| Date | 2 April 2007 |
|---|---|
| Started | 15:00 |
| Ended | 15:40 |
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Reports of the Fifth Committee
The President
The General Assembly will consider the reports of the Fifth Committee on agenda items 144 (b) and 151.
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 Fifth Committee that are before it today.
The President
Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote.
The positions of delegations regarding the recommendations of the Fifth 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 Fifth 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 Fifth Committee, unless notified otherwise in advance. This means that, where recorded or separate votes were taken, we will do the same. I also hope that we may proceed to adopt without a vote those recommendations that were adopted without a vote in the Fifth Committee.
Agenda item 144 (continued)
Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Middle East
(b) United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
Report of the Fifth Committee (A/61/657/Add.1)
The President
The Assembly has before it a draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 10 of its report.
I shall now give the floor to representatives who wish to explain their votes before the voting.
Mr. Ja'afari (Syria)
My delegation would like to explain its vote on the draft resolution to be adopted shortly under sub-item (b) of agenda item 144, entitled "Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Middle East: United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon".
At the outset, we would like to express our support for the draft resolution. My delegation will vote in favour of it, on the basis of the principle we have consistently reaffirmed, namely, that responsibility for the financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) must be borne by Israel. As the aggressor, Israel is the party that is occupying territory, and is therefore the party responsible for the establishment of the Force. Our position is consistent with the general principles set out in resolution 1874 (S-IV), of 27 June 1963.
We would also like to express our satisfaction at the fact that the General Assembly has taken note of the concerns expressed by my delegation during the consultations on the draft resolution before the Assembly.
My delegation has expressed its serious concerns with regard to the conceptual framework of the UNIFIL budget for the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. The manner in which expected accomplishment 1.1 was drafted gave us pause. That accomplishment called for the establishment of a "Stable and secure environment in southern Lebanon" (A/61/766, para. 19). We pointed out that that phrase was inconsistent with the mandate given to UNIFIL by the Security Council. We also pointed out that Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), which strengthened the mandate of UNIFIL -- a mission established by Security Council resolution 425 (1978) -- cannot be interpreted in that manner. The use of the phrase a "stable and secure environment in southern Lebanon" to describe an expected accomplishment could be misconstrued as giving Israel the right to interfere indefinitely in southern Lebanon on the grounds of security. It could also be used to justify Israel's continuation of its maritime, ground and air violations until a stable and secure environment is established in southern Lebanon.
In addition, that expected accomplishment has no connection whatsoever to the two basic objectives for the establishment of UNIFIL under Council resolution 1701 (2006). Those objectives were to monitor full respect for the Blue Line separating the two parties (see para. 8) and to monitor the cessation of hostilities (see para. 11). My delegation also reiterated that the expected accomplishment set out in the conceptual framework of UNIFIL's budget did not reflect the actual mandate conferred by the Security Council upon the Force.
We therefore caution against the possibility that Israel may utilize the phrase a "stable and secure environment in southern Lebanon" to continue its non-compliance with Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and to continue to erode the credibility of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.
We welcome the fact that the General Assembly has taken note of the concerns of my delegation, and that it has requested the Secretary-General to continue to measure the accomplishments of the Force, including expected accomplishment 1.1, fully in accordance with the Security Council mandate. We expect the Secretariat to take the concerns to which I have referred with complete seriousness as it prepares the next draft UNIFIL budget, for the period 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008. We also expect it to bear those concerns in mind when it prepares its report on UNIFIL's budget performance for the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. We hope that will be achieved through a redrafting of expected accomplishment 1.1 to bring it into line with the unambiguous mandate conferred by the Security Council, namely, by including a reference to full respect by both parties for the Blue Line and the cessation of hostilities.
Mr. Thomma (Germany)
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.
The European Union is very pleased that the General Assembly is today taking action to approve financing for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). As with all peacekeeping missions, it is essential that the Force be provided with sufficient resources to fully implement its mandate. The draft resolution before the Assembly recognizes that and provides the necessary financing for this important operation.
As the draft resolution and the level of funding provided recognize, UNIFIL's mandate, the size of the Force and its area of operations have been significantly increased by Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). In budgetary terms, the Force is working under a new strategic framework, with new expected accomplishments and new indicators of achievement that flow directly from the Security Council mandate. In paragraph 12 of the draft resolution, we acknowledge and make clear that we wish the Secretary-General to continue to measure the accomplishments of the Force in that way. It was that understanding that made it possible for the paragraph to receive the support of the whole Fifth Committee.
Mr. Ramadan (Lebanon)
Lebanon very much appreciates the important role that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon plays in southern Lebanon in accordance with Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).
Lebanon is grateful to all the delegations that will vote in favour of the draft resolution on the financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, specifically the States members of the Group of 77 and China.
Lebanon expects the Secretary-General to continue to implement the mandate given by the Security Council in resolution 1701 (2006), recalled in operative paragraph 12 of the draft resolution under consideration. In this regard, we believe that the logical framework put forward by the Secretary-General in his budget report (A/61/766) is in line with the mandate given by the Security Council.
Mr. Rashkow (United States)
As my delegation explained on Friday, 30 March 2007, in the Fifth Committee, the United States strongly supports the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is implementing an important mandate. However, the use of General Assembly funding resolutions to pursue claims against a Member State procedurally is not correct. That is the reason why we have opposed such draft resolutions in previous years and why we will do so today. However, in response to the statement by the delegation of Syria concerning the logical framework contained in UNIFIL's budget, my delegation would like to state that it is the Secretariat's proper role to develop those results-based budgeting elements on the basis of Security Council mandates. It is not the role of the General Assembly to alter the results-based budget elements.
The President
We will now take a decision on the draft resolution entitled "Financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon". A single separate vote has been requested on the fourth preambular paragraph and operative paragraphs 4, 5 and 20 of the draft resolution.
If there is no objection to those requests, I shall now put to the vote the fourth preambular paragraph and operative paragraphs 4, 5 and 20. A recorded vote has been requested.
| favour |
| against |
| abstain |
| absent |
The fourth preambular paragraph and operative paragraphs 4, 5 and 20 were retained by 82 votes to 5, with 50 abstentions.
favour=82 against=5 abstain=50 absent=55
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
The President
I shall now put to the vote the draft resolution as a whole.
| favour |
| against |
| abstain |
| absent |
The draft resolution was adopted by 135 votes to 3, with 1 abstention (resolution 61/250 B).
favour=135 against=3 abstain=1 absent=53
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
The President
The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 144.
Agenda item 151 (continued)
Financing of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste
Report of the Fifth Committee (A/61/644/Add.1)
The President
The Assembly has before it a draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. We will now take a decision on the draft resolution. The Fifth Committee adopted it without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?
The President
The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 151.
Programme of work
The President
I would like to inform members that the General Assembly will consider the other reports of the Fifth Committee on Wednesday, 4 April 2007, in the afternoon.
