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15 NOVEMBER 1999

At the start of this morning’s plenary meeting, the General Assembly extended condolences to the Government and people of Turkey, again struck by a disastrous earthquake, extended deepest sympathy for the tragic loss of life and material damage, and expressed the hoped that the international community would demonstrate its solidarity by responding promptly and generously to any request from Turkey for assistance in its present plight.

The Assembly also noted the crash that occurred on Friday of a plane carrying United Nations personnel. It expressed condolences to all the families of the victims.

The Assembly this morning recommended that the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie should continue and intensify their consultations with a view to ensuring greater coordination in the areas of conflict prevention, peace-building and support for the rule of law and democracy and promotion of human rights. The Assembly did so by adopting a 49-Power resolution (A/54/L.25) introduced by France, and after hearing nine speakers.

Also this morning, the Assembly took action on six reports of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), dealing with appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments. Appointed to the 16-member Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for a three-year term starting 1 January 2000 were: Mr. Gerard Biraud (France), Ms. Norma Goicochea Estenoz (Cuba), Mr. Vladimir V. Kuznetsov (Russian Federation), Ms. Susan M. Shearouse (United States) and Mr. Roger Tchoungui (Cameroon) (A/54/540).

Appointed to the 18-member Committee on Contributions for a three-year term starting on 1 January 2000 were: Mr. Alvaro Gurgel de Alencar Netto (Brazil), Mr. Ju Kuilin (China), Mr. Sergei I. Mareyev (Russian Federation), Mr. Angel Marron (Spain), Mr. Hae-Yun Park (Republic of Korea) and Mr. Ugo Sessi (Italy) (A/54/541).

To the three-member Board of Auditors, the Assembly appointed the Auditor-General of South Africa to serve a three-year term beginning on 1 July 2000 (A/54/542). It appointed to the nine-member Investments Committee for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2000: Ms. Francine J. Bovich (United States), Mr. Takeshi Ohta (Japan) and Mr. Peter Stormonth Darling (United Kingdom) (A/54/543).

Appointed to the seven-member United Nations Administrative Tribunal for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2000 were: Mr. Julio Barboza (Argentina) and Mr. Mayer Gabay (Israel) (A/54/544). And appointed to the United Nations Staff Pension Committee, for a term of office beginning 15 November to 31 December 2000, was Amjad Hussain B. Sial (Pakistan) (A/54/545).

By adopting draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1, which was about to take place at the time of the briefing, the Assembly will affirm its confidence in the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in the application of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; urge all States to strive for effective an harmonious international cooperation in carrying out the work of the Agency, pursuant to its statute. It will express deep concern about the continuing non-compliance of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with the safeguards agreement, urging that country’s full cooperation with the Agency. By another provision, the Assembly will commend IAEA for its strenuous efforts to implement Security Council resolution 687 (1991) and other relevant resolutions, would stress the need for full implementation by Iraq of all Council resolutions, stress that the Agency’s ongoing monitoring and verification activities should be resumed without delay. It will also stress that greater transparency by Iraq in its dealings with the Agency would contribute greatly to the resolution of the few remaining questions and concerns in the framework of the Agency’s monitoring and verification plan. The Assembly is expected to vote, separately, on that operative paragraph, number 8, before voting on the draft resolution as a whole (A/54/L.21/Rev.1).

[It was subsequently learned that France had orally amended operative paragraph 9 of the draft resolution, which was then not voted upon. It reads: "Also commends the Director General of the Agency and his staff for their strenuous efforts to implement Security Council resolution 687 (1991) of 3 April 1991, 707 (1991) of 15 August 1991, 715 (1991) of 11 October 1991 and 1051 (1996) of 27 March 1996, stresses the need for full implementation by Iraq of all relevant Security Council resolutions, stresses that the Agency’s ongoing monitoring and verification activities should be resumed without delay, and also stresses that it is essential that although the Agency is satisfied that the remaining questions which were unanswered as of mid-December 1998 do not prevent the full implementation of the ongoing monitoring and verification plan, the basis for this resumption preserves the Agency’s rights specified in its ongoing monitoring and verification plan, including the full exercise of rights of access as enshrined therein and the necessary cooperation of Iraq, and that greater transparency by Iraq in its dealings with the Agency would contribute greatly to the resolution of the few remaining questions and concerns in the framework of the ongoing monitoring and verification plan."

[At the request of India, the Assembly voted on preambular paragraph 3, which states as follows: "Recognizing the importance of the work of the Agency in promoting the further application of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as envisaged in the statute of the Agency and in accordance with the inalienable right of States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and other relevant internationally legally binding agreements that have concluded relevant safeguards agreements with the Agency to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with articles I and II and other relevant articles of the Treaty, and with the objectives and purposes thereof".

[The vote on the third preambular paragraph was: 112 in favour to 2 against (Israel, India), with 7 abstentions (Benin, Bhutan, Cuba, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Pakistan, Togo and the United Republic of Tanzania).

[The vote on draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1 as a whole was 122 in favour to 1 against (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), to 6 abstentions (Benin, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Syria, United Republic of Tanzania and Viet Nam).]

Concerning the Assembly’s work programme, consideration of the item on the University for Peace (A/54/312), originally slated for tomorrow, has been postponed to Thursday, 18 November. Additionally, the Assembly will take up the item entitled "Zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic" on 24 November.

This morning, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) concluded its discussion of trade and development, before turning its attention to the question of financing for development, including net transfer of resources between developing and developed countries. The report of the Secretary-General on the financial crisis and its impact on growth and development, especially in the developing countries (A/54/471). It states that despite several initiatives of the international community, the reform of the "international financial architecture" remains an urgent piece of unfinished business. The report then cites areas where further action might be taken, by attuning financial regulations to financial systems, confronting international financial volatility, meeting the need for international financing during crises, focusing the content of adjustment programmes and democratizing governance of the international financial system.

Ahead of the Third Committee’s (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) discussion this afternoon of the report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (A/54/12), and questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions, it will hear the introduction of 12 draft resolutions dealing with human rights questions and situations (A/C.3/54/L.59, L.60 and L.62 to L.17) and two texts on crime prevention and criminal justice (A.C.3/54/L.21/Rev.1 and L.88). The Committee will take action on two texts: the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and the convening of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (A/C.3/54/L.28/Rev.1) and the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the rights of peoples for self-determination (A/C/3/54/L.27).

At a meeting this afternoon, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) will discuss the organization of its work. At two meetings today, the Sixth Committee (Legal) is continuing its discussion of the item on the elimination of international terrorism. A report of the Working Group on the subject (A/C.6/54/L.2) contains a 28-article draft international convention for the suppression of the financing of terrorism that is being recommended to the Assembly for its adoption.

Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab today addressed the Third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa. He told the conference, in Recife, Brazil, that countries which were severely affected by drought and desertification, such as his own, Namibia, knew how important this Convention could be if fully implemented. It would contribute greatly to efforts to achieve effective environmental protection and sustainable development. He told the participants: "There will be no sustainable development; there will be no environmental protection; there will be no improvement in the climate for future generations; there will be no preservation of the bio-diversity if we, who have the best possible chance ever, cannot protect the earth from desertification and its political, moral, economic and social consequences." Copies of the statement are available in room 378.