A/52/PV.87 General Assembly

In a letter contained in document A/52/785/Add.7, the Secretary-General informs me that, since the issuance of his communications dated 4 February, 23 and 31 March, 27 April, 6 and 15 May and 2 June 1998, Ecuador and Yemen have made the necessary payments to reduce their arrears below the amount specified in Article 19 of the Charter. May I take it that the General Assembly duly takes note of this information?

Members will recall that at its 86th plenary meeting on Tuesday, 2 June 1998, the Assembly decided to consider this item directly in plenary meeting. In connection with this item, the Assembly has before it a draft resolution recommended by the Economic and Social Council, which is issued as document A/52/L.74. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/52/L.74. The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/52/L.74, entitled “Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action”. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/52/L.74?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 106?

As members will recall, the General Assembly began consideration of both items at its 86th plenary meeting on 2 June 1998. In my letters of the same date transmitting to the Permanent Representatives texts of the draft decision under agenda item 21 and the draft resolution under agenda item 60, I stated that, in the absence of any objection by 12 noon yesterday, 3 June 1998, I would have the revised texts issued as “L” documents. I should like to inform members that I have received a reply from only one delegation, which reads as follows: “I would like to inform you that my delegation has carefully studied the revised texts following the debate in the General Assembly yesterday and is in complete agreement that you can now proceed accordingly.” I hope that all those present will associate themselves with this letter. With this concurrence, the Assembly therefore has before it a draft decision submitted under agenda item 21, issued as document A/52/L.76, and a draft resolution submitted under agenda item 60, issued as document A/52/L.77. I should like to draw the attention of Member States to a slight correction in the English version of draft resolution A/52/L.77. The first “of” in the second line of the first preambular paragraph should be replaced by the words “contained in”. The first preambular paragraph should therefore read: “Having considered the aspects concerning the organization of work of its regular sessions contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 51/241,”. In draft decision A/52/L.76, the General Assembly welcomes the views expressed by the Presidents of the Assembly at its forty-ninth, fiftieth and fifty-first sessions, commends the efforts made by the Main Committees in the With regard to draft resolution A/52/L.77, members will recall that the General Assembly held informal consultations immediately after the adjournment of the 86th plenary meeting to discuss the text of the draft resolution on the organization of work of the regular sessions of the General Assembly. Draft resolution A/52/L.77 is the result of the consultations. In the preambular paragraphs of draft resolution A/52/L.77, the General Assembly recalls resolution 51/241, whereby it adopted the recommendations of the Open-ended High-level Working Group on the Strengthening of the United Nations System, and notes the provisions of resolution 36/67 of 30 November 1981 concerning the opening date of the regular session as well as the observance of the International Day of Peace. In the operative part, the General Assembly sets the date of 8 September 1998 for the closing of its fifty-second session and 9 September for the opening of its fifty-third session. By this draft resolution, the Assembly would continue to observe the International Day of Peace on the opening day of the regular session, and include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session the item entitled “Strengthening of the United Nations system” for further consideration. In view of the urgency of the matter before us and the desire of the members to dispose of these items expeditiously, I should like to consult the Assembly with a view to proceeding immediately to consider the draft decision under agenda item 21, contained in document A/52/L.76, and the draft resolution under agenda item 60, contained in document A/52/L.77. In this connection, since both documents A/52/L.76 and A/52/L.77 have been circulated only this morning, it would be necessary to waive the relevant provision of rule 78 of the rules of procedure. However, I should like to remind members that the texts of the draft decision and the draft resolution have been made available to delegations as annexes to my letters dated 2 June 1998 to all Permanent Representatives. The relevant provision of rule 78 reads as follows: “As a general rule, no proposal shall be discussed or put to the vote at any meeting of the General Assembly unless copies of it have been Unless I hear any objection, I will take it that the Assembly agrees with this proposal.

We shall now proceed to consider draft decision A/52/L.76, submitted under agenda item 21, and draft resolution A/52/L.77, submitted under agenda item 60. I shall now call on a representative who wishes to make a statement in explanation of vote. May I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. I should like also to remind members that when we started discussing these items, only three statements were made by representatives, and none of them exceeded 10 minutes.

The delegation of Costa Rica, which proposed the International Day of Peace — observed each year on the opening day of the regular session of the General Assembly — is in full agreement with the proposed change, which is being made because the session of the General Assembly is to begin on an earlier date. For that reason, we support the decision and express our appreciation for the continued observance of the International Day of Peace on the opening day of the session of the General Assembly.

We have just heard the only speaker in explanation of vote before the vote. The Assembly will first take a decision on the draft decision under agenda item 21 (A/52/L.76), then on the draft resolution submitted under agenda item 60 (A/52/L.77). We turn first to draft decision A/52/L.76 submitted under agenda item 21. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt the draft decision?

We turn now to draft resolution A/52/L.77 submitted under agenda item 60, the English text

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 21?

May I also take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 60?

I would like to remind you that we close this session on 8 September and open the next session on 9 September.

Members will recall that at the 82nd plenary meeting, on 31 March 1998, the General Assembly reopened the consideration of this sub-item and decided to consider it directly in plenary meeting, so that the Assembly could take note of the letters from the Chairman of the Second Committee relating to the timing, modalities and focus of the two-day high-level dialogue on the theme of the social and economic impact of globalization and interdependence and their policy implications. In this connection, the General Assembly has before it two letters from the Chairman of the Second Committee circulated in documents A/52/832 and A/52/919.

I should like to recall for the attention of delegations that, by taking note of these two letters, the General Assembly has thus decided, inter alia, that the high-level dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership will take May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 97? It was so decided.