A/55/PV.33 General Assembly

This morning, the General Assembly will proceed to the election of 18 members of the Economic and Social Council to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 2000. The 18 outgoing members are Algeria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, the Comoros, India, Italy, Lesotho, Mauritius, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Saint Lucia, Sierra Leone, the United States of America and Viet Nam. As of 1 January 2001, the following States will continue to be represented on the Economic and Social Council: Angola, Austria, Bahrain, Benin, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, the Czech Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Suriname, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Sudan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Venezuela. The names of these 36 States should therefore not appear on the ballots. 00-68457 (E) ````````` In accordance with paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 2847 (XXVI) of 20 December 1971, and taking into account the number of States that will remain members of the Council after 1 January 2001, the 18 members should be elected as follows: five from African States, four from Asian States, two from Eastern European States, three from Latin American and Caribbean States and four from Western European and other States. The ballot papers reflect this pattern. I should like to inform the Assembly that those candidates, their number not exceeding the number of seats to be filled, receiving the greatest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of those present and voting will be declared elected. In the case of a tie vote for a remaining seat, there will be a restricted ballot limited to those candidates that have obtained an equal number of votes. May I take it that the General Assembly agrees to that procedure?

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election shall be held by secret ballot, and there shall be no nominations. Regarding candidatures, the Chairmen of the respective regional Groups have informed the Secretariat that, for the five vacant seats from among the African States, the Group has endorsed five candidates: Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda. For the four vacant seats from among the Asian States, there are six candidates: the Islamic Republic of Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea and the United Arab Emirates. For the two vacant seats from among the Eastern European States, the Group has endorsed two candidates: Georgia and Romania. For the three vacant seats from among the Latin American and Caribbean States, there are four candidates. They are Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago. For the four vacant seats from among the Western European and other States, the Group has endorsed four candidates: Andorra, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States of America. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, we shall now proceed to the election by secret ballot. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that, pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. I should like to seek the usual cooperation of representatives during the time of the conduct of the election. As members are all aware, once the voting begins, all campaigning should cease on the main floor of the General Assembly Hall. This means in particular that, until the election is completed, no more campaign material can be distributed inside the Hall and all representatives are requested to remain at their seats. Ballot papers marked “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” and “E” will now be distributed. I request representatives to use only those ballot papers and to write on them the names of the States for which they wish to vote. A ballot paper containing more names from the relevant region than the number of seats assigned to it will be declared invalid. Names of Member States on a ballot paper that do not belong to that region will not be counted at all.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group A – African States Number of ballot papers: 166 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 165 Abstentions: 5 Number of members voting: 160 Required two-thirds majority: 107 Number of votes obtained: Egypt 157 Ethiopia 155 Nigeria 152 South Africa 152 Uganda 141 Tunisia 1 Swaziland 1 Group B – Asian States Number of ballot papers: 166 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 165 Abstentions: 1 Number of members voting: 164 Required two-thirds majority: 110 Number of votes obtained: Pakistan 125 Republic of Korea 115 Nepal 104 Islamic Republic of Iran 103 United Arab Emirates 95 Philippines 89 Kyrgyzstan 1 Group C – Eastern European States Number of ballot papers: 166 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 165 Abstentions: 7 Number of members voting: 158 Required two-thirds majority: 106 Number of votes obtained: Romania 152 Georgia 148 Poland 7 Lithuania 1 Group D – Latin American and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 166 Number of invalid ballots: 2 Number of valid ballots: 164 Abstentions: 1 Number of members voting: 163 Required two-thirds majority: 109 Number of votes obtained: Brazil 122 Peru 115 Argentina 113 Trinidad and Tobago 106 Guatemala 1 Haiti 1 Group E – Western European and other States Number of ballot papers: 166 Number of invalid ballots: 2 Number of valid ballots: 164 Abstentions: 4 Number of members voting: 160 Required two-thirds majority: 107 Number of votes obtained: Andorra 156 Italy 156 United States of America 148 Netherlands 147

There remain two seats to be filled from among the Asian States. We shall therefore proceed to the first restricted ballot. The second round of balloting shall be restricted to the four States from among the Asian States that were not elected but obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Nepal, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates. This is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure. Ballot papers marked “B” 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 the Islamic Republic of Iran, Nepal, the Philippines or the United Arab Emirates, as well as if they contain the names of more than two States.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B – Asian States Number of ballot papers: 171 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 171 Abstentions: 0 Number of members voting: 171 Required two-thirds majority: 114 Number of votes obtained: Nepal 109 Islamic Republic of Iran 99 United Arab Emirates 67 Philippines 58

Since no candidate obtained the required two-thirds majority in the previous ballot, there still remain two seats to be filled from among the Asian States. We shall therefore proceed to a second restricted ballot. The third round of balloting shall be restricted to the four States from among the Asian States that were not elected but that obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely the Islamic Republic of Iran, Nepal, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates. This is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure. I give the floor to the representative of the Philippines.

In order to be of help to the Assembly, the Philippines is withdrawing from the election. I would like to thank those who supported us by voting for the Philippines.

I thank the representative of the Philippines for his cooperation. Taking into account the statement made by the representative of the Philippines, we shall proceed to the current restricted ballot in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “B” 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 the Islamic Republic of Iran, Nepal, the Philippines or the United Arab Emirates, as well as if they contain the names of more than two States.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B – Asian States Number of ballot papers 168 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 168 Abstentions: 0 Number of members voting: 168 Required two-thirds majority: 112 Number of votes obtained: Nepal 136 Islamic Republic of Iran 129 United Arab Emirates 61

The following 18 States have thus been elected members of the Economic and Social Council for a three-year term beginning 1 January 2001: Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Nepal, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Romania, South Africa, Uganda and the United States of America. I congratulate those States which have been elected members of the Economic and Social Council, and I thank the tellers for their assistance in this election.