General Assembly Session 53 meeting 85

The Acting President

The General Assembly will now consider the reports of the Third Committee on agenda items 100 to 110 and 12.

I request the Rapporteur of the Third Committee, Mr. Hassan Kassem Najem of Lebanon, to introduce the reports of the Third Committee in one intervention.

Mr. Najem (Lebanon)

I have the honour to present the reports of the Third Committee on the agenda items allocated to it by the General Assembly for consideration.

On agenda item 12, entitled "Report of the Economic and Social Council", the Third Committee recommends in paragraph 8 of document A/53/614 the adoption of two draft decisions.

On agenda item 100, entitled "Social development, including questions related to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family", the Third Committee recommends in paragraph 7 of document A/53/615 the adoption of a draft resolution.

On agenda item 101, entitled "Crime prevention and criminal justice", the Third Committee recommends in paragraph 18 of document A/53/616 the adoption of five draft resolutions.

On agenda item 102, entitled "International drug control". the Third Committee recommends in paragraph 7 of document A/53/617 the adoption of a draft resolution.

On agenda item 103, entitled "Advancement of women", the Third Committee recommends in paragraph 18 of document A/53/618 the adoption of four draft resolutions.

On agenda item 104, entitled "Implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women", the Third Committee recommends in paragraph 10 of document A/53/619 the adoption of a draft resolution.

On agenda item 105, entitled "Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions", the Third Committee recommends in paragraph 22 of document A/53/620 the adoption of six draft resolutions.

On agenda item 106, entitled "Promotion and protection of the rights of children", the Third Committee recommends in paragraph 13 of document A/53/621 the adoption of two draft resolutions and in paragraph 14 the adoption of one draft decision.

I should like in this respect to draw the attention of the Assembly to two corrections to be made to the text of draft resolution II, entitled "The rights of the child". In section IV, the beginning of operative paragraph 15 should read:

"Underlines the importance that relevant measures to ensure respect for the rights of the child".

The rest of the sentence should remain as it is.

Also in section IV, operative paragraph 17, the last sentence should read:

"which will contribute towards making it possible to end impunity for the perpetrators of such crimes".

On agenda item 107, entitled "Programme of activities of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People", the Third Committee recommends in paragraph 10 of document A/53/622 the adoption of two draft resolutions and in paragraph 11 the adoption of one draft decision.

Under agenda item 108, entitled "Elimination of racism and racial discrimination", the Third Committee recommends, in document A/53/623, paragraph 17, the adoption of three draft resolutions.

I wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to paragraph 7 of the report contained in document A/53/624, which refers to the discussion in the Committee of draft resolution A/C.3/53/L.17, entitled "Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination". In that paragraph, the appearance of Brunei Darussalam among the list of sponsors is a technical error. Brunei Darussalam should be deleted from the list of sponsors of the draft resolution.

Under agenda item 110, entitled "Human rights questions", the Third Committee recommends in document A/53/625, paragraph 4, the adoption of a draft decision.

Under agenda item 110 (a), entitled "Human rights questions: Implementation of human rights instruments", the Third Committee recommends in document A/53/625/Add.1, paragraph 21, the adoption of three draft resolutions.

Under agenda item 110 (b), entitled "Human rights questions: Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms", the Third Committee recommends in document A/53/625/Add.2, paragraph 49, the adoption of 16 draft resolutions.

Under agenda item 110 (c), entitled "Human rights questions: Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives", the Third Committee recommends in document A/53/625/Add.3, paragraph 55, the adoption of 10 draft resolutions. In this respect, I would like to draw the attention of the Assembly to paragraph 8 of the report, in which the following sentence should be inserted at the end of the paragraph:

"At the same meeting, it was announced that the text, as orally revised, would be tabled as a Chairman's text."

Under agenda item 110 (d), entitled "Human rights questions: Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action", the Third Committee recommends in document A/53/625/Add.4, paragraph 7, the adoption of one draft resolution.

Under agenda item 110 (e), entitled "Human rights questions: Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights", the Third Committee recommends in document A/53/625/Add.5, paragraph 10, the adoption of one draft resolution.

This year the Third Committee adopted 59 draft resolutions, only nine of which were adopted by recorded vote. This means there has been important progress towards finding understanding and improving coordination for the adoption by consensus of the majority of draft resolutions in the future.

The Acting President

If there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the reports of the Third Committee that are before the Assembly today.

The Acting President

Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote.

The positions of delegations regarding the recommendations of the Third Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records.

May I remind members that under paragraph 7 of decision 34/401, the General Assembly agreed that

"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."

May I remind delegations that, also in accordance with General Assembly decision 34/401, explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

Before we begin to take action on the recommendations contained in the reports of the Third Committee, I should like to advise representatives that we are going to proceed to take decisions in the same manner as was done in the Third Committee, unless the Secretariat is notified otherwise in advance.

This means that where the Committee took recorded votes and separate votes, we will do the same.

I should also hope that we may proceed to adopt without a vote those recommendations that were adopted without a vote in the Third Committee.

The Acting President

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 7 of its report.

The Third Committee adopted the draft resolution, entitled "International Year of Older Persons, 1999", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 100?

The Acting President

The Assembly will now take a decision on the five draft resolutions recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 18 of its report.

We turn first to draft resolution I, entitled "Preparations for the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders".

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution I without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution II, entitled "Transnational organized crime", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Acting President

Draft resolution III is entitled "Mutual assistance and international cooperation in criminal matters".

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution III without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution IV, entitled "United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Acting President

Draft resolution V is entitled "Strengthening the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, in particular its technical cooperation capacity".

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution V without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 101?

The Acting President

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 7 of its report.

The Third Committee adopted the draft resolution, entitled "International cooperation against the world drug problem", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 102?

The Acting President

The Assembly has before it four draft resolutions recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 18 of its report.

We turn first to draft resolution I, entitled "Traffic in women and girls", which the Third Committee adopted without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution II, entitled "Traditional or customary practices affecting the health of women and girls", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Acting President

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution III, entitled "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution IV, entitled "Improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Acting President

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 103?

The Acting President

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 10 of its report. In this connection, the General Assembly also has before it an amendment thereto contained in document A/53/L.69.

In accordance with rule 90 of the rules of procedure, the amendment is voted on first. The Assembly will therefore take a decision first on the amendment contained in document A/53/L.69. The additional sponsors of the amendment are Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Lesotho, Malaysia, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, the Sudan, Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to adopt the amendment contained in document A/53/L.69?

The Acting President

The draft resolution, entitled "Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action", was adopted by the Third Committee without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt the draft resolution, as amended?

The Acting President

I call on the representative of the Russian Federation, who wishes to speak in explanation of position on the resolution just adopted.

Mr. Zmeevski (Russia)

The delegation of the Russian Federation is compelled to speak on document A/53/L.69, issued today, which contains an amendment to the draft resolution of the Third Committee contained in paragraph 10 of document A/53/619.

While we have no objection to the substantive change contained in the document, we believe that it is necessary to discuss and coordinate amendments in advance with all regional groups, particularly when we are considering the introduction of changes into a draft resolution that has already been endorsed by the Third Committee. We hope that the Bureau and the Secretariat will take the necessary steps so that in the future we may avoid similar situations, which do not promote consensus positions.

The Acting President

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 104?

The Acting President

The Assembly will now take a decision on the six draft resolutions recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 22 of its report.

We turn first to draft resolution I, entitled "Enlargement of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees", which the Third Committee adopted without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Acting President

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution II, entitled "Assistance to unaccompanied refugee minors", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution III, entitled "Follow-up to the Regional Conference to Address the Problems of Refugees, Displaced Persons, Other Forms of Involuntary Displacement and Returnees in the Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Relevant Neighbouring States", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution IV, entitled "New international humanitarian order", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution V, entitled "Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Acting President

The Third Committee adopted draft resolution VI, entitled "Assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Acting President

I call on the representative of Armenia point of order.

Mr. Abelian (Armenia)

I would like to make the following points in reference to the report contained in document A/53/620.

On page 2 of the document, the list of documents that were before the Third Committee for consideration refers, under sub-item (j), to a letter dated 17 November 1998 from the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, contained in document A/C.3/53/16. That letter and its annex were published in violation of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and of the provisions of relevant General Assembly resolutions, particularly those on the pattern of conferences.

I wish to draw to the attention of the General Assembly the fact that no undelivered statement can be published in the six official languages of the General Assembly. The secretariat of the Third Committee should at least have consulted the Bureau and elicited a decision of the General Assembly or the Third Committee. The provisions for publishing undelivered statements were only for the Special Political Committee and were discouraged by General Committee recommendation to the General Assembly.

The Acting President

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 105?

The Acting President

The Assembly now has before it two draft resolutions recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 13 of the report and one draft decision recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 14 of the same report.

I call on the representative of the Russian Federation on a point of order.

Mr. Zmeevski (Russia)

I would like to express the wish of our delegation to become a sponsor of draft resolution II, contained in document A/53/621.

The Acting President

I call on the representative of Argentina on a point of order.

Mr. Bocalandro (Argentina)

The Argentine Republic cosponsored draft resolution A/C.3/53/L.15 in the Third Committee, but our name is not included in the list of sponsors of draft resolution I, now before the Assembly. I would be most grateful to have our country's name included.

The Acting President

I call on the representative of Cuba on a point of order.