A/47/PV.102 General Assembly

I now call on the representative of Senegal, Mr. Keba Birane Cisse, who will speak on behalf of the Group of African States. Mr. CISSE (Senegal) (interpretation from French): It is with deep regret and sorrow that the international community learned of the assassination of President Premadasa of Sri Lanka following an attack that also took the lives of many other people. This tragic death of a great figure who was an outstanding political leader in his country is indeed a great loss for Sri Lanka and for the international community. He not only greatly contributed to Sri Lanka's international standing but also throughout his life demonstrated wisdom, open-mindedness and a commitment to international peace and security. On behalf of the members of the Group of African States and on my own personal behalf, I should like to extend to the Government, the people and the family of the late President Premadasa our deepest condolences and sympathy. As the representativeofSen,egal, which has excellent ;-elations with Sri Lanka, I should like to add that 1 personally greatly appreciated the sound policies followed by PresidEtJit Premadasa in ensudngclose relations between the two countries. I trust that what, he has done will continue to guide the people of Sri Lanka, as well as many other peoples, so that the torch of peace will remain aloft.

I call on the representative of China, Mr. Chen Jian, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Asian States. Mr. CHEN Jian (China): It is with. profound sorrow that we heard of this tragic event. On beh~lf of the Group of Asian States and on my own personal behalf, allow me to express our deepest condolences on the most unfortunate passing of His .Excellency Ranasinghe Premadasa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. President Premadasa was a leader whose vision and deep commitment were not limited to his own people and nation. He was also an eminent statesman dedicated to promoting amity, cooperation and welfare regionally and internationally. At the national level, he worked tirelessly to secure socio-economic development for his own people through bold and liberal economic policies. His pioneering efforts in combining liberal economic policies with programmes such as poverty alleviation are well known to all. At the regional and international levels, he strove to foster cooperation and conciliation, which are fundamental tenets of the Charter of the United " Nations. We can still recall his presence here at the United Nations in 1980, when he presented his proposals on the International Year of Shelter for the :ijom~j,ess...lIb.propo$aiwas 1~te.,~"_e~r-~~@4 ];):y"t~e illte~~at1oi1al(:olMl~nity.and eV01.,fedinto theC;loba.l$t~ate9Yt'Qf: She:J.t~tt()tll~~Xe2l1;' aOOOllJ).C!Et; the aegis . c of ·the uniteCl :Nat~o~$"CQIMli.ssion on Hwnan" S~ttlements •.. J;n ~iso)m. reqion tile late ~reddent achieved notabl.es'!1c<::esses in prom6 1tinq reqional coopere.tion durinq his chairinanship of the South Asian Association for Reqional Cooperation (SAAtC). I.t is now up· to us to ensure th~t His ExcelleI!.cy Mr. Ranasinqhe Premadass's vision of apee.ceful and prosperous world for all will not be lost, and that the cause for uhich he worked so hard will be carried on. Its realization will be the best posisible service we can ever render in his memory.

I call on the representative of Latvia, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States. Mr. BAUMANIS (Latvia): On behalf of the States of the Eastern European Group, which I have the honour to represent today, I should like to express our condolences on the traqic death of His Excellency Mr. Ranasinghe Premadasa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. We express our deep sorrow to the Government and the people of Sri Lanka, and to the bereaved family. The deceased was acti"e in promotinq the Objective of assistinq countries and reqions in solvinq human-settlement problems and advocated qreater international cooperation in that sector. We express the hope that those who follow President Premadasa will continue his important work. In these sad circumstances we stand with the people of Sri Lanka and wish them all the best for the future.

I call on the representative of Bolivia, who will speak on behalf of the Gronp of Latin American and Caribbean States. . Mr. SERRATE CUELLAR (Bolivi~) (interpret~ti.on from Spanish): On behalf o~the ~~tin American andCar~bbean Group, 'I wish to express profound sorrow on the tragic death of His Excellency Mr. Ranasinghe Premadasa, President of the Republic of Sri Lanka, which occurred on 1 May 1993. We believe that the people of Sri Lanka and the international community as a whole have suffered a grea~ loss through the death of one of their leaders. ~hrouqhout his intensely active public life, President Premadasa always identified with the most vulnerable, the poor of his town, his city, his country and the world. He promoted concrete actions aimed at caring for the neediest at all levels - local, national and international alike. His work included notable statements in this lofty Assembly on behalf of the dispossessed, and he attained major accomplishments in the field of housing and human settlements. His unexpected passing brought even greater pain and consternation by dint of his being yet another victim of the criminal scourge of terrorism. In many countries of Latin America and the Caribbean we are acquainted with the ruthless, blind and unjust nature of such acts of violence, which in this case took the life of President Ranasinghe Premadasa, a highly valued personage of international magnitude. We believe that international cooperation is fundamental for the prevention and elimination of terrorism, and that such cooperation must come about at the world-wide, regional, subregional and bilateral levels so that all Governments will have at their disposal the tools necessary to face up to that criminal scourge. In thia ~egard, ~atin America and the Caribbean, while hoping that peace, the rule o~ law and justice will be the best response to the sacrificed lives of the President of Sri Lanka and of others, wish to convey to the people and the Government of Sri'Lanka their deep sorrow and full solidarity in this difficult hour of grief and anguish. Allow us also tl) convey, through our friends'and colleagues of the delegation of Sri Lanka, our deepest condolences to the families of President Premadasa and the other victims of this tragic event. May peace be with all.

I call on the representative of Italy, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Western European and Other States. Mr. FULCI (Italy}: I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of Western European ilnd Other States. It is with deep sorrow that I wish to pay tribute to the memory of the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr. Ranasinghe Premadasa. We deeply deplore the loss of his life and the lives of those who were with him when he was ki11ea, and we strongly condemn the cowardly act of terrorism which br9ught it about. He was a man universally known for his moderation and ideals of equality and justice, ideals for which he struggled unceasinglY and for which, I dare say, he ultimately gave his life. As a member of his country's constituent assembly, President Premadasa contributed significantly to the drafting of the State constitution in 1972 and 1977, to the point that he can rightly be considered one of the fathers of the Republic of Sri Lanka's present constitutional system. a~vinq'hisroot:s in the peasantry andhavinq thus experienced poverty first-hand, president Premadasa fought relent1e$sly to improve the standard of livinq of the less fortunate people of his country. He succeeded in providing .' medical care, education, bet,ter'houdnq and betteI'1i,vi,.nq conditions for his people. President Premadasa's very deep-rooted feelinqs on poverty led him to address the General Assembly in 1980, at its thirty-fifth session, presentinq his historlc proposal of declarlnq an International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. This noble idea became a reality in October 1987, when Pr~sident Premadasa himself addressed a special meetinq of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and formally declared 1987 the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. Allow me once aqain to extend my deepest condolences to the deleqation, the Government and the people of Sri Lanka on this most traqic loss and express the sincere hope that they will rapidly overcome the present situation.

I call on the representative of the United States of America, the host country. (Mr. Fulcic Ital~) Mr. HICKS (United, States of Amedca): The United States deplores the br~tal act of terrorism that led to the assassinat~on of President RanasinghePremadasaof Sri Lanka. President premadasa was noted for his efforts to alleviate poverty., provide employment and build housing for the people of Sri Lanka. His .efforts to improve the standard of living in his country should serve as an example to the leaders of all nations of the world. Sri Lanka has been a democracy since its independence in 1948. We in the United States are proud of our shared democratic traditions and the close relations we have maintained with Sri Lanka for more than 40 years. We extend our sympathy to the people of Sri Lanka and stand with them in friendship during this tragic time. We extend ~ur sympathy also to the families of the other victims of this tragic event.

I now call on the representative of Sri Lanka. '" Mr. KALPAGE (Sri Lanka): On behalf of the Sri Lankan delegation and on behalf of the people and Government of Sri Lanka, I should like to express our sincere appreciation for the warm tributes just paid to the memory of our late President, His Excellency Mr. Ranasinghe Premadasa, on this occasion of grief and anguish for our country and for our region. My delegation was moved by the sentiments of condolence and solidarity expressed by you, Mr. President, by the chairmen of the regional groups and by the representative of the host country on the passing away of President Premadasa of Sri Lanka. President Premadasa addressed the General Assembly on three occasions. He was a strong supporter of the noble purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. He advocated a foreign policy in which the United Nations was given a central role in the international decision-making process. PresidentPrernadasa ~Ui.eved that eXarllplewas better'tha.J:1 precept. He lived an exemplary life of marked sirnJ?licity~ He subjected himself to spartan discipline. He was firmly committed to the service' of his people. He gave voice to sentiments of peace anci harmony, equity and justice for all. To his responsibilities as the elected leader of Sri Lanka, President Premadasa brought to bear his own unrivalled experience gathereci throtigh long years of public life. His manifesto at. the presidential election of 1988, entitled "A New Vision, a New Deal", presented his own clear vision of a better future for Sri Lanka, with hope for the common man. He was specially conc(rned with the poor and needy. His poverty-alleviation concept, Janasaviya - the people's strength - was pragmatic and unique in it~: innovativeness. His annual "Gam Ydawa" - or village reawakening projects in impoverished areas - stirred the imagination of the people and brought them hitherto unrealized common benefits. The late President earned the people's admiration and gratitude for his widely known housing programme. He shared his experience with the world community. It was Mr. Premadasa's initiative which resulted in the General Ass~mbly's declaring 1987 f:he International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. As a result of that proposal, the General Assemb17 formulated the Global Strategy of Shelter to the Year 2000. President Premadasa g~ve regional coooperati~n in South Asia a new dimension, a fresh momentum. His stewardship as Chairman of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation was widely acclaimed to have been both dynamic and productive. The tangible results of regional cooperation in poverty alleviation; prefevential regional trade; scientific, technological and educational exchange; Lmproved communications;. and action against terrorism are already evid.:!nt. Presi(lent Prelll~d~sa stoo(l fQraunitecland in1:eqrate(l Sri ~anka in which a plurali,sticsC?ciety living in har~0!-1y·W'ou1d :be engaged in peace:!u1 'discourse . .. and (leve],opment. ~e firmly beli,eve(l in the process of consultation, compromise and.consensUs, ,.. 'the veJ:'yspirit that should be the basis of relations within and among nations in these challenging times. A life of distinguished service has ended. An eloquent and inspiring voice has been stilled. A man of peace has been struck down by a wanton act of terrorism, even as he was tirelessly working towards democratic political solutions to the underlying problems that can give rise to terrorism. This tragedy will no doubt bring into sharper focus the need for the strenghthening of international coope~ation to overcome the scourge of terrorism. Although President Premadasa is no more, the memories of a great leader will remain forever in the hearts and minds of a grateful people whose cause he so effectively espoused and tirelessly worked for. Sri Lanka must, and will, get over this dark chapter in its long history. Depsite this tragic event, the strong and lasting democratic institutions of Sri Lanka have ensured the continuity of governance in accordance with our Constitution and within the framework of parliamentary democracy-· a tradition Sri Lanka has uninterruptedly adhered to for over four decades. Let me conclude, Mr. President, by assuring you and the Member States that my delegation will convey your kind sentiments of sympathy and sorrow to the members of the bereaved family and to the Government of Sri Lanka. A.GENJ)A ITEl'f16 (cQnJ;i.nued) ELECTIONS TO FILL.VACAlJC.I.ES ~lfS'UBSIDI~~ ORGANS AND OTHER .ELECTIONS (a) ELECTION OF TWELVEMF.:MBER$OF THE. WORLDFQOD ..COUNCIL (A/471401,lAdd.l)

The General Assemblywi11llow cOllsider s11b-item (a) of agenda item 16 in order to fill the, one remai.~ingvacancy in the World Food Council. Members will recall that the AsseMbly~ at its 44th plenary meeting, held on 24 October 1992, on the basis of the nominations by the Economic and Social Council and in accordance with paragraph 8 of resolution 3348 (XXI~), adopted on 17 December 1974, elected 11 members of the World Food Council - namely, three African States for three vacancies: Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and-Tunisia; two Asian States for three vacancies: the Islamic Republic of Iran and Japan; one Eastern European State for.one vacancy': Hungary; two Latin American and Caribbean States for two vacancies: Ecuador and Peru; three Western European and other States for three vacancies: France, Italy and Norway. \ Assembly has befoJ;',e it 'docUJtlentAI471401/Add~1which contains the nomination by the Economic and Social Council of a Member State from 'that reqiotio The Economie and Social Council basn.ominated Il1diafor Clect!op. to the World Food Council by the General Assembly for a term of office beqinning- on the date of electiQz and expiring on 31 December 1995. In accordance with paraqraph 16 of decision 34/401, the Assembly may dispense with balloting when the number of States nominated from amonq the reqions is equal to the number of seats to be filled. May I take it that the General Assembly, on the basis of the nomination by the Economic and Social Council, and in accordance with paragraph 8 of its resolution 3348 (XXIX) of 17 December 1974, wishes to declare India elected a member of the World Food Council for a term of office beginning today, 6 May 1993, and expiring- on 31 December 19951 It was so decided.

1~e Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item (a) of aqenda item 16.

The Assembly will now consider the reports of the Fifth Committee on aqenda items 103 and 104. I call on the Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee, Mr. Jorqe Osella of Arqentina, who will introduce the reports of the Fifth Committee in one intervention. Mr,QSEt.~ (Argentina), Rapporteu,r of the Fij:th Committee (interp:retatiClI1 from Spani$h): It is my honour to ~ntro",uce .to the General Assembly Part IIQft.he repQrt of the Fifth Committee on a~el1da item 103, "~eviewof t.he efficiency of the administrative a.nd.financial functioninq of the United Nations", and.aqenda item 104, "Proqramme budqet for the biennium 1992-1993", inconnec::tion with the Committee's consideration of the restructuring of the SecrGtarlat, Part 11 of the Fifth CommitteeOs report on the s~ject. is contained in document A/47/932, As indicated in paragraph 2 of the report, the Committeecon~ideredthese items at its 5~th to 62nd, and 66th meetings, At its 66th meeting, the Vice-Chairman, following informal consultations, introduced; on behalf of the Chairman. of the Committee, an orally revised draft resolution, contained in document A/C,5/47/L,36, At the same meeting, the Vice-Chairman submitted a draft decision under agenda item 103, "Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations", whic~ had been drafted following informal consultations', The draft resolution and the draft decision were adopted by the Committee without a vote. As indicated in paragraphs 10 and 11 of the report, the Fifth Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the draft resolution and the draft decision, In connection with agenda item 104, "Programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993", as indicated i~ paragraph 2 of Part 11 of the Fifth Committee's report contained in docwnent A/47/835/Add,1, the Committee considered the item at its 58th, 63rd and 66th meetings, In the cour~e of th~se meetings, the Fifth COl1l11\itteeconsidered and took decis~onson four special subjects under agendaiteln 104. ~he Fifth Committee's recommendat.iOns are contained in paragraphs 14 and 15 of the report. The Fifth Committee recommends to the General~ssemblythe adoption of the draft resolution contained in paragraph 14 and the draft decisions contained in paragraph 15.

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 which are before the Assembly today. It was so decided.

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 ~eneral 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 unl~ss 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. Be1;ol'e we begin to ta,kea,ction ontherec:ommendations contained in the reports ot' the Fifth Committee, I should 1.ike to advise representatives that we are gQing to proceed to take decisio~s in the same manner as was done in the Fifth Committee. The Assembly will now turn to Part 11 of the report (A/47/932) of the Fifth Committee on agenda item 103., "Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations", and on a,genda item 104, "Programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993", which concerns the r~structuring of the Secretariat. The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 10 of Part 11 of the report (A/47/932) and on the draft decision recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 11 of Part 11 of the same report. We turn first to the draft resolution recommended in paragraph 10 of Part 11 of the report. With regard to the title of the draft resolution, I should like to point out that in the English text the word "and" should be added after the words "United Nations" so that the title of the draft r:!solution will read as follows: "Review of the e~ficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations and programme budget for th~ biennium 1992-1993". The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 47/212 B). TheP~ISIpENT: paragrapbll()f~art:tto~:thetep~rt. The (lraft (lecisiQn~ enti.tled tiConditions c)f 'se1'vlceand'compensation for officials.othel' thiUlSecretariat ofticialsu , was adopted brtheFifth Committee without a vote. May I take it that. the Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft decision was adopted.

We have thus concluded this stage of our consideration of agenda items 103 and 104. We turn now to Part II of the reJ?ort (Al47/835/~dd.1.) of the Fifth Committee On agenda item lO·t concerning' the programme budget. for the biennium 1.992-1993. The Assembly will cQnsider the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 14 of part 11 of its report (Al47/835/Add.l) and the two draft decisions recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 15 of the same docwnent. we shall first take a decision on the draft reSOlution. The draft resolution is entitled "Other questions relating to the programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993: Revised estimates under section 37 (Department of Political Affairs)". The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft resolution" was adopted (resolution ~7/230). 1he PRESIDENT: We shall now turn to the two draft decisions. Draft decision I, which concerns deferral of items, was adopted by the Fifth Committee without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same? Draft decision I was adopted.

Draft decision 11, entitled "Revised estimates under section 31 (Public Information): establishment and operation of seven United Nations interim offices", ~"as also adopted by the Fifth Committee without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same? Draft decision 11 was adopted.

~he General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 104. f:ROGRAMME OF WORK

I Should like to temind representatives that ~he \ General l\ssembly will be meetinq on Monday, 10M~y, at :1:.0 a.m., concurrently with the Security Council, to el~c:::t ~.membero£ the International Court of Justice. Themeetinq of the General l\ssembly will ta~e place in Conference Room 3. I should like to draw the l\ssembly's attention to the relevant documentation. First, document A/47/931, dated 23 April 1993, sets out the comp~sition of the Court and the procedure for the election in the General Assembly and in the Security Council. Secondly, document A/47/940, dated 5 May 1993, contains the list of candidates submitted within the required time for submission. Thirdly, the documentcontaininq the curricula vitae of the candidates will be issued tomorrow under the following sYmbol: A/47/941. I should like to seek the cooperation of representatives by asking them to be in their seats punctually at 10 a.m. on Monday. The meeting rose at 11.35 a.m.