A/57/PV.90 General Assembly

Before proceeding to the items for this meeting, I should like to invite the attention of the General Assembly to document A/57/840, which contains a letter from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly in which he informs the Assembly that 16 Member States are in arrears in the payment of their financial contributions to the United Nations within the terms of Article 19 of the Charter. I should like to remind delegations that, under Article 19 of the Charter, “A member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years.” May I take it that the General Assembly duly takes note of the information contained in document A/57/840? It was so decided.

Members will recall that at its 79th plenary meeting, on 20 December 2002, the General Assembly adopted resolution 57/300, entitled “Strengthening of the United Nations: an agenda for further change”. In paragraph 37 of that resolution, the General Assembly “Notes the proposal of the Secretary- General for a single-stage intergovernmental review of the programme budget and medium- term plan, contained in action 22 of his report, and requests the Secretary-General to submit a report clarifying his proposal for consideration by the General Assembly at its resumed fifty-seventh session.” In that connection, the report of the Secretary- General entitled “Strengthening of the United Nations: an agenda for further change — Intergovernmental review of the medium-term plan and the programme budget”, is contained in document A/57/786. In numerous consultations I have held with Member States it was repeatedly suggested that the discussion of this report in plenary meeting be postponed to the fifty-eighth session, a time during which other issues and reports related to the agenda item entitled “Strengthening of the United Nations system” would be considered. On 10 June 2003, I addressed a letter to all Permanent Representatives to the United Nations requesting their views on a proposal to defer consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on the intergovernmental review of the medium-term plan and the programme budget to the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly. In the absence of objection, it is my intention to propose to the General Assembly that it defer consideration of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Strengthening of the United Nations: an agenda for further change — Intergovernmental review of the medium-term plan and the programme budget” to the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly. I see no objection. May I therefore take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to defer consideration of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Strengthening of the United Nations: an agenda for further change — Intergovernmental review of the medium-term plan and the programme budget” (A/57/786) to the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly under the item entitled “Strengthening of the United Nations system”? It was so decided.

May I also take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 52? It was so decided. Reports of the Fifth Committee

The General Assembly will now consider the reports of the Fifth Committee on agenda items 110, 111, 111 and 118, 112, 122, 126, 127 (a) and (b), 128, 129, 130, 131, 132 (a), 134, 135, 142, 143, 147 and 151. I request the Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee, Mr. Haile Selassie Getachew of Ethiopia, to introduce in one intervention the reports of the Fifth Committee. Mr. Getachew (Ethiopia), Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee: I have the honour to present to the General Assembly the reports of the Fifth Committee prepared during the second part of the resumed fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly. During the course of its resumed session, from 5 to 30 May and on 2 and 4 June 2003, the Fifth Committee held 11 formal meetings and numerous informal meetings. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 49/233, of 23 December 1994, the resumed session of the Fifth Committee was devoted primarily to the consideration of issues related to the financing of United Nations peacekeeping missions and related peacekeeping issues. The Committee considered issues related to the financing of peacekeeping operations and to peacekeeping. In connection with its report contained in document A/57/639/Add.1, the Committee had before it, inter alia, the report of the Board of Auditors on the United Nations peacekeeping operations. In paragraph 6 of its report contained in document A/57/639/Add.1 — which was submitted under agenda item 110, entitled “Financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of auditors”, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution adopted by the Committee without a vote. In paragraph 6 of its report contained in document A/57/603/Add.1, which was submitted under agenda items 111 and 118 — respectively entitled “Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations” and “Human resources management” — the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution adopted by the Fifth Committee without a vote. In paragraphs 16 and 17 of its report contained in document A/57/649/Add.2 — which was submitted under agenda item 112, entitled “Programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003” — the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of three draft resolutions and one draft decision. Draft resolution I is entitled “Salary and retirement allowance of the Secretary-General and salary and pensionable remuneration of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme”. Draft resolution II is entitled “Financial situation of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women”. Draft resolution III is entitled “Outline of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005 for the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO”. The draft decision is entitled “Standards of accommodation for air travel”. The Fifth Committee adopted all four draft texts without a vote. In paragraph 7 of its report contained in document A/57/604/Add.2 — which was submitted under agenda 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 a draft resolution adopted by the Fifth Committee without a vote. In paragraphs 34 and 35 of its report contained in document A/57/656/Add.1 — which was submitted under agenda item 126, entitled “Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations” — the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of 11 draft resolutions and one draft decision, respectively. Draft resolution I is entitled “Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations”. Draft resolution II is entitled “Management of contingent- owned equipment arrangements”. Draft resolution III is entitled “Status of the implementation of the strategic deployment stocks”. Draft resolution IV is entitled “Death and disability benefits”. Draft resolution V is entitled “Peacekeeping Reserve Fund”. Draft resolution VI is entitled “Support account for peacekeeping operations”. Draft resolution VII is entitled “Feasibility of consolidating the accounts of the various peacekeeping operations”. Draft resolution VIII is entitled “Financing of the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi, Italy”. Draft resolution IX is entitled “Review of the rates of reimbursement to the Governments of troop-contributing States”. Draft resolution X is entitled “Report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the audit of the policies and procedures of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for recruiting international civilian staff for field missions”. Draft resolution XI is entitled “Closed peacekeeping missions”. The draft decision is entitled “Write-off of contingent-owned equipment at liquidated missions”. All the draft texts were adopted without a vote. In recommending draft resolution XI, it was the understanding of the Committee that, should the General Assembly adopt the draft resolution, paragraph 9 of the draft resolution would allow the preparation of a single consolidated report on the financing of closed peacekeeping missions to be submitted at the fifty- eighth session under the agenda item entitled “Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations”. It was also understood that the items on the agenda of the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly pertaining to the financing of 12 closed peacekeeping missions — namely, items 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 144, 145, 146, 148, 149 and 150 — would not appear in the provisional agenda of the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly. With regard to the draft proposals on the financing of peacekeeping operations, I should like to inform the General Assembly that the Committee adopted all the draft resolutions without a vote, with the exception of the draft resolution pertaining to agenda item 127 (b) — entitled “Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Middle East: United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon”. The Fifth Committee submitted reports under the following agenda items: item 127, entitled “Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Middle East” and sub-items (a) and (b), respectively entitled “United Nations Disengagement Observer Force” and “United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon”; item 128, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo”; item 129, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor and the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor”; item 130, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea”; item 131, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission and the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola”; item 132, entitled “Financing of the activities arising from Security Council resolution 687 (1991)”, and sub-item (a), entitled “United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission”; item 134, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone”; item 135, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara”; item 142, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus”; item 143, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia”; item 147, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina”; and item 151, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo”. With regard to sub-item (b) of agenda item 127, entitled “Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Middle East: United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon”, the report of the Fifth Committee on the matter is contained in document A/57/829. In paragraph 12 of that report, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution adopted by the Committee by a recorded vote of 129 in favour and 2 against. The Committee also decided, in a separate vote, to retain the fourth preambular paragraph and operative paragraphs 3, 4 and 14. Mr. Hussein (Ethiopia), Vice-President, took the Chair. Finally, in paragraph 5 of its report contained in document A/57/648/Add.2 — which was submitted under agenda item 111, entitled “Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations” — The Committee recommends the adoption of a draft decision entitled “Questions deferred for future consideration”, which the Committee adopted without a vote. This is the last report of the Fifth Committee that I will have the honour to present in plenary meeting of the General Assembly. I would therefore like to express my gratitude to those who have kindly assisted me in accomplishing my tasks as the Rapporteur of the Committee. Above all, I would like once again to express my deepest gratitude to the Group of African States for putting their trust in me to represent the Group in the Bureau of the Fifth Committee during the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly. My appreciation also goes to the other members of the Bureau, and particularly to its Chairman, Ambassador Murari Raj Sharma, the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Nepal, for his remarkable leadership. I cannot conclude my statement without thanking the members of the Secretariat for their valuable contribution to the work of the Committee and for their ever-continuing dedication to the success of the work of the Committee during the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly.

I thank the Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee, Mr. Haile Selassie Getachew of Ethiopia, for his report. On behalf of the President, I would also like to thank the Chairman of the Committee and his team for the excellent work they have done. 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 that are before the Assembly today. It was so decided.

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, i.e., 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 further remind delegations that, also 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 the Secretariat is notified otherwise in advance. This means that where a recorded vote or separate vote was taken we will do the same. I also hope that we may proceed to adopt without a vote those recommendations that were adopted without a vote in the Fifth Committee.

I call on the representative of Romania on a point of order.

I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me an opportunity to speak before the adoption of the reports of the Fifth Committee that are before the General Assembly. I would like to draw the attention of the Assembly to agenda item 110, entitled “Financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors”. I have requested the floor in my capacity as the coordinator of the informal consultations on this item. I would like to draw the Assembly’s attention to footnote 3 of document A/57/639/Add.1. It will be recalled that it was agreed during informal consultations that the footnote would refer only to document A/57/772 without reference to specific paragraphs. I would like, through you, Mr. President, to request that that agreement be accurately reflected in a corrigendum to the report contained in document A/57/639/Add.1.

The Assembly has taken note of that point. The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 110? It was so decided.

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 “Questions deferred for future consideration”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft decision without a vote. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do likewise?

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

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The draft resolution is entitled “Gratis personnel provided by Governments and other entities”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do likewise?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda items 111 and 118? It was so decided.

I now give the floor to the representative of the United States, who wishes to speak in explanation of position before action is taken on the draft resolutions and the draft decision recommended by the Fifth Committee.

My delegation wishes to make a statement for the record on draft resolution II in the report of the Fifth Committee on agenda item 112 (A/57/649/Add.2) with respect to the financial situation of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW). In the Third Committee last fall, the United States voted against the draft resolution that opened the way for INSTRAW to receive funding from the United Nations regular budget for 2002-2003. On 4 June of this year, the Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.5/57/L.88. The United States dissociated itself from consensus on that occasion, and we do so again today. The United States has opposed funding INSTRAW from the regular budget because it is supposed to be an institution funded from voluntary contributions. That is the mandate INSTRAW received from the Economic and Social Council. Despite that mandate, the United States reluctantly allowed INSTRAW to receive funding from the regular budget on two recent occasions. On the first occasion, in December 2001, we allowed a subvention of $600,000 for INSTRAW with the understanding that it would be the last request for funds from the regular budget. Again in December 2002, we were asked to accept an additional regular budget allocation for INSTRAW. The second request was for $250,000 from the contingency fund to provide sufficient resources to allow INSTRAW to hire a Director and to raise voluntary funds. We were again assured that it would be the last request for funds from the regular budget. Now we are assembled here again to approve an additional $250,000 for INSTRAW from the regular budget’s contingency fund. I wish to make clear that the United States will strongly oppose any further funding for INSTRAW from the United Nations regular budget. Moreover, it is our view that resources in the contingency fund are to be used for the most urgent needs of the United Nations. The Contingency Fund was not established for funding ongoing research and training activities, and especially not for an institution that is to be voluntarily funded. The Economic and Social Council established INSTRAW as an independent, voluntarily funded institution. Failure to fulfil its mandate, however, will mean that the institution may no longer endure. Therefore, for all of the reasons just stated, the United States dissociates itself from consensus on draft resolution II.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the three draft resolutions recommended by the Committee in paragraph 16 of its report and on the draft decision recommended by the Committee in paragraph 17 of the same report. We turn first to draft resolution I, entitled “Salary and retirement allowance of the Secretary-General and salary and pensionable remuneration of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme”. 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 “Financial situation of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution II without a vote. May I take it the Assembly wishes to do likewise? Draft resolution II was adopted (resolution 57/311).

Draft resolution III is entitled “Outline of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005 for the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution III without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

We next turn to the draft decision entitled “Standards of accommodation for air travel”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft decision without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 112? It was so decided.

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 “Management review of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 122? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the 11 draft resolutions recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 34 of its report and on the draft decision recommended by the Committee in paragraph 35 of the same report. We turn first to draft resolution I, which is entitled “Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations”. 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 “Management of contingent-owned equipment arrangements”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution III is entitled “Status of the implementation of the strategic deployment stocks”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution III without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution IV is entitled “Death and disability benefits”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution V is entitled “Peacekeeping Reserve Fund”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution V without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution VI is entitled “Support account for peacekeeping operations”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution VII is entitled “Feasibility of consolidating the accounts of the various peacekeeping operations”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution VII without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution VIII is entitled “Financing of the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi, Italy”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution VIII without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

Draft resolution IX is entitled “Review of the rates of reimbursement to the Governments of troop-contributing States”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution IX without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution X is entitled “Report of the Office of International Oversight Services on the audit of the policies and procedures of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for recruiting international civilian staff for field missions”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution XI is entitled “Closed peacekeeping missions”. The Fifth Committee adopted draft resolution XI without a vote. I should like to recall that, should the General Assembly adopt draft resolution XI, those items on the financing of missions contained in draft resolution XI that were mentioned by the Rapporteur in his introduction of the reports of the Fifth Committee will not appear in the provisional agenda of the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt draft resolution XI?

As a result of the adoption of the resolution, the following items will not appear in the provisional agenda of the fifty-eighth regular session of the General Assembly to be issued in July 2003: Financing of the United Nations Mission in Haiti; Financing of the United Nations Protection Force, the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia, the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force and the United Nations Peace Forces headquarters; Financing of the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium and the Civilian Police Support Group; Financing of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda; Financing of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan; Financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia; Financing of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force; Financing of the United Nations Operation in Mozambique; Financing of the United Nations Operation in Somalia II; Financing of the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti, the United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti and the United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti; Financing and liquidation of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia; and Financing of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic. We next turn to the draft decision, entitled “Write-off of contingent-owned equipment at liquidated missions”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft decision without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 126?

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 8 of its report. The draft resolution is entitled “Financing of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 127?

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 12 of its report. The draft resolution is entitled “Financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon”. A single separate vote has been requested on the fourth preambular paragraph and operatives paragraphs 3, 4 and 14 of the draft resolution. As there is no objection to that request. I shall now put to the vote the fourth preambular paragraph and operative paragraphs 3, 4 and 14. A recorded vote has been requested. A recorded vote was taken. In favour: Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe Against: Israel, United States of America Abstaining: Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tonga, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay [Subsequently, the delegations of the Maldives, Mauritius and Portugal informed the Secretariat that they had intended to vote in favour.]

I shall now put to the vote the draft resolution as a whole. A recorded vote has been requested. A recorded vote was taken. In favour: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe Against: Israel, United States of America [Subsequently, the delegations of the Maldives, Mauritius and Portugal informed the Secretariat that they had intended to vote in favour.]

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 127 and of agenda item 127 as a whole? It was so decided.

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?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 128? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 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?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 129? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 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?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 130? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 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?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 131? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution as recommended by the Committee in paragraph 6 of its report, entitled “Financing of the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission”. The Committee adopted that draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly would like to do the same?

May I also take it that it is the wish of the Assembly wish to conclude its consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 132 and of agenda item 132 as a whole? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly would like to do the same?

May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 134? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly would like to do the same?

May I take it that it is also the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 135? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

May I take it that it is also the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 142? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly would like to do the same?

May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 143? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly would like to do the same?

May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 147? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly would like to do the same?

May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 151? It was so decided.

The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of all the reports of the Fifth Committee.

I request the Rapporteur of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), Mr. Andrej Droba of Slovakia, to introduce the report of the Fourth Committee. Mr. Droba (Slovakia), Rapporteur of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee): It is an honour for me to present to the General Assembly document A/57/522/Add.1, which contains the report of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) under item 78 of the Assembly’s agenda, entitled “Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects”. With the presentation today of document A/57/522/Add.1, which introduces the draft resolution submitted under item 78 to the General Assembly by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), the reporting obligations of the Fourth Committee for and to this session of the General Assembly are fulfilled. The Special Political and Decolonization Committee considered the item at its 12th to 15th meetings during the first part of the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly and again at its resumed session on 28 May 2003. At its resumed session the Special Political and Decolonization Committee took up the item and examined the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and adopted a draft resolution without a vote. The draft resolution submitted under item 78 is contained in paragraph 8 of the report. In its operative paragraphs the draft resolution recommended by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee welcomes the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations; endorses the proposals, recommendations and conclusions of the Special Committee contained in paragraphs 39 to 206 of its report; and urges Member States to take all necessary steps to implement them. The draft resolution also reiterates the conditions under which personnel- contributing countries may become members of the Special Committee, decides that the Special Committee shall continue its efforts and requests it to submit a report on its work to the General Assembly at its fifty- eighth session. I now have the honour to present to the General Assembly for its consideration and adoption the draft resolution contained in document A/57/522/Add.1, entitled “Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects”.

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 report of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) which is before the Assembly today. It was so decided.

Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote. The positions of delegations regarding the recommendation of the Special Political and Decolonization 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 draft resolution, I should like to advise representatives that we are going to proceed to take a decision in the same manner as was done in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), unless notified otherwise in advance. The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee in paragraph 8 of its report. The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 78? It was so decided.

The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of all the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee). The meeting rose at 4.25 p.m.