A/53/PV.106 General Assembly

This morning, I should first like to invite the attention of the General Assembly to document A/53/1040, which contains a letter from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly in which he informs the Assembly that 29 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 contributions due from it for the preceding two full years.” ________________________ * Reissued for technical reasons. 99-86257E (E) *9986257E* Subsequently, in document A/53/1040/Add.1, the Secretary-General informs the President of the General Assembly that since the issuance of his communication contained in document A/53/1040, Dominica and Togo 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?

I should now like to draw the attention of representatives to document A/53/1043, which contains a letter from the Chairman of the Committee on Conferences dated 24 August 1999 addressed to the President of the General Assembly, under agenda item 8, entitled “Adoption of the agenda and organization of work”, and agenda item 117, entitled “Pattern of conferences”. In his letter, the Chairman of the Committee on Conferences informs the General Assembly that the May I take it that the General Assembly takes note of the letter from the Chairman of the Committee on Conferences contained in document A/53/1043?

We have thus concluded this stage of our consideration of agenda items 8 and 117.

In his note, the Secretary- General informs the General Assembly that he has received notification of the resignation of Mr. Leonid Bidnyi of the Russian Federation from the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, and that the Assembly will therefore be required to appoint at its current session a person to fill the unexpired portion of the term of office of Mr. Bidnyi, that is, until 31 December 1999. I should now like to recall for representatives that sub- item (a) entitled "Appointment of members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary questions" of agenda item 17 was allocated to the Fifth Committee. In order to proceed expeditiously, may I take it that the Assembly agrees to consider this sub-item directly in plenary meetings?

May I further take it that the Assembly agrees to proceed immediately to the consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 17? I see no objection. We shall therefore proceed accordingly. (a) Appointment of members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions Note by the Secretary-General (A/53/101/Add.1)

In his note, the Secretary- General further informs the General Assembly that the Government of the Russian Federation has nominated Vladimir Kuznetsov to fill the vacancy. May I therefore take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint Mr. Vladimir Kuznetsov as a member of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for a term of office beginning on 2 September and ending on 31 December 1999?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 17.

I should next like to draw the attention of representatives to document A/53/1046, which contains a letter from the Chairman of the Committee on Contributions dated 30 August 1999 addressed to the President of the General Assembly, under agenda item 118 "Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations". I should like to recall for representatives that agenda item 118 was allocated to the Fifth Committee. In order to proceed expeditiously, may I take it that the Assembly agrees to consider this item directly in plenary meetings?

May I further take it that the Assembly agrees to proceed immediately to the consideration of agenda item 118? I see no objection. We shall therefore proceed accordingly. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations Letter from the Chairman of the Committee on Contributions addressed to the President of the General Assembly (A/53/1046)

May I take it that the General Assembly takes note of the letter from the Chairman of the Committee on Contributions contained in document A/53/1046? The European Union stands by that statement and still expects that at its fifty-fourth session the General Assembly will have to reconsider Georgia’s case at the earliest opportunity. We regard the temporary exemption as an extraordinary, ad hoc measure which establishes no new precedent.

We have thus concluded this stage of our consideration of agenda item 118.