A/62/PV.52 General Assembly

The number of States nominated from among the African States, the Asian States and the Latin American and Caribbean States is equal to the number of seats to be filled in each of those groups. May I therefore take it that the Assembly wishes to declare those States nominated by the Economic and Social Council from among the African States, the Asian States and the Latin American and Caribbean States, namely, Bangladesh, China, Jamaica, Kenya, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the Niger and the Republic of Korea, elected members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008?

I congratulate the States that have just been elected members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination. Members will recall that from previous sessions, and as indicated in document A/62/77, there remain two vacancies in the Group of Western European and other States for members whose term of office would begin on the date of election. One term will expire on 31 December 2008 and the other on 31 December 2009. The General Assembly will be in a position to act on those vacancies upon the nomination by the Economic and Social Council of two Member States from that region. We have thus concluded this stage of our consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 113. (b) Election of twenty-nine members of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme The Acting President: Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2997 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972 and Assembly decision 43/406 of 24 October 1988, the Assembly will proceed to the election of 29 members of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme, to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 2007. The 29 outgoing members are the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Hungary, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sweden, Turkey, Tuvalu, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Republic of Tanzania. Those States are also eligible for immediate re-election. I should like to remind members that, after 1 January 2008 the following States will still be members of the Governing Council: Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Burundi, Canada, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Germany, Haiti, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Romania, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, the United States of America and Uruguay. Therefore, those 29 States are not eligible in this election. As members know, in accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, all elections shall be held by secret ballot and there shall be no nominations. However, I should like to recall paragraph 16 of General Assembly decision 34/401, whereby the practice of dispensing with the secret ballot for elections to subsidiary organs when the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled should become standard, unless a delegation specifically requests a vote on a given election. In the absence of such a request, may I take it that the Assembly decides to proceed to the election on that basis?

Regarding candidatures, I have been informed by the Chairmen of the regional groups that for the eight seats from the African States, the eight endorsed candidates are Benin, the Congo, Guinea, Mali, Mauritius, the Niger, Somalia and Tunisia. For the seven seats from the Asian States, the seven endorsed candidates are Bangladesh, Fiji, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and Tuvalu. For the three seats from the Eastern European States, the three endorsed candidates are Belarus, Croatia and Hungary. For the five seats from the Latin American and Caribbean States, the five endorsed candidates are the Bahamas, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba and Mexico. For the six seats from the Western European and other States, the six endorsed candidates are Finland, Israel, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands and Spain. Since the number of candidates endorsed by the African States, the Asian States, the Eastern European States, the Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States corresponds to the number of seats to be filled in each region, may I take it that the General Assembly decides to elect those candidates as members of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme for a four- year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008?

The following 29 States have thus been elected members of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008: the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Colombia, the Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Fiji, Finland, Guinea, Hungary, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, the Niger, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain, Tunisia and Tuvalu. I congratulate the States that have been elected members of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme. May I take it that it is the wish if the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 113?

As indicated in document A/62/107, since the terms of office of Austria, China, Egypt, Jamaica, Kenya, Nepal and the United States of America will expire on 31 December 2007, it will be necessary for the President of the General Assembly to appoint, during the current session, seven members in order to fill the resulting vacancies. Those members will serve for a period of three years, beginning on 1 January 2008. After consultations with the Chairmen of the groups of African States, Asian States and Western European and other States, the President has appointed Austria, China, Japan, Kenya, Tunisia and the United States of America as members of the Committee on Conferences for a period of three years, beginning on 1 January 2008. May I take it that the Assembly takes note of those appointments?

Regarding the remaining vacant seat from among the Latin American and Caribbean States, the President will continue to hold consultations with that regional group. We have thus concluded this stage of our consideration of sub-item (g) of agenda item 114.

The Fifth Committee recommends in paragraph 6 of its report that the General Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008: Mr. Jorge Flores Callejas of Honduras; Mr. Imtiaz Hussain of Pakistan; Ms. Misako Kaji of Japan; Mr. Jerry Kramer of Canada; Mr. Peter Maddens of Belgium; Mr. Nagesh Singh of India. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint those persons as members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008?

In paragraph 4 of the report, the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the Committee on Contributions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008: Mr. Joseph Acakpo-Satchivi of Benin; Mr. Abdelmalek Bouheddou of Algeria; Mr. Gordon Eckersley of Australia; Mr. Bernardo Greiver del Hoyo of Uruguay; Mr. Luis Mariano Hermosillo Sosa of Mexico; and Mr. Eduardo Manuel da Fonseca Fernandes Ramos of Portugal. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint those persons as members of the Committee on Contributions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008?

The Fifth Committee recommends in paragraph 5 of its report that the General Assembly confirm the appointment by the Secretary-General of Mr. Achim Kassow of Germany and the reappointment of Mr. William McDonough of the United States of America and Ms. Hélène Ploix of France as members of the Investments Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to confirm the appointments by the Secretary-General of Mr. Achim Kassow of Germany and the reappointment of Mr. William McDonough of the United States of America and Ms. Hélène Ploix of France as members of the Investments Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008?

In paragraph 6 of the same report, the Fifth Committee also recommends that the General Assembly reappoint Mr. Ivan Pictet of Switzerland as an ad hoc member of the Investments Committee for a one-year term beginning on 1 January 2008. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to confirm the reappointment of Mr. Ivan Pictet of Switzerland as an ad hoc member of the Investments Committee for a one-year term beginning on 1 January 2008?

In paragraph 4 of its report, the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint the Auditor-General of the General Audit Office of China as a member of the Board of Auditors for a six-year term of office beginning on 1 July 2008. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint the Auditor-General of the General Audit Office of China as a member of the Board of Auditors for a six-year term of office beginning on 1 July 2008?

In paragraph 4 of its report, the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint Mr. Agustin Gordillo of Argentina and reappoint Mr. Dayendra Sena Wijewardane of Sri Lanka as members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint Mr. Agustin Gordillo of Argentina and to reappoint Mr. Dayendra Sena Wijewardane of Sri Lanka as members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008?

The Fifth Committee recommends, in paragraph 8 of its report, that the General Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee for a three-year term of office beginning 1 January 2008: Mr. Vadim Dubinkin of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vijayendra Nath Kaul of India and Mr. Adrian Patrick Strachan of Jamaica. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint those persons as members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee for a three- year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008?

In paragraph 9 of the same report, the Fifth Committee also recommends, in accordance with paragraph 7 of the annex to resolution 61/275 of 29 June 2007, that the General Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008: Mr. John Muwanga of Uganda and Mr. David M. Walker of the United States of America. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint those persons as members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-items (a) to (f) of agenda item 114? Programme of work and organization of the session The Acting President: I would like to inform members that, in order to allow time for further consultations on draft resolution A/62/L.11, the consideration of agenda item 48, “Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields”, and agenda item 116, “Follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit”, scheduled as the first item this morning, will be postponed to Monday, 19 November 2007.

I would now like to consult members regarding an extension for the work of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee). Members will recall that at its 2nd plenary meeting, on 21 September 2007, the General Assembly approved the recommendation of the General Committee that the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) would complete its work by Thursday, 15 November 2007. However, the President has been informed by the Chairman of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee that the Committee will not be able to complete its work by today, Thursday, 15 November and would need an additional meeting on 20 November 2007, depending on the availability of conference services. May I therefore take it that the General Assembly agrees to extend the work of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee for one additional meeting?