A/42/PV.53 General Assembly

As representatives will recall, the Assembly, at its 46th plenary meeting, on Wednesday, 21 October, elected 17 members of the Economic and Social Council for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 1988. I call on the representative of Argentina in his capacity as Chairman of the Latin American group. Mr. DELPECH (Argentina) (interpretation from Spanish): In my capacity as Chairman of the Latin American and Caribbean Group I wish to make a brief announcement to the Assembly. In accordance with the rules of procedure, as you explained, Mr. President, the election is open without restriction to all candidates. I would point out that the representative of Brazil, in a note of 29 October, informed the Latin American and Caribbean Group that he did not wish to be considered a candidate for this vacancy on the Economic and Social Council. That being said, the remaining members of the group are available to present their candidacies to the Assembly.

As the result of the first unrestricted ballot, held on 21 October 1987, was inconclusive, we must, in accordance with the rules of procedure, now hold a second unrestricted ballot, and proceed to a third unrestricted ballot, if necessary. (The President) May I remind the Assembly that Members have the right to vote for any State from the Latin American Group, except, of course, those which are already members of the Economic and Social Council, including those elected at the 46th plenary meeting. To make this clear, I shall list the names of those Members which cannot be voted for in the present balloting: Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. Ballot papers will now be distributed. I would request members to write the name of only one State. Ballot papers bearing more than one name will be declared invalid. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Karbuczky (Hungary), Mr. Hapsoro (Indonesia) , Mr. Mwanzia (Kenya) and Miss Haga (Norway) acted as tellers. A vote was taken by secret ballot. The meeting was: suspended at: 3.50:'p.m.-andresumed at: 4.10-p.m.

The result of the voting ia as follows: Number of ballot papers: 150 Number of -invalidballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 150 Abstentions: 2 Number of Members: voting: 148 Required two-thirds: majority: 99 Number of votes obtained: Venezuela 92 Ecuador 34 Guatemala 19 Br azil 2 Mexico 1

As no candidate has obtained the required two-thirds majority for the one seat that remains to be filled by the Latin American Group, we shall now, in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure, hold a third unrestricted ballot, which will be the seventh ballot. Members may vote for any State from the Group of Latin American States with the exception, naturally, of those States which are already members of the Economic and Social Council, including the States elected at the 46th plenary meeting. For the sake of clarity, I shall repeat the names of Members for which the Assembly may not vote during this ballot: Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. I call on the representative of Guatemala, who has asked to make a statement. Mr. ANDRADE DIAZ:DURAN (Guatemala) (interpretation from Spanish): With a view to facilitating the voting and out of a sense of Group solidarity, Guatemala has decided to withdraw its candidacy for a seat on the Economic and Social Council. We had maintained our candidacy at the request of the five Central American Governments because we felt that our participation in the work of the Council on behalf of our subregion was important. But in view of the circumstances and in order to avoid unnecessary balloting, Guatemala formally and finally withdraws its candidacy. We thank those delegations that did us the honour of voting for us. .

I call on the representative of Argentina, who has asked to make a statement. Mr.-DELPECH (Argentina) (interpretation from Spanish): As current Chairman of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, I wish to announce, at the request of the delegation of Ecuador, that also to facilitate the election of a candidate to fill the remaining seat on the Economic and Social Council that delegation, too, has decided to withdraw its candidacy. Thus, there remains only a single candidate from the Latin American and Caribbean Group.

Ballot papers will now be distributed. I request members to write on the ballot paper the name of only one State. Ballots containing the names of more than one State will be declared invalid. At the invitation of the President, Mr. :Karbuczky: (Hungary); Mr. Hapsoro (Indonesia),:-Mr. Mwanzia- (Kenya): and Miss Haga (Norway) - acted: as: tellers. _ 4 vote was taken: by: secret-ballot. The meeting was suspended at: 4.25 p.m.' and resumed:at: 4:40-p.m,

The result of the voting is as follows: Number - of ballot: paper 83 150 Number of invalid: ballots: 1 Number of valid: ballots: 149 Abstentions: 5 Number of Members voting: 144 Required two-thirds: majority: $6 Number of-votes: obtained: Venezuela 132 Ecuador 8 Brazil 1 Guatemala 1 Nicaragua 4 Peru 1 Venezuela, having obtained the required: two-thirds: majority, was’ elected: a member of the Economic:and Social Council: for: a: period: of: three: years: beginning on l January: 1988,

I congratulate the State which has just been elected a member of the Economic and Social Council, and thank the tellers for their assistance in the election. We have thus concluded our consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 1. The-meetingrose at: 4; 45° pam.