A/56/PV.110 General Assembly

I should like to draw the attention of the General Assembly to a note by the Secretary-General contained in document A/56/1024. As indicated in the footnote that document, in order for the General Assembly to consider the note, it will be necessary to reopen consideration of sub-item (j) of agenda item 21, “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity”. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to reopen consideration of sub-item (j) of agenda item 21?

Members will recall that at its 3rd plenary meeting, held on 19 September 2001, the General Assembly decided to consider sub-item (j) of agenda item 21 directly in plenary meeting. In order for the General Assembly to take action expeditiously on the present note, may I further take it that the Assembly agrees to proceed immediately to the consideration of sub-item (j) of agenda item 21?

May I take it that the General Assembly, having considered the note by the Secretary-General, decides that the African Union will assume the rights and responsibilities of the Organization of African Unity as an observer invited in accordance with General Assembly resolution 2011 (XX) and the cooperation agreement between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity?

In this connection, I should like to recall that, in the provisional agenda of the fifty-seventh session (document A/57/150), the title of the sub-item appears as “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity”. In view of the decision just taken by the General Assembly, may I take it that the Assembly wishes to change the title of the sub-item to “Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union”?

I now give the floor to the representative of the African Union.

Allow me to convey to you, Sir, our great satisfaction at seeing you preside over the current meeting. Now that the General Assembly has adopted a decision on the African Union, I would like, on behalf of Mr. Amara Essy, Interim Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, to convey our gratitude to the General Assembly for the support it has just voiced to our organization. The African Union was born on 9 July 2002, with the praiseworthy objectives enshrined in the Constitutive Act. The African Union will rely on its own potentials to attain those objectives, and, in particular, on the sincere cooperation that should exist with its partners. We hope that cooperation will be very fruitful. This is an important moment for us. A new, hope- filled era is beginning. We believe that, through the ambitious programme adopted by the African Union with the participation of the Members of the United Nations, we will be able to achieve the hopes of Africans within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (j) of agenda item 21?

I now give the floor to the representative of South Africa to introduce draft resolution A/56/L.84.

Today is indeed a historic day for us from the African continent, as the Organization of African Unity is being replaced in this Hall by the African Union. I have the pleasure to introduce draft resolution A/56/L.84. I would like to begin by stating that in addition to the sponsors that appear on the draft resolution — Azerbaijan, Belgium, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt and South Africa — this draft resolution is also sponsored by the following countries: Algeria, Austria, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Kuwait, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. This draft resolution dates back to resolution 56/218, of 21 December 2001, in which it was decided that a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly would be held on 16 September 2002 to consider how to support the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). At the time that resolution was discussed, there was a possibility of our having two days for this high-level event. But, following consultations and negotiations, 16 September is the only day that we have for the high-level event in support of NEPAD. Because of the fact that this is to be a one-day event, we have faced the tremendous challenge of trying to accommodate all Member States wishing to participate in the debate that will be held on 16 September 2002. In the end, we have come up with a draft resolution that we believe enjoys consensus among many Member States. The draft resolution would decide to hold a high-level meeting on 16 September 2002 to consider how to support the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. That session would consist of two plenary meetings, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Together with those two plenary meetings, there would also be a separate informal panel. The speakers’ list for the debate in the plenary meetings shall be organized on a first-come-first- served basis, and the order of precedence shall be heads of State or Government, vice-presidents, crown princes and princesses, deputy prime ministers, the highest-ranking officials of the Holy See and Switzerland — in their capacities as observer States — Palestine — in its capacity as an Observer — ministers, vice-ministers, chairmen of delegations and everyone else representing their country. However, because it is to be a one-day meeting, we decided to adopt a formula that would ensure that we could take advantage of the presence of heads of State or Government who will be here for the fifty-seventh session, as well as of the ministers expected to attend the session. In addition, if I may digress for a moment, the speakers’ list will not be open until 10 September, in order to be fair to many of our colleagues who are not here or who are or who are on vacation. That will allow us to open up the speakers’ list with everyone in town, so that no one will have an added advantage or disadvantage. The draft resolution would also decide that the informal panel would be held parallel with the afternoon plenary meeting, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The panel’s theme would be “The international community’s partnership with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development”. The draft resolution would further decide that the informal panel would be made up of five panellists, namely, the heads of State of the five initiating countries of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development: the Presidents of Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, Senegal and Egypt. The draft resolution would further decide that, at the end of the debate in the plenary meetings, the Head of State of Nigeria would orally present to the General Assembly a summary of the discussion in the informal panel. The formula we have come up with is one that we believe suits the concerns and needs of many delegations. We ask the Assembly to endorse it by consensus.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/56/L.84, entitled “Organization of the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly to consider how to support the New Partnership for Africa’s Development”. The following delegations have become additional sponsors of the draft resolution: the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, China, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Iceland, Madagascar, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, the Republic of Moldova, Sierra Leone, Sweden, the Syrian Arab Republic, Togo and the United States. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.84?

I should like to inform members that the list of speakers in the debate at the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly to consider how to support the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, to be held on 16 September, will be opened at the start of the fifty-seventh session. The General Assembly has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of agenda item 22.

Members will recall that, at its 3rd plenary meeting, held on 19 September 2001, the General Assembly included item 63 on the agenda of the fifty-sixth session. In connection with this item, I should like to draw the attention of members to document A/56/1020, which contains the text of a letter dated 31 July 2002 from the Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly, in which it is requested that the item entitled “Armed aggression against the Democratic Republic of the Congo” be included in the agenda of the fifty- seventh session of the General Assembly. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to defer consideration of this item, and to include it in the draft agenda of the fifty-seventh session?

This concludes our consideration of agenda item 63.