A/52/PV.41 General Assembly

This afternoon the General Assembly will continue with the election of 18 members of the Economic and Social Council to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 1997. As members will recall, when the 40th plenary meeting was adjourned earlier today there still remained to be filled two seats from among the Asian States, one seat from among the Eastern European States and one seat from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. I call on the representative of Georgia.

I take this opportunity to extend the warmest words of gratitude to those delegations that advocated Georgia’s membership of the Economic and Social Council and supported us to the very end. I would like also to congratulate warmly all those already elected to that important body, among them the delegation of Belarus from our regional group. Under the circumstances, and in order to facilitate the course of the election, the Georgian delegation has decided to withdraw its candidature. Once again, let me thank those who supported us, and extend our best wishes for success to the delegation of Poland.

I call on the representative of Qatar.

As members know, Qatar is among the candidates for membership of the Economic and Social Council. My country attaches great importance to occupying one of the seats allocated to the Asian States in order to represent our region. We recall that all countries large and small are eligible to stand for seats on the Economic and Social Council, something we have seen with respect to the African States and something which deserves the greatest respect and recognition from my country and its regional group. In view of our belief in the importance of representation for the Asian group and in view of the fact that Oman is among the candidates from that group, my delegation has decided to withdraw its candidature in favour of that of our sister State of Oman. I thank all those delegations that have supported our candidature throughout the process. In accordance with the rules of procedure, we shall proceed now to the third round of balloting, by secret ballot, for the remaining seats. This third round of balloting shall be restricted to those States which were not elected but which obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, and which have maintained their candidature: from among the Asian States, India, Malaysia and Oman; from among the Eastern European States, Poland; and from among the Latin America and Caribbean States, Guatemala and Peru. Ballot papers marked “B”, “C” and “D” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers the names of the States for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “B”, for the Asian States, will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than India, Malaysia or Oman, as well as if they contain the names of more than two States. Ballot papers marked “C”, for the Eastern European States, will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Poland, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State. Ballot papers marked “D”, for the Latin America and Caribbean States, will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Guatemala or Peru, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Asian States Number of ballot papers: 174 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 174 Abstentions: 1 Number of members voting: 173 Required two-thirds majority: 116 Number of votes obtained: Group C — Eastern European States Number of ballot papers: 174 Number of invalid ballots: 3 Number of valid ballots: 171 Abstentions: 13 Number of members voting: 158 Required two-thirds majority: 106 Number of votes obtained: Poland 158 Group D — Latin American and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 174 Number of invalid ballots: 2 Number of valid ballots: 172 Abstentions: 5 Number of members voting: 167 Required two-thirds majority: 112 Number of votes obtained: Peru 91 Guatemala 76

I congratulate the States that have been elected members of the Economic and Social Council. The following seats still remain to be filled: one seat from among the Asian States and one seat from among the Latin America and Caribbean States. I call on the representative of Malaysia.

I thank all those who have supported our candidature in the last three rounds of voting. Given the fact that there have been three ballots and in the light of our commitment to the Asian Group that we would not stand in the way of a clean slate, we wish to facilitate the proceedings today by withdrawing our candidature. I wish once again to express our deep appreciation to all those delegations that supported our candidature, and to convey our congratulations to those that have been elected. This, the fourth round of balloting, will be restricted to those States that were not elected but that obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot and which have maintained their candidature: from among the Asian States, Oman; and from among the Latin America and Caribbean States, Guatemala and Peru. Ballot papers marked “B” and “D” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on those ballot papers the names of the States for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “B”, for the Asian States, will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Oman, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State. Ballot papers marked “D”, for the Latin America and Caribbean States, will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Guatemala or Peru, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Asian States Number of ballot papers: 171 Number of invalid ballots: 2 Group D — Latin American and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 171 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 171 Abstentions: 1 Number of members voting: 170 Required two-thirds majority: 114 Number of votes obtained: Peru 92 Guatemala 78

I congratulate the State that has been elected a member of the Economic and Social Council. The following seat still remain to be filled: one seat from among the Latin America and Caribbean States. In accordance with the rules of procedure we should proceed next to an unrestricted ballot. However, in the course of consultations I have just undertaken with the parties concerned and with the Chairman of the Group of Latin America and Caribbean States it was agreed to propose that the Assembly postpone that unrestricted ballot until Monday, 3 November, at a time to be announced. May I take it that the Assembly agrees to that proposal?