A/61/PV.55 General Assembly

106.  Appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments (h) Appointment of members of the Joint Inspection Unit Note by the Secretary-General (A/61/109) The President: As indicated in document A/61/109, the General Assembly is required, during the sixty-first session, to appoint five members to fill the vacancies in the Joint Inspection Unit that will arise from the expiration of the term of office, on 31 December 2007, of Mr. Even Fontaine Ortiz of Cuba, Mr. Tang Guanging of China, Mr. Victor Vislykh of the Russian Federation, Ms. Deborah Wynes of the United States of America and Mr. Muhammad Yussuf of the United Republic of Tanzania. As is also indicated in document A/61/109, in accordance with article 3, paragraph 1, of the Statute of the Joint Inspection Unit, the President of the General Assembly shall consult with Member States to draw up a list of countries — in this case, five countries — that would be requested to propose a candidate for appointment to the Joint Inspection Unit. After holding the necessary consultations with the regional groups, I should like to communicate to the Assembly the following information that I have received from the Chairmen of the regional groups. For the single seat from among the Group of African States, there are three candidates, namely, Egypt, the Sudan and the United Republic of Tanzania. For the single seat from among the Group of Asian States, the Group has endorsed China. For the single seat from among the Group of Eastern European States, the group has endorsed the Russian Federation. For the single seat from among the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Group has endorsed Cuba. For the single seat from among the Group of Western European and other States, the Group has endorsed the United States of America. As the Groups of Asian States, Eastern European States, Latin American and Caribbean States and Western European and other States have each endorsed one candidate for one vacancy — namely, China, the Russian Federation, Cuba and the United States of America, respectively — those four countries will be requested to propose a candidate each for appointment to the Joint Inspection Unit. Since there are three candidacies from among the African States for one vacancy, I should like, in accordance with past practice, to consult with Member States through the procedure of holding an advisory vote by secret ballot to select one country from among the African States to be requested to propose a candidate for appointment to the Joint Inspection Unit. Although that advisory vote would not be an election, we would follow the rules of procedure of the Assembly governing elections. If there is no objection, may I take it that the General Assembly agrees to that procedure?