UNITED
NATIONS  GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
REVITALISATION
OF THE WORK OF
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
SECOND INFORMAL NOTE
A.
INTRODUCTION
1. This
Second Informal Note builds on the first Note (Annex I)
circulated by the President of the General Assembly on 15
October 2003, with a view to advancing work, and taking
decisions on matters relating to the revitalisation of the
General Assembly.
2. The
first Informal Note, prepared as a background paper for
open-ended plenary consultations on 17 October 2003, provided
a review and assessment of more than a decade of revitalisation
initiatives. Taken together, these initiatives touched upon
the broad range of revitalisation issues. The Note also
proposed a framework in which existing decisions and new
proposals on revitalisation might be considered, and provided
a non-exhaustive list of issues member states might consider
in this context.
B.
OPEN-ENDED INFORMAL PLENARY CONSULTATIONS
3. The
open-ended informal plenary consultations, coming shortly
before the opening of the debate in Plenary on 27 October
2003 on the of the cluster of items which included item
55: "Revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly",
provided the opportunity for an important preliminary exchange
of views on the issues.
4. The
informal consultations were well attended. Delegations engaged
in a frank and open exchange on the reform issue, and in
particular, offered their views on the President's Informal
Note, which they considered to be a good basis to begin
consultations. The President was encouraged by, and commented
on, the positive approach member states had taken to the
consultations, an indication that they were evidently determined
to make progress on the critical issue of revitalisation
of the General Assembly.
C.
PLENARY DEBATE ON ITEM 55: REVITALISATION OF THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
5. Member
states demonstrated their active interest in, and commitment
to, the revitalisation of the General Assembly in the Plenary
debate that took place 27-28 October 2003, when the revitalisation
issue was discussed in a cluster of reform issues including
Item 57: United Nations Reform: measures and proposals;
Item 58: Restructuring and revitalization of the United
Nations in the economic, social and related fields;
and Item 59: Strengthening of the United Nations System:
Reports of the Secretary General.
6. Some
sixty-one delegations participated in the debate, to articulate
their views on issues including: cooperation between the
General Assembly and the Security Council; strengthening
the Office of the President; the role of the General Committee;
issues relating to the Main Committees; the possible inclusion
of civil society in the work of the Assembly; and programme
implementation and effectiveness, including the implementation
of resolutions.
7. The
President provided his assessment of the debate on Item
55 on 31 October 2003 (Annex II). He was pleased,
overall, that many of the issues raised in the debate had
also been identified in the first Informal Note, an encouraging
sign that he had appropriately captured [reflected] the
views of member states on salient issues concerning revitalisation
of the General Assembly. The debate also served to confirm
that revitalisation of the Assembly was an urgent and important
issue for member states.
8. The
President had indicated, in his first Informal Note, that
he would appoint Facilitators to assist him in the revitalisation
exercise. He took the opportunity, during his assessment
of the debate, to announce the names of the six Permanent
Representatives he had appointed. They are:
1.
H.E. Mr Abdallah Baali, Permanent Representative of Algeria
2. H.E. Mr Stafford O. Neil, Permanent Representative of
Jamaica
3. H.E. Mr Dirk Jan van der Berg, Permanent Representative
of the Netherlands
4. H.E. Mr Kishore Mahbubani, Permanent Representative of
Singapore
5. H.E. Mr Roman Kirn, Permanent Representative of Slovenia
6. H.E. Mr Dumisani Shadrack Kamulo, Permanent Representative
of South Africa
9. The
President also indicated that he would present to a resolution
on Revitalisation of the Work of the General Assembly before
the substantive part of the Fifty-eighth session concludes
in December 2003.
D.
THE NEXT STEPS
10.
The overall framework for action outlined in the 15 October
2003 Informal Note appears to have been broadly accepted
by Member States. It will be recalled that this framework
groups revitalisation issues into two clusters:
1)
Enhancing the authority and role of the General Assembly;
and
2) Improving the working methods of the General Assembly.
At the same time, it was recognised that the two clusters
of issues are substantively linked.
11.
The next steps in the revitalisation process have now been
considered, drawing on the contents of the first Informal
Note, the comments made in the open-ended informal plenary
consultations, the statements made in the plenary debate
on Item 55, and the President's assessment of that debate
delivered on 31 October 2003.
12.
In considering a framework moving the revitalisation exercise
forward and for taking decisions on concrete and implementable
outcomes in a systematic way, it would be important to begin
by identifying areas and possible elements that might eventually
form the basis of a Working Text for negotiation.
13.
Convergence of agreement among Member States is evident
on a number of the salient issues that have emerged, some
of which have overwhelming support. Such issues might be
agreed at this stage, and might be included in the Working
Text. A determination might then be made on the course of
action to be taken to bring to conclusion other issues needing
further review and discussion before decisions are taken.
14.
It would be important to this exercise for member states
to reaffirm that the revitalisation of the General Assembly
must be addressed under the two clusters proposed. For ease
of reference, salient areas and elements that have emerged
to date are presented below for the further consideration
of Member States, under the two clusters of issues proposed
in the first Informal Note. Elements that may be considered
for inclusion in the Working Text are attached as Annex
III.
.
(i) Enhancing the authority and role of the General Assembly
a) The
central position of the General Assembly as the chief deliberative,
policy-making and representative organ of the United Nations
and the need to take the action necessary to enable it to
carry out its responsibilities more effectively
b) The
relationship between the General Assembly and the Security
Council, including areas of complementarily between the
two organs
c) The
relationship between the General Assembly, the Economic
and Social Council and other principal organs of the General
Assembly
d) The
role of the Presidency of the Assembly, including in relationship
to other organs and entities of the United Nations system
e) Strengthening
the Office of the President
f) Advocacy
measures that should be taken in respect of the work and
decisions of the General Assembly so that they can be more
widely known
g) Action
that might be taken at the national, regional and international
levels for the implementation of resolutions and decisions
of the General Assembly
h) Ensuring
democratic decision-making and restoration of the principles
of Article 18 of the Charter
(ii)
Improving the working methods of the General Assembly
a) Using
the General Committee more effectively
b) Scheduling
the work of the General Assembly over a longer period during
the Session
c) The
nature and function of the Plenary of the Assembly
d) A
possible thematic approach to the work of the Assembly
e) Reducing
the length of the Assembly's agenda
f) The
further clustering, triennialization and biennializaiton
of agenda items
g) Rationalising
the work of the Main Committees
h) The
significant volume of documentation requested and prepared
on behalf of the Assembly.
E.
PROCESS OF CONSULTATIONS
15.
If delegations are in a position to indicate that the general
approach outlined above seems acceptable, the President
will request the Facilitators to conduct consultations on
this basis. The cooperation of Member States in the consultations
the Facilitators will undertake on behalf of the President
is critical to the satisfactory outcome of our work in this
important area. The President would urge member states to
engage in a dynamic and open process with the Facilitators
for this purpose.
UN
Headquarters
12 November 2003
|
