Opening remarks by
H.E. MR. HARRI HOLKERI
President of the General Assembly
At the First Meeting of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group
on the Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace
and Sustainable Development in Africa
Organizational
session
20 March 2001
The President welcomed all delegations to the first meeting and said that
he was pleased to see that Members States have responded to the Bureau's appeal
with regard to active participation in these meetings. He noted that their
input is vital in order to make the work of the working group a success.
The President welcomed the presence here of the two Vice-Chairpersons, His
Excellency Mr. Shamshad AHMAD, Permanent Representative of Pakistan and His
Excellency Mr. Inocencio ARIAS, Permanent Representative of Spain.
The President also acknowledged and welcomed the presence of Mr. Ibrahim Gambari,
Under- Sectretary General and Adviser for Special Assignements in Africa,
who has been requested to assume the responsibility as the main co-ordinator
for this Working Group. Mr. Gambari ensured th efull co-operation and support
from the secretariat to the Workign Group
After the agenda for the organizational session was adopted the President
turned into the programme of work and referred to his letter to the Member
States of February 23, in which he had informed them of the dates scheduled
for the meetings of the Open-ended Working Group on the Causes of Conflict
and the Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa:
That is
20 March 2001
29 May through 1 June 2001;
and 30 July through 3 August 2001.
The President noted that the intention is to meet in the mornings, but if
needed the meetings can be adjusted to the afternoons.
Tthe question of the substance of work was then brougt up. IThe President
recalled that the General Assembly requested the Working Group, in resolution
55/217, in devising the modalities of its work, to consider the need for a
comprehensive follow-up to the recommendations of the Secretary-General and
the necessity of ensuring efficiency by focusing on selected thematic areas.
The Bureau having conducted extensive consultations on this issue suggested
that the Working Group would focus on the following two themes:
- conflict prevention and post-conflict peace- building
- education.
The Group adopted these two themes to focus its discussions.
The Bureau proposed that in order to discuss these themes in an effective
manner and in order to fulfill the mandate of the Working Group, which is
to monitor implementation of all recommendations made by the Secretary General
in his report, the Working Group would adopt a programme of work as contained
in CRP.2.
In this regard the President noted that the mandate of the Working Group,
as decided by the General Assembly, had been reproduced in the first part
of CRP.2 for information. It was also noted that the intention of the Bureau
is that during the meeting from 29 May through 1 June 2001 the group would
focus on monitoring the two themes agreed upon.
The President noted that as last year the secretariat would provide the Working
Group with necessary CRP's to faciliate their work. In addition and in order
to facilitate the monitoring and to make the work operative the Bureau intends
to invite presentations of relevant
- Regional organisations
- UN agencies
- Secretariat
- Members States.
The President informed the Group that at the meeting of the Heads
of Regional Organizations on February 5, he had invited the Regional Organisations
to enhance their input to the work of the Working Group, and the Bureau, together
with the secretariat would follow up on this.
The President also informed the Group that the Bureau is exploring on how an
informal non-governmental organizations (NGO) hearing could be arranged so that
they could come and present their work in the field as an input in implementing
the Secretary-General's report. The President noted that similar modalities
as those used for NGO hearings in connection with the preparations for the Financing
for Development could be looked at in this connection. The intention is to try
to organise this during our first the same week, if not one afternoon/morning
in June. The Bureau will continue to consult Member States on this issue.
The President then moved on to the issues to be taken up during the second substantive
meeting 30 July through 3 August 2001.
The Bureau suggested that the Group would monitor what were the major outcomes
- as far as Africa is concerned - in the major events this year that have taken
place until that time: that is LDC conference, HIV/AIDS Special Session, Habitat
II Conference, ECOSOC High Level and Small Arms Conference. This exercise would
be based mainly on the inputs from the secretariat. The President noted that
this would, in his opinion, be also in line with the special attention that
was paid to the needs of Africa in the Millennium Declaration as well as the
reference to the Declaration in resolution 55/217.
It was further noted that During that session the draft report to be submitted
to the 56th GA will have to be prepared and adopted.