GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN TWO ROUNDS OF VOTING, ELECTS 16 MEMBERS OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL FOR TERM BEGINNING 1 JANUARY 2005
| Press Release GA/10289 |
Fifty-ninth General Assembly
Plenary
45th Meeting (PM)
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN TWO ROUNDS OF VOTING, ELECTS 16 MEMBERS OF ECONOMIC
AND SOCIAL COUNCIL FOR TERM BEGINNING 1 JANUARY 2005
In two rounds of voting, the General Assembly this afternoon elected 16 new members to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for terms beginning on 1 January 2005.
There were to have been 18 new members elected as follows: four from African States, four from Asian States, three from Eastern European States, three from Latin American and CaribbeanStates, and four from Western European and Other States. The Assembly deferred the election of two new members –- from Eastern European and Latin American and CaribbeanStates -– when a second round of voting failed to produce a candidate receiving the necessary two-thirds majority.
Thus far, for 2005, Africa will be represented by Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea and South Africa; Asia will be represented by China, India, Pakistan and Thailand; Eastern Europe will be represented by Lithuania and Russian Federation; Latin America and the Caribbean will be represented by Brazil and Mexico; and Western European and Other States will be represented by Australia, Denmark, Iceland and the United Kingdom.
Those States will join Council members Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Canada, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Poland, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania and the United States.
The 18 outgoing members, whose term of office expires on 31 December 2004, are Australia, Bhutan, Burundi, Chile, China, El Salvador, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Libya, Qatar, Russian Federation, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.
At the top of the meeting, the Assembly acted on a letter from the Permanent Representative of Greece (document A/59/358) informing the body that Greece would like to relinquish its seat on the Council for the year 2005 in favour of Spain. In a by-election, the Assembly elected Spain to fill Greece’s unexpired term of office for the Group of Western European and Other States, commencing on 1 January 2005 and expiring on 31 December 2005.
The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 29 October, to elect the remaining two new members to the ECOSOC. It is also expected to take up the fourth report of the General Committee and act on reports of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).
Voting Results
The Assembly first turned to the by-election to fill Greece’s seat.
The meeting suspended at 3:28 p.m. and resumed at 3:48 p.m.
The results of the balloting were as follows:
Western European and Other States
Number of ballot papers: 185
Number of invalid ballots: 5
Number of valid ballots: 180
Abstentions: 6
Number of members voting: 174
Required majority: 116
Number of votes obtained:
Spain 163
Greece 3
Australia 2
Iceland 2
United Kingdom 2
Denmark 1
Sweden 1
Spain was elected to the ECOSOC, for a term beginning on 1 January 2005 and expiring on 31 December 2005.
The Assembly then turned to the election of 18 new members to the Council to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 2004.
The meeting suspended at 4:10 p.m. and resumed at 5:50 p.m.
African States
Number of ballot papers: 190
Number of invalid ballots: 0
Number of valid ballots: 190
Abstentions: 2
Number of members voting: 188
Required majority: 126
Number of votes obtained:
Chad 184
Democratic Republic of the Congo 182
South Africa 183
Guinea 179
Guinea-Bissau 2
Having received the required two-thirds majority, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Guinea were elected to the Council.
Asian States
Number of ballot papers: 190
Number of invalid ballots: 0
Number of valid ballots: 190
Abstentions: 0
Number of members voting: 190
Required majority: 127
Number of votes obtained:
India 174
China 157
Thailand 153
Pakistan 151
Kazakhstan 96
Iran 4
Having received the required two-thirds majority, India, China, Thailand and Pakistan were elected to the Council.
Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers: 190
Number of invalid ballots: 0
Number of valid ballots: 190
Abstentions: 1
Number of members voting: 189
Required majority: 126
Number of votes obtained:
Lithuania 170
Russian Federation 150
Albania 116
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 113
Having received the required two-thirds majority, Lithuania and the Russian Federation were elected to the Council.
Latin American and CaribbeanStates
Number of ballot papers: 190
Number of invalid ballots: 0
Number of valid ballots: 190
Abstentions: 0
Number of members voting: 190
Required majority: 127
Number of votes obtained:
Mexico 139
Brazil 135
Costa Rica 116
Venezuela 93
Honduras 70
Bolivia 1
Having received the required two-thirds majority, Mexico and Brazil were elected to the Council.
Western European and Other States
Number of ballot papers: 190
Number of invalid ballots: 0
Number of valid ballots: 190
Abstentions: 5
Number of members voting: 185
Required majority: 124
Number of votes obtained:
Iceland 178
Australia 176
United Kingdom 176
Denmark 174
Austria 2
Finland 1
Sweden 1
Having obtained the required two-thirds majority, Iceland, Australia, United Kingdom and Denmark were elected to the Council.
Second Round of Voting
With two seats remaining to be filled from EasternEuropeanStates and one from Latin American and CaribbeanStates, the Assembly held a second ballot.
The meeting suspended at 6:08 p.m. and resumed at 6:35 p.m.
Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers: 188
Number of invalid ballots: 2
Number of valid ballots: 186
Abstentions: 1
Number of members voting: 185
Required majority: 124
Number of votes obtained:
Albania 108
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 77
Latin American and CaribbeanStates
Number of ballot papers: 188
Number of invalid ballots:
Number of valid ballots: 186
Abstentions: 0
Number of members voting: 186
Required majority: 124
Number of votes obtained:
Costa Rica 114
Venezuela 72
In the second round of voting, no State obtained the required two-thirds majority to be elected to fill the remaining seats on the Council.
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