| Date | 10 October 2000 |
|---|
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Agenda item 15
Elections to fill vacancies in principal organs
(a) Election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council
The President
The General Assembly will now proceed to the election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 2000.
The five outgoing non-permanent members are the following: Argentina, Canada, Malaysia, Namibia and the Netherlands. Those five States cannot be re-elected and therefore their names should not appear on the ballot papers.
Apart from the five permanent members, the Security Council will include in 2001 the following States: Bangladesh, Jamaica, Mali, Tunisia and Ukraine. The names of those States, therefore, should also not appear on the ballot papers.
Of the five non-permanent members which will remain in office in 2001, three are from Africa and Asia, one is from Eastern Europe and one is from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Consequently, pursuant to paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 1991 A (XVIII) of 17 December 1963, the five non-permanent members should be elected according to the following pattern: two from Africa and Asia, one from Latin America and the Caribbean and two from among the Western European and other States. The ballot papers reflect this pattern.
In accordance with established practice, there is an understanding to the effect that, of the two States to be elected from Africa and Asia, one should be from Africa and one from Asia.
I should like to inform the Assembly that those candidates, their number not exceeding the number of seats to be filled, who receive the greatest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of members present and voting will be declared elected.
In the case of a tie vote for a remaining seat, there will be a restricted ballot limited to those candidates which have obtained an equal number of votes.
May I take it that the General Assembly agrees to that procedure?
The President
In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election shall be held by secret ballot and there shall be no nominations.
Regarding candidatures for the two vacant seats from among the African and Asian States, the Chairman of the Group of Asian States has informed the Secretariat that the Group has endorsed Singapore.
The Chairman of the Group of African States has informed the Secretariat that the Group has endorsed the Sudan. However, in this connection, the following communications have been circulated as official documents of the General Assembly: documents A/55/457 and A/55/463. In addition, in document A/55/464, the Permanent Representative of Mauritius presents the candidature of Mauritius as well.
Regarding the candidature for the vacant seat from among the Latin America and the Caribbean States, the Chairman of the Group has informed the Secretariat that the Group has endorsed Colombia.
Regarding candidatures for the two vacant seats from among the Western European and Other States, the Chairman of the Group has informed the Secretariat that there are three candidates: Ireland, Italy and Norway.
In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, we shall proceed now to the election by secret ballot.
Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting.
We shall now begin the voting process.
Ballot papers marked "A", "B" and "C" will now be distributed.
I request representatives to use only those ballot papers that have been distributed and to write on them the names of the five States for which they wish to vote.
A ballot paper containing more names from the relevant region than the number of seats assigned to it will be declared invalid. Names of Members States on a ballot paper that do not belong to that region will not be counted.
The President
The result of the voting is as follows:
Group A -- African and Asian States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 173 Abstentions: 1 Number of members voting: 172 Required two-thirds majority: 115 Number of votes obtained: Singapore 168 Mauritius 95 Sudan 69
Group B -- Latin American and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 173 Abstentions: 5 Number of members voting: 168 Required two-thirds majority: 112 Number of votes obtained: Colombia 168
Group C -- Western European and other States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 173 Abstentions: 0 Number of members voting: 173 Required two-thirds majority: 116 Number of votes obtained: Ireland 130 Norway 114 Italy 94
The President
I congratulate the States that have been elected members of the Security Council.
There remain two seats to be filled, one from among the African and Asian States, and one from among the Western European and other States. In accordance with established practice, there is an understanding to the effect that of the two seats allocated to the African and Asian States, one should be filled from Africa and one from Asia. As Singapore has already been elected, the remaining seat from among the African and Asian States should be filled by an African State.
We shall therefore proceed to the first restricted ballot.
The second round of balloting shall be restricted to the Two States from among the African States that were not elected but that obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely, Mauritius and the Sudan, and to those two States from among the Western European and other States that were not elected but that obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely, Italy and Norway. This is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure.
We shall now begin the voting process.
Ballot papers marked "A" and "C" will now be distributed.
May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers marked "A", for the African and Asian States, the name of the one State for which they wish to vote, and to write on the ballot papers marked "C", for the Western European and other States, the name of the one State for which they wish to vote.
Ballot papers marked "A" will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Mauritius or the Sudan, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.
Ballot papers marked "C" will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Italy or Norway, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.
The President
The result of the voting is as follows:
Group A -- African and Asian States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 173 Abstentions: 6 Number of members voting: 167 Required two-thirds majority: 112 Number of votes obtained: Mauritius 102 Sudan 65
Group C -- Western European and other States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 172 Abstentions: 2 Number of members voting: 170 Required two-thirds majority: 114 Number of votes obtained: Norway 100 Italy 70
The President
Since no candidates obtained the required two-thirds majority, there remain two seats to be filled: one from among the African and Asian States and one from among the Western European and other States.
In accordance with established practice, there is an understanding to the effect that of the two seats allocated to the African and Asian States one should be filled from Africa and one from Asia. As Singapore has already been elected, the remaining seat from among the African and Asian States should be filled by one African State.
We shall therefore proceed to the second restricted ballot.
The third round of balloting shall be restricted to those two States from among the African States that were not elected but obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely, Mauritius and the Sudan; and those two States from among the Western European and other States that were not elected but obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely, Italy and Norway. This is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure.
We shall now begin the voting process.
Ballot papers marked "A" and "C" will now be distributed.
I request representatives to write on the ballot papers marked "A", for the African and Asian States, the name of the one State for which they wish to vote, and to write on the ballot papers marked "C", for the Western European and other States, the name of the one State for which they wish to vote.
Ballot papers marked "A" will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Mauritius or the Sudan, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.
Ballot papers marked "C" will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Italy or Norway, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.
The President
The result of the voting is as follows:
Group A -- African and Asian States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 172 Abstentions: 4 Number of members voting: 168 Required two-thirds majority: 112 Number of votes obtained: Mauritius 110 Sudan 58
Group C -- Western European and other States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 173 Abstentions: 1 Number of members voting: 172 Required two-thirds majority: 115 Number of votes obtained: Norway 110 Italy 62
The President
Since again no candidate obtained the required two-thirds majority, there remain two seats to be filled, one from among the African and Asian States, and one from among the Western European and other States.
In accordance with established practice, there is an understanding to the effect that of the two seats allocated to the African and Asian States one should be filled from Africa and one from Asia. As Singapore has already been elected, the remaining seat from among the African and Asian States should be filled by one African State.
We shall therefore proceed to the third restricted ballot.
The fourth round of balloting shall be restricted to the two States from among the African States that were not elected but that obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely Mauritius and the Sudan, and to the two States from among the Western European and other States that were not elected but that obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely Italy and Norway. This is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure.
I request that representatives remain in their seats during the voting process.
Ballot papers marked "A" and "C" will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers marked "A", for the African and Asian States, the name of the one State for which they wish to vote, and to write on the ballot papers marked "C", for the Western European and other States, the name of the one State for which they wish to vote.
Ballot papers marked "A" will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Mauritius or the Sudan, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.
Ballot papers marked "C" will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Italy or Norway, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.
The President
The result of the voting is as follows:
Group A -- African and Asian States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 173 Abstentions: 5 Number of members voting: 168 Required two-thirds majority: 112 Number of votes obtained: Mauritius 113 Sudan 55
Group C -- Western European and other States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 173 Abstentions: 1 Number of members voting: 172 Required two-thirds majority: 115 Number of votes obtained: Norway 115 Italy 57
The President
I congratulate the States that have been elected members of the Security Council, and I thank the tellers for their assistance in this election.
The following five States have thus been elected members of the Security Council for a two-year term beginning 1 January 2001: Colombia, Ireland, Mauritius, Norway and Singapore.
This concludes our consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 15.
