A/57/PV.83 General Assembly

This morning, it is my sad duty to pay tribute to the memory of the late President of the Republic of Nauru, His Excellency the Honourable Bernard Dowiyogo, who passed away on Sunday, 9 March 2003. On behalf of the General Assembly, I request the representative of Nauru to convey our condolences to the Government and the people of Nauru and to the bereaved family of His Excellency the Honourable Bernard Dowiyogo. I invite representatives to stand and observe a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of His Excellency the Honourable Bernard Dowiyogo.

I call on the representative of the Republic of Korea, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Asian States.

On behalf of the States members of the Asian Group, I take the floor to express our deep condolences to the bereaved family of President Bernard Dowiyogo and to the Government and the people of Nauru in their time of sorrow. President Dowiyogo was a dedicated statesman of Nauru for more than three decades. He came to the office of the presidency nine times and steadfastly advocated the causes of Nauru. Throughout his political life, President Dowiyogo also displayed an exceptional intellect and vision on a range of issues in international affairs. With a deep and abiding belief in multilateralism and cognizant of the challenges faced by small island developing States, such as Nauru, President Dowiyogo worked to strengthen international cooperation to achieve the goal of sustainable development. The world community will always remember President Dowiyogo’s noble contributions to the betterment of all humanity.

I call on the representative of Bulgaria, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States.

On behalf of the Eastern European Group of States Members of the United Nations, I would like to extend to the people and the Government of the Republic of Nauru our deepest and most sincere condolences for the demise of President Bernard Dowiyogo. Since the beginning of his political career in 1973, when he was elected as a member of Parliament, until his ninth and final term as President of the Republic Nauru, the late Bernard Dowiyogo served in an exemplary manner the interests of his people and his country. The fact that, before his election to the highest political post in the Republic of Nauru, he was a long- term member of cabinet as Minister of Health, Minister of Justice and Minister for Island Development and Industry is evidence of his outstandingly high competence and expertise. The late President Dowiyogo was a person of principle and stature and a politician of unswerving belief who worked relentlessly for democracy and his country. As Head of State and Government of the Republic of Nauru, Bernard Dowiyogo led the Nauru delegations to such landmark United Nations summits as the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the United Nations Millenium Assembly. He joined world leaders in adopting the historic Agenda 21 and the Millennium Declaration Goals. We are convinced that the political legacy of Bernard Dowiyogo, who dedicated his life to the prosperity and well-being of his people, will be cherished and built upon by future generations in Nauru.

I call on the representative of Barbados, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.

The Barbados delegation, on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, has the honour to pay tribute to the memory of the late President Bernard Dowiyogo of the Republic of Nauru. The States members of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States would like to take this opportunity to express their profound sympathy to the people of Nauru on the loss of its great leader and patriot and to the family of the late President. Even a brief review of the late President’s life will attest to the fact that he was totally committed to public life and to the service of his country. He was active in public life for 32 long years and served as President of Nauru as many as nine times. His great contribution to the achievement of the independence and development of his country should not go unnoticed, while, throughout his many years of service, he played a key diplomatic role in the international affairs of his country. The Latin American and Caribbean Group sincerely joins the international community in paying tribute to this great son and patriot of the Republic of Nauru.

I call on the representative of Mauritania, who will speak on behalf of the Group of African States.

I have the sad privilege today, on behalf of the African Group, of conveying to the friendly delegation, Government and people of Nauru our condolences on the loss of the President of the Republic of Nauru. It is clearly a heavy burden in such circumstances to express to our friends in Nauru the extent to which the African Group in its entirety shares their sorrow. The Republic of Nauru lost its President, the late Bernard Dowiyogo, during the course of extremely complicated heart surgery. President Dowiyogo died at the young age of 57 and had just begun his ninth and final term as President of Nauru. Obviously, having been re-elected nine times to that office, the late Bernard Dowiyogo can truly be considered a major personality in his country and beyond. We need only recall Bernard Dowiyogo’s career to note the great role he played in the political life of his country and on the international scene. Having studied law in Australia and in his own country, Bernard Dowiyogo launched his political career by being elected to Parliament in 1971 for the district which he represented continuously for 32 years, right up to his death. He was a member of several Governments in Nauru and occupied a variety of important ministerial posts. He was elected President for the first time in 1976, at the age of 30, thereby becoming Nauru’s youngest President ever. Bernard Dowiyogo was a man of principle and conviction, committed to human rights and to protecting the environment. He was a man of law and order who won the respect of all in Nauru and abroad. For those who have lost him — his wife, his eight children and his 29 grandchildren — I would recall Massillon’s beautiful funeral oration for Louis XIV. With respect to one who called himself Louis the Great, the orator said what the muezzin, in his incomparable voice, reminds us Muslims five times a day: God alone is great, my brothers. God alone is great; every one else is mortal.

I call on the representative of Andorra, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Western European and other States.

We are meeting today under very sad circumstances. It is my honour to take the floor on behalf of the Group of Western European and other States to convey our condolences to the Government and the people of Nauru. The late President Dowiyogo served his country for many years, guiding it with passion towards membership into the United Nations community — an event that will clearly be marked as a milestone in Nauru’s history. We pay tribute to him and commend his memory. We share the pain of the people of Nauru on the sudden passing of their President. The delegations of the Group of Western European and other States stand by the people of Nauru and assure them of their cooperation.

I call on the representative of the United States, the host country.

The United States, as host country, salutes the great life of President Dowiyogo. His passing, last month, was a loss not only to the people of Nauru but also the wider Pacific community, including the United States. For three decades, President Dowiyogo was a towering figure in Nauru’s public life. He was well known in Washington and was admired for his calm determination to speak his mind in the service of his countrymen. When he took office in January — one of his many terms as President — there were only three months left before the next elections. One might have thought that an ordinary politician would have stayed at home building alliances in advance of his next run for office. But President Dowiyogo was no ordinary politician; he was a statesman. He knew the importance of travelling abroad to represent his country at the highest level in order to advance the interests of his people. He led Nauru’s delegations to the Earth Summit and to the Millennium Assembly. In March, despite delicate health, he once again led a delegation of top officials, this time to Washington, for a series of important talks. In those talks President Dowiyogo made a bold decision to counter money laundering and the purchase of passports, limiting the vulnerability of his nation to international crimes. Those were moves for which the United States and the entire international community owe a debt of thanks. They mark a final display of the President’s trademark courage and statesmanship. The United States and the American people feel a special loss at the passing of President Dowiyogo, both because he ended his life on our soil and because of his long-standing friendship with my country. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family, to our colleague Ambassador Clodumar here in New York and to all the people of Nauru.

I call on the representative of Nauru.

It is an honour and a privilege for me to deliver this statement in tribute to the life and leadership of the late President Bernard Dowiyogo of the People of Nauru, for and on behalf of the Government and the people of Nauru. At the outset, let me thank you, Mr. President, for arranging this special event this morning as part of a United Nations mark of respect for our fallen leader, and for the kind words you have spoken. I also wish to thank each of the Chairpersons of the five regional groups and the representative of the host country for their kind words. I would also like to take this opportunity to express the deepest appreciation of my Government and of the family of the late President Bernard Dowiyogo to all the Member States that sent letters of condolence or signed the condolence book at the Mission — or both — as well as to the many institutions and personal friends of Nauru who did likewise. Those messages have been conveyed to the Government and to the family of the late President Bernard Dowiyogo, as appropriate. I personally delivered the condolence book to the family of the President while I was in Nauru for the funeral. Bernard Dowiyogo served his country and the people of Nauru for over 30 years, until his death on 9 March 2003 in Washington, D.C., following major heart surgery five days earlier. He was 57 years old. In the 30 years of his public life he was elected President of Nauru nine times, beginning in 1976 at the age of 30. His longest term as President was from December 1989 to December 1995, having been elected President following general elections in December 1989 and November 1992. I had the privilege of being a minister in his Government during that period, and therefore have a close and personal understanding of the aspirations he had for his country and for the people of Nauru. It is not easy to take the measure of Bernard Dowiyogo’s contribution to the global community — first because of the fact that Nauru is not well known to the international audience and, secondly, because Nauru’s politics have had negligible influence in the international arena. However, if one analyses either periods during which Bernard Dowiyogo held the presidency of Nauru or those during which he held a ministerial portfolio, one realizes that they coincided with some important United Nations events that required the political will of leaders to push through what were then tough political decisions. On most of those occasions Nauru was there to be counted on. I will cite just a few instances for the record: the London Convention against the dumping of nuclear waste into the oceans; the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the Barbados Plan of Action; the Millennium Declaration Goals; and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Therefore, in our eyes, he ranks among the greatest statesmen of the twentieth century, because of his wisdom and his courage in standing up for the things that he believed would make the planet a safer and more equitable place for future generations of mankind. In the Oceania region Bernard Dowiyogo is better known for his tenacious stance against French nuclear testing in French Polynesia, which at one point resulted in the breaking off of diplomatic ties between Nauru and France; against the Marshall Islands proposal to accept the storage of nuclear waste in islets within its territories; and against the shipment of nuclear waste on ships traversing the Pacific Ocean from Europe to Japan. On the issue of human rights and the right of peoples to self-determination Bernard Dowiyogo was forthright in his stance against the abuse of citizens committed by those in authority. One will recall the statement he made during the Millennium Assembly with regard to the people of Papua to self- determination and with regard to the violation of the human rights of the Papuan people at the hands of the Indonesian junta. On the home front, we in Nauru are also aware of his many contributions to the nation. During his longest term as President, he undertook the biggest infrastructure development programme of any Nauruan Government to date, which proved to be a timely decision, for soon thereafter the economy took a downturn. His mettle was tested during the proceedings against Australia in the International Court of Justice for damages arising from breach of trust while Nauru was under a League of Nations mandate and, after the Second World War, under the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations. The new Dowiyogo Government was placed under intense pressure by Australia to withdraw the case, but he refused to do so. Nauru was successful at the first stage of the proceedings, but accepted Australia’s request to settle the matter out of court. When the economy of Nauru continued to spiral downward in the mid-1990s, Bernard Dowiyogo had the courage and political will to seek the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help his Government restructure the imbalances in the Nauruan economy that were affecting the standard of living and the ability of the Government to meet its internal and external obligations. He knew that the menu that the ADB would prescribe would be politically unpopular, but this did not discourage him from implementing the programme. As it turned out, he lost the presidency following the general election in 1995, and in ensuing years he regained and lost the presidency three times. Bernard Dowiyogo regained the presidency for the ninth and last time in January 2003. Despite his declining health, he fought hard to take charge of the Government, because he realized that the future of Nauru would depend on a leader who was willing to make hard decisions that might not be popular with his parliamentary colleagues or the electors. That was his aspiration. Bernard Dowiyogo was a consummate politician and a person of great principle. He never wavered in his belief in democracy and the rule of law. When his doctor spoke to him about surgery, he told him that he came to the United Nations to take part in very important discussions with the United States Government, and he made it very clear that he had no intention of allowing any medical intervention until he had completed what he came to do. He was true to what he told his wife, Christina, when he became President in 1976: that his priorities were first and foremost the Government and the nation, then his colleagues and friends, and then his family, in that order. This is the measure of the man. The late President Bernard Dowiyogo was the first President to die in office. May his soul rest in peace.

I should like to draw the attention of the General Assembly to document A/57/705/Add.10, by which the Secretary-General informs the General Assembly that, since the issuance of its communications contained in document A/57/705 and addenda 1 to 9, Uzbekistan has made the necessary payment to reduce its arrears below the amount specified in Article 19 of the Charter. May I take it that the General Assembly duly takes note of the information contained in the document?

Members will recall that, at its 79th plenary meeting on 20 December 2002, the General Assembly took note of the appointment by its President of the Congo, France, India, Japan, the Russian Federation and Zambia as members of the Committee on Conferences for a period of three years beginning on 1 January 2003. Members will further recall that there remains one seat to be filled from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. After consultations with the Chairman of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, I have appointed Bolivia as a member of the Committee on Conferences for a term of office beginning on 15 April 2003 and ending on 31 December 2005. May I take it that the Assembly takes note of this appointment?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (g) of agenda item 17?

I invite the Assembly to turn its attention to the note by the Secretary-General contained in document A/57/110 relating to the confirmation of the appointment of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. In paragraph 22 of part B of its resolution 1240 (XIII) of 14 October 1958 on the establishment of the Special Fund, the General Assembly provided that the Secretary-General, after having consulted the Governing Council of the Special Fund, would appoint the Managing Director, subject to confirmation by the Assembly. This procedure has been construed as applying also to the appointment of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. By its decision 53/323 of 23 April 1999, the General Assembly confirmed the appointment by the Secretary-General of Mr. Mark Malloch Brown as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 July 1999. Following consultations with members of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme, the Secretary-General now requests the General Assembly to confirm the appointment of Mr. Mark Malloch Brown as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme for a further four- year term of office beginning on 1 July 2003. May I take it that the General Assembly approves this proposal?

It is for me a great pleasure to congratulate, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, Mr. Malloch Brown on his appointment for a second term as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). I would like to express the full satisfaction of the G-77 and China at his confirmation by the Secretary- General in this very important post and to assure Mr. Malloch Brown of our full support and friendship. Over the past four years, Mr. Malloch Brown has been fully dedicated to development goals, sharing with the Group of 77 the same concerns and challenges. This period has been marked by a real transformation in development and by a shared vision and a commitment to work together with the United Nations system in seeking our common goals in the area of development. Our Group continues to believe in the crucial role that the UNDP is playing to help developing countries to reach their national development policy objectives. In that regard, the Group stands ready to work together with the Administrator for the implementation of our common development goals by translating them into operational activities and concrete actions in the field. The Group of 77 is convinced that the implementation of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, will help set out the terms of a world in which globalization is not only driven by the interests of the strong but is also managed for the benefit of the weak. That constitutes the framework in which the Group of 77 and China hope to work with Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, over the next four years. Our objective in this period should be the implementation of what we have agreed on in the major United Nations conferences and summits to help the poor in the struggle against poverty. That is a challenge that we have to face hand in hand with Mr. Mark Malloch Brown. I thank him very much, and I wish the best for him and his family.

On behalf of the Group of Western European and other States, I would like to congratulate Mr. Mark Malloch Brown on his reappointment as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). We are convinced that under his leadership, the work of the UNDP, as well as coordination among funds and programmes, will continue to be enhanced. Finally, I wish to reiterate our full support and cooperation to Mr. Brown and to wish him success in his renewed role as Administrator.

On behalf of the States members of the Asian Group, it is a great pleasure for me to extend our sincere congratulations to Mr. Mark Malloch Brown on his appointment as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for a second term, commencing 1 July 2003. For its part, the Asian Group will continue to extend its full cooperation and support to him in the discharge of his responsibilities. Mr. Malloch Brown’s reappointment is a fitting tribute to his commitment to promoting development globally and reflects the confidence of Member States in his ability to guide the UNDP at this crucial juncture in overall United Nations reform. In that respect, Mr. Malloch Brown has provided invaluable leadership in making the UNDP a service- and results-oriented organization, especially by effectively providing advice and expertise where it is needed most. In particular, we commend his initiative of utilizing information technology to the fullest extent in the service of development. Given that the Millennium Development Goals are central to the global development agenda, the focus of the work of the UNDP is now to translate the vision into action. We remain convinced that Mr. Malloch Brown’s extended tenure will facilitate the United Nations strategy to meet the Millennium Development Goals and to assist countries all over the world in achieving their development targets. The States members of the Asian Group have enjoyed a close and cooperative working relationship with the UNDP. In fact, that dynamic relationship has been strengthened over the years despite the evolving changes and budgetary constraints. The Asian Group acknowledges the UNDP’s constructive endeavours in the region, in particular in such areas as poverty reduction, good governance, HIV/AIDS and gender equality. We particularly commend the UNDP’s role under the leadership of Mr. Malloch Brown in formulating and implementing programmes for the recovery and reconstruction of Afghanistan. We look forward to seeing an ever-increasing role and contribution of the UNDP under the outstanding leadership of Mr. Malloch Brown in the years to come.

In addition to associating Canada fully with the statement made by the representative of Andorra, we wish to make a few additional remarks with respect to this very important appointment. Canada is very pleased to support the appointment of Mr. Mark Malloch Brown as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for a further four years. We recall the challenges Mr. Malloch Brown took up when he joined in 1999. Under his leadership, the UNDP has effected a transformation that has been remarkable in its speed and breadth. That transformation has seen the introduction of a focus on governance and its programmes, as well as a strong emphasis on results and — particularly difficult — on demonstrating results. The transformation has encompassed dimensions of strategic reorientation, downsizing and staff renewal, all the while maintaining a determined focus on poverty reduction and sustainable human development. Canada has enjoyed a strong working partnership with Mr. Malloch Brown during the first four years, and we look forward to continuing in that vein. Canada wishes to extend its sincere congratulations to Mr. Malloch Brown on this occasion.

On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to Mr. Mark Malloch Brown upon his confirmation of his appointment as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). That confirmation reflects his capable leadership in fulfilling United Nations operational activities for development, which are critically needed to achieve our goals for sustainable development. We live in a world that requires a sustained and nuanced commitment to socio-economic development — an integrated approach that both reflects an understanding of material needs, culture and history, and takes account of the complicated issues that face developing countries today. Mr. Malloch Brown has amply shown such a commitment. We are fully confident that he will guide the UNDP well during the years to come. The challenge for the United Nations over the next decade and, very likely, the next century, is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Under the leadership of Mr. Malloch Brown, UNDP efforts in formulating and articulating those goals, which place development in its global context, are already being appreciated. Mr. Malloch Brown serves UNDP in particular, and the United Nations more broadly, by placing those goals at the forefront of his agenda. UNDP’s efforts to bring together policy experts, scholars and fundraisers to work towards common goals and to advocate publicly for their being seen as global concerns have placed development efforts in a new light in the eyes of the world. We can struggle together with how to keep our efforts streamlined without losing the human touch; how to reduce poverty and eliminate HIV/AIDS without being swamped in onerous deliberation; and how to manage a global network of country offices and policy projects without forgetting the realities of life of people in need. UNDP’s leadership role in the Millennium Campaign and the Millennium Project have shown the world its innovation and commitment. We are confident that we have seen just the beginning. We look forward to many years of mutual learning, productive partnership and, we trust, better and more humane living conditions for people in all parts of the world.

I would like to add Pakistan’s voice to those of the Ambassador of Morocco, as the Chairman of the Group of 77, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, as the Chairman of the Asian Group. I would like to welcome the reappointment of Mark Malloch Brown as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), knowing full well his great qualities of energy, effervescence and effectiveness, which have transformed UNDP into a central player on the international economic scene. We value the comprehensive role which UNDP, under Mark Malloch Brown, is playing in the promotion of the Millennium Development Goals. We value no less the contributions which UNDP and Mark Malloch Brown have made to thinking with regard to the situation in Afghanistan and the region as a whole, and to the promotion of cooperation in the context of regional development in that crucial part of the world — inhabited by Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and other countries — to which Mr. Malloch Brown has given so much attention and time. We heartily welcome his reappointment, and I would like to extend my felicitations to him.

It is my honour to congratulate, on behalf of the African Group, Mr. Mark Malloch Brown on his reappointment as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). I should like to add that we of course associate ourselves with the statement made by the representative of the Kingdom of Morocco on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The African Group greatly appreciates the efforts made by Mr. Mark Malloch Brown in the service of development and of UNDP during his previous term of office. We have noted the new impetus given to the work of UNDP and the major improvements to the new development policies. Those efforts lead us to believe that we can expect the work done by that body to further development and combat poverty to be intensified during Mr. Malloch Brown’s coming term. Our group is ready to make a full contribution, and to cooperate effectively with Mr. Malloch Brown, to whom we wish every success in carrying out his mission.

I should like to join all previous speakers in congratulating Mark Malloch Brown on his appointment as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for a further four- year term. I an personally very pleased that we have just approved his reappointment, because I believe that he has done an outstanding job during his first term. Under his leadership, UNDP has completed a process of reform and revitalization in a timely and very effective manner and, as a result, has established itself in a pivotal role within the United Nations development system. When he took up office in 1999, UNDP was in a difficult situation. Core resources had fallen to an all- time low of $630 million, and there were expectations that that drop would continue. In four short years the funding situation has been turned around and confidence in the organization has increased dramatically. The core budget is growing, and so is UNDP’s contribution to world development. Confidence in the organization has grown largely because of Mark Malloch Brown’s bold reforms. From a dispersed organization that funded a variety of areas of technical assistance, UNDP has been turned into a networked, practice-based and results-oriented organization. The speed with which UNDP has responded to post-conflict situations, such as Afghanistan and East Timor, and to new developmental challenges in Africa and elsewhere, reflect the new agility and relevance of the organization. Mark Malloch Brown has worked hard to bring the United Nations development perspective, and that of the Bretton Woods institutions, much closer. He relentlessly built partnerships between UNDP and the Bretton Woods institutions that have increased understanding of the United Nations in Washington and of the Bretton Woods perspective here in New York. The growing support in the United Nations for Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and the rallying of the Bretton Woods institutions around the Millennium Development Goals are, to a certain extent, his achievements. He has also steadily fostered greater coherence of United Nations development operations through his chairmanship of the United Nations Development Group and through the resident coordinator system. Today, if UNDP is a strong voice for the United Nations in development and if it has become an efficient, results-driven and increasingly better-funded organization, it is to Mark Malloch Brown’s credit. His talented, highly motivated staff shares with him the credit for that turnaround. Personally, I have had the opportunity to meet Mark Malloch Brown several times, on a variety of occasions. First, I met him shortly after he had assumed the post of Administrator of UNDP. At that time, in an attempt to reverse the negative trend in financing, he had initiated a ministerial meeting that I had the honour to chair as President of the UNDP Executive Board in 2000. I also met with him in Monterrey at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, where he was actively participating and vigorously pushing forward the development agenda and partnerships. On those and other occasions, I have always witnessed a determined, eloquent and dedicated advocate of development and a firm supporter of development cooperation. I feel privileged to have met him. I wish Mark Malloch Brown a successful term in the UNDP. On behalf of the entire General Assembly, I should like once again to congratulate him on his appointment. We have thus concluded our consideration of sub- item (i) of agenda item 17.

Before turning to the next item, I should like to make an announcement concerning the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly. Members will recall that, in operative paragraph 4 of its resolution 57/250 of 20 December 2002, the General Assembly agreed to hold the High-Level Dialogue on financing for development at the end of October 2003 on a specific date to be determined by the President of the General Assembly after consultations with relevant stakeholders, so as to facilitate ministerial participation and the participation of heads of international financial and trade institutions and of other relevant organizations. In paragraph 6, the General Assembly also decided that the duration of the High-Level Dialogue would be two days. Members will also recall that, in paragraph 7, the General Assembly also decided to hold, prior to the High-Level Dialogue, one day of informal hearings with representatives of civil society and the business sector accredited to the Dialogue. In the course of the necessary consultations that the President of the General Assembly has held, no objection has been raised to the dates he has proposed: 29 and 30 October 2003 for the High-Level Dialogue and 28 October 2003 for the one day of informal hearings. The dates of 29 and 30 October 2003 are therefore earmarked for the High-Level Dialogue on financing for development and the date of 28 October for the one day of informal hearings.

Members will recall that the General Assembly held the debate on this item at its 82nd plenary meeting, on Friday, 11 April 2003. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/57/L.76/Rev.1. The Assembly will take a decision on draft resolution A/57/L.76/Rev.1, entitled “The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict: breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts”. I should like to announce that, since the introduction of draft resolution A/57/L.76/Rev.1, the following countries have become sponsors: Luxembourg and Madagascar. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/57/L.76/Rev.1?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 27?

The General Assembly will now consider the reports of the Fifth Committee on agenda items 17 (j), 111, 112, 116, 117, 118, 122 and 123. I request the Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee, Mr. Haile Selassie Getachew of Ethiopia, to introduce the reports of the Fifth Committee in one intervention. Mr. Getachew (Ethiopia), Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee: I have the honour to present to the General Assembly the reports of the Fifth Committee on its work during the first part of its resumed session, held from 3 to 28 March 2003 on items 17 (j), 111, 112, 116, 117, 118, 122 and 123. During the resumed session, the Fifth Committee held seven formal meetings and numerous informal meetings. The recommendations of the Fifth Committee under those agenda items are as follows. Concerning agenda item 17 (j), “Appointment to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments: appointment of a member of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee”, in paragraph 4 of its report contained in document A/57/610/Add.1, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the appointment of Mr. Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh as a member of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee for a term of office beginning on 15 April 2003 and ending on 31 December 2004. In paragraph 5 of its report contained in document A/57/648/Add.1 on item 111, entitled “Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations”, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft decision entitled “Action taken on certain items”, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote. In paragraph 9 of its report in document A/57/649/Add.1 on item 112, entitled “Programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003”, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of two draft resolutions. Draft resolution I, entitled “Report of the Joint Inspection Unit on the results approach in the United Nations: implementing the United Nations Millennium Declaration”, and draft resolution II, entitled “Information and communication technology strategy”, were both adopted by the Committee without a vote. In paragraph 7 of its report contained in document A/57/651/Add.1 on item 116, entitled “Pattern of conferences,” the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution entitled “Pattern of conferences,” which was adopted by the Committee without a vote. The report of the Fifth Committee on item 118, entitled “Human resources management”, is contained in document A/57/771. In paragraph 8 of the report, the Fifth Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution entitled “Human resources management”, which the Committee adopted without a vote. In paragraph 6 of its report contained in document A/57/429/Add.1 on item 117, entitled “Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations”, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution entitled “Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations”, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote. In paragraph 10 of its report contained in document A/57/604/Add.l on item 122, entitled “Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services”, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of two draft resolutions. Draft resolution I, entitled “Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services”, and draft resolution II, entitled “Investigation into sexual exploitation of refugees by aid workers in West Africa”, were both adopted by the Committee without a vote. With regard to item 123, entitled “Administration of justice at the United Nations”, in paragraph 7 of its report contained in document A/57/768 the Fifth Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution entitled “Administration of justice in the Secretariat”, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote. Before concluding, I wish to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to all representatives for their cooperation and the members of the Secretariat for their valuable contributions and of Conference Services for their dedication, which enabled us once again to conclude the first part of the resumed session of the Fifth Committee on schedule.

If there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the reports of the Fifth Committee which are before the Assembly today.

Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote. The positions of delegations regarding the recommendations of the Fifth Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. May I remind members that, under paragraph 7 of decision 34/401, the General Assembly agreed that “When the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, that is, either in the Committee or in plenary meeting unless that delegation's vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee.” May I also remind delegations that, in accordance with General Assembly decision 34/401, explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. Before we begin to take action on the recommendations contained in the reports of the Fifth Committee, I should like to advise representatives that we are going to proceed to take decisions in the same manner as was done in the Fifth Committee, unless notified otherwise in advance. I therefore hope that we may proceed to adopt without a vote those recommendations that were adopted without a vote in the Fifth Committee.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft decision recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 5 of its report. The draft decision is entitled “Action taken on certain items”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft decision without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 111.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the two draft resolutions recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 9 of its report. We turn first to draft resolution I, entitled “Report of the Joint Inspection Unit on the results approach in the United Nations: implementing the United Nations Millennium Declaration”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution I without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution II is entitled “Information and communication technology strategy”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution II without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 112.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 7 of its report. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

I give the floor to the representative of Mexico, who wishes to speak in explanation of position on the resolution just adopted.

Mexico has gone along with the adoption of the draft resolution contained in document A/57/651/Add.1 because we believe that it contains valuable elements that will help to achieve the objective of the effective use of resources available to the United Nations. My delegation has asked to take the floor solely to state for the record its interpretation of operative paragraph 3 of part B, section III. As can be seen in this paragraph, the proposal to integrate the functions of the technical servicing secretariats of the Fifth and Sixth Committees of the Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services has not been authorized and will continue to be considered in the framework of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2005-2005. My delegation still has some doubts about the usefulness of such an integration.

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 116.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 7 of its report. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 117.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 8 of its report. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of agenda item 118.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the two draft resolutions recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 10 of its report. We turn first to draft resolution I, entitled “Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution I without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution II is entitled “Investigation into sexual exploitation of refugees by aid workers in West Africa”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution II without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 122.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 7 of its report. The draft resolution is entitled “Administration of justice in the Secretariat”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt the draft resolution?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 123.

The Fifth Committee recommends in paragraph 4 of its report that the General Assembly appoint Mr. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) as a member of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee for a term of office beginning on 15 April 2003 and ending on 31 December 2004. May I take it that the General Assembly decides to appoint this person?

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