Sixty-third General Assembly

Fourth Committee

25^th Meeting (AM)

fourth committee approves draft resolution by which General Assembly would endorse

recommendations, conclusions of special committee on peacekeeping operations

Resuming its comprehensive review of peacekeeping operations in all its aspects, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization Committee) approved this morning a draft resolution by which the General Assembly would endorse the proposals, recommendations and conclusions of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations contained in a report adopted during that body’s last session, from 23 February to 20 March.

Introducing the report (document A/63/19), which also contains the text of the draft resolution, Amr El-Sherbini (Egypt), Rapporteur of the Special Committee, said the draft recommended that the Assembly endorse paragraphs 16 to 180 of the report, on the guiding principles of United Nations peacekeeping, definitions and implementation of mandates, as well as restructuring of peacekeeping and strengthening of operational capacity.

He said the paragraphs also touched on strategies for complex peacekeeping operations, cooperation with troop-contributing countries, cooperation with regional arrangements, and enhancement of African peacekeeping capacities, among other subjects.  If adopted, the text would have the Assembly urge Member States, the Secretariat and relevant organs of the United Nations to take “all necessary steps” to implement those proposals, recommendations and conclusions.

He told the Fourth Committee that membership of the Special Committee had grown from 139 to 144 members this year, with 14 States and organizations participating as observers.

Leading the meeting was Vice-Chairman Alexandru Cujba ( Republic of Moldova), who said the Fourth Committee would meet for a final time in June to elect the Bureau for the Assembly’s sixty-fourth session.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record