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24 May 2000

The General Assembly meets at 10 a.m. tomorrow to consider a report of the General Committee, two Economic and Social Council draft resolutions and a Fourth Committee report.

The Assembly will first take action on the General Committee’s recommendation that it include an item on HIV/AIDS in the agenda of the current 54th session and consider the item directly in plenary.  Four countries -- Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Zimbabwe -- had requested an additional agenda item (A/54/238).  A draft resolution annexed to their Explanatory Memorandum would have the Assembly convene a special session on HIV/AIDS in May 2001 to review the epidemic in all its aspects.

The Assembly will also have before it two draft resolutions recommended by ECOSOC.  The first draft (A/54/L.85) would have it convene the Second World Assembly on Ageing in 2002, in Spain.  That Assembly would be called upon to review the outcome of the first World Assembly held in Vienna in 1982, and to adopt a revised plan of action and long-term strategy on ageing.  The Commission for Social Development would be designated as the preparatory body.

The second ECOSOC draft (A/54/L.84) would have the General Assembly adopt and open for signature, ratification and accession two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, recognizing that their adoption and implementation would make a substantial contribution to promoting and protecting the rights of the child.  One Protocol deals with the involvement of children in armed conflict, and States Parties would ensure that no one under the age of 18 would take a direct part in hostilities or be compulsorily recruited into their armed forces.  The second Protocol pertains to the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.  Both Protocols were finalized by the Commission on Human Rights.

The Fourth Committee report (A/54/577/Add.1) contains a draft resolution on the comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.  That text would have the Assembly endorse the proposals, recommendations and conclusions contained in the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (A/54/839).  They include proposals on civilian police activities; the safety and security of United Nations and associated personnel; reimbursement to troop-contributing countries; standby arrangements and rapid deployment; status of forces and of mission agreements; and other proposals aimed at enhancing the peacekeeping capacity of the United Nations.

The President of the General Assembly, Dr, Theo-Ben Gurirab, met this morning with the Secretary-General.  Their meeting yesterday was postponed.  They exchanged views on the upcoming Beijing + 5 Special Session, as well as preparations and outstanding issues for the Millennium Summit.

The President then met with the Ambassadors of Algeria, Nigeria and the Deputy Permanent Representative of South Africa to discuss the upcoming Special Sessions on Women and Social Development.  He is also scheduled to meet with the Ambassador of Finland; with the two Facilitators for the Millennium Summit, Ambassadors Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala and Michael Powles of New Zealand; with the Coordinators of the Special Sessions, together with the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women and the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; and, finally, with the Chairmen of the regional groups.

I would like to remind you that the drawing of lots for the list of speakers for the plenary debate of the Millennium Summit will take place on Friday, 26 May, at 10 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall.

The President departs tomorrow evening on an official visit to China, including Hong Kong and Macao.  In China, the President will meet with Chinese leaders and will address the Foreign Affairs College of China.  He returns to New York on 1 June and will take part in a Journalists Briefing on Friday, 2 June, before presiding over the Assembly’s Special Session on Women starting on Monday, 5 June.

I will be travelling with the President, and have asked my colleague in DPI’s Radio Service, Ransford Cline-Thomas, to handle press inquiries during my absence.  Randy’s telephone number is 963-6957.
 

Question: What are the outstanding issues for the Millennium Summit?

Answer:  The Outcome document still has to be drafted, and Member States still have not agreed on what the sub-themes of the discussions will be.

Question:  Is there any finalization or decision on Summit-related events other than the plenary discussion?

Answer:  Meetings are taking place on a whole range of proposed activities, but nothing is finalized.

Question:  The NGO Millennium Forum is going on at Headquarters, and the participants are working on a draft.  How will that document be incorporated into the work of the Millennium Assembly in September?

Answer:  The recommendations of the Millennium Forum will be submitted as a document for consideration by the Heads of State and Government at the Summit.

Question:  Does it become part of whatever final document will be produced at the Summit?

Answer:  That has not been discussed in any of the informal consultations I have attended.

Question:  What are the difficulties with respect to the role that the NGOs would be playing at the Millennium Summit?  Has there been any decision taken with respect to that role?

Answer:  That’s one of the outstanding issues now under consideration.  It has to do with the number of NGOs that will be invited to speak in the plenary and which NGOs.

Question:  Do we have a total number on the Heads of State that have accepted to come to the Summit?

Answer:  Not as yet.