A/59/PV.97 General Assembly

I would like to invite the attention of the General Assembly to document A/59/668/Add.12, in which the Secretary-General informs the President of the General Assembly that, since the issuance of his communications contained in documents A/59/668 and addenda 1 to 11, Nauru 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 this document?

As stated in paragraph 2 of his note (A/59/110), the Secretary-General, pursuant to section II, paragraph 27, of General Assembly resolution 1995 (XIX) of 30 December 1964, proposes to appoint Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi as Secretary- General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development for a term of office of four years, beginning on 1 September 2005 and ending on 31 August 2009. May I take it that the General Assembly, on the proposal of the Secretary-General, wishes to confirm the appointment of Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi as Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development for a term of office of four years, beginning on 1 September 2005 and ending on 31 August 2009?

I give the floor to the representative of Thailand.

My delegation is taking the floor to welcome the appointment of Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, a Thai national, to the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). We are particularly pleased that the due process of consultations with Member States has taken place over the past two months. We thank the Secretary-General for recognizing the special importance that the Group of 77 and China has accorded to UNCTAD and to the selection of the head of that organization. We also appreciate the opportunity for an exchange of views on 6 May between the Group of 77 and China and the nominee, which resulted in today’s confirmation of the appointment. As we are all making our best efforts to reform the United Nations, we certainly welcome the increased openness and transparency in the selection process, and we are encouraged by the Secretary- General’s efforts towards that commendable trend. Thailand has always attached great importance to the work of UNCTAD as a main agency for trade and development policies. Thailand hosted UNCTAD X in 2000 and, subsequently, the mid-term review in 2002, and we have always supported the work of UNCTAD. We are especially proud to see a Thai national moving on from the World Trade Organization to take the driver’s seat at UNCTAD, with his full recognition of the concerns of developing countries. We are convinced that the new Secretary-General of UNCTAD will work to strengthen and revitalize the agency and enable it to respond more effectively to the needs of developing countries, the least developed countries, landlocked countries, small island developing countries, countries with economies in transition and middle-income countries. We pledge our full support to him, and we wish him every success in his endeavour.

The General Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item (j) of agenda item 17. Before adjourning this meeting, I should like to remind members that, tomorrow at 10 a.m. in this room, the Secretariat will hold a special meeting to establish, by a drawing of lots, the list of speakers for the debate at the September 2005 high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly. Members are invited to attend this special meeting.