A/59/PV.98 General Assembly

Members will recall that at its 2nd plenary meeting, on 17 September 2004, the General Assembly decided to allocate agenda item 84, “Follow-up to and implementation of the outcome of the International Conference on Financing for Development”, to the Second Committee under heading B, “Promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development in accordance with the resolutions of the General Assembly and recent United Nations conferences”. Members will also recall that agenda item 84 remained open for consideration during the fifty-ninth session. In order for the General Assembly to proceed expeditiously with the consideration of the draft resolution issued under the item as document A/59/L.61, may I take it that the General Assembly wishes to consider agenda item 84 directly in plenary meeting under heading B, “Promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development in accordance with the resolutions of the General Assembly and recent United Nations conferences”?

May I further take it that the Assembly agrees to proceed immediately to the consideration of agenda item 84? I see no objection. We shall now proceed accordingly. Owing to difficulties with the audio system in this conference room, I propose to suspend the meeting and to reconvene it in Conference Room 1.

I give the floor to the representative of Mexico to introduce draft resolution A/59/L.61.

Draft resolution A/59/L.61, submitted by the President of the General Assembly, is the outcome of consultations among Member States, which at the request of the President I conducted as facilitator. The draft resolution is intended to lay the organizational basis and set out the modalities for June’s High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development. I would recall that, as reaffirmed in the draft resolution, the High-level Dialogue is the intergovernmental focal point for the general follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development. Ensuring its success is thus vitally important for progress on the meeting the commitments adopted at Monterrey. We feel that the draft resolution provides a solid basis to enable the international community, at the June event, to make solid progress on the issue of financing for development. We are certain that the modalities set out in the text will enable the June High-level Dialogue to make an important contribution to the negotiating process for the September high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly, as the Assembly requested. As facilitator, I wish to thank and pay tribute to all delegations for their work and for the positive and constructive attitude they demonstrated throughout the consultations, which I think is a sign that we will be able to achieve excellent results at the June event. Let me conclude by mentioning the support we have received from the Secretariat and from the Office of the President of the General Assembly.

We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/59/L.61. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat. Ms. Kelley: With regard to draft resolution A/59/L.61, I should like to inform members that by operative paragraph 4 the General Assembly would “[decide] also that the High-level Dialogue will consist of a series of formal and informal meetings to constitute a policy dialogue and six interactive multi-stakeholder round tables”. By operative paragraph 12, the Assembly would “[request] the Secretary-General to seek from the regional commissions their inputs on the regional and interregional aspects of the follow- up to the International Conference on Financing for Development and to report thereon to the High-level Dialogue”. The Secretariat would like to inform the General Assembly that no additional conference service requirements would arise under the programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005, as the requirements of operative paragraph 4 have already been included in the calendar of conferences for 2005, based on resolution 57/250. In that resolution, the General Assembly decided to hold the High-level Dialogue biennally at the ministerial level. It was specified that the duration of the High-level Dialogue would be two days, and that it would consist of an innovative series of plenary and informal meetings to constitute a policy dialogue and eight interactive round tables with the participation of all relevant stakeholders. As concerns non-conferencing costs related to the provision of operative paragraph 12, requesting inputs from the regional commissions, the requirements for the follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development have already been included in the programmes of work of the Commissions in the current biennium. Therefore, should the General Assembly adopt draft resolution A/59/L.61, no additional requirements would arise under the programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/59/L.61, entitled “Modalities for the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development”. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/59/L.61?

Before giving the floor to the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, who wishes to speak in explanation of position on the resolution just adopted, may I remind delegations that explanations of vote or position are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

Although it joined in the consensus adoption of draft resolution A/59/L.61, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela wishes to put on record that the matters to which paragraph 4 (b) refers as subjects to be focused upon by the interactive round tables do not adequately reflect the key issue that cuts across the themes of all the round tables. I refer here to the conditions imposed by States and by international financial institutions before they will grant funds to beneficiary countries. That is the central issue for developing countries and, I repeat, it is not reflected in the work of the round tables.

We have heard the only speaker in explanation of position. The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 84.

The General Assembly will first take up a request submitted by the Secretary- General in document A/59/241 relating to the election of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In his note, the Secretary-General informs the General Assembly that he has accepted the resignation of Mr. Ruud Lubbers, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, effective 20 February 2005. Consequently, it will be necessary at the current session to elect a new United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In that connection, the Secretary-General has the honour to request, pursuant to rule 15 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, the inclusion in the agenda of the current session of an additional sub- item, entitled “Election of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees”, under agenda item 16, entitled “Elections to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other elections”. Owing to the nature of the item, unless there is any objection, may I take it that the General Assembly agrees that the relevant provision of rule 40 of the rules of procedure, which would require a meeting of the General Committee on the question of the inclusion of this additional sub-item on the agenda, can be waived?

May I take it that the General Assembly, on the proposal of the Secretary- General, wishes to include in the agenda of the current session an additional sub-item, entitled “Election of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees”, as a sub-item of agenda item 16, under heading I, “Organizational, administrative and other matters”?

This additional sub-item becomes sub-item (b) of agenda item 16. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to consider this sub-item directly in plenary meeting?

I should now like to consult members with regard to proceeding immediately to the consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 16. In that convection, I should like to draw attention to the relevant provision of rule 15 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, which reads as follows: “... No additional item may, unless the General Assembly decides otherwise by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, be considered until seven days have elapsed since it was placed on the agenda and until a committee has reported upon the question concerned.” In the absence of objection, I shall take it that the Assembly agrees to proceed immediately to the consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 16.

As indicated in the note by the Secretary-General (A/59/241), by its decision 55/310 of 26 October 2000, the General Assembly, on the proposal of the Secretary-General (A/55/519), elected Mr. Ruud Lubbers as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a period of three years beginning on 1 January 2001. By its decision 58/402 of 6 October 2003, the General Assembly, on the proposal of the Secretary- General (A/58/396), extended the term of office of Mr. Ruud Lubbers as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a period of two years beginning on 1 January 2004. On 20 February 2005 the Secretary-General accepted the resignation of Mr. Lubbers. In conformity with the procedure established by paragraph 13 of the statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Secretary-General proposes to the General Assembly that it elect Mr. Antônio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres of Portugal as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a period of five years beginning on 15 June 2005 and ending on 14 June 2010. May I consider that the General Assembly approves the proposal contained in document A/59/241 and decides to elect Mr. Antônio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a period of five years beginning on 15 June 2005 and ending on 14 June 2010?

I should like, on behalf of the General Assembly, to congratulate Mr. Antônio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres of Portugal on his election as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This concludes our consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 16 and of agenda item 16 as a whole.