A/55/PV.34 General Assembly

As members are aware, in accordance with the provisions of Article 12, paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations, and with the consent of the Security Council, the Secretary-General is mandated to notify the General Assembly of matters relative to the maintenance of international peace and security that are being dealt with by the Security Council and of matters with which the Council has ceased to deal. In this connection, the General Assembly has before it a note by the Secretary-General issued as document A/55/366. May I take it that the Assembly takes note of that document? 00-69189 (E) `````````

Pursuant to General Assembly decision 42/450 of 17 December 1987, the Assembly elects the members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination upon their nomination by the Economic and Social Council. The Assembly has before it document A/55/379, which contains the nominations by the Economic and Social Council to fill the vacancies in the Committee that will occur as a result of the expiration on 31 December 2000 of the terms of office of the Bahamas, France, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Uganda, the United States of America and Zambia. Those States are eligible for immediate re- election. I should like to remind members that after 1 January 2001 the following States will still be members of the Committee: Argentina, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, China, the Comoros, Cuba, Egypt, Gabon, Germany, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Japan, Mauritania, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay and Zimbabwe. Therefore, those 27 States are not eligible in this election. I should now like to inform members that the following States have been nominated by the Economic and Social Council. The two African States for two vacancies are Botswana and the United Republic of Tanzania. The one Eastern European State for one vacancy is the Russian Federation. The two Latin American and Caribbean States for two vacancies are the Bahamas and Mexico. The two Western European and other States for two vacancies are France and the United States of America. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, all elections should be held by secret ballot and there shall be no nominations. I should like to recall paragraph 16 of decision 34/401, whereby the practice of dispensing with the secret ballot for elections to subsidiary organs when the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled should become standard, unless a delegation specifically requests a vote on a given election. In the absence of such a request, may I take it that the Assembly decides to proceed to the election on that basis?

The number of States nominated from among the African States, the Eastern European States, the Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States is equal to the number of seats to be filled in each of those groups. May I therefore take it that the Assembly wishes to declare those States nominated by the Economic and Social Council from among the African States, the Eastern European States, the Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States — namely, the Bahamas, Botswana, France, Mexico, the Russian Federation, the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America — elected members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2001?

I congratulate the States that have been elected members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination. We have thus concluded our consideration of sub- item (a) of agenda item 16. (b) Election of seventeen members of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law

The General Assembly will now turn to the election of 17 members of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law to replace those members whose term of office expires on 24 June 200l. The 17 outgoing members are Algeria, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, China, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, the Russian Federation, Singapore and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Those members are eligible for immediate re- election. I should like to remind members that as of 25 June 2001 the following States will continue to be represented on the Commission: Argentina and Uruguay alternating for one seat, Austria, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Fiji, Honduras, Hungary, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Paraguay, Romania, Spain, the Sudan, Thailand, Uganda and the United States of America. Therefore, those 20 States are not eligible. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, all elections should be held by secret ballot and there shall be no nominations. I should like to recall paragraph 16 decision 34/401, whereby the practice of dispensing with the secret ballot for elections to subsidiary organs when the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled should become standard, unless a delegation specifically requests a vote on a given election. In the absence of such a request, may I take it that the Assembly decides to proceed to the election on that basis?

I shall now read the names of the candidates endorsed by the regional groups. For the five seats from among the African States, the five endorsed candidates are Benin, Cameroon, Morocco, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. For the three seats from among the Asian States, the three endorsed candidates are China, Japan and Singapore. For the two seats from among the Eastern European States, the two endorsed candidates are the Russian Federation and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. For the two seats from among the Latin American and Caribbean States, the two endorsed candidates are Brazil and Mexico. For the five seats from among the Western European and other States, the five endorsed candidates are Canada, France, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Since the number of candidates endorsed by the African States, the Asian States, the Eastern European States, the Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States corresponds to the number of seats to be filled in each group, I declare those candidates elected for a six-year term beginning on 25 June 2001. I congratulate the following States which have been elected members of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law for a six-year term beginning on 25 June 2001: Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This concludes our consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 16.

In paragraph 5 of the report contained in document A/55/424, the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint Mr. Wu Gang of China as a member of the Committee on Contributions for a term of office beginning on 16 October 2000 and ending on 31 December 2002. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint the person recommended?

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

I wish to inform members that at the request of the parties concerned, consideration of agenda item 36, entitled “Bethlehem 2000”, originally scheduled for this morning, is postponed to a later date to be announced.