A/40/PV.133 General Assembly

I should like first to invite the attention uf the General Assembly to document A/40/1108/Add.2, which contains a letter addressed to me by the Secretary-General informing the Assembly that two Member States are in arrears in the payment of their financial contributions to the united Nations within the terms of Article 19 of the Charter. I should like to remind delegations that under Article 19 of the Charter "A Member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contribution due from it for the preceding two full years." May I take it that the General Assembly duly takes note of that information? It was so decided.

I now invite members to turn their attention to the letter of the Chairman of the Preparatory Conunittee contained as an annex to document A/40/1131. As specified in that letter, the Preparatory Committee unanimously reconunended that the General Assem1y decide at its resumed fortieth se~sion to postpone the Conference to 1987 and to fix, at its forty-first session, the specific dates in 1987 and the venue for the Conference. May I take it that the Assembly adopts the recoIllilelldation to postpone the Conference to 19871 It was so decided.

The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of agenda item 69 (c).

In view of the fact that consul tations are under way on agenda item 84, Development and internationa1 economic co~peration: report of the secon(3 Conunittee, Part XVI, A/40/989/Add.15, I propose, if there are no objections, to suspend the meeting until the conclusion of. those consultations. The meeting was susoended at 11.. 45 a.m. and resumed at 1.05 p.m.

The Assembly will n<7il consider the report of the Second Committee on agenda item 84, entitled "Development and International Fconomic Co-operation", document A/40/989/Add.15. If there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall consider that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the report of the Second Committee. It was so decided.

Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote. The positions of delegations regarding the var ious reconmendations of the second Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. May I remind members that, in paragraph 7 of its decision 34/401, the General Assembly decided 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, that is, 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 also remind members that, in accordance with decision 34/401, explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. The Assembly will now take a decision on the recommendations of the Second Committee contained in paragraphs 16 and 17 of its report (A/40/989/Add.1S). First, we turn to the draft decisions contained in paragraph 16 of the report of the Second Committee. The Second Committee recommends that the Assembly adept draft decision I, which relates to international co-operation in the interrelated areas of money, finance, debt, resource flows, trade and development. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt it? Draft decision I was adopted.

Next we turn to draft decision 11, which deals with interrelated issues of money, finance, debt, resource flows, trade and development. The Second Committee recommends to the Assembly the adoption of that draft decision. ~ay I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt it? Draft decision 11 was adopted.

Next the Second Committee recommends the adoption of draft decision Ill. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt it? Draft decision III was adopted.

We now come to paragraphs 17 and 11 of the report. In that connection, I propose that the General Assembly decide to leave to its forty-first session the decision on the inscription of the item entitled "External debt crisis and development" on its agenda, with the understanding that it should take its decision upon the request of interested countries, and request the Secretary-General to submit to the forty-first session (The President) the updated portions of the report, "world economic survey, 1986", relating to those issuesu If I hear no objection, it will be so decided. It was so decided.

I call on the repres~ ~ative of Yugoslavia, who has asked to make a statement on behalf of the Group of 77 in explanation of position. Mr. GOL(J (Yugoslavia): I congratulate you, Mr. President, on a ve~y successful formulation, which has been adopted. I wish to make a short statement on behalf of the Group of 77. I should like to begin with the thought that all the decisions we have just adopted are, unfortunately, 5nly of a procedural nature. Therefore, we wish to express our deep disappointment .<;ler the Second COIr••littee's inability at its resumed session to reach agreement on any of the issues under its consideration. That resumed session was arranged in December in the hope that in the spring we should have a better atmosphere and environment for the adoption of the decisions related to the issues on the a.genda. The four draft decisions are now to be transmitted to the General Assembly at its forty-first session, and the informal working paper on the interrelated issues of money, finance, debt, resource flows, trade and development is to be transmitted to the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of the year, to be held next month. There is a stalemate in the negotiations on the key economic problems that beset the world economy, and developing countries in particular, and we must record the fact that nothing is being done to end it. Such a situation cannot and should not last, because it is dangerous, as we all very well know• (!!!!. President) In recent years we have seen not only an erosion of multilateralisrn but also intensified attempts to dep~ive the united Nations of its most vital functions and activities. The Group of 77 wishes to register its strong support for the united Nations and the role of the United Nations as a central forum for dialogue and negotiations on issues relating to international co-operation for development. Another indication of the extreme importance of our deliberations is the fact that we need long hours - almost endless - of conSUltations and negotiations in. order to agree simply on whether or how we shall inscribe an item on the General Assembly's agenda, as if we were talking about something esoteric or entirely beyond our understanding. (M~. Golob, Yugoslavia) Instead of discussing the solution of the burning problems of the day, one of them being the external debt crisis and development, we cannot even inscribe the item on the agenda of the General Assenbly after days and days of meetings. I repeat that this situation cannot and should not last, because it is dangerous. we of the Group of 11 accepted the canpromise decision, al though, I have to say, with the highest degree of reluctance. When the Group of 11 proposed at the resumed session of the second Committee that a new item entitled -External debt cr is is and developnentR be inscr ibed on the agenda of the for ty-first sess ion of the General Assentlly, it was the general understanding, on the one hand, that the proposal was acceptable to everybody and, on the other hand, that some delegations needed more time for its consideration. That is why the second Committee recomnended that the General Assembly take a decision in plenary meeting on the ins~ription of this item. Unfortunately, some developed countries were not ready to support this proposal, and we in the Group of 11 once again demonstrated our flexibility and our genuine, ever-present desire to arrive at an accommodation that would lead to dialogue and permit the beginning of negotiations. Needless to say, we did so in the firm belief that the new item will eventually be inscr ibed on the agenda of the forty-first session of the General Assembly, wi thout any difficulty and wi thout dissent. We perceive the updated portions of the report "World economic survey, 1986" as a comprehensive analysis of the external debt crisis and development. Mr. SKOFENKO (Ukrainian SOviet SOcialist Republic) (interpretation from Russian): I am speaking on behalf of the delegations of BUlgaria, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, CzechoslOl1akia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, the Union of SOI1iet SOcialist Republics and my own rountry, the Ukrainian SOviet SOcialist Republic. (Mr. (;Olob, Yugoslavia) The position of the socialist countries on the whole range of issues referred to in Part. XVI of the report of the second Conunittee (A/40/989/Add.lS) has been set . forth in joint statements made by our delegations on 5 and 9 M3y 1986 at the resumed session of the second Committee. The consideration by the second Committee of the interrelated areas of money, finance, debt, resource flows, trade and developnent provided an opportunity to gain a better mtderstanding of how dangerous it would be for the international commWlity to acquiesce in the present unjust international trade and monetary systems. The socialist countries are firmly in favour of eliminating from international practice of all forms of discrimination and policies of boycott, sanctions, high interest rates and the erection of artificial barriers in the scientific and technological transfers. They actively support the demand expressed by the develClping countries in the United Nations for the normalization of international economic relations. The lamentable economic situation and ne9""C0lonialist exploitation of developing countries entail serious consequences for peace and for the entire system of international relations. That is one of the deeply rooted reasons for international tension and conflict in various parts of the world. Complex problems of world economics cannot be tackled or solved by anyone group of States in isolation~ they require in-depth analysis and consideration with the participation of all countries. Through joint efforts, countries can arrive at Illltually acceptable solutions. At the meeting of the Political Consultative Committee of States parties to the Warsaw Treaty held on 10 and 11 JWle 1986 at Budapest, the leaders of those countries came out in favour of the restructuring on democratic lines of the entire syste~ of international economic relations and the establishment of a new world economic order guaranteeing all States equal economic security. They advocated ---J (Mr. Skofenko, Ukrainian SSR) the elimination of underdevelopment and the just, comprehensive settlement of the problem of external debt. This would be promoted by strengthening trust in international economic relations. The delegations of socialist countries are in favour of enhancing the contribution of the United Nations to safeguarding peace, to ending the arms race, to bringing about disarmament, and to tackling all the global problems facing mankind, including problems in the sphere of international economic relations. Mr. BROISMA (Netherlands): Speaking on behalf of the European Community and its member States, I should like to say, with regard to the decision just taken, that it is our understanding in joining the consensus that the decision to be taken on the formulation in question has not been prejudged. Mr. FERRER (United States of America): My delegation would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on the successful conduct of the Assembly's bUsiness. We wish to express also our conmon regret with our colleagues in the Group of 77 that we spent so much time on procedural questions. It is our belief that dealing realistically and productively with substantive issues is the best way to provide multilateral ism. The Un i ted States also wishes to rei ter ate its fu 11 and contin ued supper t for the entire United Nations system. The item that had been proposed for inclusion on the agenda of the forty-first session of the General Assembly was one which we felt to be incomplete as put forward. We have engaged in discussion, and we have arrived at a compromise. In our view, that compromise does not prejudge the eventual decision on this question. It is our hope that in the coming weeks our discussions will continue, and that we will devise an agenda item that does indeed encompass the major ~oncerns shared by our fellow countries. (Mr. Skofenko, Ukrainian SSR) LETTER FROM THE PRESIDE~"T OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCII.

Finally, I should like to draw the Assembly's attention to a letter I have received from the President of the Economic and Social Council. ~he letter refers to Council decision 1986/117 of 1 May 1986, whereby the Economic and Social Council took note of the letter from the Chairman of the twelfth session of the Commission on Transnationa1 Corporations (E/1986/68) and decided to refer the matter to the General Assembly at its resumed fortieth session for a decision. The decision of the Economic and Social Council concerns the principle of biennialization of the sessions of the Commission on Transnationa1 Corporations, and any action taken by the Assembly would affect only the session of the Commission scheduled for 1988. Under the circumstances, may I propose that the General Assembly take a decision on this question at its forty-first session under the appropriate agenda item in order to benefit from the views of the Second Committee? It was so decided. SUSPENSION OF THE SESSION

I should like to thank all representatives, the Secretary-General and the Secretariat staff for their co-operation in the work of this resumed session. I now declare the fortieth session of the General Assembly suspended. The meeting rose at 1.35 p.m. ... . • ,~ . ~Ai