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13 October 1999

Today is World Disaster Reduction Day. In a message to mark the Day, General Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab said this year’s observance highlights the importance of disaster prevention. Almost daily, he said, we are reminded of the threat of natural hazards. These tragedies capture our imagination and we tend to think of them in terms of the horrors we see on television. But the true extent of their impact lies beyond our daily awareness. They profoundly affect the efforts being made to achieve economic growth and sustainable development, at times erasing in a flash any progress made.

Despite 10 years of persistent efforts in disaster prevention by the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction and its partners, the number and cost of natural disasters continued to rise, he said. "But while we cannot stop the forces of nature, we can and must prevent them from turning into major disasters. This means paying much greater attention to the introduction of prevention strategies that reduce the vulnerability of societies and shifting from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention. We need to strengthen and broaden disaster reduction programmes, including through the transfer of technology, in our efforts to limit the impact and costs of human suffering". As we approach the next century, the President said, it was vital to ensure that the positive results achieved over the Decade were not lost. "We must build on the progress made, by acting decisively so that disaster reduction becomes an essential element of international strategies and national development plans". Copies of the text are available in room 378.

There is no plenary meeting today. The Assembly will hold elections tomorrow morning for five non-permanent members of the Security Council. The candidates are: Mali, Tunisia and Bangladesh for three African and Asian seats; Slovakia and Ukraine for one Eastern European seat; and Jamaica for one Latin American and Caribbean seat. They will fill the seats that will be vacated on 1 January 2000 by Bahrain, Brazil, Gabon, Gambia and Slovenia.

The voting will be by secret ballot. According to rule 83 of the Rules of Procedure, decisions of the General Assembly on important questions, such as the election of the non-permanent members of the Security Council, shall be by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting. Rule 93 adds that when a two-thirds majority is required, the balloting shall continue until one candidate secures two thirds of the votes cast.

At a meeting this afternoon, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) will hear 10 more speakers in its continuing general debate on all disarmament and international security agenda items.

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) is not meeting today. Instead, a panel has been convened this morning to discuss the theme "Taking Stock of the Reform of the International Financial Architecture". The panel is in support of the Committee’s consideration of the agenda items 97 (a) and (b), on high-level international intergovernmental consideration of financing for development; and financing for development, including net transfer of resources between developing and developed countries. Discussion of the two items is scheduled for 1 November. The Chairman of the Committee, Roble Olhaye (Djibouti), is chairing the event, and the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Nitin Desai, is moderating the panel discussion. The Committee’s next meeting will be on Friday, when it will take up operational activities for development.

At two meetings today, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) is continuing its general discussion of the items on advancement of women, and implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women. That discussion will conclude tomorrow, to be followed on Friday by discussion of the items on crime prevention and criminal justice, and international drug control.

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) is continuing debate this morning on the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (A/54/325). Any draft resolutions on this item will be voted upon at the same time that the Committee takes action on UNRWA drafts.

This afternoon, the Sixth Committee (Legal) takes up the report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization. The report (A/54/33) recommends that the Assembly continues to consider the findings of the ad hoc expert group on developing a methodology for assessing the consequences incurred by third States as a result of sanctions. A draft resolution, requiring Assembly action, deals with practical ways and means of strengthening the International Court of Justice. Also before the Committee is a report of the Secretary-General on implementing Charter provisions dealing with assistance to third States affected by the application of sanctions (A/54/383).

Copies of the Assembly President’s appointments for today are available in room 378 and on the Internet. This afternoon, he will receive a courtesy call from the Permanent Representative of Peru, Fernando Tudela, in his capacity as Chairman of the Latin American and Caribbean Group of States.