Back to Home Page

Back to General Assembly

16 November 1998

Today, the plenary is considering item 20, Strengthening of coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance and several related reports of the Secretary-General. Among those will be a report on the assistance to Mozambique; reconstruction and development of Lebanon; rehabilitation and reconstruction of Nicaragua; special assistance to Central African countries receiving refugees; emergency assistance to the Sudan; emergency assistance for peace, normalcy and rehabilitation in Tajikistan; emergency economic assistance to the Comoros; emergency assistance to Montserrat; assistance for the reconstruction and development of Djibouti; assistance for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Liberia; international cooperation and coordination of human and ecological rehabilitation and economic development of the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan; special assistance for the economic recovery and reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and assistance to the Palestinian people. Also, eight related draft resolutions will be introduced for action in the plenary. So far, 27 speakers have inscribed to address the Assembly today.

Tomorrow morning, the Assembly will take up the issue of assistance in mine clearance and consider the report of the Secretary-General on this issue, as well as a draft resolution contained in document A/53/L.28. Also, a number of speakers are scheduled to address the Assembly on this item.

As for the work of the main committees, the First Committee concluded its work at the fifty-third session last Friday, as scheduled. The Special Political and Decolonization Committee is continuing this afternoon the general debate of Questions relating to information. The Second Committee is considering this morning the issue of Sustainable development and international economic cooperation as well as Programme planning. It is also scheduled to take action on several draft resolutions before it. The Third Committee will also take action this afternoon on several draft resolutions before it, including those on the report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; programme budget implications of the draft on the elimination of racism and racial discrimination; right of peoples to self-determination; as well as on human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives. Also, several drafts will be introduced in the Committee, relating in particular to human rights issues. The Fifth Committee is scheduled to conclude this morning the general discussion of the report of the Secretary-General on the Office of Internal Oversight Services, and begin consideration of the financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors. It will also hold informal consultations on the financing of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone. This afternoon, the Fifth Committee will continue discussion of human resources management and open the discussion of several aspects of the programme budget for the current biennium. It will also begin consideration of the relevant chapters of the report of the Economic and Social Council. The Sixth Committee began this morning with the consideration of effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and representatives, before beginning informal consultations on the Convention on the jurisdictional immunities of States and their property. It was also scheduled to see this morning a video presentation on the electronic international treaty database. This afternoon, the Sixth Committee is scheduled to take action on several draft resolutions regarding the UN Decade of International Law, before beginning informal consultations on several draft resolutions on measures to eliminate international terrorism.