A/35/PV.41 General Assembly

In paragraph 13 of its report [A/35/47] the Ad Hoc Committee on Subsidiary Organs recommends a draft resolution, to which a revised amendment, distributed as document A/35/ L.6/Rev.l, has been submitted by Nigeria, Romania and Venezuela. I now call on the representative of Nigeria to introduce the revised amendment. 2. Mr. CLARK (Nigeria): I should like first of all, on behalf of my delegation, to thank the Ad Hoc Committee on Subsidiary Organs for its report. 3. While we support in principle the need for ratio- nalization of the existing procedures and organization of work of the General Assembly, we believe that greater emphasis ought to be placed on the first part of the recommendation-that the General Assembly should, beginning at its thirty-fourth session, review the usefulness of those subsidiary organs which have been unable to submit concrete recommendations. 4. The report of the Ad Hoc Committee that we are considering appears to be silent on this issue, albeit it requested and obtained a document containing a list of all the subsidiary organs established by the General Assembly which had held meetings from 1977 to date.' It would have been possible for the Ad Hoc Committee to examine the mandate of those sub- sidiary organs and to determine what concrete recom- mendations each had made before the Committee's establishment. I raelize that it is a difficult political • Resumed from the 36th meeting. I Document A/AC.202/t. NEW YORK The effect of the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Committee is that that can no longer be implemented. 9. Similarly, in another resolution, resolution 34/151, the General Assembly decided to set up another sub- sidiary organ. 10. I am sure that there will be other pertinent resolu- tions of the present session of the General Assembly that will also call for the setting up of subsidiary organs to deal with various burning issues of our time. We therefore cannot afford at this moment to tie the hands of this body, which was created to deal specifically with today's challenges. ~I:#. he i . f h 17. In accordance with that decision, the Secretary- not _I~tt e intennon 0 t e recommendation of the General, during the course of the thirty-fourth session, Ad Hoc Committee on Subsidiary Organs. submitted a report.? In section VII of that report, he 12. Mr. PETREE (United States of America): In' judiciously pointed out that there had been a sharp addressing this subject the United States delegation increase in the number of subsidiary organs of the would like first to pay a tribute' to the distinguished Assembly, and that that had created many problems, work of Ambassador Salim, for it is I_rgely owing to in particular for the Secretariat. the interest and energy he invested in this effort as 18. The Secretary-General therefore made two President of the General Assembly.that.we have been recommendations: first, that the General Assembly able to take substantial, ifintroductory, steps to reform should review the usefulness of existing subsidiary the Assembly's work. organs that had been unable to submit specific recom- 13. The aim we all share is to make the General mendations; and, secondly, that it should decide not Assembly a more useful forum, place of work and to establish additional subsidiary organs for a period meeting house for the Members ofthe'United Nations. of one year. In view of that report, the Assembly, Each of us recognizes that reforming and simplifying in accordance with the provisions of section VI of the work of the General Assembly is a long-term decision 34/401 of 12 December 1979, decided to process. We appraise positively the important series entrust the review of these questions to an Ad Hoc of reform measures that the General Assembly under- Committee on Subsidiary Organs. while already took at its thirty-fourth session last year. deciding that it would be appropriate to envisage the . possibility, during the thirty-fifth session, of a mora- 14. It is in this context that we view the proposal torium for a fixed period on the establishment of for a one-year moratorium on the establishment of new subsidiary organs by the General Assembly. We additional subsidiary organs. warmly support the efforts' of Ambassador Salim and 19. Several precautions were taken in order to give the Ad Hoc Committee on Subsidiary Organs to that Ad Hoc Committee the greatest possible influence promote meaningful and immediate reciprocal self- and authority. It was decided, first of all, that it would restraint in the creation of new bodies. There is wide take decisions by consensus. Secondly, its composi- recognition in theGeneral.Assembly that over the years tion was carefully thought out, its 35 member States we may all have behaved too generously in con- including in particular all the Chairmen of the regional tributing to the proliferation of subsidiary bodies. We groups and all the officers of the General Committee. are approa~hing the point where.no delegation can Thirdly, its chairmanship was entrusted to the Presi- keep up with them or make good use of the potential dent of the General Assembly. It was generally felt of existing bodies. This is a problem that has been that the Ad Hoc Committee's recommendations would experienced by many rtationall~gislatures as well. benefit thereby. IS. The United States therefore supports the one-year 20. The Ad Hoc Committ • proposed that the moratorium proposal. We welcome the fact that the Assembly adopt a draft reso.ouon in which it decides Assembly has clearly recognized the issue and made on a one-year moratorium on the establishment of new a beginning in trying to deal with it. We believe the subsidiary organs and a reduction in the duration of experience that will be gained during the coming year the sessions of existing subsidiary organs and requests willconvince the entire membership that a moratorium that such bodies make a greater effort to schedule their can benefit all members. We are certain that the fact meetings on a biennial basis. Unfortunately, it was not that the existence of the problem has been so clearly possible to decide on the elimination of certain recognized will in due course make a contribution to subsidiary organs. the objective of a more responsive and effective 21. If my memory serves me correctly, these recom- General Assembly. mendations were adopted by consensus by all the 16. Mr. GUENA (France) (interpretation from members of the Ad Hoc Committee. France, which French): Ten years:.ago, the General Assembly, in was a member and which approved them, is obviously prepared today to renew that approval without any resolution 2632(XXV)of9 November 1970, established hesitation. The decisions recommended to us seem a Special Committee on the Rationalization of the very relevant. They are the result of efforts that have Procedures and Organization ofthe General Assembly. been undertaken over a IO-yearperiod. I point out in The conclusions were approved by the"General Assem- particular that the recommendation not t,t> create any bly in resolution 2837 (XXVI) of 17 December 1971. new subsidiary organs has already been spelled out The Assembly then decided that those conclusions in resolution 34/401 of 1979, which we also supported. would be reproduced as an annex to its rules of Therefore, this is no more than a confirmation of a procedure. In annex V,. chapter IX, paragraph 109 . hid d of the rules of procedure, we see that the Special WIS a rea y expresse last year by all Member States. Committee recommended that the General Assembly 22. This year, the circumstances are particularly should review, either periodically or when considering favourable for demonstrating our resolve to rationalize their reports, the usefulness of its various subsidiary the work of our Assembly and to improve its working organs. Also, in resolution 2837(XXVI), the Assembly decided to review from time to time the progress 2 Document A/34/320. AGENDA IT£M 15 Elections to fill vacancies in principal organs: (a) Election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council; (6) Election of eighteen members of the Economic and Social Council

With. the permission of the General Assembly, we shall proceed first to the elec- tion of 18members ofthe Economic and SocialCouncil to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 1980. 28. The 18outgoing members are: Argentina, Central African Republic, China, Dominican Republic, Finland, Hungary, India, Japan, Lesotho, Malta, Romania, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Cameroon, and United Republic of Tanzania. These 18 countries are eligible for immediate re-election. GROUP A 148o 148 3 Unit~d Repub,lic of Cameroon , ','" .. BQ~di ~ ..-',' ',' ':',.. S~d.lln ~ . '\, , ~ ~'~ ~ .. Mozambique '~ ~'.. Sao Tome 8I\d Principe . United Republic of Tanzania .. ~ . ", • • 'f GRoupB 148o 148 1 147 98 138 138 138 131 1 1 1 1 B~~gladesh . FIJI . India . .', ~ . China . Japan " . Singa~re . United Arab Emirates . Viet Nam : . GROUPC 148o 148 1 147 98 Number of ballot papers: Invalid ballots: Number of valid ballots: Abstentions: Number ofmembers voting: Required mqjority: Number of votes obtained: Peru . Argentina . Nicara.gua '" . Cesta Rica . Trinidad and Tobago . 144 139 134 2 1 GRoupD 147o 147 3 144 96 Number ofballot papers: Invalid ballots: Number of valid ballots: Abstentions: Number ofmembers voting: Required mqjority: Number of votes obtained: Denmark . Canada . Norway . United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . 144 140 140 137 1 Malta . GRoupE 148 I 147 6 I . ,.1-3.4 o' public '," .. e , ••••••• ',")( Union of Soviet Socialist Republics .. . ,;t·Albania ' . 132"I 1 Romania . Having obtained the required two-thirds majority, the :following States were elected members of the Economic and Social Council for a three-year term beginning on I January 1981: Argentina, Bangladesh, Burundi, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, China, Denmark, Fiji, India, Kenya, Nicara- gua, Norway, Peru, Poland, Sudan, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Northern Ireland and United Republic of Cameroon (decision 35/306). 37. The PRESIDENT:' I congratulate the countries which have been elected members of the Economic and Social Council and I thank the tellers for their assistance in this election. 38. The next item is the election of five non-perma- nent members of the Security Council to replace those whose terms of office expire on 31 December 1980. The five outgoing members are: Bangladesh, Jamaica, Norway, Portugal and Zambia. These five countries cannot be re-elected and therefore their names must not appear on the ballot papers. 39. Apart from the five permanent members, the Security Council in 1981 will include the German Democratic Republic, Mexico, the Niger, the Philip- pines and Tunisia. Therefore, the names ,of these States also should not appear on the ballot papers. 40. Of the five non-permanent members which will remain in office in 1981, three are from the groups of African and Asian States, one from the group of Eastern European States and one from the group of Latin American States. Consequently, in accordance with paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 1991 A (XVIII) of 17 December 1963, the five non- permanent members to be elected should be as follows: two States from Africa and Asia, one State from Latin America and two States from the group of Western European and other States. The three ballot papers take that pattern into account. 41. In accordance with existing practice, the required number of candidates receiving the largest number of votes and not less than the majority required will be declared elected. In case of a tie vote for the last place, 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? It was so decided.

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procec '""', the election shall be held by secret ballot and tt 'b' shall be no nominations. 43. The representatives of New Zealand and Cuba have asked to make a statement at this stage. I call first on the representative of New Zealand.

I thank the representative of Cuba for his statement and for the co-operation offered therein, which I am sure will be appreciated by members of this Assembly. 47. Before the ballot papers are distributed, I should like to inform representatives that in order to avoid GROUP A Number of ballot papers.' 150 Invalid ballots.· 0 Number of valid ballots.' 150 Abstentions: 3 Number ofmembers voting: 147 Required majority: 98 Number of votes obtained.' Japan. . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Uganda........................... 134 Zimbabwe......................... 2 Chad ,................... 1 Senegal........................... I GROUP B Number of ballot papers.' 151 Invalid ballots.' I Number of valid ballots.' 150 Abstentions.' 15 Number of members voting.' 135 Required majority.' 90 Number of votes obtained.' Costa Rica 89 Guyana........................... 26 Cuba............................. 9 Nicaragua , . , , 6 Panama........................... 2 Grenada "., , .. ,. I Peru.............................. 1 Trinidad and Tobago ,...... I GRoUPC Number of ballot papers.' 151 Invalid ballots.' 0 Number of valid ballois: 151 Abstentions.' 2 Number of members voting.' 149 Required majority.' lOO Number of votes obtained: Spain............................. 109 Ireland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Malta............................. 74

I congratulate the countries which have just been elected non-permanent members of the Security Council.