A/56/PV.23 General Assembly

The General Assembly will now proceed to the election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 2001. The five outgoing non-permanent members are the following: Bangladesh, Jamaica, Mali, Tunisia and Ukraine. Those five States cannot be re-elected, and therefore their names should not appear on the ballot papers. Apart from the five permanent members, the Security Council will include in 2002 the following States: Colombia, Ireland, Mauritius, Norway and Singapore. The names of those States, therefore, should also not appear on the ballot papers. Of the five non-permanent members which will remain in office in 2002, two are from Africa and Asia, one is from Latin America and the Caribbean and two are from Western European and other States. Consequently, pursuant to paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 1991 A (XVIII) of 17 December 1963, the five non-permanent members should be elected according to the following pattern: three from Africa and Asia, one from Eastern Europe and one from Latin America and the Caribbean. The ballot papers reflect that pattern. In accordance with established practice, there is an understanding to the effect that, of the three States to be elected from Africa and Asia, two should be from Africa and one from Asia. I should like to inform the Assembly that those candidates, their number not exceeding the number of seats to be filled, which receive the greatest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of members 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 which 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, I have been informed by the Chairmen of the relevant regional groups of the following. For the three vacant seats from among the African and Asian States, there are three endorsed candidates: Cameroon, Guinea and the Syrian Arab Republic. For the Eastern European States, there are two candidates for one vacant seat: Belarus and Bulgaria. As for the Latin American and Caribbean States, there are also two candidates for one vacant seat: the Dominican Republic and Mexico. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, we shall proceed now 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 conduct of the election. I remind representatives that during the voting process all campaigning should cease in the General Assembly Hall. That means, in particular, that once the meeting has begun, no more campaign material may be distributed inside the Hall. All representatives are also requested to remain in their seats so that the voting process can proceed in an orderly manner. I thank members for their cooperation. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “A”, “B” and “C” will now be distributed. I request representatives to use only those ballot papers that have been distributed and to write on them the names of the five 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.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group A — African and Asian States Number of ballot papers: 178 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 177 Abstentions: 0 Number of members voting: 177 Required two-thirds majority: 118 Number of votes obtained: Guinea 173 Cameroon 172 Syrian Arab Republic 160 Group B — Eastern European States Number of ballot papers: 178 Number of invalid ballots: 3 Number of valid ballots: 175 Abstentions: 2 Number of members voting: 173 Required two-thirds majority: 116 Number of votes obtained: Bulgaria 120 Belarus 53 Group C — Latin American and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 178 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 177 Abstentions: 0 Number of members voting: 177 Required two-thirds majority: 118 Number of votes obtained: Mexico 116 Dominican Republic 60 Dominica 1

I congratulate the States that have been elected members of the Security Council. There remains one seat to be filled from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. We shall therefore proceed to the first restricted ballot. The second round of balloting shall be restricted to the two States from among the Latin American and Caribbean States that were not elected but that obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely the Dominican Republic and Mexico. That is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure. 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. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “C” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers marked “C”, for the Latin American and Caribbean States, the name of the one State for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “C” will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than the Dominican Republic or Mexico, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group C — Latin American and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 178 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 178 Abstentions: 0 Number of members voting: 178 Required two-thirds majority: 119 Number of votes obtained: Mexico 138 Dominican Republic 40

I congratulate Mexico, which has been elected a member of the Security Council, and I thank the tellers for their assistance in this election. The following five States have thus been elected members of the Security Council for a two-year term beginning 1 January 2002: Bulgaria, Cameroon, Guinea, Mexico and the Syrian Arab Republic. This concludes our consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 15. Programme of work

I should like to make an announcement concerning agenda item 20, entitled “Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance”. I have requested His Excellency Mr. Hubert Wurth, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations, who during the previous session so ably conducted the informal consultations on draft resolutions under that agenda item, to assist once again in the same capacity at this session. Ambassador Wurth has graciously accepted. I request those delegations intending to submit draft resolutions under agenda item 20 to do so as early as possible in order to allow time, if need be, for negotiations, with a view to reaching consensus on the draft resolutions.