General Assembly Session 58 meeting 60

The President

The General Assembly will consider a report of the Fifth Committee on sub-item (a) of agenda item 17, concerning the appointment of a member of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions.

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 report of the Fifth Committee which is before the Assembly today.

The President

I should like to advise representatives that we are going to proceed to take a decision in the same manner as was done in the Fifth Committee.

The Fifth Committee recommends in paragraph 4 of its report that the General Assembly appoint Mr. Richard Moon of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a member of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for a term of office beginning on 11 November 2003 and ending on 31 December 2004. May I take it that the General Assembly decides to appoint this person?

The President

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 17.

The President

As was announced at the 59th plenary meeting yesterday, the Assembly will first proceed to a by-election to elect a member of the Economic and Social Council, in accordance with rule 140 of the rules of procedure.

In this connection, I should like to draw the attention of members to document A/58/357, containing a letter dated 10 September 2003 from the Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations. In his letter, the Permanent Representative of Portugal announces that Portugal would like to relinquish its seat on the Economic and Social Council for the remainder of its term in favour of Turkey.

As a result, a vacancy will occur and a new member must therefore be elected to fill the unexpired term of office of Portugal, commencing on 1 January 2004 and expiring on 31 December 2005.

In accordance with paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 2847 (XXVI) of 20 December 1971, and taking into account that the vacancy will occur from among the Western European and other States, the new member should therefore be elected from that region.

I should like to inform the Assembly that the candidate which receives a two-thirds majority of members present and voting will be declared elected. In the case of a tie vote, there will be a special restricted ballot limited to those candidates that 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.

Also in connection with this election, I would like to remind members that, in accordance with Article 19 of the Charter and resolution 58/1 of 16 October 2003, two member States will not be given ballot papers.

Regarding the vacancy, the Chairman of the Group of Western European and other States for the month of November has informed the Secretariat that the Group has endorsed Turkey.

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, we shall now proceed to the election by secret ballot.

I should like to inform members that, as of 1 January 2004, the following States from the Group of Western European and other States will be represented on the Economic and Social Council: Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The names of those eight States should therefore not appear on the 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 will now be distributed. I request representatives to use only those ballot papers and to write on them the name of the one State for which they wish to vote. A ballot paper containing more than one name from the region will be declared invalid. The name of a Member State on a ballot paper that does not belong to that region will not be counted at all.