GA 55th regular session - Organization/adoption of agenda/allocation of items - SecGen memo

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Organization of the fifty-fifth regular session of the

General Assembly, adoption of the agenda and

allocation of items

Memorandum by the Secretary-General

Contents

Paragraphs

Page

I. Introduction	1–5	3
II. Organization of the session	6–42	3
A. General Committee	6	3
B. Rationalization of work	7–11	4
C. Closing date of the session	12	5
D. Schedule of meetings	13–15	5
E. General debate	16–19	6
F. Explanations of vote, right of reply, points of order and length of statements	20–22	7
G. Records of meetings	23	7
H. Seating arrangements	24	8
I. Concluding statements	25	8
J. Resolutions	26–29	8
K. Documentation	30–32	9
L. Questions related to the programme budget	33–37	10
M. Observances and commemorative meetings	38–39	12
N. Special conferences	40–41	12
O. Meetings of subsidiary organs	42	13
III. Observations on the organization of future sessions of the General Assembly	43–45	13
IV. Adoption of the agenda	46–49	14
V. Allocation of items	50–62	29

I. Introduction

1. The Secretary-General has the honour to place before the General Committee, for its consideration, the following observations and proposals in connection with the report to be made to the General Assembly by the General Committee regarding the organization of the fifty-fifth regular session and future sessions of the Assembly, the adoption of the agenda and the allocation of items.

2. The Secretary-General wishes to recall that in its resolution 53/202 of 17 December 1998, the General Assembly decided to designate the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly “The Millennium Assembly of the United Nations”.

3. Over the years, the General Assembly has adopted a number of provisions aimed at rationalizing the procedures and organization of the Assembly. These provisions are reproduced in the annexes to the rules of procedure of the General Assembly (A/520/Rev.15 and Amend.1 and 2, annexes I, II and IV-VIII).

4. The General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to the provisions contained in annexes V, VI, VII and VIII to its rules of procedure, in particular to those provisions reproduced below under the relevant headings.

5. The Secretary-General wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to the following resolutions of the General Assembly, the provisions of which are reflected in the present document under the relevant sections:

(a) Annex I (Guidelines on the Rationalization of the Agenda of the General Assembly) to resolution 48/264 of 29 July 1994, entitled “Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly”;

(b) The annex to resolution 51/241 of 31 July 1997, entitled “Strengthening of the United Nations system”;

(c) Paragraph 1 of resolution 52/163 of 15 December 1997, entitled “Amendment to rule 103 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly”.

In this connection, the Committee may wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to the reports of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Assembly resolution 48/264 (A/52/856) and resolution 51/241 (A/52/855).

II. Organization of the session

A. General Committee

6. The Secretary-General wishes to draw to the attention of the General Committee rule 40 of the rules of procedure, as well as General Assembly decision 34/401 (A/520/Rev.15, annex VI, paras. 1 and 2), Assembly resolutions 39/88 B (ibid., annex VII, para. 4), the annex to resolution 45/45 (A/520/Rev.15 and Amend.1, annex VIII, para. 3) and the annex to resolution 51/241 (paras. 17, 18 and 33-35) pertaining to the functions of the Committee.

B. Rationalization of work

7. The Secretary-General wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to General Assembly resolution 41/213 of 19 December 1986, whereby the Assembly decided that the recommendations as agreed upon and as contained in the report of the Group of High-level Intergovernmental Experts to Review the Efficiency of the Administrative and Financial Functioning of the United Nations ¹ should be implemented by the Secretary-General and the relevant organs and bodies of the United Nations.

8. In this connection, the Secretary-General wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to the measures undertaken in pursuance of the goal of renewal and reform, in particular to recommendations 2, 3 and 7 of the Group of High-level Intergovernmental Experts, ¹ as reflected in the progress reports of the Secretary-General on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 41/213, entitled “Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations”. The Secretary-General also wishes to draw the Committee’s attention to Assembly resolution 48/264, entitled “Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly”, and annex I thereto and to resolution 52/12 B of 19 December 1997, entitled “Renewing the United Nations: a programme for reform”.

9. The General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraph 5 of the annex to resolution 45/45 (A/520/Rev.15 and Amend.1, annex VIII), which reads as follows:

“5. The General Committee should consider, at the beginning of each session of the General Assembly, recommending that certain Main Committees should meet in sequential order, taking into account such matters as the number of meetings required for the consideration of the questions with which they are charged at that session, the organization of the work of the whole session and the problem of participation of smaller delegations.”

In this connection, the Committee may also wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to paragraphs 30, 31 and 36 of the annex to resolution 51/241, which read as follows:

“30. All Main Committees shall hold brief organizational sessions once the General Assembly has taken decisions on the agenda, before the commencement of the general debate. Bureaux of the Main Committees shall meet earlier to draw up recommendations on the organization and programme of work.

“31. The Main Committees shall meet in substantive session only after the end of the general debate.

…

“36. The First Committee and the Fourth Committee shall not meet simultaneously and may consider meeting in a sequential manner during the regular session of the General Assembly. This arrangement shall not apply if it affects their respective identities, programmes of work and effective consideration of their agendas.”

10. The Secretary-General also wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to paragraph 1 of General Assembly resolution 52/163 of 15 December 1997, which reads as follows:

“1. Decides to amend the first sentence of rule 103 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly to read: ‘Each Main Committee shall elect a Chairman, three Vice-Chairmen and a Rapporteur’;”.

11. Furthermore, the Secretary-General wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to the fact that measures introduced to reduce costs relating to overtime will be strictly enforced.

C. Closing date of the session

12. In accordance with the provisions of rule 2 of its rules of procedure, the General Assembly should fix a closing date for the fifty-fifth session. The General Committee may wish to recommend to the Assembly that the fifty-fifth session recess not later than Tuesday, 5 December 2000; the closing date of the fifty-fifth session will be subject to a decision of the Assembly. The Committee may also wish to recommend to the Assembly that the First Committee complete its work by Friday, 3 November, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) by Thursday, 9 November, the Third Committee by Friday, 10 November, the Sixth Committee by Tuesday, 21 November and the Second and Fifth Committees by Friday, 1 December.

D. Schedule of meetings

13. The General Committee may wish to recommend to the General Assembly that, in accordance with established practice, morning meetings start promptly at 10 a.m. for all plenary meetings and meetings of the Main Committees during the fifty-fifth session. The Committee may also wish to recommend to the Assembly that, as a cost-saving measure, plenary meetings and meetings of the Main Committees, including informal meetings, be adjourned by 6 p.m., and that no meetings be held on weekends, with the exception of the general debate (see para. 20 (e) of the annex to General Assembly resolution 51/241, A/53/PV.97 and para. 16 below). The Committee may also wish to recommend to the Assembly that this cost-saving measure apply also, for the remainder of 2000, to meetings listed on the calendar of conferences and meetings. The Secretary-General wishes to recall that in accordance with Assembly resolution 54/261 of 10 May 2000, the morning plenary meetings during the Millennium Summit will begin at 9 a.m.

14. The General Committee may further wish to recommend that, in order to preclude the late start of meetings, the General Assembly waive, in view of the practice at recent sessions, the requirement that at least one third of the members of the Assembly in the case of plenary meetings and one quarter of the members of a Main Committee in the case of Main Committee meetings be present in order to declare a meeting open and to permit the debate to proceed. This recommendation would be made on the understanding that such a waiver would not imply any permanent change in the provisions of rules 67 and 108 of the rules of procedure and that the requirement of the presence of a majority of the members for any decision to be taken would be maintained.

15. Furthermore, the General Committee may wish to recommend to the General Assembly that delegations be reminded of the utmost importance of punctuality in the interest of ensuring an effective and orderly organization of work and achieving economies for the United Nations.

E. General debate

16. The general debate will be held from Tuesday, 12 September, to Saturday, 16 September, and from Monday, 18 September, to Friday, 22 September 2000, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the annex to resolution 51/241 (paras. 19 and 20 (a) and (e)), which read as follows:

“19. There shall continue to be only one general debate each year, beginning in the third week of September.

“20. The preparation of the list of speakers for the general debate shall be based on the following principles:

“(a) The general debate shall be organized over a period of two weeks so as to maximize possibilities for interministerial contacts;

…

“(e) The list of speakers for each day shall be completed and no speakers will be rolled over to the next day, notwithstanding the implications for hours of work.”

17. The General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraph 21 of the annex to resolution 51/241, which reads as follows:

“21. There shall be no time limits or specified themes for the general debate but the General Assembly will indicate a voluntary guideline of up to twenty minutes for each statement.”

18. The Secretary-General suggests that the list of speakers in the general debate be closed on Thursday, 14 September, at 6 p.m., in accordance with the recommendation of the Special Committee on the Rationalization of the Procedures and Organization of the General Assembly (A/520/Rev.15, annex V, para. 46).

19. The General Committee may also wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to the decision taken by the Assembly at previous sessions strongly discouraging the practice of expressing congratulations inside the General Assembly Hall after a speech has been delivered. In this connection, the Committee may wish to recommend to the Assembly that speakers in the general debate, after delivering their statements, leave the General Assembly Hall through room GA-200, located behind the podium, before returning to their seats.

F. Explanations of vote, right of reply, points of order and

length of statements

20. The General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraphs 6 to 8 of its decision 34/401 (A/520/Rev.15, annex VI), which read as follows:

“6. Explanations of vote should be limited to ten minutes.

“7. When the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, i.e., either in the Committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation’s vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee.

“8. Delegations should exercise their right of reply at the end of the day whenever two meetings have been scheduled for that day and whenever such meetings are devoted to the consideration of the same item.”

21. The Secretary-General wishes to suggest that, in line with time limits for explanations of vote and the right of reply, the General Committee recommend to the General Assembly that points of order be limited to five minutes.

22. With a view to streamlining the procedures of the General Assembly and as another cost-saving measure, the General Committee, in connection with the length of statements, may wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to paragraph 22 of the annex to resolution 51/241, which reads as follows:

“22. Outside the general debate there shall be a fifteen-minute time limit in plenary meetings and in the Main Committees.”

In this connection, the Committee may also wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 51/241 (A/52/855), in particular to paragraph 23, which reads as follows:

“23. Paragraph 22 . Since in plenary meetings the length of statements in debates other than the general debate averages eight minutes, the General Assembly may wish to review the recommendation contained in paragraph 22.”

The Committee may further wish to draw the attention of the Assembly, as it did at recent sessions, to rules 72 and 114 of the rules of procedure and to paragraph 22 of annex VI thereto for appropriate action in plenary meetings and meetings of the Main Committees.

G. Records of meetings

23. As at past sessions, during the fifty-fifth session verbatim records will continue to be provided for the plenary meetings of the General Assembly and the meetings of the First Committee, and summary records will be provided to the General Committee and the other Main Committees of the Assembly. In accordance with the recommendation of the Special Committee on the Rationalization of the Procedures and Organization of the General Assembly (A/520/Rev.15, annex V, para. 108 (b)), the General Committee may wish to recommend that the Assembly maintain for the fifty-fifth session the practice whereby the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) may obtain, on specific request, transcriptions of the debates of some of its meetings or portions thereof. Such transcriptions, which would not be part of the official records of the Committee, would be provided as the required services became available. Furthermore, the General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to paragraphs 8 and 9 of its resolution 38/32 E of 25 November 1983, which read as follows:

“8. Decides that the practice of reproducing statements in extenso as separate documents shall be discontinued for all its subsidiary organs that are entitled to summary records;

“9. Decides further that any exceptions to this rule may be made by the body concerned only if the statements are to serve as bases for discussion and if, after hearing a statement of the relevant financial implications, the body decides that one or more statements in extenso may be included in the summary record, or reproduced as separate documents or as annexes to authorized documents.”

In this connection, the General Committee may also wish to recommend to the Assembly that the practice not to reproduce in extenso statements made in a Main Committee should be maintained for the fifty-fifth session.

H. Seating arrangements

24. In accordance with established practice, the Secretary-General has drawn lots for the purpose of choosing the Member State to occupy the first desk on the General Assembly floor from which the alphabetical seating order will begin. The name drawn was Antigua and Barbuda. Consequently, the delegation of that country will sit at the first desk at the right of the President, and the other countries will follow in English alphabetical order. The same order will be observed in the Main Committees.

I. Concluding statements

25. The General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraph 17 of its decision 34/401 (ibid., annex VI), which reads as follows:

“17. To save time at the end of the session, the practice of making concluding statements in the General Assembly and its Main Committees should be dispensed with except for statements by the presiding officers.”

J. Resolutions

26. The General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraph 32 of its decision 34/401 (ibid.), which reads as follows:

“32. Whenever possible, resolutions requesting the discussion of a question at a subsequent session should not call for the inclusion of a separate new item and such discussion should be held under the item under which the resolution was adopted.”

27. The General Committee may also wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to recommendation 3 (f) of the Group of High-level Intergovernmental Experts,¹which reads as follows:

“(f) Efforts should be made to reduce the number of resolutions adopted by the General Assembly. Resolutions should request reports of the Secretary-General only in cases where that would be indispensable for facilitating the implementation of these resolutions or the continued examination of the question.”

28. In this connection, the General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraph 5 of its resolution 48/264, which reads as follows:

“5. Encourages Member States to exercise restraint in making proposals requesting new reports of the Secretary-General, bearing in mind the desirability of reducing the number of such reports.”

29. The General Committee may further wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraphs 1 and 10 of the annex to resolution 45/45 (A/520/Rev.15/Amend.1, annex VIII), which read:

“1. Without prejudice to Article 18 of the Charter of the United Nations and with a view to facilitating the work of the United Nations, including whenever possible, the adoption by the General Assembly of agreed texts of resolutions and decisions, informal consultations should be carried out with the widest possible participation of Member States.

…

“10. Resolutions should request observations from States or reports by the Secretary-General insofar as they are likely to facilitate the implementation of the resolutions or the continued examination of the question.”

K. Documentation

30. The General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraph 28 of its decision 34/401 (A/520/Rev.15, annex VI), which reads as follows:

“28. The General Assembly, including its Main Committees, should merely take note of those reports of the Secretary-General or subsidiary organs which do not require a decision by the Assembly and should neither debate nor adopt resolutions on them, unless specifically requested to do so by the Secretary-General or the organ concerned.”

31. The General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraph 6 of its resolution 48/264, which reads as follows:

“6. Emphasizes that reports requested of the Secretary-General should be made available in all official languages in a timely manner in accordance with the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and the annexes thereto with a view to enabling delegations to consider the substance of such reports more thoroughly in advance of meetings.”

The Committee may also wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to paragraph 5 of section C of resolution 5/248 of 23 December 1999, in which the Assembly once again requested the Secretary-General to ensure that documentation is available in accordance with the six-week rule for the distribution of documents simultaneously in the six official languages of the General Assembly.

32. The General Committee may further wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraph 32 of resolution 51/241, which reads as follows:

“32. The number of reports requested shall be rationalized where possible so as to permit more focused consideration of issues. All bodies shall exercise restraint in making proposals containing requests for new reports and should consider integrating, biennializing or triennializing the presentation of reports, bearing in mind paragraphs 6 and 7 of General Assembly resolution 50/206 C of 23 December 1995.”

L. Questions related to the programme budget

33. The Secretary-General would like to draw the attention of the General Committee to rule 153 of the rules of procedure, which reads as follows:

“No resolution involving expenditure shall be recommended by a committee for approval by the General Assembly unless it is accompanied by an estimate of expenditures prepared by the Secretary-General. No resolution in respect of which expenditures are anticipated by the Secretary-General shall be voted by the General Assembly until the Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee) has had an opportunity of stating the effect of the proposal upon the budget estimates of the United Nations.”

In this connection, the General Committee may wish to draw the Assembly’s attention to paragraph 12 of its decision 34/401 (ibid.), which reads as follows:

“12. It is imperative that Main Committees should allow sufficient time for the preparation of the estimate of expenditures by the Secretariat and for its consideration by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the Fifth Committee and that they should take this requirement into account when they adopt their programme of work.”

Furthermore, the General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to paragraph 6 of its resolution 35/10 A of 3 November 1980, which reads as follows:

“6. Decides that all proposals affecting the schedule of conferences and meetings made at sessions of the General Assembly shall be reviewed by the Committee on Conferences when administrative implications are being considered under the requirements of rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the Assembly.”

The General Committee may also wish to draw the Assembly’s attention to regulation 5.9 of the Regulations and Rules Governing Programme Planning, the Programme Aspects of the Budget, the Monitoring of Implementation and the Methods of Evaluation (ST/SGB/2000/8; first adopted in resolution 37/234, annex; most recently amended in section III of resolution 53/207), which reads as follows:

“ Regulation 5.9 . No council, commission or other competent body shall take a decision involving either a change in the programme budget approved by the General Assembly or the possible requirement of expenditure unless it has received and taken account of a report from the Secretary-General on the programme budget implications of the proposal.”

34. The General Committee may also wish to recall paragraph 13 of decision 34/401 (A/520/Rev.15, annex VI), which reads as follows:

“13. Furthermore:

“(a) A mandatory deadline, not later than 1 December, should be established for the submission to the Fifth Committee of all draft resolutions with financial implications;

“(b) The Fifth Committee should, as a general practice, consider accepting without debate the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions on the financial implications of draft resolutions up to a prescribed limit, namely, $25,000 on any one item;

“(c) Firm deadlines should be set for the early submission of the reports of subsidiary bodies which require consideration by the Fifth Committee;

“(d) A minimum period of forty-eight hours should be allowed between the submission and the voting of a proposal involving expenditure in order to allow the Secretary-General to prepare and present the related statement of administrative and financial implications.”

In this connection, see also paragraph 45.

35. In connection with subparagraph 13 (d) of decision 34/401 quoted above, experience has shown that, depending on the type and complexity of the proposals involving changes in the work programme and additional expenditures, the preparation of a statement of programme budget implications by the Secretary-General may take a few days. In addition, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the Fifth Committee need adequate time to review the programme budget implications of a draft resolution before it can be acted on by the Assembly.

36. It is thus desirable that Member States submit proposals involving statements of programme budget implications sufficiently in advance to avoid the cancellation of meetings and the postponement of consideration of items.

37. The attention of the Assembly is also drawn to section VI of its resolution 45/248 B of 21 December 1990 on procedures for administrative and budgetary matters, which states that the Assembly:

“1. Reaffirms that the Fifth Committee is the appropriate Main Committee of the General Assembly entrusted with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters;

“2. Reaffirms also the role of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;

“3. Expresses its concern at the tendency of its substantive Committees and other intergovernmental bodies to involve themselves in administrative and budgetary matters;

“4. Invites the Secretary-General to provide all intergovernmental bodies with the required information regarding procedures for administrative and budgetary matters.”

In its resolution 52/220 of 22 December 1997, the Assembly recalled the provisions of the aforementioned resolution.

M. Observances and commemorative meetings

38. Observances and commemorative meetings held in plenary meetings have for the most part followed a well-defined pattern. Considering past practice, the General Committee may wish to recommend that, with the exception of the anniversary of the United Nations, the General Assembly adopt a format for commemorative meetings that includes statements by the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General, the chairmen of the five regional groups and the representative of the host country. The Committee may also wish to recommend to the Assembly that, according to established practice, each statement be limited to 15 minutes.

39. It is further suggested that observances and commemorative meetings take place, to the extent possible, immediately following the general debate. The advantage of such a procedure is that it may facilitate the participation of dignitaries attending the general debate. This procedure would also allow advance planning of the work of the General Assembly.

N. Special conferences

40. The General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to recommendation 6 of the Committee on Conferences, ² which reads as follows:

“The Committee, taking into account difficulties encountered in ensuring adequate preparation of meetings, including timely distribution of documentation, as well as the ability of Member States to participate fully, recommends that the General Assembly should instruct the Main Committees to review the number of special conferences of the United Nations already proposed and scheduled in their respective fields of activity prior to deciding upon the scheduling of new and additional special conferences, thus bearing in mind the relevant portions of General Assembly resolution 33/55.”

The recommendation was adopted by the Assembly in paragraph (b) of its decision 34/405. The General Committee may also wish to draw the Assembly’s attention to recommendation 2 (d) of the Group of High-level Intergovernmental Experts, ¹ which reads as follows:

“(d) Until 1978, a number of resolutions had requested that only one major conference be scheduled annually. The decision of the General Assembly that no more than five special conferences should take place in a given year and that no more than one special conference should be convened at the same time should be strictly implemented.”

41. In this connection, the General Committee may further wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to the relevant provisions of recommendation 4 of the Group of High-level Intergovernmental Experts, ¹ which reads as follows:

“The existing principle that United Nations bodies should meet at their respective established headquarters, as provided for in General Assembly resolution 40/243 of 18 December 1985, should be strictly enforced. Whenever the Assembly accepts an invitation from the Government of a Member State to hold a conference or meeting away from established headquarters, the additional cost should be borne in full by that Government. The methods of budgeting these costs should be improved so as to ensure that all additional costs are accounted for.”

O. Meetings of subsidiary organs

42. Pursuant to section 1, paragraph 7, of General Assembly resolution 40/243 of 18 December 1985, no subsidiary organ of the Assembly should be permitted to meet at United Nations Headquarters during the main part of a regular session of the Assembly unless explicitly authorized by the Assembly. In this connection, the Secretary-General wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to a letter dated 16 August 2000 (A/55/312), in which the Chairman of the Committee on Conferences informed the President of the General Assembly that the Committee had recommended, on the strict understanding that meetings would have to be accommodated within available facilities and services, that the following subsidiary organs be authorized to meet during the main part of the fifty-fifth session:

(a) Committee on Relations with the Host Country;

(b) Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People;

(d) Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund;

(e) Preparatory Committee for the High-level International Intergovernmental Event on Financing for Development;

(f) Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

III. Observations on the organization of future sessions of the General Assembly

43. The Secretary-General wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to paragraph 17 of the annex to resolution 51/241, which states that the plenary meetings of the General Assembly shall be formally opened every year on the first Tuesday following 1 September. In this connection, the Committee may wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 51/241 (A/52/855), in particular to paragraphs 16 and 17 thereof, which read:

“16. Rule 1 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly states that the General Assembly shall meet every year in regular session commencing on the third Tuesday in September. Paragraph 17 of the annex to the resolution calls, inter alia, for the regular sessions of the General Assembly to now commence on the first Tuesday following 1 September. Rule 1 of the rules of procedure would need to be amended.

“17. In addition, in accordance with rule 2 of the rules of procedure, the General Assembly has, at the beginning of each session, fixed a closing date for the session. In recent years, the closing date has been the Monday before the opening of the next session. Were the General Assembly to retain this practice, the closing date would consistently fall on an official holiday of the Organization, for which financial and other implications may need to be considered. The General Assembly may wish to decide on a closing date … for future sessions, that will fall on a working day …”.

44. As a consequence of the provision contained in paragraph 17 of its resolution 51/241, the General Assembly has taken ad hoc decisions concerning the opening and/or closing dates of its fifty-second, fifty-third, fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth sessions:

(a) In paragraph 1 of its resolution 52/232 of 4 June 1998, the Assembly decided that its fifty-second session should close on Tuesday, 8 September 1998, and that its fifty-third session should open on Wednesday, 9 September 1998;

(b) In paragraph 1 of its resolution 53/224 of 7 April 1999, the Assembly decided that its fifty-third session should close on Monday, 13 September 1999, and that its fifty-fourth session should open on Tuesday, 14 September 1999;

(c) In paragraph 1 of its resolution 53/239 of 8 June 1999, the Assembly decided that its fifty-fourth session should close on Tuesday, 5 September 2000, in the morning, and that its fifty-fifth session should open on Tuesday, 5 September 2000, in the afternoon.

The General Committee may wish to recommend that the Assembly address, during its fifty-fifth session, the question of the opening and closing dates of future regular sessions with a view to deciding on a formula to determine those dates.

45. Taking into account the opening date of the regular sessions, the Committee may also wish to recommend to the Assembly a review of the question of the mandatory deadline for the submission to the Fifth Committee of all draft resolutions with programme budget implications.

IV. Adoption of the agenda

46. All proposals for the inclusion of items in the agenda of the fifty-fifth session have been communicated to Member States in the following documents:

(a) Provisional agenda of the fifty-fifth session (A/55/150 and Corr.1 and 2);

(b) Supplementary list (A/55/200);

The items proposed for inclusion are listed in the draft agenda, which appears in paragraph 49 below.

47. 47. Bearing in mind the need to rationalize the General Assembly’s procedures, and in view of the large number of items on the draft agenda, the Secretary-General wishes to recall the recommendation of the Special Committee on the Rationalization of the Procedures and Organization of the General Assembly that Member States examine the agenda with a view to eliminating items that have lost their urgency or relevance, are not ripe for consideration or could be dealt with and even disposed of equally well by subsidiary organs of the Assembly, and with a view also to referring specific items to other United Nations organs or specialized agencies, taking into account the nature of the question (A/520/Rev.15, annex V, paras. 19 and 22; see also ibid., annex VII, paras. 1 and 2). The Secretary-General wishes also to recall paragraphs 4 and 5 (a) and (c) of annex I to resolution 48/264, which read as follows:

“4. There shall be periodic reviews of the agenda, taking into account the views of concerned Member States, in order to ascertain whether it is possible to delete any item on which no resolution or decision has been adopted for a period of time.

“5. The Main Committees should be encouraged to continue with the review of their respective agendas, taking into account, inter alia, the following:

“(a) Agenda items concerning issues of closely related substance could be merged within a single agenda title or be incorporated as sub-items where this is possible without loss of focus on the items/sub-items concerned;

…

“(c) Biennialization and triennialization of items on the agenda of the Main Committees could be considered in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly.”

In this connection, the General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the General Assembly to paragraphs 23 to 26 of the annex to resolution 51/241. In addition, bearing in mind the extremely heavy workload of the Assembly and the need to make the most effective use of scarce resources, the Committee may wish to consider deferring to a later session items for which decisions or action are not required at the present session.

48. The Secretary-General wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to decision 49/426 of 9 December 1994, whereby the Assembly decided that the granting of observer status in the General Assembly should in future be confined to States and to those intergovernmental organizations whose activities cover matters of interest to the Assembly. (See also paragraph 51.)

49. Subject to the recommendations of the General Committee regarding paragraphs 46 and 47 above, the draft agenda of the fifty-fifth session would consist of the following items: ³

1. Opening of the session by the Chairman of the delegation of Namibia (P.1).

2. Minute of silent prayer or meditation (P.2).

3. Credentials of representatives to the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly (P.3):

(a) Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee;

(b) Report of the Credentials Committee.

4. Election of the President of the General Assembly (P.4).

5. Election of the officers of the Main Committees (P.5).

6. Election of the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly (P.6).

7. Notification by the Secretary-General under Article 12, paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations (P.7).

8. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work: reports of the General Committee (P.8).

9. General debate (P.9).

10. Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (P.10).

11. Report of the Security Council (P.11).

12. Report of the Economic and Social Council (P.12).

13. Report of the International Court of Justice (P.13).

14. Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (P.14).

15. Elections to fill vacancies in principal organs (P.15):

(a) Election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council;

(b) Election of eighteen members of the Economic and Social Council.

16. Elections to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other elections (P.16):

(a) Election of seven members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination;

(b) Election of seventeen members of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law;

17. Appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments (P.17):

(a) Appointment of members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;

(b) Appointment of members of the Committee on Contributions;

(d) Confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee;

(e) Appointment of members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal;

(f) Appointment of members and alternate members of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee;

(g) Appointment of members of the International Civil Service Commission;

(h) Appointment of members of the Committee on Conferences;

(i) Appointment of the members of the Consultative Committee on the United Nations Development Fund for Women;

(j) Approval of the appointment of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

18. Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (P.18).

19. Admission of new Members to the United Nations (P.19).

20. Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance (P.20):

(a) Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations;

(b) Special economic assistance to individual countries or regions;

(d) Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan.

21. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of American States (P.21).

22. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee (P.22).

23. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Caribbean Community (P.23).

24. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (P.24).

25. Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States (P.25).

26. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (P.26).

27. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (P.27).

28. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Cooperation Organization (P.28).

29. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (P.29).

30. Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, including measures and recommendations agreed upon at its mid-term review (P.30).

31. Elimination of coercive economic measures as a means of political and economic compulsion (P.31).

32. United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations (P.32).

33. Culture of peace (P.33).

34. Oceans and the law of the sea (P.34):

(a) Consideration of elements relating to oceans and seas, including improvement of coordination and cooperation;

(b) Large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing, unauthorized fishing in zones of national jurisdiction and on the high seas, fisheries by-catch and discards, and other developments.

35. Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba (P.35).

36. Bethlehem 2000 (P.36).

37. Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the special session of the General Assembly in this regard (P.37).

38. Zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic (P.38).

39. Support by the United Nations system of the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies (P.39).

40. The situation in the Middle East (P.40).

41. Question of Palestine (P.41).

42. Special session of the General Assembly in 2001 for follow-up to the World Summit for Children (P.42).

43. The situation in Central America: procedures for the establishment of a firm and lasting peace and progress in fashioning a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development (P.43).

44. Global implications of the year 2000 date conversion problem of computers (P.44).

45. The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (P.45).

46. The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security (P.46).

47. Assistance in mine action (P.47).

48. The situation of democracy and human rights in Haiti (P.48).

49. The situation in East Timor during its transition to independence (P.49).

50. Causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (P.50).

51. Question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (P.51).

52. Report of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 (P.52).

53. Report of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994 (P.53).

54. Declaration of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity on the aerial and naval military attack against the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya by the present United States Administration in April 1986 (P.54).

55. Armed Israeli aggression against the Iraqi nuclear installations and its grave consequences for the established international system concerning the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and international peace and security (P.55).

56. Consequences of the Iraqi occupation of and aggression against Kuwait (P.56).

57. Implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations (P.57).

58. Launching of global negotiations on international economic cooperation for development (P.58).

59. Question of the Comorian island of Mayotte (P.59).

60. Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters (P.60).

61. United Nations reform: measures and proposals (P.61):

(a) United Nations reform: measures and proposals;

(b) The Millennium Assembly of the United Nations.

62. Strengthening of the United Nations system (P.62).

63. Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (P.63).

64. Restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields (P.64).

65. Question of Cyprus (P.65).

66. Reduction of military budgets (P.66).

67. Development of good-neighbourly relations among Balkan States (P.67).

68. Maintenance of international security (P.68):

(a) Prevention of the violent disintegration of States;

(b) Stability and development of South-Eastern Europe.

69. Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security (P.69).

70. Role of science and technology in the context of international security and disarmament (P.70).

71. Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East (P.71).

72. Conclusion of effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons (P.72).

73. Prevention of an arms race in outer space (P.73).

74. General and complete disarmament (P.74):

(a) Notification of nuclear tests;

(b) Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia;

(d) Measures to uphold the authority of the 1925 Geneva Protocol;

(e) Preservation of and compliance with the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems;

(f) Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction;

(g) Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction;

(h) Missiles;

(i) Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: the need for a new agenda;

(j) Consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures;

(k) Transparency in armaments;

(l) Assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in small arms and collecting them;

(m) Reducing nuclear danger;

(n) Nuclear-weapon-free southern hemisphere and adjacent areas;

(o) Conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels;

(p) Regional disarmament;

(q) Nuclear disarmament;

(r) Follow-up to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons ;

(s) Illicit traffic in small arms;

(t) Observance of environmental norms in the drafting and implementation of agreements on disarmament and arms control;

(u) Relationship between disarmament and development;

(v) Convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament;

(w) Small arms.

75. Review and implementation of the Concluding Document of the Twelfth Special Session of the General Assembly (P.75):

(a) Regional confidence-building measures: activities of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa;

(b) United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa;

(d) Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons;

(e) United Nations regional centres for peace and disarmament;

(f) United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean;

(g) United Nations Disarmament Information Programme;

(h) United Nations disarmament fellowship, training and advisory services.

76. Review of the implementation of the recommendations and decisions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth special session (P.76):

(a) Report of the Disarmament Commission;

(b) Report of the Conference on Disarmament;

(d) United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research;

(e) Disarmament Week.

77. The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East (P.77).

78. Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (P.78).

79. Strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region (P.79).

80. Consolidation of the regime established by the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco) (P.80).

81. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (P.81).

82. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (P.82).

83. Effects of atomic radiation (P.83).

84. International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space (P.84).

85. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (P.85).

86. Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (P.86).

87. Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects (P.87).

88. Questions relating to information (P.88).

89. Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations (P.89).

90. Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories (P.90).

91. Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations (P.91).

92. Offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories (P.92).

93. Question of the Malagasy islands of Glorieuses, Juan de Nova, Europa and Bassas da India (P.93).

94. Macroeconomic policy questions (P.94):

(a) Trade and development;

(b) Commodities;

(d) Science and technology for development;

(e) Financing of development, including net transfer of resources between developing and developed countries.

95. Sectoral policy questions (P.95):

(a) Industrial development cooperation;

(b) Business and development.

96. Sustainable development and international economic cooperation (P.96):

(a) Implementation of the commitments and policies agreed upon in the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation, in particular the Revitalization of Economic Growth and Development of the Developing Countries, and implementation of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade;

(b) Integration of the economies in transition into the world economy;

(d) High-level dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership;

(e) Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II).

97. Environment and sustainable development (P.97):

(a) Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21;

(b) Convention on Biological Diversity;

(d) Further implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States;

(e) Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa;

(f) Promotion of new and renewable sources of energy, including the implementation of the World Solar Programme 1996-2005;

(g) Protection of global climate for present and future generations of mankind.

98. Operational activities for development (P.98).

99. Training and research (P.99).

100. Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources (P.100).

101. Implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006) (P.101).

102. Globalization and interdependence (P.102s).

103. High-level international intergovernmental consideration of financing for development (P.103).

104. Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (P.104).

105. Social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family (P.105).

106. Follow-up to the International Year of Older Persons (P.106).

107. Crime prevention and criminal justice (P.107).

108. International drug control (P.108).

109. Advancement of women (P.109).

110. Implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women and of the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century” (P.110).

111. Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions (P.111).

112. Promotion and protection of the rights of children (P.112).

113. Programme of activities of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (P.113).

114. Elimination of racism and racial discrimination (P.114).

115. Right of peoples to self-determination (P.115).

116. Human rights questions (P.116):

(a) Implementation of human rights instruments;

(b) Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

(d) Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

(e) Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

117. Financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors (P.117):

(a) United Nations;

(b) United Nations Development Programme;

(d) United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East;

(e) United Nations Institute for Training and Research;

(f) Voluntary funds administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;

(g) Fund of the United Nations Environment Programme;

(h) United Nations Population Fund;

(i) United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation;

(j) Fund of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme;

(k) United Nations Office for Project Services.

118. Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations (P.118).

119. Programme budget for the biennium 2000-2001 (P.119).

120. Programme planning (P.120).

121. Improving the financial situation of the United Nations (P.121).

122. Administrative and budgetary coordination of the United Nations with the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency (P.122).

123. Pattern of conferences (P.123).

124. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations (P.124).

125. Human resources management (P.125).

126. United Nations common system (P.126).

127. United Nations pension system (P.127).

128. Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (P.128).

129. Financing of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 (P.129).

130. Financing of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994 (P.130).

131. Financing of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission and the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (P.131).

132. Financing of the activities arising from Security Council resolution 687 (1991) (P.132):

(a) United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission;

(b) Other activities.

133. Financing of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (P.133).

134. Financing of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (P.134).

135. Financing of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (P.135).

136. Financing of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (P.136).

137. Financing of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (P.137).

138. Financing of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (P.138).

139. Financing of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (P.139).

140. Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Middle East (P.140):

(a) United Nations Disengagement Observer Force;

(b) United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

141. Financing and liquidation of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (P.141).

142. Financing of the United Nations Protection Force, the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia, the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force and the United Nations Peace Forces headquarters (P.142).

143. Financing of the United Nations Operation in Somalia II (P.143).

144. Financing of the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (P.144).

145. Financing of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (P.145).

146. Financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (P.146).

147. Financing of the United Nations Mission in Haiti (P.147).

148. Financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (P.148).

149. Financing of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (P.149).

150. Financing of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (P.150).

151. Financing of the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium and the Civilian Police Support Group (P.151).

152. Financing of the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti, the United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti and the United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (P.152).

153. Financing of the Military Observer Group of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (P.153).

154. Financing of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (P.154).

155. Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations (P.155):

(a) Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations;

(b) Relocation of South Africa to the group of Member States set out in paragraph 3 (c) of General Assembly resolution 43/232.

156. Progressive development of the principles and norms of international law relating to the new international economic order (P.156).

157. Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts (P.157).

158. Consideration of effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and representatives (P.158).

159. Convention on jurisdictional immunities of States and their property (P.159).

160. Report of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law on the work of its thirty-third session (P.160).

161. Report of the International Law Commission on the work of its fifty-second session (P.161).

162. Nationality of natural persons in relation to the succession of States (P.162).

163. Report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country (P.163).

164. Establishment of the International Criminal Court (P.164).

165. Report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization (P.165).

166. Measures to eliminate international terrorism (P.166).

167. Review of the Statute of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal (P.167).

168. Election of judges of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 (P.168).

169. Financing of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (P.169).

170. Programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999 (P.170).

171. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peacekeeping operations (P.171).

172. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe (S.1).

173. Observer status for the Inter-American Development Bank in the General Assembly (S.2).

174. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peacekeeping operations (S.3).

175. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peacekeeping operations (S.4).

176. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peacekeeping operations (S.5).

177. Ad hoc scale of assessments for United Nations peacekeeping operations (S.6).

178. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peacekeeping operations (S.7).

179. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peacekeeping operations (S.8).

180. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peacekeeping operations (S.9).

181. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peacekeeping operations (S.10).

182. Observer status for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in the General Assembly (S.11).

183. Need to examine the exceptional international situation pertaining to the Republic of China on Taiwan, to ensure that the fundamental right of its twenty-three million people to participate in the work and activities of the United Nations is fully respected (S.12).

184. Towards global partnerships (S.13).

185. World drug problem (S.14).

186. The role of the United Nations in promoting a new global human order (S.15).

187. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peacekeeping operations (S.16).

188. The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict (S.17).

189. Financing of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (A.1).

V. Allocation of items

50. The allocation of items described in paragraph 62 below is based on the pattern adopted by the General Assembly for those items in previous years. The Secretary-General trusts that delegations will consider allotting items in a manner that will best enhance the effectiveness and the impact of the Assembly’s work. In this connection, the General Committee may wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to paragraph 4 of its decision 34/401 (A/520/Rev.15, annex VI), which reads as follows:

“4. Substantive items should normally be discussed initially in a Main Committee and, therefore, items previously allocated to plenary meetings should henceforth be referred to a Main Committee unless there are compelling circumstances requiring their continued consideration in plenary meeting.”

The General Committee may also wish to draw the Assembly’s attention to paragraph 3 of annex I to resolution 48/264. The Secretary-General wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to the relevant paragraphs of resolution 39/88 B and resolution 45/45 (A/520/Rev.15 and Amend.1, annexes VII and VIII). Paragraph 5 of the annex to resolution 39/88 B reads as follows:

“5. The Chairmen of the Main Committees should take the initiative, in the light of past experience, to propose the grouping of similar or related items and the holding of a single general debate on them.”

Paragraph 6 of the annex to resolution 45/45 reads as follows:

“6. In making recommendations as to how agenda items should be allocated to the Main Committees and the plenary of the General Assembly, the General Committee should ensure the best use of the expertise of the Committees.”

In this connection, the Secretary-General also wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to paragraphs 2 and 5 (b) and (d) of annex I to resolution 48/264, which read as follows:

“2. Agenda items which are of a nature that relates to more than one Main Committee or which do not come within the purview of any Main Committee should be considered by the General Assembly in plenary meeting, taking into account the recommendations of the General Committee.

…

“5. The Main Committees should be encouraged to continue with the review of their respective agendas, taking into account, inter alia, the following:

…

“(b) Items that cover related matters or issues could be considered in agreed clusters;

…

“(d) The existing broad division of work among the Main Committees should be maintained.”

The Secretary-General also wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to paragraph 24 of the annex to resolution 51/241, which reads as follows:

“24. The General Assembly shall take further steps to rationalize and streamline the agenda … and in particular shall make greater use of clustering, biennialization or triennialization of agenda items. Items that could be considered at a later session shall be identified, taking into account the priorities set by the medium-term plan.”

51. The Secretary-General wishes to draw the attention of the General Committee to paragraphs 2 and 3 of resolution 54/195 of 17 December 1999, which read as follows:

“2. Decides also that, in future, any request by an organization for the granting of observer status in the General Assembly will be considered in plenary session after the consideration of the issue by the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly;

“3. Requests the Secretary-General to take appropriate measures to bring to the attention of all the States Members of the General Committee and General Assembly the criteria and procedures laid down by the General Assembly whenever a request is made by an organization seeking observer status in the General Assembly;”

(see also paragraph 48).

52. The following items of the draft agenda have not been considered previously by the General Assembly: