A/31/PV.40 General Assembly

There will be a slight change in our programme of work for this afternoon. Certain delegations have informed me that negotiations are still proceeding 'regarding the election of members for the Economic and Social Council, and have asked me to postpone that election. I propose to accede to their request and to schedule the election for some time during the week beginning 1 November.

The first item on our agenda this afternoon win therefore be the election of five non- permanent members of the Security Council to replace the five non-permanent members whose terms of office expire on 31 December 1976. The five non-permanent members whose terms of office expire on that date are: Guyana, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the United Republic of Tanzania. Those countries are not eligible for re-election, and their names must not, therefore, appear on the ballot papers. 3. Apart from the five permanent members, the Security Council in 1977 will include the following countries: Benin, the Libyan Arab Republic, Pakistan, Panama and Romania. The names of those five countries should also, therefore, not appear on the ballot papers. 4. Of the five non-permanent members which will remain in office in 1977, three are from Africa and Asia, one from Eastern Europe, and one from Latin America. According to paragraph 3 of General AJ sembly resolution 1991 A (XVIII) of 17 December 196J, the non-permanent mem- bers to be elected should be selected as follows: two from Thursday, 21 October 1976, at 3.55p.m. N LW Y 0 R K Africa and Asia, one from Latin America, and two from the group of Western European and other States. The ballot . paper takes that pattern into account. 5. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election shall be held by secret ballot, and there shall be no nominations. 6. The ballot papers are now being distributed. May I request representatives to use only the ballot papers that have been distributed and to write on them the names of the five Member States for which they choose to vote. As I have indicated, the ballot papers should not include the names of the five permanent members, of the five outgoing non-permanent members-namely, Guyana, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the United Republic of Tanzania-or of the five countries that are already non-permanent members for 1977. Any ballot paper containing more than five names will be declared invalid.

I propose now to suspend the meeting while the ballots are being counted.

The result of the voting for the election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council is as follows: 138o 138 o 138 92 Number ofvotes obtained: Venezuela 136 Mauritius 134 India 132 Canada 126 Federal Republic of Germany 119 Finland 2 Austria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 Belgium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 Bhutan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. 1 Burundi .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 Chile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 • Having obtained the required two-thirds majority, Canada, the Federal Republic ofGermany, India, Mauritius and Venezuela were elected non-permanent members ofthe Security Council for a two-year ~eriod from 1JanUllry 1977(decision 31/305).

I congratulate the countries which have just been elected non-permanent members of the Security Council and thank the representatives of Kuwait and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic for acting as tellers and for their assistance in the election.

As representatives are aware, the Members to replace those States whose term of office expires on 31 December 1976 are nominated by the Economic and Social Council and elected by the General Assembly. Document A/31/226 contains a note by the Secretary-General informing the Assembly that the Eco- nomic and Social Council has nominated the following States: Argentina, Colombia, France, Sudan, Uganda, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America. If I hear no objection.. I shall take it that the General Assembly approves those States asmembers of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination for a term of three years.

I congratulate the States which have just been elected members of the i20mmittee for Programme and Co-ordination.