Back to Home Page

Back to General Assembly

19 October 1999

The President of the General Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, is travelling today to Dar es Salaam, to attend the funeral, on Thursday, of the late President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Julius K. Nyerere. The Assembly President will return to New York over the weekend.

Before departing New York, the President recorded his UN Day message, in which he said that as we celebrate the fifty-fourth anniversary of the one and only United Nations, we should remind ourselves that future generations will judge us less for our brilliant achievements in science and technology or the enormous wealth amassed by some individuals and a few nations. Instead, we will be remembered for the extent to which we have achieved global peace, sustainable development, human equality and security, and an end to hunger, poverty and environmental degradation. Copies of the UN Day message are available in room 378.

The President was to have participated, at noon today, in the observance of World Food Day. Making the statement on his behalf is a Vice-President of the Assembly, Ambassador Abdallah Baali of Algeria. In his remarks, the President said this year’s theme, “Youth against Hunger”, was most appropriate in view of the important role which young people all over the world play in their daily struggle to fight hunger and contribute to household food needs. By mobilizing the idealism and energy of youth, we are giving them the opportunity to act as subjects of history, champions of their own future and, at the same time, as active participants in the fight against food insecurity. The President commended the Food and Agriculture Organization for its foresight in encouraging the youth of today to be a constructive force for social change and contribute towards ensuring food for all. It is today’s youth who will shape the vision and reality of the world of the future, the President said. The earlier they are allowed to join in the fight against hunger, the more food-secure tomorrow’s world will be. They are the real weapon for poverty reduction and empowerment of the people. Copies of the President’s statement are available in room 378.

Also taking part in the observance are: the President of the Economic and Social Council, Mr. Francesco Paolo Fulci; and FAO Director-General, Mr. Jacques Diouf. The keynote speaker is Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.

Tomorrow, the Assembly takes up the report of the Security Council (A/54/2), covering the period from 16 June 1998 to 15 July 1999. The report is intended as a guide to the activities of the Council.

I wish to draw your attention to a revised programme of work for the plenary (A/INF/54/3/Add.2). Added to it are activities for Monday, the 25th, when the Assembly will take up six items, including the report of the Credentials Committee, the appointment of members of the Committee on Conferences and the election of 29 members of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP).

In Committee action, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) is winding up its general debate on all disarmament and international security agenda items. That debate concludes tomorrow. Twelve speakers, including the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization, are listed for this morning’s meeting.

At two meetings today, the Second Committee will be discussing sustainable development and international economic cooperation. Documents include reports on implementation of the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation and of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade (A/54/389); implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) (A/54/8 and A/54/322); human resources development (A/54/408); international migration and development (A/54/207 and A/C.2/54/2)); and renewal of the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership (A/54/94-S/1999/518 and A/54/328).

Before the Committee takes up these reports, three draft resolutions will be introduced, all of them sponsored by Guyana on behalf of the “Group of 77” countries and China. The texts concern science and technology for development (A/C.2/54/L.4); external debt crisis and development (A/C.2/54/L.2); and implementation of the First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (A/C.2/54/L.3).

At two meetings today, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) is continuing its general discussion of crime prevention and criminal justice, and international drug control. It has before it five draft resolutions, recommended by the Economic and Social Council on: the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (Vienna, 10-17 April 2000) (A/C.3/54/L.3); a “Draft United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the draft protocols thereto” (A/C.3/54/L.4); activities of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of a Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (A/C.3/54/L.5); on action against corruption (A/C.3/54/L.6); and a draft resolution containing an “Action Plan for the Implementation of the Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction (A/C.3/54/L.7). The Action Plan sets out 16 objectives to guide Member States in implementing the Declaration.

This afternoon the Committee will hear the introduction of a draft resolution on cooperatives in social development, under which the Assembly would adopt Guidelines aimed at creating a supportive environment for their development (A/C.3/54/L.11). Three drafts on the advancement of women will also be introduced. In one text, the Assembly would designate 25 November every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (A/C.3/54/L.14). Another invites Member States to attach greater importance to improving the situation of rural women in their national and development global strategies (A/C.3/54/L.15).

At its meeting this afternoon, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) will continue its comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects. It has before it the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (A/54/87) and one by the Secretary-General on enhancement of African peacekeeping capacity (A/54/63-S/1999/171), as well as a five-Power draft resolution (A/C.4/54/L.2).

This morning, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) took up the item on the Joint Inspection Unit (A/53/841, A/54/34 and A/54/223). This afternoon, it will continue its discussion of the report of the Committee on Contributions (A/54/11), which examines, in depth, the application of Article 19 of the Charter; as well as of the report of the Committee on Conferences on the pattern of conferences (A/54/32) and various reports of the Secretary-General on the interpretation facilities and services at other United Nations headquarters.

The Sixth Committee (Legal) will, this afternoon, conclude its discussion of the Secretary-General’s report on the 1990-1999 United Nations Decade of International Law (A/54/362). Tomorrow, it takes up the item on the establishment of an international criminal court.