A/61/PV.32 General Assembly

I should like to draw the attention of the members of the General Assembly to document A/INF/61/4/Rev.1, which contains the revised programme of work and schedule of plenary meetings for the months of October, November and December 2006, and which has been distributed desk to desk. I would like to remind members that the list of speakers for items listed in document A/INF/61/4/Rev.1 are open.

The General Assembly will now proceed to the election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 2006. The five outgoing non-permanent members are the following: Argentina, Denmark, Greece, Japan and the United Republic of Tanzania. Those five States cannot be re-elected. Their names, therefore, should not appear on the ballot papers. Apart from the five permanent members, the Security Council will include in the year 2007 the following States: the Congo, Ghana, Peru, Qatar and Slovakia. The names of those States, therefore, should also not appear on the ballot papers. Of the five non-permanent members that will remain in office in the year 2007, three are from Africa and Asia, one is from Eastern Europe and one is from Latin America and the Caribbean. Consequently, pursuant to paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 1991 A (XVIII), of 17 December 1963, the five non-permanent members should be elected according to the following pattern: two from Africa and Asia, one from Latin America and the Caribbean and two from Western Europe and other States. The ballot papers reflect that pattern. In accordance with established practice, there is an understanding to the effect that, of the two States to be elected from Africa and Asia, one should be from Africa and one from Asia. I should like to inform the Assembly that those candidates, their number not exceeding the number of seats to be filled, receiving the greatest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of those present and voting will be declared elected. In the case of a tie vote for a remaining seat, there will be a restricted ballot limited to those candidates that have obtained an equal number of votes. May I take it that the General Assembly agrees to that procedure?

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election shall be held by secret ballot and there shall be no nominations. Regarding candidatures, I have been informed by the Chairpersons of the respective regional groups of the following. For the two vacant seats from among the African and Asian States, there are three candidates, namely, Indonesia, Nepal and South Africa. Of those three candidates, South Africa is an endorsed candidate. For the one vacant seat from among the Latin America and Caribbean States, there are two candidates, namely, Guatemala and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For the two vacant seats from among the Western European and other States, there are two endorsed candidates, namely, Belgium and Italy. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, we shall now proceed to the election by secret ballot. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that, pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “A”, “B” and “C” will now be distributed. I request representatives to use only those ballot papers that have been distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers marked “A”, for the African and Asian States, the names of the two States for which they wish to vote; on the ballot papers marked “B”, for the Latin American and Caribbean States, the name of the one State for which they wish to vote; and on the ballot papers marked “C”, for the Western European and other States, the name of the two States for which they wish to vote. A ballot paper containing more names from the relevant region than the number of seats assigned to it will be declared invalid. If a ballot paper contains names of Member States which do not belong to that region, those names will not be counted at all.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group A — African and Asian States Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 0 Required two-thirds majority: 128 Number of votes obtained: South Africa 186 Indonesia 158 Nepal 28 Group B — Latin American and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 7 Required two-thirds majority: 124 Number of votes obtained: Guatemala 109 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 76 Group C — Western European and other States Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 3 Required two-thirds majority: 126 Number of votes obtained: Italy 186 Belgium 180

There remains one seat to be filled from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. We shall therefore proceed to the first restricted ballot. The second round of balloting shall be restricted to the two States from among the Latin American and Caribbean States that were not elected but that obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely, Guatemala and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. That is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that, pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “B” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers the name of the State for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “B” for the Latin America and Caribbean States will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Guatemala or the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Latin American and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 191 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 191 Abstentions: 5 Required two-thirds majority: 124 Number of votes obtained: Guatemala 116 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 70 Since again no candidate obtained the required two-thirds majority, there remains one seat to be filled from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. We shall therefore proceed to the third restricted ballot. The fourth round of balloting shall be restricted to the two States from among the Latin American and Caribbean States that were not elected but that obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely, Guatemala and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. That is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that, pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “B” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers the name of the State for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “B” for the Latin American and Caribbean States will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Guatemala or the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as if they contain the names of more than one State.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Latin American and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 191 Abstentions: 6 Required two-thirds majority: 124 Number of votes obtained: Guatemala 110 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 75 This restricted ballot has again been inconclusive. In accordance with the rules of procedure, we should continue with the series of unrestricted ballots. However, in view of the late hour, I propose that we postpone further balloting until 3 p.m. this afternoon.