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8 October 1999

The General Assembly this morning heard five more speakers as it concluded debate on implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development.

The Assembly then adopted four decisions, contained in the report of the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and Further Initiatives. The texts pertain to procedural arrangements for the special session, which will take place from 26 to 30 June 2000 in Geneva; the title for the special session, which is to be called the "World Summit for Social Development and beyond: achieving social development for all in a globalizing world"; the provisional agenda for the Preparatory Committee’s next session, in April 2000; and arrangements for the participation of non-governmental organizations in the special session.

Also this morning, the Assembly elected 20 members to the 34-member Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), as nominated by the Economic and Social Council. They are: Cameroon, Gabon, Mauritania and Zimbabwe, from the Group of African States; Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran and Pakistan, from the Asian States; Poland, Moldova and Ukraine, from Eastern European States; Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and Peru, from Latin America and Caribbean States; and Germany, Italy, Portugal, San Marino and the United Kingdom, from Western European and other States. The note of the Secretary-General on the election is contained in document A/54/400.

The Assembly had before it, for action, three draft resolutions. It adopted A/54/L.8, thereby inviting the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization to participate in its sessions and work in the capacity of observer. The draft resolution had 33 sponsors.

However, at the request of some delegations, the Assembly postponed action on the two other texts: draft resolution A/54/L.7, under which the Assembly would have invited the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources to participate in its sessions and work as an observer; and draft resolution A/54/L.5, by which the Assembly would have invited the Secretary-General to take the appropriate steps to conclude with the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization an agreement to regulate the relationship between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission.

The Assembly is meeting this afternoon to hear the remaining 19 speakers on the Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (A/54/1).

This morning, after considering three requests, the General Committee decided to recommend that the Assembly include in the agenda of its current session an additional item entitled "Observer Status for the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries" (A/54/232); that it include a sub-item entitled "Relocation of South Africa in the group of Member States as set out in paragraph 3 (c) of General Assembly resolution 43/232" –South African is requesting that it be placed in the category for developing countries in the scheme for apportioning the costs of United Nations peacekeeping operations (A/54/233); and that the Assembly consider directly in plenary, as requested by the Chairman of the Second Committee, the sub-item entitled "Follow-up of the World Summit for Children". The Assembly will take action on the General Committee’s report at a date to be announced.

In other Committee action, at two meetings today, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) is concluding its general debate on major economic issues, before taking up item 97, on macroeconomic policy questions. Reports of the Secretary-General on science and technology for development, and on external debt crisis and development are before the Committee. Debate on those two items will conclude on Monday, to be followed by a discussion onimplementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006).

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), also at two meetings today, is expected to conclude its general discussion on social development issues, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family.

This morning, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) is concluding debate on all decolonization items.

Looking ahead to next week: On Thursday, 14 October, the Assembly will elect five non-permanent members of the Security Council to fill the seats that will be vacated on 1 January 2000 by Bahrain, Brazil, Gabon, Gambia and Slovenia. 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. Other plenary meetings will be scheduled, as documents become available.

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) begins its general debate on all disarmament and international security agenda items on Monday, 11 October. That debate will conclude on 20 October. The Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala, will address the Committee.

For much of next week, the Third Committee will be discussing the advancement of women, and implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women. On Friday, 15 October, it will take up the item on crime prevention and criminal justice, and on international drug control. Pino Arlacchi, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Programme, will be in New York and will address the Committee.

From 11 to14 October, the Fourth Committee will consider 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.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) is holding informal consultations through Thursday next week. On Friday, 15 October, it is scheduled to take action on draft resolutions relating to eight agenda items.

On 11 and 12 October, the Sixth Committee (Legal) considers the report of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, followed, from 13 to 15 October, by consideration of the report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization.

Copies of the Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab’s appointments for today are available in room 378 and on the Internet. This morning, he chaired the third meeting of the General Committee before presiding over the plenary. He has a meeting at 4:30 p.m. with the Permanent Representative of China, Qin Huasun, and with the Deputy Permanent Representative of Portugal, Nuno Brito.