under the terms of resolution 2997 (XXVII), section II, paragraph 2, that the secretariat of the United Nations Environment Programme should be headed by the Executive Director of the Programme, who would be elected by the Assembly for a term of four years.

At its fifty-first session,⁽³³⁾ the General Assembly extended the term of office of Ms. Elizabeth Dowdeswell as Executive Director of UNEP for a period of one year beginning on 1 January 1997 (decision 51/316).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General.

17.   Appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments

(a)   Appointment of members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions

The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, established by the General Assembly in 1946 (resolution 14 (I)), acts in an advisory capacity to the Assembly, and makes recommendations to it on the United Nations budget and related matters and on the administrative budgets of the specialized agencies and IAEA. Details on the appointment, membership and functions of the Committee will be found in rules 155 to 157 of the rules of procedure.

At present, the Advisory Committee is composed of the following 16 members:

Mr. Syed Akbaruddin (India),^** Ms. Denise Almao (New Zealand),^*** Mr. Ahmad Fathi Al-Masri (Syrian Arab Republic),^* Mr. Ammar Amari (Tunisia),^*** Mr. Ioan Barac (Romania),^* Mr. Leonid Efimovich Bidnyi (Russian Federation),^*** Mr. Gérard Biraud (France),^*** Mrs. Norma Goicochea Estenoz (Cuba),^*** Mr. Mahamane Maiga (Mali),^* Mr. José Antônio Marcondes de Carvalho (Brazil),^** Mr. E. Besley Maycock (Barbados),^* Mr. C. S. M. Mselle (United Republic of Tanzania),^* Mr. Klaus Stein (Germany),^** Mr. Tang Guangting (China),^** Mr. Fumiaki Toya (Japan)^** and Mr. Giovanni Luigi Valenza (Italy).^**

*  Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
**  Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
***  Term of office expires on 31 December 1999.

At its fifty-first session,⁽³⁴⁾ the General Assembly appointed eight members of the Advisory Committee (decisions 51/310 A and B).

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the vacancies that will arise upon the expiry of the terms of office of Mr. Al-Masri, Mr. Barac, Mr. Maiga, Mr. Maycock and Mr. Mselle.

Document: Note by the Secretary-General, A/52/101/Rev.1.

(b)   Appointment of members of the Committee on Contributions

The Committee on Contributions, established by the General Assembly in 1946 (resolution 14 (I)), advises the Assembly concerning the apportionment, under Article 17, paragraph 2, of the Charter, of the expenses of the Organization among Members (see also item 122). Details on the appointment, membership and functions of the Committee will be found in rules 158 to 160 of the rules of procedure.

At present, the Committee is composed of the following 18 members:

Mr. Iqbal Akhund (Pakistan),^*** Mr. Pieter Johannes Bierma (Netherlands),^** Mr. Uldis Blukis (Latvia),^* Mr. Sergio Chaparro Ruiz (Chile),^** Mr. Evgueni N. Deineko (Russian Federation),^*** Mr. David Etuket (Uganda),^* Mr. Neil Hewitt Francis (Australia),^** Mr. Ihor V. Humenny (Ukraine),^* Mr. Alvaro Gurgel de Alencar (Brazil),^*** Mr. Ju Kuilin (China),^*** Mr. Masao Kawai (Japan),^* Ms. Isabelle Klais (Germany),^*** Mr. David A. Leis (United States of America),^* Mr. Vanu Gopala Menon (Singapore),^* Mr. Atilio Norberto Molteni (Argentina),^** Mr. Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Ghaouth (Mauritania),^** Mr. Ugo Sessi (Italy)^*** and Mr. Omar Sirry (Egypt).^**

^*Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
^** Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
^*** Term of office expires on 31 December 1999.

At its fifty-first session,⁽³⁵⁾ the General Assembly appointed seven members of the Committee (decisions 51/311 A and B).

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the vacancies that will arise upon the expiry of the terms of office of Mr. Blukis, Mr. Etuket, Mr. Humenny, Mr. Kawai, Mr. Leis and Mr. Menon.

Document: Note by the Secretary-General, A/52/102/Rev.1.

(c)   Appointment of a member of the Board of Auditors

The Board of Auditors, established by the General Assembly in 1946 (resolution 74 (I)), transmits to the Assembly the financial reports and audited financial statements (see also item 115). The members of the Board are appointed as Auditors-General, or officials of equivalent title, of their countries and not as individuals.

At present, the Board is composed of the following three members:

The Auditor-General of Ghana,^*** the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India^** and the Comptroller and Auditor-General of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.^*

* Term of office expires on 30 June 1998.
** Term of office expires on 30 June 1999.
*** Term of office expires on 30 June 2000.

At its fifty-first session,⁽³⁶⁾ the General Assembly appointed a member of the Board (decision 51/312).

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the vacancy that will arise upon the expiry of the term of office of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Document: Note by the Secretary-General, A/52/103.

(d)   Confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee

The Investments Committee, established by the General Assembly in 1947 (resolution 155 (II)), advises the Secretary-General on the investment of the assets of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund and other United Nations funds.

At present, the Committee is composed of the following nine members:

Mr. Ahmad Abdullatif (Saudi Arabia),^* Ms. Francine J. Bovich (United States of America),^*** Mr. Fernando G. Chico Pardo (Mexico),^* Mr. Peter Stormonth Darling (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland),^*** Mr. Takeshi Ohta (Japan),^*** Mr. Yves Oltramare (Switzerland),^** Mr. Emmanuel Noi Omaboe (Ghana),^** Mr. Stanislaw Raczkowski (Poland)^* and Mr. Jürgen Reimnitz (Germany).^**

* Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
** Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
*** Term of office expires on 31 December 1999.

At its fifty-first session,⁽³⁷⁾ the General Assembly confirmed the appointment by the Secretary-General of four members of the Committee (decision 51/313).

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will be asked to confirm the appointment by the Secretary-General of three members to fill the vacancies that will arise upon the expiry of the terms of office of Mr. Abdullatif, Mr. Chico Pardo and Mr. Raczkowski.

Document: Note by the Secretary-General, A/52/104.

(e)   Appointment of members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal

The United Nations Administrative Tribunal, established by the General Assembly in 1949 (resolution 351 A (IV)), hears and passes judgement on applications alleging non-observance of contracts of employment of staff members of the United Nations and certain specialized agencies.

At present, the Tribunal is composed of the following seven members:

Ms. Deborah Taylor Ashford (United States of America),^** Mr. Balanda Mikuin Leliel (Democratic Republic of the Congo),^* Mr. Julio Barboza (Argentina),^*** Mr. Mayer Gabay (Israel),^*** Mr. Samarendranath Sen (India),^* Mr. Francis R. Spain (Ireland)^** and Mr. Hubert Thierry (France).^*

* Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
** Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
*** Term of office expires on 31 December 1999.

At its fifty-first session,⁽³⁸⁾ the General Assembly appointed two members of the Tribunal (decision 51/314).

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the vacancies that will arise upon the expiry of the terms of office of Mr. Balanda, Mr. Sen and Mr. Thierry.

Document: Note by the Secretary-General, A/52/105.

(f)   Appointment of members of the International Civil Service Commission

The International Civil Service Commission, established by the General Assembly in 1974 (resolution 3357 (XXIX)), for the regulation and coordination of the conditions of service of the United Nations common system, consists of 15 members appointed by the Assembly, of whom two, designated Chairman and Vice-Chairman, serve full-time (see also item 123).

At present, the Commission is composed of the following 15 members:

Ms. Corazon Alma de Leon (Philippines),^*** Mr. Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor (Tunisia),^** Chairman, Mr. Mario Bettati (France),^* Mr. Alexander V. Chepourin (Russian Federation),^*** Mrs. Turkia Daddah (Mauritania),^** Mr. Humayun Kabir (Bangladesh),^*** Ms. Lucretia Myers (United States of America),^* Mr. Antônio Fonseca Pimentel (Brazil),^* Mr. Jaroslav Riha (Czech Republic),^** Mr. Ernest Rusita (Uganda),^*** Mr. Alexis Stephanou (Greece),^* Mr. Wolfgang Stöckl (Germany),^** Mr. Ku Tashiro (Japan),^* Mr. Carlos S. Vegega (Argentina),^** (Vice-Chairman) and Mr. El-Hassane Zahid (Morocco).^***

* Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
** Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
*** Term of office expires on 31 December 2000.

At its fifty-first session,⁽³⁹⁾ the General Assembly appointed six members of the International Civil Service Commission (decision 51/315 A and B).

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the vacancies that will arise upon the expiry of the terms of office of Mr. Bettati, Ms. Myers, Mr. Pimentel, Mr. Stephanou and Mr. Tashiro.

Document: Note by the Secretary-General, A/52/106.

(g)   Appointment of members and alternate members of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee

The United Nations Staff Pension Committee, established by the General Assembly in 1948 (resolution 248 (III)), deals with the administration of pension matters insofar as they relate to the United Nations. It consists of four members and four alternate members elected by the Assembly, four members and two alternate members appointed by the Secretary-General and four members and two alternate members elected by the participants.

The present members and alternate members elected by the General Assembly are the following:

Members: Mr. Tadanori Inomata (Japan), Mr. Vladimir V. Kuznetsov (Russian Federation), Mr. Philip Richard Okanda Owade (Kenya) and Ms. Susan Shearouse (United States of America);

Alternate members: Mr. Vijay Gokhale (India), Mr. Carlos Dante Riva (Argentina), Mr. Clive Stitt (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and Mr. El Hassane Zahid (Morocco).

At its forty-ninth session,⁽⁴⁰⁾ the General Assembly appointed four members and four alternate members of the Committee (decisions 49/314 A and B).

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to elect four members and four alternate members of the Committee.

Document: Note by the Secretary-General, A/52/107.

(h)    Appointment of the members of the Consultative Committee on the United Nations Development Fund for Women

At its thirty-first session, in 1976, the General Assembly requested the President of the Assembly to select, with due regard to regional distribution, in the first instance for a period of three years, five Member States, each of which should appoint a representative to serve on the Consultative Committee on the Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women (resolution 31/133).

At its thirty-ninth session, the General Assembly, in establishing the United Nations Development Fund for Women as a separate and identifiable entity in autonomous association with UNDP, resolved that the President of the Assembly should designate, with due regard for the financing of the Fund from voluntary contributions and to equitable geographical distribution, five Member States to serve on the Consultative Committee for a period of three years, on the understanding that each State member of the Committee should designate a person with relevant expertise and experience in development cooperation activities, including those benefiting women, to serve on the Committee (resolution 39/125).

At its forty-ninth session,⁽⁴¹⁾ the General Assembly took note of the appointment by its President of the following States as members of the Consultative Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 1995: Indonesia, Norway, Peru, Poland and Uganda (decisions 49/317 A and B).

At the fifty-second session, the President of the General Assembly will need to fill the vacancies that will arise upon the expiry of the terms of office of the present Committee members on 31 December 1997.

Document: Note by the Secretary-General, A/52/108.

(i) Appointment of members of the Committee on Conferences

The Committee on Conferences, established in 1974 by the General Assembly (resolution 3351 (XXIX)), was retained by the Assembly at its forty-third session as a permanent subsidiary organ. The Committee's functions and composition are set out in resolution 43/222 B.

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁴²⁾ the General Assembly took note of the appointment by its President of seven members of the Committee (decision 51/317). At present, the Committee is composed of the following 21 States:

Austria,^** Bahamas,^* Belgium,^* Chile,^*** Fiji^*** France,^*** Gabon,^*** Ghana,^* Iran (Islamic Republic of),^* Jamaica,^** Japan,^*** Jordan,^** Kenya,^** Latvia,^* Morocco,^** Namibia,^*** Nepal,^** Russian Federation,^*** Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,^* Senegal,^* and United States of America.^**

* Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
** Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
*** Term of office expires on 31 December 1999.

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the seats being vacated by the following States: Bahamas, Belgium, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Latvia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Senegal. As stipulated in paragraph 3 of resolution 43/222 B, members of the Committee are eligible for immediate reappointment.

Document: Note by the Secretary-General, A/52/109.

(j)   Appointment of a member of the Joint Inspection Unit

At its thirty-first session, in 1976, the General Assembly approved the statute of the Joint Inspection Unit. The Unit consists of not more than 11 members (resolution 31/192).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁴³⁾ the General Assembly, by its decision 51/320 of 21 May 1997, appointed four members to the Joint Inspection Unit for the term of office beginning on 1 January 1998 and expiring on 31 December 2002.

As at 1 January 1998, the Joint Inspection Unit will be composed of the following 11 members:

Mr. Andrzej Abraszewski (Poland),^*** Mr. Fatih Bouayad-Agha (Algeria),^**** Mr. John D. Fox (United States of America),^*** Mr. Homero Luis Hernández Sánchez (Dominican Republic),^**** Mr. Eduard Kudriavtsev (Russian Federation),^**** Mr. Sumihiro Kuyama (Japan),^** Mr. Francesco Mezzalama (Italy),^**** Mr. Wolfgang M. Münch (Germany),^*** Mr. Khalil Issa Othman (Jordan),^**** Mr. Louis Dominique Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)^*** and Mr. Raúl Quijano (Argentina).^*

* Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
** Term of office expires on 31 December 1999.
*** Term of office expires on 31 December 2000.
**** Term of office expires on 31 December 2002.

At its fifty-second session, the General Assembly will need to fill the vacancy, that will arise upon the expiry of the term of office of Mr. Quijano.

Document: Note by the Secretary-General, A/52/110.

18.   Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples

At its sixteenth session, in 1961, the General Assembly established the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, consisting of 17 members (resolution 1654 (XVI)). At its seventeenth session, the Assembly enlarged the Special Committee by the addition of seven members; and at its thirty-fourth session, the Assembly increased the membership of the Special Committee from 24 to 25 (decision 34/425).

At present, the Special Committee is composed of the following 25 Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Chile, China, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Ethiopia, Fiji, Grenada, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Mali, Papua New Guinea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Sierra Leone, Syrian Arab Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela and Yugoslavia.

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁴⁴⁾ the General Assembly approved the report of the Special Committee and requested it to continue to seek suitable means for the immediate and full implementation of the Declaration, contained in Assembly in resolution 1514 (XV), to formulate specific proposals for the elimination of the remaining manifestations of colonialism and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/146); and requested the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat to continue to take measures to give publicity to the work of the United Nations in the field of decolonization (resolution 51/147).

At the same session, the General Assembly considered the question of Western Sahara (resolution 51/143), the question of New Caledonia (resolution 51/144), and the questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Tokelau, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands (resolutions 51/224 A and B).

Documents:
(a)   Report of the Special Committee, Supplement No. 23 (A/52/23);
(b)   Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/143).

19. Admission of new Members to the United Nations

The question of the admission of new Members to the United Nations is governed, inter alia, by Article 4 of the Charter, rules 58 to 60 of the provisional rules of procedure of the Security Council and rules 134 to 138 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly.

In accordance with Article 4, paragraph 2, of the Charter, the admission of new Members is effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. Under rule 83 of the rules of procedure of the Assembly, a two-thirds majority is required for the admission of new Members.

A list of new Member States, which now number 185, with an indication of the date on which they were admitted to membership in the United Nations, appears in annex VI.

As at 1 July 1997, no documents had been circulated under this item.

20.   Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance

(a)   Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations

The item entitled "Strengthening of coordination of humanitarian emergency assistance of the United Nations" was included in the agenda of the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly, in 1991, at the request of the Netherlands on behalf of the States members of the European Community (A/46/194, annex). During that session, the Assembly adopted guiding principles and a framework for strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations system (resolution 46/182). The Assembly subsequently considered the question at its forty-seventh to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 47/168, 48/57, 49/139 A and 50/57), and took note of the annual report of the Secretary-General on the subject, including information on the Central Emergency Revolving Fund, as requested in paragraph 35 (i) of the annex to resolution 46/182.

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁴⁵⁾ the General Assembly encouraged Governments to ensure coherence in the direction given to the governing bodies of relevant organizations of the United Nations system; encouraged all relevant United Nations agencies to collaborate closely at the country level in carrying out their relief activities; encouraged the Secretary-General to develop further a transparent and timely procedure for putting into place effective coordination arrangements in the field and to strengthen further the cooperation and coordination between the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and other relevant departments of the Secretariat; called upon States to respond quickly and generously to consolidated appeals for humanitarian assistance; requested proposals for the clearer identification of priority needs and the formulation of a coherent humanitarian strategy within consolidated appeals; invited recommendations on possible ways to strengthen the effectiveness of the Central Emergency Revolving Fund; stressed the critical need to create a sound and predictable financial basis for the Department of Humanitarian Affairs; encouraged the Secretary-General to develop further the Humanitarian Early Warning System and Reliefweb; called upon the United Nations system to strengthen accountability in the field of humanitarian assistance; urged all relevant organizations of the United Nations system to participate actively in the follow-up process established by Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/56; called upon the Secretary-General to ensure that the Inter-Agency Standing Committee develops options and proposals further to define operational responsibilities between its members; and emphasized the need for the Secretary-General to draw on the work of the governing bodies of relevant organizations of the United Nations system and of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, and on the assessment of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, in reporting on the follow-up to the Council resolution (resolution 51/194).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 46/182, annex).

(b) Special economic assistance to individual countries or regions²

International assistance to and cooperation with the Alliance for the Sustainable Development of Central America

This question was considered by the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session, in 1994 (resolution 49/21 I).

At its fiftieth session,⁽⁴⁶⁾ the General Assembly emphasized the importance of supporting and strengthening the new programme for international economic, financial and technical cooperation and assistance for Central America, noted with satisfaction the efforts and achievements relating to mine clearance in Central America, and appealed to the organs of the United Nations system and to the international community, and in particular to the Secretary-General, to provide the material, technical and financial support needed by the Central American Governments to complete mine-clearance activities in the region so as to create improved conditions for promoting the process of reconstruction and sustainable development; supported the efforts of the Central American countries in their commitments to alleviate extreme poverty and to foster sustainable human development; requested the Secretary-General, the United Nations system and the United Nations Development Programme to continue their efforts to mobilize resources in order to put into effect the new strategy for integral development in Central America contained in the Alliance for Sustainable Development and in the Declaration of Commitments; urged all States, intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions, the organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations system and regional and subregional organizations to continue the necessary support for the implementation of the goals and objectives of the new strategy for integral development in Central America; supported the decisions of the Central American Governments to concentrate their efforts on the implementation of updated programmes with strategies for sustainable human development in previously determined priority areas; requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution; and decided to consider the question at its fifty-second session (resolution 50/58 B).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/58 B).

Assistance for the reconstruction and development of El Salvador

This item was included in the agenda of the forty-seventh session of the General Assembly, in 1992, at the request of El Salvador (resolution 47/158). The Assembly continued its consideration of this question at its forty-eighth and forty-ninth sessions (resolutions 48/203 and 49/21 J).

At its fiftieth session,⁽⁴⁷⁾ the General Assembly urged the Government of El Salvador and all the political forces involved in the peace process to make every effort to finish complying with the remaining commitments of the Peace Agreement and to continue to develop medium and long-term national programmes and strategies, particularly social welfare projects, designed to improve the lives of the most vulnerable segments of the population; encouraged the international community to continue to contribute to the consolidation of peace in El Salvador by responding flexibly and generously with sufficient resources in support of the efforts of the Government of El Salvador effectively to promote and achieve the aspirations and objectives of the people of El Salvador, in accordance with the spirit of the Peace Agreement; invited the international financial organizations to work with El Salvador in considering measures to harmonize the economic adjustment and stabilization programmes with the priority programmes of the national reconstruction plan and the economic and social development plan targeting the population affected by the conflict and the most vulnerable segments of Salvadoran society; requested the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures and make every possible effort to mobilize the material and financial resources needed to meet the requirements of the priority programmes in El Salvador that were critical to the successful outcome and consolidation of the peace process; and requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution, and decided to consider the question at that session (resolution 50/58 C).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/58 C).

International assistance for the economic rehabilitation of Angola

The General Assembly considered this question at its forty-fourth to forty-eighth sessions (resolutions 44/168, 45/233, 46/142, 47/164 and 48/202).

At its fiftieth session,⁽⁴⁸⁾ the General Assembly called upon all parties to do their utmost to achieve the full and effective implementation of the Peace Accords for Angola (S/22609, annex); appealed for continued and generous contributions in support of humanitarian activities facilitating the transition to peace; appealed to all Governments and international and private institutions that announced their contributions at the Round-Table Conference of Donors to honour their commitments; encouraged Angola to proceed with its programme of economic rehabilitation; requested the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the international community, to continue to mobilize organizations and organs of the United Nations system in order to ensure an appropriate level of economic assistance for Angola; requested the international community to support the mine-action programme and the programme of demobilization and reintegration of excess combatants in Angola; and requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/58 D).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/58 D).

Assistance for the reconstruction of Madagascar following the natural disasters of 1994

The question entitled "Emergency assistance to Madagascar" was considered by the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session, in 1993 (resolution 48/234), at which time it requested the Secretary-General to report to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 1994 on the implementation of the Assembly's resolution. The Council, in turn, requested the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the Council's resolution at the fiftieth session of the Assembly (resolution 1994/36).

At its fiftieth session,⁽⁴⁹⁾ the General Assembly urged all States and governmental and non-governmental organizations, together with United Nations organizations, programmes and specialized agencies, in particular the international financial institutions, to increase their support to the Government of Madagascar with a view to preventing disasters and mitigating their effects on Madagascar's development process; requested the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to mobilize the necessary resources to assist Madagascar in its reconstruction; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the progress made in the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/58 I).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/58 I).

Economic assistance to States affected by the implementation of the Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

This question was included in the agenda of the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly, in 1993, at the request of Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Ukraine (A/48/239). At that session, the Assembly recognized the urge ⁽⁵⁰⁾ the General Assembly expressed concern at the persisting special economic problems confronting States in the period following the lifting of the sanctions, in particular the States that bordered the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the other Danube riparian States and all other States affected by the consequences of the severance of their economic relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the disruption of traditional transport and communication links in that part of Europe during the period when the sanctions were in force; reaffirmed the need for a continuing concerted response from the international community to deal in a more effective manner with the special economic problems of the affected States; renewed its invitation to the international financial institutions to continue to pay special attention to the economic problems of the affected States and to consider ways and means for mobilizing and providing resources for mitigating the continuing negative impact of the consequences of the sanctions on the affected States; renewed its request to the competent organs, programmes and specialized agencies to take into consideration the special needs of the affected States in programming their development activities and to consider the provision of assistance from their special programme resources; renewed its appeal to all States to provide technical, financial and material assistance to the affected States to mitigate the continuing adverse impact of the sanctions on their economies; encouraged the affected States of the region to continue the process of multilateral regional cooperation; urged the organizations and specialized agencies of the United Nations system and other organizations involved to take steps to broaden access for suppliers, particularly from the affected States, to participate actively in the post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation of the former Yugoslavia; requested the Secretary-General to take measures to increase the opportunity for the affected countries to participate actively in the post-conflict reconstruction, rehabilitation and development of the former Yugoslavia; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of the resolution to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/30 A).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/30 A).

Assistance for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Liberia

At its forty-fifth session, in 1990, the General Assembly considered this question under the item entitled "Special economic and disaster relief assistance". At that session, the Assembly decided to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-sixth session an item entitled "Emergency assistance for the economic and social rehabilitation of Liberia" (resolution 45/232).

The General Assembly, at its forty-sixth to fiftieth sessions, continued its consideration of the question (resolutions 46/147, 47/154, 48/197, 49/21 E and 50/58 A).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁵¹⁾ the General Assembly called upon all States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to continue to provide Liberia with technical, financial and other assistance for the repatriation and resettlement of Liberian refugees, returnees and displaced persons and the rehabilitation of combatants so as to facilitate the restoration of peace and normalcy in Liberia; and requested the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to mobilize assistance within the United Nations system to help the Liberian National Transitional Government in its reconstruction and development efforts, to undertake, when conditions permitted, in close collaboration with the authorities of Liberia, an assessment of needs, with the objective of holding a round-table conference of donors for the reconstruction and development of Liberia, and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the progress made in implementing the resolution (51/30 B).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/30 B).

Assistance for the reconstruction and development of Lebanon

The General Assembly considered this question at its thirty-third to forty-eighth sessions (resolutions 33/146, 34/135, 35/85, 36/205, 37/163, 38/220, 39/197, 40/229, 41/196, 42/199, 43/207, 44/180, 45/225, 46/173 and 47/155 and decision 48/450).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁵²⁾ the General Assembly appealed to all Member States and all organizations of the United Nations system to intensify their efforts with a view to considering an increase of all forms of support, including financial grants and soft loans given for the reconstruction and development of Lebanon; called upon all organizations and programmes of the United Nations system to support governmental requirements for national capacity-building and institutional renewal in the areas of social reconstruction and development, environmental management, public services provision and support for private-sector development, and for implementing priority field-based programmes in the rehabilitation and reintegration of displaced persons and in the reconstruction and development of Baalbeck-Hermel and the south Lebanon region; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session through the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 1997 on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/30 C).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/30 C).

Assistance for the reconstruction and development of Djibouti

This question was considered by the General Assembly at its forty-fourth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 44/177, 45/228, 46/175, 47/157, 48/198, 49/21 F and 50/58 F).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁵³⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the implementation by the Government of Djibouti of the structural adjustment programme and appealed to all Governments, international financial institutions, the specialized agencies of the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations to respond, as a matter of urgency, to the financial and material needs of the country; considered that implementation of the demobilization programme and of the national rehabilitation plan and reinforcement of democratic institutions required assistance in the form of financial and material support; requested the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to mobilize the resources necessary for an effective programme of financial, technical and material assistance to Djibouti; and also requested the Secretary-General to prepare a study of the progress made with regard to economic assistance to Djibouti, in time for the question to be considered by the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/30 E).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/30 E).

Assistance to humanitarian relief and the economic and social rehabilitation of Somalia

The General Assembly considered this question at its forty-third to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 43/206, 44/178, 45/229, 46/176, 47/160, 48/201, 49/21 L and 50/58 G).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁵⁴⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the efforts of the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity, the League of Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development of the Countries of the Horn of Africa and the States members of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries to resolve the situation in Somalia; appealed to all the Somali parties concerned to end hostilities and to engage in a process of national reconciliation that would allow for the transition from relief to reconstruction and development; called upon all parties, movements and factions in Somalia to respect fully the security and safety of personnel of the United Nations and its specialized agencies and of non-governmental organizations, and to guarantee their complete freedom of movement throughout Somalia; called upon the Secretary-General to continue to mobilize international humanitarian, rehabilitation and reconstruction assistance for Somalia; called upon the international community to respond to the United Nations Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Somalia covering the period from October 1996 to December 1997; and requested the Secretary-General to take all measures necessary for the implementation of the resolution and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/30 G).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/30 G).

International assistance to Rwanda for the reintegration of returning refugees, the restoration of total peace, reconstruction and socio-economic development

This question was included in the agenda of the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly, in 1994, at the request of Rwanda (A/49/233 and Add.1). At that session, the Assembly invited the international community to provide emergency assistance to Rwanda (resolution 49/23).

The General Assembly continued its consideration of the item at its fiftieth session (resolution 50/58 L).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁵⁵⁾ the General Assembly urged all States, United Nations organizations, specialized agencies and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and the international financial and development institutions to continue to assist Rwanda in the resettlement and reintegration of refugees and other vulnerable groups and in its rehabilitation efforts; called upon the international community to continue its assistance with a view to alleviating the intolerable conditions in Rwandan prisons and to expediting the processing of cases, and encouraged the Government of Rwanda to continue its efforts to improve the judicial system and the situation in the prisons; encouraged the International Tribunal for Rwanda to pursue its work speedily, and called upon all States to cooperate with the Tribunal; called upon all States to continue efforts with regard to the search for peace in the Great Lakes region; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/30 H).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/30 H).

Emergency assistance to the Sudan

The General Assembly considered this question from its forty-third to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 43/8, 44/12, 45/226, 46/178, 47/162, 48/200, 49/21 K and 50/58 J).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁵⁶⁾ the General Assembly stressed the need for Operation Lifeline Sudan to be operated with a view to ensuring its efficiency, transparency and effectiveness, with the full participation of the Government in its management and operation; stressed that Operation Lifeline Sudan should operate within the principle of national sovereignty and the framework of international cooperation; called upon the international community to contribute generously to the emergency needs and development of the country; urged the international community to give priority to assistance for certain rehabilitation requirements; called upon the donor community and the organizations of the United Nations system to provide financial, technical and medical assistance to combat malaria and other epidemics in the Sudan; welcomed the signing in April 1996 of the political charter between the Government and many factions of the rebel movement for the achievement of peace in the Sudan and encouraged the remaining factions to join the peace process; urged the international community to support the programmes of rehabilitation, settlement and integration of returnees, refugees and the internally displaced; stressed the importance of assuring safe access for personnel providing relief assistance to all in need and the importance of strict observance of the principles and guidelines of Operation Lifeline Sudan; urged all parties involved to continue to offer all feasible assistance, including facilitating the movement of relief supplies and personnel, so as to guarantee the maximum success of Operation Lifeline Sudan in all affected parts of the country; urged all parties to the conflict to desist from using anti-personnel mines, and called upon the international community to refrain from supplying mines to the parties of the conflict and to provide the Government of the Sudan with financial and technical assistance in mine clearance; and requested the Secretary-General to continue to mobilize and coordinate resources and support for Operation Lifeline Sudan and to report on the emergency situation in the affected areas and the recovery, rehabilitation and development of the country to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/30 I).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/30 I).

(c)   Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan

The General Assembly considered this question at its forty-seventh to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 47/119, 48/208, 49/140 and 50/88 A).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁵⁷⁾ the General Assembly considered this question in conjunction with the item entitled "The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security" (see item 43 below). At the same session, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to authorize the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, established under resolution 48/208, to continue its efforts to facilitate national reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan; requested him to continue efforts to develop plans for national reconstruction and rehabilitation beginning in areas of peace and security; demanded that all Afghan parties fulfil their obligations and honour their commitments regarding the safety and full freedom of movement of United Nations and other international personnel and cooperate fully with efforts to respond to the humanitarian needs of the people of Afghanistan; urgently appealed for financial, technical and material assistance for the restoration of basic services and the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the voluntary, safe and secure return of refugees and internally displaced persons; called upon the international community to respond to the inter-agency consolidated appeal for emergency humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance for Afghanistan launched by the Secretary-General for the period from 1 January to 31 December 1997; denounced the discrimination against girls and women and other violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Afghanistan, and noted with deep concern possible repercussions on international relief and reconstruction programmes in Afghanistan; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the actions taken pursuant to the resolution (resolution 51/195 A).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/195 A).

(d)   Assistance to the Palestinian people

The Economic and Social Council, in its resolutions 2026 (LXI) of 4 August 1976 and 2100 (LXIII) of 3 August 1977, called upon the United Nations Development Programme, the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to intensify, in coordination with the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, their efforts in identifying the social and economic needs of the Palestinian people. It also urged those agencies and organizations to consult and cooperate with the Palestine Liberation Organization in establishing concrete projects to improve the social and economic conditions of the Palestinian people.

The General Assembly considered this question at its thirty-third to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 33/147, 34/133, 35/111, 36/70, 37/134, 38/145, 39/224, 40/170, 41/181, 42/166, 43/178, 44/235, 45/183, 46/201, 47/170, 48/213, 49/21 N and 50/58 H).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁵⁸⁾ the General Assembly stressed the importance of the work of the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories; urged Member States, international financial institutions, United Nations agencies and programmes, non-governmental organizations and regional organizations to extend rapid and generous economic and social development assistance to the Palestinian people in close cooperation with the Palestine Liberation Organization and through official Palestinian institutions; urged Member States to open their markets to exports from the West Bank and Gaza on the most favourable terms; requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the implementation of the resolution, including an assessment of assistance actually received by the Palestinian people as well as of unmet needs and specific proposals to respond to those needs effectively (resolution 51/150).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/150), A/52/159-E/1997/69.

(e)   Participation of volunteers, "White Helmets", in activities of the United Nations in the field of humanitarian relief, rehabilitation and technical cooperation for development

This question was considered by the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session, in 1994 (resolution 49/139 B), under the agenda item entitled "Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance: Special economic assistance to individual countries or regions".

This question was included in the agenda of the fiftieth session⁽⁵⁹⁾ of the General Assembly, at the request of Argentina (A/50/144). At that session, the Assembly commended the activities and experiences of the United Nations Volunteers, including the White Helmets; encouraged voluntary national and regional actions aimed at making available to the United Nations system national volunteer corps such as the White Helmets on a standby basis; encouraged the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and the relevant bodies of the United Nations to make use of the White Helmets and other United Nations volunteers; recognized the operational role of the United Nations Volunteers in the selection, training, deployment and effective utilization of the White Helmets at the field level; called upon countries in a position to do so to contribute to the distinct window created to that end; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the technical, institutional and financial viability of the initiative (resolution 50/19).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/19).

(f)   Strengthening of international cooperation and coordination of efforts to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster

This question was considered by the General Assembly at its forty-fifth session, in 1990 (resolution 45/190), during which the Assembly decided to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-sixth session an item entitled "International cooperation to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the disaster at Chernobyl".

The General Assembly continued its consideration of the question at its forty-sixth to forty-eighth sessions (resolutions 46/150, 47/165 and 48/206).

At its fiftieth session,⁽⁶⁰⁾ the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to continue his efforts in the implementation of its previous resolutions and to continue to maintain close cooperation with the agencies of the United Nations system and with regional and other organizations while implementing programmes and specific projects in the framework of relevant agreements and arrangements; invited Member States and multilateral financial institutions and other concerned parties of the international community to provide support to the ongoing efforts made by Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine to cope with the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster; requested the Secretary-General to appeal to Member States to continue and to intensify that assistance; and requested him to submit to it at its fifty-second session, under a separate sub-item, a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/134).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/134).

18.    References for the fifty-first session (agenda item 11):

(a)   Report of the Security Council: Supplement No. 2 (A/51/2);
(b)   Resolution 51/193;
(c)   Plenary meetings: A/51/PV.65, 66 and 87.

21.   Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly

The item, which was included in the agenda of the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly, in 1991, had originally been proposed for inclusion in the draft agenda of that session by the President of the Assembly at its forty-fifth session (see decision 45/461).

The General Assembly considered the question at its forty-sixth and forty-seventh sessions (resolutions 46/77 and 47/233). In particular, by resolution 47/233, the Assembly decided to reduce the number of Main Committees from seven to six and further decided, as an interim measure, on the pattern of election of the six Chairmen of the Main Committees at the forty-eighth session.

At its forty-eighth session,⁽⁶¹⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, stressed the importance of enhanced cooperation and an effective relationship between the General Assembly and other principal organs, particularly the Security Council; decided to continue to use the existing machinery and, when necessary, to consider the creation of new bodies to facilitate the discussion of any question or any matter within the scope of the Charter and, as appropriate, the making of recommendations on it to the Members of the United Nations or to the Security Council or to both; welcomed the ongoing efforts of the Security Council to improve its working methods, and in that context encouraged the Council, in the submission of reports to the Assembly, to provide in a timely manner a clear and informative account of its work; invited the President of the General Assembly, following consultations, to propose appropriate ways and means to facilitate an in-depth discussion by the Assembly of matters contained in the reports submitted to it by the Security Council; adopted the guidelines on the Rationalization of the Agenda of the General Assembly annexed to the resolution; decided that the arrangement concerning the pattern of election of the six Chairmen of the Main Committees would take effect at its forty-ninth session; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the progress achieved in the implementation of the resolution after having ascertained the views and experience of the Presidents of the Assembly at its forty-ninth, fiftieth and fifty-first sessions (resolution 48/264).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 48/264).

22.   Cooperation between the United Nations and the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation

The item entitled "Observer status for the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation in the General Assembly" was included in the agenda of the thirty-third session of the General Assembly, in 1978, at the request of 21 Governments (A/33/242). The Agency was granted observer status in the Assembly at its thirty-third session (resolution 33/18).

At its fiftieth session,⁽⁶²⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, invited the Secretary-General of the United Nations to take the necessary steps, in consultation with the Secretary-General of the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation, to promote cooperation between the two secretariats, particularly by encouraging meetings that enable their representatives to consult one another on projects, measures and procedures that would facilitate and expand cooperation and coordination between the two organizations; urgently requested the specialized agencies and other bodies and programmes of the United Nations to cooperate to that end with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Secretary-General of the Agency; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of the resolution to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 50/3).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/3).

23.   Multilingualism

This item was included in the agenda of the fiftieth session⁽⁶³⁾ of the General Assembly, in 1995, at the request of Belgium, Burundi, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, Monaco, Morocco, the Niger, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia and Viet Nam (A/50/147). At that session, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to ensure the strict implementation of the resolutions establishing language arrangements for both the official languages and the working languages of the Secretariat, and invited Member States to do likewise; recalled that the Secretariat was required, in its relations with Member States, to use the official or working language requested by those States; also requested the Secretary-General to ensure that appointment of the staff of the Organization was carried out strictly in accordance with the terms of Article 101 of the Charter and the regulations established by the Assembly pursuant to that Article and that, upon recruitment, personnel recruited by the different bodies of the Organization have a command of and use at least one of the working languages of the Secretariat or one of the working languages of another body of the Organization; further requested the Secretary-General to ensure, in particular in the recruitment and promotion of Secretariat staff, equality of the working languages of the Secretariat and of their use; stressed the need to ensure, in particular through the training and recruitment of specialists, that the necessary resources were available to guarantee the proper and timely translation of documents into the different official languages of the United Nations; recalled the need to ensure the simultaneous distribution of such documents in the official languages; also stressed the need to ensure adequate human and financial resources for maintaining the teaching, at all levels, of the official languages and the working languages of the Secretariat; further stressed the importance of ensuring the availability of publications and adequate data banks in the different official languages in the libraries and documentation centres of the various bodies; urged the delegations of Member States and the Secretariat to endeavour to avoid holding informal meetings without interpretation; and requested the Secretary-General to submit at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution and particularly on the use of the official languages of the United Nations and the working languages of the Secretariat (resolution 50/11).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/11).

24.   Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal

The item entitled "Building a peaceful and better world through sport" was included in the agenda of the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly, in 1993, at the request of the Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations, in his capacity as Chairman of the Organization of African Unity (A/48/237).

The General Assembly considered the item at its forty-eighth and forty-ninth sessions (resolutions 48/11 and 49/29). At its forty-ninth session, the Assembly decided to include an item entitled "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal" in the provisional agenda of its fiftieth session (resolution 49/29).

At its fiftieth session,⁽⁶⁴⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, called upon Member States to reaffirm the observance of an Olympic Truce during the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and to reaffirm the observance of the Olympic Truce in advance of each Summer and Winter Olympic Games; requested the Secretary-General to continue to cooperate with the International Olympic Committee in joint endeavours for the promotion of peace, equality among nations and the harmonious development of humankind; and decided to biennialize this item (resolution 50/13).

At the same session, the General Assembly took note of the solemn appeal made by the President of the General Assembly on 11 July 1996 in connection with the observance of the Olympic Truce (decision 50/486).

No advance documentation is expected.

25.   Cooperation between the United Nations and the Latin American Economic System

This item was included in the agenda of the forty-second session of the General Assembly, in 1987, at the request of Bolivia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay (A/42/192 and Add.1 and 2).

The General Assembly considered the item at its forty-second to forty-ninth sessions (resolutions 42/12, 43/5, 44/4, 45/5, 46/12, 47/13, 48/22 and 49/6).

At its fiftieth session,⁽⁶⁵⁾ the General Assembly urged ECLAC to continue broadening and deepening its coordination and mutual support activities with the Latin American Economic System; urged UNDP to strengthen and expand its support to the programmes that the Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American Economic System was carrying out; urged the specialized agencies and other organizations and programmes of the United Nations system to continue and intensify their support for, and cooperation in the activities of, the Latin American Economic System; requested both the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Permanent Secretary of the Latin American Economic System to assess, at the appropriate time, the implementation of the Agreement between the United Nations and the Latin American Economic System, and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/14).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/14).

26.   University for Peace

The idea of establishing a University for Peace was proposed by the President of Costa Rica and approved by the General Assembly in its resolution 34/111 of 14 December 1979. The Assembly approved the establishment of the University for Peace at its thirty-fifth session (resolution 35/55).

At its forty-fifth, forty-sixth and forty-eighth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the question (resolutions 45/8, 46/11 and 48/9).

At its fiftieth session,⁽⁶⁶⁾ the General Assembly reiterated its appreciation to the Secretary-General for the establishment of the new Council of the University for Peace; and requested him to consider ways of strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and the University for Peace and to submit a report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 50/41).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/41).

27.   Return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin

The item entitled "Restitution of works of art to countries victims of expropriation" was included in the agenda of the twenty-eighth session of the General Assembly, in 1973, at the request of Zaire (A/9199).

The Assembly considered the question at its twenty-eighth, thirtieth to thirty-sixth, thirty-eighth, fortieth, forty-second, forty-fourth, forty-sixth and forty-eighth sessions (resolutions 3148 (XXVIII), 3187 (XXVIII), 3391 (XXX), 31/40, 32/18, 33/50, 34/64, 35/127, 35/128, 36/64, 38/34, 40/19, 42/7, 44/18, 46/10 and 48/15). The item has been included in the agenda of the Assembly under its current title since the thirty-fourth session.

At its fiftieth session,⁽⁶⁷⁾ the General Assembly commended UNESCO and the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to Its Countries of Origin or Its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation on the work they had accomplished, in particular through the promotion of bilateral negotiations, for the return or restitution of cultural property, the preparation of inventories of movable cultural property, the reduction of illicit traffic in cultural property and the dissemination of information to the public; reaffirmed that the restitution to a country of its objets d'art, monuments, museum pieces, archives, manuscripts, documents and any other cultural or artistic treasures contributes to the strengthening of international cooperation and to the preservation and flowering of universal cultural values through fruitful cooperation between developed and developing countries; requested the Secretary-General, in collaboration with UNESCO, to continue to develop all possibilities for bringing about the attainment of the objectives of resolution 48/15; and also requested the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the Director-General of UNESCO, to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/56).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/56), A/52/211.

28.   Universal Congress on the Panama Canal

This item was included in the agenda of the fiftieth session of the General Assembly, in 1995, at the request of France, Panama and the United States of America (A/50/193). The Assembly considered the item at that session (resolution 50/12).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁶⁸⁾ the General Assembly reiterated its firm support for the initiative of the Government of Panama, and urged it to continue to intensify its efforts to organize the Universal Congress on the Panama Canal at Panama City from 7 to 10 September 1997; renewed its appeal to Member States generously to assist the Government of Panama, and called upon intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to do likewise; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/5).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/5).

29.   Cooperation between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union

This item was included in the agenda of the fiftieth session of the General Assembly, in 1995, at the request of Senegal (A/50/141 and Corr.1 and 2 and Add.1-3). The Assembly considered the item at that session (resolution 50/15).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁶⁹⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the conclusion on 24 July 1996 of the cooperation agreement between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session on various aspects of cooperation that had taken place between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union in the implementation of the cooperation agreement (resolution 51/7).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/7).

30.   Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba

This item was included in the agenda of the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly, in 1991, at the request of the Government of Cuba (A/46/193).

The General Assembly considered the question at its forty-sixth to fiftieth sessions (decision 46/407 and resolutions 47/19, 48/16, 49/9 and 50/10).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁷⁰⁾ the General Assembly reiterated its call to all States to refrain from promulgating and applying laws and regulations, such as the one promulgated on 12 March 1996 known as the "Helms-Burton Act", whose extraterritorial effects affect the sovereignty of other States and the legitimate interests of entities or persons under their jurisdiction, in conformity with their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law which, inter alia, reaffirm the freedom of trade and navigation; once again urged States that have and continue to apply such laws and measures to take the necessary steps to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible in accordance with their legal regime; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/17).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/17).

FOOTNOTES

61.    References for the forty-eighth session (agenda item 53):

(a)   Draft resolution: A/48/L.61;
(b)   Resolution 48/264;
(c)   Plenary meeting: A/48/PV.102.

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁷¹⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, requested the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to continue cooperation in their common search for solutions to global problems; welcomed the proposals of the general meeting of the United Nations and OIC to strengthen cooperation between the two organizations in areas of common concern and to review the ways and means for enhancing the actual mechanisms of such cooperation; welcomed also the efforts of the secretariats of the two organizations to strengthen information exchange, coordination and cooperation between them in areas of mutual interest in the political field, and their ongoing consultations with a view to developing the modalities of such cooperation; encouraged the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to continue to expand their cooperation with the subsidiary organs and specialized and affiliated institutions of OIC, and invited them to multiply the contacts and meetings of the focal points for cooperation in priority areas of interest to the two organizations; urged the United Nations and other organizations of the United Nations system, especially the lead agencies, to provide increased technical and other forms of assistance to OIC and its subsidiary organs and specialized and affiliated institutions in order to enhance cooperation; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the state of cooperation between the two organizations (resolution 51/18).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/18).

32.   Zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic

This item was included in the agenda of the forty-first session of the General Assembly, in 1986, at the request of Brazil (A/41/143 and Corr.1).

The General Assembly considered the question at its forty-second to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 42/16, 43/23, 44/20, 45/36, 46/19, 47/74, 48/23, 49/26 and 50/18).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁷²⁾ the General Assembly reaffirmed the importance of the purposes and objectives of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic as a basis for the promotion of cooperation among the countries of the region; called upon all States to cooperate in the promotion of the objectives established in the declaration of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic and to refrain from any action inconsistent with those objectives and with the Charter of the United Nations and relevant resolutions of the Organization, particularly action which might create or aggravate situations of tension and potential conflict in the region; recalled the agreement reached at the third meeting of the States members of the zone, held at Brasilia in 1994, to encourage democracy and political pluralism and to promote and defend all human rights and fundamental freedoms and to cooperate towards the achievement of those goals; welcomed the progress towards the full entry into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco), and the conclusion of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba); affirmed the importance of the South Atlantic to global maritime and commercial transactions and its determination to preserve the region for all peaceful purposes and activities protected by international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; requested the relevant organizations, organs and bodies of the United Nations system to render all appropriate assistance which States of the zone might seek in their joint efforts to implement the declaration of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic; and requested the Secretary-General to keep the implementation of resolution 41/11 and subsequent resolutions on the matter under review and to submit a report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, taking into account, inter alia, the views expressed by Member States (resolution 51/19).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/19).

33.   Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States

This item was included in the agenda of the thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly, in 1981, at the request of Algeria (A/36/196). At that session, the Assembly reaffirmed its resolution 477 (V), in which it requested the Secretary-General of the United Nations to invite the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS) to attend sessions of the Assembly as an observer; and decided to invite the League to participate in the sessions and the work of the Assembly and of its subsidiary organs as an observer (resolution 36/24).

At its thirty-seventh to fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the item (resolutions 37/17, 38/6, 39/9, 40/5, 41/4, 42/5, 43/3, 44/7, 45/82, 46/24, 47/12, 48/21, 49/14 and 50/16).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁷³⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, requested 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 LAS and its specialized organizations; called upon the specialized agencies and other organizations and programmes of the United Nations system to intensify cooperation with LAS and its specialized organizations in the following priority sectors, namely, energy, rural development, desertification and green belts, training and vocational training, technology, environment, and information and documentation; requested the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in cooperation with the Secretary-General of LAS, to encourage periodic consultation between representatives of the Secretariat of the United Nations and the General Secretariat of LAS to review and strengthen coordination mechanisms; decided that, in order to enhance cooperation and for the purpose of review and appraisal of progress, a general meeting between the United Nations system and LAS should take place once every two years, and inter-agency sectoral meetings should be organized regularly on areas of priority and wide importance in the development of the Arab States, on the basis of agreement between the counterpart programmes of the United Nations system and LAS and its specialized organizations; recommended that the next general meeting on cooperation between the representatives of the secretariats of the United Nations system and the General Secretariat of LAS and its specialized organizations be held during 1997; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/20).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/20).

34.   Cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Cooperation Organization

In July 1993, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the secretariats of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). On 13 October 1993, by its resolution 48/2, the General Assembly granted ECO observer status.

The General Assembly considered the question at its fiftieth session (resolution 50/1).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁷⁴⁾ the General Assembly urged the specialized agencies and other organizations and programmes of the United Nations system to initiate, maintain and increase consultation and programmes with ECO and its associated institutions in the attainment of their objectives; called upon ESCAP, as the regional arm of the United Nations having all States members of ECO as its members, to assume a specific role in promoting cooperation with ECO; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/21).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/21)

35.   Elimination of coercive economic measures as a means of political and economic compulsion

This item was included in the agenda of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly at the request of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (A/51/193). At that session,⁽⁷⁵⁾ the Assembly called for the immediate repeal of unilateral extraterritorial laws that imposed sanctions on companies and nationals of other States; called upon all States not to recognize unilateral extraterritorial coercive economic measures or legislative acts imposed by any State; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/22).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/22).

36.   Question of Palestine³

This item, which had been on the agenda of the second and third sessions of the General Assembly, was included in the agenda of the twenty-ninth session, in 1974, at the request of 55 Member States (A/9742 and Corr.1 and Add.1-4). At that session, the Assembly invited the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the representative of the Palestinian people, to participate in its deliberations on the question of Palestine in plenary meetings (resolution 3210 (XXIX)). At the same session, the Assembly reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in Palestine, emphasizing that their realization was indispensable for the solution of the question of Palestine (resolution 3236 (XXIX)). The Assembly also invited the PLO to participate, in the capacity of observer, in its sessions and its work and in all international conferences convened under its auspices; and considered that the PLO was similarly entitled with regard to all international conferences convened by other organs of the United Nations (resolution 3237 (XXIX)).

At its thirtieth session, the General Assembly called for the invitation of the PLO to participate on an equal footing with other parties in all efforts, deliberations and conferences on the Middle East that were held under the auspices of the United Nations and to take part in the Geneva Peace Conference on the Middle East as well as in all other efforts for peace (resolution 3375 (XXX)). At the same session, the Assembly established the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People; requested the Committee to consider and recommend to the Assembly a programme of implementation, designed to enable the Palestinian people to exercise the rights previously recognized; and requested the Security Council to consider the question of the exercise by the Palestinian people of their inalienable rights (resolution 3376 (XXX)).

At its thirty-first and subsequent sessions, the General Assembly endorsed the recommendations of the Committee (resolutions 31/20, 32/40 A, 33/28 A, 34/65 A, 35/169 A, 36/120 A, 37/86 A, 38/58 A, 39/49 A, 40/96 A, 41/43 A, 42/66 A, 43/175 A, 44/41 A, 45/67 A, 46/74 A, 47/64 A, 48/158 A, 49/62 A and 50/84 A).

At its thirty-second session, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to establish within the Secretariat a Special Unit on Palestinian Rights, which would prepare, under the Committee's guidance, studies and publications relating to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and would organize, in consultation with the Committee, commencing in 1978, the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (resolution 32/40 B). The Assembly later requested that the Special Unit be redesignated as the Division for Palestinian Rights, with an expanded mandate of work.

At its thirty-sixth session, the General Assembly decided to convene, under the auspices of the United Nations, an International Conference on the Question of Palestine, and authorized the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to act as the Preparatory Committee for the Conference (resolution 36/120 C).

The International Conference on the Question of Palestine, held at Geneva from 29 August to 7 September 1983, called, inter alia, for the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations, with the participation of all parties to the conflict, including the PLO, as well as the United States of America, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and other concerned States, on an equal footing. At its thirty-eighth session, the General Assembly endorsed the recommendations of the Conference (resolution 38/58 C).

At its forty-third session, the General Assembly acknowledged the proclamation of the State of Palestine by the Palestine National Council on 15 November 1988; affirmed the need to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their sovereignty over their territory occupied since 1967; and decided that, effective as at 15 December 1988, the designation "Palestine" should be used in place of the designation "Palestine Liberation Organization" in the United Nations system, without prejudice to the observer status and functions of the PLO within the United Nations system, in conformity with relevant United Nations resolutions and practice (resolution 43/177).

Since its forty-sixth session, the General Assembly has welcomed the developments in the peace process, in particular the convening at Madrid, on 30 October 1991, of the Peace Conference on the Middle East (resolution 46/75) and subsequent negotiations, and the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization on 13 September 1993 (resolution 48/158 A), as well as the subsequent implementation agreements; and has reaffirmed a number of principles for the achievement of a final settlement and comprehensive peace (resolution 48/158 D).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁷⁶⁾ the General Assembly, reaffirming the permanent responsibility of the United Nations with respect to the question of Palestine until it is resolved in all its aspects in accordance with international legitimacy, considered that the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People could continue to make a valuable and positive contribution to international efforts to promote the effective implementation of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements and to mobilize international support for and assistance to the Palestinian people during the transitional period; authorized the Committee to continue to promote the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, to make such adjustments in its approved programme of work as it might consider appropriate in the light of developments, to mobilize support and assistance for the Palestinian people, and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session and thereafter; and requested the Committee to continue to extend its cooperation to non-governmental organizations in their contribution to heightening international awareness of the facts relating to the question of Palestine and promoting assistance to meet the needs of the Palestinian people, and to involve additional non-governmental organizations in its work (resolution 51/23).

At the same session, the General Assembly considered that the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat continued to make a useful and constructive contribution through the organization of seminars and meetings of non-governmental organizations, as well as through its research and monitoring activities, the preparation of studies and publications, and the collection and dissemination of information in printed and electronic form on the question of Palestine; and requested the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Division with the necessary resources, including for the further development of the United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine, in consultation with the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and under its guidance (resolution 51/24).

Also at its fifty-first session,⁷⁶ the General Assembly, recalling its resolution 50/84 C, considered that the special information programme on the question of Palestine of the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat was very useful in raising the awareness of the international community concerning the complexities of the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East in general; and requested the Department, in full cooperation and coordination with the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, to continue its special information programme on the question of Palestine for the biennium 1996-1997, with particular emphasis on public opinion in Europe and North America (resolution 51/25).

At the same session, the General Assembly, inter alia, reaffirmed the necessity of achieving a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict, in all its aspects; stressed the necessity for the immediate and scrupulous implementation of the agreements reached between the parties and the commencement of the negotiations on the final settlement; called upon the concerned parties, the co-sponsors of the peace process and the entire international community to exert all the necessary efforts to ensure the success of the peace process; stressed the need for: (a) the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, primarily the right to self-determination, and (b) the withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967; also stressed the need for resolving the problem of the Palestine refugees in conformity with its resolution 194 (III); urged Member States to expedite the provision of economic and technical assistance to the Palestinian people during that critical period; emphasized the importance for the United Nations to play a more active and expanded role in the current peace process and in the implementation of the Declaration of Principles; and requested the Secretary-General to continue his efforts with the parties concerned, and in consultation with the Security Council, for the promotion of peace in the region and to submit progress reports on developments in that matter (resolution 51/26). Documents:

(a)   Report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Supplement No. 35 (A/52/35);

(b)   Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/26).

37.   The situation in the Middle East³

Various aspects of the Middle East have been dealt with by the United Nations, particularly by the General Assembly and the Security Council, since 1947. Following the hostilities of June 1967, the Security Council, in November 1967, set forth principles for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East (resolution 242 (1967)).

The General Assembly considered the item on the situation in the Middle East at its twenty-fifth to twenty-seventh sessions, from 1970 to 1972 (resolutions 2628 (XXV), 2799 (XXVI) and 2949 (XXVII)), and at its thirtieth to fiftieth sessions, from 1975 to 1996 (resolutions 3414 (XXX), 31/61, 31/62, 32/20, 33/29, 34/70, 35/207, 36/226 A and B, 37/123 A to F, 38/180 A to E, 39/146 A to C, 40/168 A to C, 41/162 A to C, 42/209 A to D, 43/54 A to C, 44/40 A to C, 45/83 A to C, 46/82 A and B, 47/63 A and B, 48/58, 48/59 A and B, 49/87 A and B, 49/88, 50/21 and 50/22 A to C).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁷⁷⁾ the General Assembly determined that the decision of Israel to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem was illegal and therefore null and void; deplored the transfer by some States of their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem in violation of Security Council resolution 478 (1980) and their refusal to comply with the provisions of that resolution; called once more upon those States to abide by the provisions of the relevant United Nations resolutions; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/27).

At the same session, the General Assembly, inter alia, declared that Israel had failed so far to comply with Security Council resolution 497 (1981); declared also that the Knesset decision of 11 November 1981 annexing the occupied Syrian Golan constituted a grave violation of resolution 497 (1981) and therefore was null and void and had no validity whatsoever, and called upon Israel to rescind it; determined once more that the continued occupation of the Syrian Golan and its de facto annexation constituted a stumbling block in the way of achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region; called for the resumption of the talks on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks and for the respect for the commitments and guarantees reached during the previous talks; demanded once more that Israel withdraw from all the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of 4 June 1967 in implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/28).

Also at the same session, the General Assembly, inter alia, welcomed the peace process started at Madrid, and supported the subsequent bilateral negotiations; expressed its full support for all the achievements of the peace process thus far, which constituted important steps in achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East; urged all parties to fulfil their obligations and to implement the agreements already reached; stressed the need to achieve rapid progress on all tracks of the Arab-Israeli negotiations within the peace process; welcomed the results of the Conference to Support Middle East Peace, convened in Washington, D.C., on 1 October 1993, including the establishment of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, and the subsequent work of the World Bank Consultative Group, welcomed also the appointment by the Secretary-General of the "United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories", and urged Member States to expedite economic, financial and technical assistance to the Palestinian people during the interim period; considered that an active United Nations role in the Middle East peace process and in assisting in the implementation of the Declaration of Principles could make a positive contribution; and encouraged regional development and cooperation in areas where work had begun within the framework of the Madrid Conference (resolution 51/29).

Documents: Reports of the Secretary-General (resolutions 51/27 and 51/28).

38.   Support by the United Nations system of the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies

The question of support by the United Nations system for the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies was included in the agenda of the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly, in 1994, at the request of 38 Member States (A/49/236 and Add.1). The item was considered at the forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions (resolutions 49/30 and 50/133).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁷⁸⁾ the General Assembly invited the Secretary-General, Member States and the relevant specialized agencies and bodies of the United Nations system, as well as other intergovernmental organizations, to collaborate in the holding of the Third International Conference of New or Restored Democracies; and requested him to submit a report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/31).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/31).

39.   Oceans and the law of the sea

(a)   Law of the sea

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea entered into force on 16 November 1994, one year after the deposit of the sixtieth instrument of ratification or accession. As at 9 May 1997, 116 States had deposited their instruments of ratification or accession. Since 1984 the General Assembly has considered developments relating to the Convention under the item entitled "Law of the sea" (resolutions 39/73, 40/63, 41/34, 42/20, 43/18, 44/26, 45/145, 46/78, 47/65, 48/28, 49/28 and 50/23).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁷⁹⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, called upon all States that had not done so to become parties to the Convention and the Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 (resolution 48/263, annex) in order to achieve the goal of universal participation; called upon States to harmonize their national legislation with the provisions of the Convention and to ensure the consistent application of those provisions; encouraged States parties to the Convention to consider making a written declaration choosing from the means set out in article 287 of the Convention for the settlement of disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention; requested the Secretary-General to ensure that the institutional capacity of the Organization adequately responded to the needs of States and competent international organizations by providing advice and assistance, taking into account the special needs of developing countries; invited Member States and others in a position to do so to contribute to the further development of the fellowship programme on the law of the sea, training and educational activities, and advisory services in support of effective implementation of the Convention; requested the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to further strengthen the existing system for the collection, compilation and dissemination of information on the law of the sea and related matters; reaffirmed its decision to undertake an annual review and evaluation of the implementation of the Convention and other developments relating to ocean affairs and the law of the sea; requested the Secretary-General to prepare a comprehensive report on the impact of the entry into force of the Convention on related existing and proposed instruments and programmes throughout the United Nations system; requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution, in connection with his annual comprehensive report on oceans and the law of the sea; and decided to include in the provisional agenda of the fifty-second session an item entitled "Oceans and the law of the sea" (resolution 51/34).

Documents:

(a)   Annual comprehensive report of the Secretary-General on oceans and the law of the sea, including implementation of resolution 51/34;

(b)   Report of the Secretary-General on the impact of the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on international instruments and programmes (resolution 51/34);

(c)   Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the Agreement concerning the Relationship between the United Nations and the International Seabed Authority (resolution 51/34), A/52/260.

(b) Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks

The Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks was adopted on 4 August 1995 by the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and was opened for signature on 4 December 1995. As at 8 May 1997, it had received a total of 33 signatures. The Agreement requires 30 ratifications or accessions to enter into force.

The Assembly considered the question at its forty-eighth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 48/194, 49/121 and 50/24).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁸⁰⁾ the General Assembly took note with concern that many commercially important straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks had been subject to heavy and little-regulated fishing efforts that some stocks continued to be overfished; welcomed the fact that a growing number of States and other entities, as well as regional and subregional fishery management organizations and arrangements, had adopted legislation, established regulations or taken other measures to implement the provisions in the Agreement, and urged them to enforce those measures fully; called upon States and other entities and regional and subregional fishery management organizations and arrangements that had not done so to consider taking measures to implement the provisions of the Agreement; urged States, relevant specialized agencies, international organizations, intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organizations that had not yet done so to provide information to the Secretary-General to ensure as comprehensive a report as possible; requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session and biennially thereafter on further developments relating to the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, including the status and implementation of the Agreement, taking into account information provided by States, relevant specialized agencies, in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and other appropriate organs, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, regional and subregional organizations and arrangements for the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, as well as other relevant intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organizations (resolution 51/35).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General on developments relating to the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks (resolution 51/35).

(c) Large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing, unauthorized fishing in zones of national jurisdiction and fisheries by-catch and discards

The General Assembly has considered the question of large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing and its impact on the living marine resources of the world's oceans and seas since 1989 (resolution 44/225); and subsequently at its forty-fifth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 45/197 and 46/215, decisions 47/443, 48/445 and 49/436, and resolutions 49/116, 49/118 and 50/25).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁸¹⁾ the General Assembly reaffirmed the importance it attached to compliance with its resolution 42/215, in particular to those provisions of the resolution calling for full implementation of a global moratorium on all large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing on the high seas; urged all authorities of members of the international community that had not done so to take greater enforcement responsibility to ensure full compliance with resolution 46/215; called upon States to take the responsibility, consistent with their obligations under international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and resolution 49/116, to take measures to ensure that no fishing vessels entitled to fly their national flags fish in areas under the national jurisdiction of other States unless duly authorized by the competent authorities of the coastal State or States concerned; requested the Secretary-General to ensure that reporting on all major fisheries-related activities and instruments was effectively coordinated and duplication of activities and reporting minimized and that relevant scientific and technical studies were disseminated to the international community; requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session and biennially thereafter a report on further developments relating to the implementation of resolutions 46/215, 49/116 and 49/118 (resolution 51/36).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolutions 46/215, 49/116 and 49/118 (resolution 51/36).

40.   Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

The item entitled "Coordination of the activities of the United Nations and the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe" was included in the agenda of the forty-seventh session of the General Assembly, in 1992. The Conference was granted observer status in the Assembly at the forty-eighth session (resolution 48/5). The Assembly continued its consideration of the item at its forty-ninth session (resolution 49/13).

At the Budapest Summit Meeting (5 and 6 December 1994), the participating States decided to change the name, with effect from 1 January 1995, from Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The General Assembly continued its consideration of the item at its fiftieth session (resolution 50/87).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁸²⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the progress in common work in the field between the United Nations and OSCE; welcomed the Summit Declaration and the decisions adopted by the heads of State or Government of OSCE on 3 December 1996 at Lisbon in particular the Lisbon Declaration on a Common and Comprehensive Security Model for Europe for the Twenty-first Century; commended OSCE for the fulfilment of the role assigned to it by the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina; welcomed the decision of OSCE to continue its engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina; underlined the responsibility of the parties to organize free and fair municipal elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and welcomed the confirmation that OSCE would supervise the preparation and conduct of those elections; welcomed the readiness of OSCE to continue to contribute to regional stabilization in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to promote negotiations on regional arms control; welcomed the readiness of OSCE to support the Human Rights Office at Sukhumi, Georgia, which formed part of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia; fully supported the activities of OSCE to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict in and around the Nagorny Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, and welcomed the cooperation between the United Nations and OSCE in that regard and on the subject of the return and reintegration of refugees and other involuntarily displaced persons in countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States; requested the Secretary-General to continue exploring with the Chairman-in-Office of OSCE possibilities for further enhancement of cooperation, information exchange and coordination between the United Nations and OSCE, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations and on the basis of the framework for cooperation and coordination between the United Nations and OSCE of 26 May 1993 (A/48/185, annex II); and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/57).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/57).

71.    References for the fifty-first session (agenda item 31):

(a)   Report of the Secretary-General: A/51/381;
(b)   Draft resolution: A/51/L.17;
(c)   Resolution 51/18;
(d)   Plenary meeting: A/51/PV.58.