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21 October 1999

The General Assembly is concluding its discussion of the report of the Security Council (A/54/2), covering the period from 16 June 1998 to 15 July 1999. Twelve speakers are inscribed.

In the debate yesterday, the Council was sharply criticized for being secretive, rigid and exclusionary in its working methods and for producing a report that was less than informative. The marginalization of the General Assembly in favour of the Security Council was also cited.

This morning’s plenary meeting is taking place in Conference Room 3 as the General Assembly Hall is being readied for tomorrow’s UN Day Concert. The concert is a tribute to “Duke” Ellington on the 100th anniversary of his birth and a celebration of his service as Music Ambassador to the world. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will host the event, which will feature many celebrities from the world of music.

Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab is en route to New York, after attending the funeral service today, in Dar es Salaam’s National Stadium, for Dr. Julius K. Nyerere, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania. The President is expected back by midday tomorrow and hopes to participate in Friday evening’s UN Day Concert activities.

In Committee action, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) this morning began a thematic discussion, on any disarmament topic. Draft resolutions will be introduced and discussed, but voting won’t commence until 1 November.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) takes up two new items today: the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, and the right of peoples to self-determination. Among the documents, I wish to draw attention to two reports: that of Special Rapporteur Maurice Glele-Ahanhanzo entitled “Measures to combat contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” (A/54/347); and the report of Special Rapporteur Enrique Bernales Ballasteros on the “Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination” (A/54/326). For anyone interested in those subjects, the two reports are most informative and make very interesting reading.

This afternoon, before continuing with its general discussion, the Committee will take action on six draft resolutions: on a United Nations literacy decade: education for all (A/C.3/54/L.10); three pertaining to crime prevention and criminal justice – one 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); another on the activities of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of a Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which is negotiating an international legal instrument dealing with the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition (A/C.3/54/L.5); and a third text on action against corruption (A/C.3/54/L.6). In addition, there are two texts on the advancement of women, which I mentioned yesterday -- traditional or customary practices affecting the health of women and girls (A/C.3/54/L.13) and the Convention in the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (A/C.3/54/ L.17/Rev.1).

This afternoon, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) is expected to conclude its comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects. Forty-four delegations have taken part in a lively discussion, with 20 more to be heard. After that, the Committee is to take action on the related draft resolution (A/C.4/54/L.2). That text, while endorsing the proposals, recommendations and conclusions of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, would have the Assembly request that body to submit a report on its work to the current fifty-fourth session. This means that after the Special Committee meets early next year, the Fourth Committee will reconvene to consider its report.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) is holding informal consultations today on various draft proposals. Yesterday afternoon, the Committee failed to agree on a draft resolution submitted by the Chairman following consultations, on establishing a multi-year Development Account (A/C.5/54/L.11). Delegations agreed on all but the wording in operative paragraph 5, which states: “Further decides that all savings transferred to the Development Account section shall form the maintenance base for that section in future proposed programme budgets”. The disagreement was over the word “all”. In the meantime, the “Group of 77” requested that its text, L.7, on the same subject, be held in abeyance.

The Sixth Committee (Legal) will continue, at two meetings today, its discussion of the item on the establishment of an international criminal court. The reports before it include the proceedings of the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court (PCNICC/1999/L.3/Rev.1 and L.4/Rev.1). In yesterday’s debate, speakers expressed support for the soon-to-be established Court and urged that the Court’s Statute, adopted at the 1998 conference in Rome, should not be tampered with.

Question: Is there a Fifth Committee draft resolution on East Timor?

Answer: Informal consultations are being held on a draft text, but nothing has been circulated for me to see.