A/65/PV.102 General Assembly

I have the honour to present draft resolution A/65/L.79, entitled “Strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution”, on behalf of the Group of Friends of Mediation, convened by Finland and Turkey. The draft resolution emerges from the conviction that mediation has enormous untapped potential. As the President just reminded us, the Charter recognizes mediation as a major tool for the maintenance of international peace and security. The resolution builds on the ideas presented in the 2005 World Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1) and the trail-blazing 2009 report of the Secretary-General (S/2009/189) on enhancing mediation and its support activities. Mediation is a cost-effective and efficient means to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflict prevention and resolution. The prevention of conflicts through mediation and early action is instrumental in reducing human suffering, creating conditions conducive to lasting peace, and paving the way to sustainable development. However, mediation has not gained the political attention or the resources it deserves. We are proud to introduce the first-ever General Assembly resolution on this important issue. The aim is to consolidate the normative basis, reinforce support of mediation activities and enhance Member States’ engagement in mediation efforts. Strengthening the role of mediation is a concern of all Member States. We are delighted to put this consensual draft resolution before the General Assembly. Action today will demonstrate, loudly and clearly, that the General Assembly can make a significant contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security. The draft resolution seeks to strengthen the Secretary-General’s good offices and United Nations mediation support capabilities. The Mediation Support Unit of the Department of Political Affairs plays a crucial role as the United Nations focal point. We are grateful for its very useful insight in the negotiations. Regional and subregional organizations play a major role in modern-day mediation. Cooperation between actors and coherence of purpose are essential to successful mediation. Success requires teamwork. We welcome the contributions of many regional organizations — for example, the African Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the European Union — to the work of the Group of Friends. Many regional and subregional organizations are gearing up their mediation capabilities. Their efforts to further develop mediation skills and build up mediation support structures deserve our full support. Finland, for example, is proud to partner with the African Union by supporting the African Union mediation capacity. The draft resolution seeks also to address the particular challenge of increasing women’s involvement at all stages and levels of peace processes, in line with Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and other relevant resolutions on women, peace and security. We thank all Member States for their active participation and flexibility in the negotiations leading to this landmark draft resolution.

I now give the floor to the representative of Turkey, who will also introduce the draft resolution contained in document A/65/L.79.

At the outset I would like to thank the members of the Group of Friends of Mediation — or, as mentioned in the draft resolution contained in document A/65/L.79, the “mediation for peace initiative” — for preparing the draft resolution that the Assembly will vote on today, and all Member States for their active participation in the negotiations and valuable contributions and flexibility. In the course of the negotiation process, useful suggestions were made by various delegations. We are grateful for those proposals, which substantially enriched the text. Let me also thank the Secretariat, in particular the Mediation Support Unit of the Department of Political Affairs, which provided the meetings with necessary information and clarification on some issues. As a result, we have now a comprehensive draft resolution that encompasses all salient aspects of the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflict prevention and resolution. Let me briefly mention some points made in the draft resolution. Among other important elements, it highlights the necessity of cooperation and coordination among the various actors involved in a specific mediation context. Mediation is at its best when we act in a spirit of partnership to complement each other’s efforts and facilitate ongoing endeavours. The draft resolution also invites Member States to optimize the use of mediation and other tools mentioned in Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. As underlined by some delegations during the negotiations, capacity-building is critical to mediation efforts. I am glad that there are references to this important aspect. In this vein, the draft resolution welcomes the endeavours of the African Union in developing its mediation capacities and structures. Apart from international organizations, the role of regional and subregional organizations has also been duly emphasized. I am also pleased that the importance of the full and effective participation of women — and, in this regard, the role of UN-Women — has been mentioned. We look forward to the report on the implementation of the resolution and guidance towards more effective mediation, both of which the draft resolution requests from the Secretary-General. These are two of the main products of the draft resolution. Mediation has become more relevant in today’s international security environment. Therefore, it was necessary to place greater emphasis on the role of mediation at the global level as the most cost-effective and efficient way to prevent and resolve conflicts. In this respect, I believe that the adoption of the draft resolution is timely. It will provide us with a valuable basis for our future endeavours. We will continue to actively engage on this matter in and outside New York to further the very elements contained in the draft resolution, with a view to providing more space to allow mediation to prevent and resolve conflicts.

I now give the floor to the observer of the European Union.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). The candidate countries Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland and Montenegro; the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; the European Free Trade Association country Liechtenstein, member of the European economic area; as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia align themselves with this statement. Please allow me first of all to take this opportunity to thank all United Nations partners, in particular Finland and Turkey, for their efforts in preparing the innovative draft resolution contained in document A/65/L.79. Of course, I also want to congratulate you, Sir, on the impending adoption of the draft resolution. In recent decades, we have seen the strengthened determination of all actors to boost mediation efforts in order to end the scourge of conflict. The increased focus on mediation emerged from the realization that we live in a world of increasing interdependence, where conflicts and instability in a certain country or region directly or indirectly affect all of us. As the late Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld put it, war anywhere becomes the concern of all. We welcome the strengthened efforts to use mediation as a tool for the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflict prevention and resolution; still, more needs to be done. The United Nations was established with the main aim of preventing conflict. It is indeed important to ensure that the United Nations be well equipped and ready to take on that responsibility. The draft resolution to be adopted today is an important achievement in that endeavour. The EU believes that the draft resolution indicates the need to resort to mediation efforts more often. While our toolbox in the area of conflict management for involvement after the outbreak of violent conflict or in the reconstruction phase is quite developed, our instruments in the area of conflict prevention and resolution, such as mediation, are less developed, receive less political attention and attract fewer financial resources and are therefore applied less systematically. In addition, early warning capacities have been developed in particular by regional and subregional organizations, but the international community still needs to close the gap between early warning and early action. The draft resolution is an important step in redressing these imbalances and in further strengthening our capacity for early action. In addition, mediation is the cheapest and often the most efficient way to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflict prevention and resolution. It is also an important instrument for addressing political strife, promoting reconciliation and fostering long-term stability. The United Nations is a key actor in the area of peace mediation. Over the years, it has developed a high level of expertise. United Nations mediation engagement is based on a clear and strong mandate and benefits from a developed mediation support system, namely, the Mediation Support Unit in the Department of Political Affairs and its standby team of mediation experts. The European Union is pleased to support the strengthened United Nations capacity in this field and welcomes the request in the draft resolution to develop guidance for more effective mediation that takes advantage of the experience of regional and subregional organizations, Member States and other actors actively involved in mediation initiatives. The European Union and its member States stand ready to continue to contribute. As indicated in the draft resolution, existing guidelines in the field of rule of law and accountability should be fully taken into account and implemented. We applaud in particular the strong directives given by the successive Secretary- Generals in their 2004 and 2009 reports on mediation (S/2004/616 and S/2009/189), whereby the granting of amnesties and other forms of immunities for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide were excluded from any agreements sponsored by the United Nations, and in which it was underlined that when international justice is at work, it shall be left to follow its course. We also call for strict implementation of the guidelines restricting contacts of mediators and other United Nations personnel with persons who are the objects of arrest warrants. Even though the United Nations pays a prominent role in peace mediation, other actors also have important contributions to make. The EU aims at providing added value to mediation initiatives based on its own history and experience as a peace project after the Second World War and its commitment to a rules- based, just and peaceful international system. The European Union is committed to enhancing its efforts to solve protracted conflicts and to further developing its own mediation capacities based on the EU Joint Concept on Strengthening EU Mediation and Dialogue Capacities adopted in November 2009, as well as to cooperating closely with the United Nations and other international actors in this area. In the recently established European External Action Service, a specific division is dedicated to mediation. EU mediation involvement takes many different forms, from classical and formal track-1 mediation at the political level to supporting more informal dialogue processes and providing financial and/or political support to mediation initiatives of other actors, be it the United Nations, regional, national or non-governmental actors. The European Union also has a variety of instruments of preventive action at its disposal, from EU special representatives to trade and development policies. The EU remains committed to cooperating closely with international partners in this area. We see great potential for working even closer with the United Nations in the future by developing joint training opportunities, sharing expertise and lessons learned, and working together on the establishment of mediation rosters. The draft resolution before the Assembly today paves the way for increased efforts on mediation, more systematic use of mediation, and the increased participation of women at all stages, at all levels and in all aspects of mediation, in line with Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions. The European Union is fully supportive of this trend and will join efforts to implement the draft resolution. We look forward to the Secretary-General’s report on mediation and to discussing this important issue at the next session of the General Assembly.

The adoption today of the first General Assembly resolution specifically dedicated to the question of mediation will be a major step. The fact that the entire international community has actively addressed this theme is proof of the growing need to pool our efforts to make mediation more effective and, in this way, to redress a clear shortcoming. I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for having organized this debate at short notice. My thanks also go to the Governments of Finland and Turkey, which have supported the process since September on behalf of the Group of Friends of Mediation, in which my delegation plays an active part. Through the draft resolution shortly to be adopted, the whole international community recognizes that the need for mediation has grown in recent years. Recent academic research suggests that the international community would have every interest in finding ways to strengthen its action in the field of mediation through greater coherence. Indeed, the solution to most conflicts in recent history has been precisely in negotiation rather than in military victory. Switzerland recognizes the key role of the United Nations in mediation, and stands ready to work with it in the mediation of peace processes. It is true that the number of actors on the ground has grown. Some even use the word “proliferation” to describe the growth in the number of players now active in this field. Too often — and current events testify to this — the world of mediation and mediators has become competitive rather than cooperative. To draw the greatest benefit from this multiplicity of actors, it will be necessary to assist mediators in their interaction and expertise. The draft resolution before us (A/65/L.79) addresses this matter in particular by encouraging cooperation, partnerships and the exchange of information at all levels. It also recommends greater efforts to promote women to head mediation teams, which we can only welcome. Switzerland aims to make a sustained and multilevel contribution to the implementation of the draft resolution. I will give just two specific examples. First, we take seriously the invitation to place appropriate resources at the disposal of the United Nations, in particular for the building of the Organization’s capacities. In the past few years, we have organized — together with swisspeace — a number of workshops for experts from the Mediation Support Unit and its Standby Team of Mediation Experts, most recently on the importance of mediation processes. We intend to continue on this path. In addition, we will continue to make mediation specialists available to the United Nations, as we are currently doing in several contexts. We will also pursue initiatives for capacity-building for peace negotiations between conflicting parties. We are also prepared to offer such mediation capacity-building programmes to regional and subregional organizations, as requested in the draft resolution. Secondly, we believe that one fundamental element of the draft resolution is the request made to the Secretary-General to develop guidance for more effective mediation in consultation with Member States and other relevant actors active in mediation. It is important that the annex to the report requested to that end benefit from the widest possible range of views. We also encourage each Member State to start a dialogue on that subject with the Secretary-General without delay in order to assist him in achieving what, in our view, should lead to a sort of non-binding label of quality that would allow every mediator to take certain values and experiences into consideration. Rather than limiting the scope of action of mediators, such an undertaking would enable them to benefit from available good practices and past learned lessons by highlighting the challenges with which mediators are sometimes faced. Ultimately, the means to ensure more consistent and effective mediation on the ground are needed.

Let me congratulate the Permanent Missions of Finland and Turkey on having initiated a process that will lead to today’s adoption of draft resolution A/65/L.79, entitled “Strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflict prevention and resolution”. We would not have achieved such a good result without the leadership, persistence and skills demonstrated by the two co-facilitators. Norway is pleased to be one of the sponsors of the draft resolution. Mediation represents an important tool for preventing conflicts, resolving existing disputes and consolidating peace. For that reason, a number of prominent mediators have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The added value of effective mediation is increasingly recognized by the United Nations, regional and subregional organizations, Member States and civil society at large. It is therefore highly encouraging that the General Assembly will be able to adopt this historic draft resolution, ensuring that mediation will appear on the agenda of the Assembly in the years to come. Norway has long and practical experience of mediation. We attach great importance to working closely with the United Nations, regional and subregional organizations, and the non-governmental organization community. For that reason, Norway has made a standby team available to the Mediation Support Unit, within the Department of Political Affairs of the Secretariat, that is operated by the Norwegian Refugee Council. Members of the standby team are from a number of countries, including the global South. Norway is firmly committed to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions. Norway is therefore pleased with the strong gender dimension of the draft resolution. It is vital to ensure the full and effective participation of women in peace processes, and that more women are appointed as lead negotiators. By adopting today’s draft resolution, the process to further strengthen mediation in the service of peace has started in the United Nations. A number of issues must be further explored, such as resource mobilization, stronger partnerships among relevant actors, and ensuring the greater participation and involvement of women in mediation. Norway looks forward to being an active partner in that process.

The General Assembly will now take action on draft resolution A/65/L.79, entitled “Strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution”. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that, since the introduction of the draft resolution, in addition to those delegations listed in the draft document, the following countries have become sponsors of draft resolution A/65/L.79: Albania, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Ghana, Greece, Indonesia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mongolia, Montenegro, Pakistan, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Uruguay.

We will now take a decision on draft resolution A/65/L.79. May I take it that the General Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/65/L.79?

I shall now give the floor to those representatives who wish to speak in explanation of position on the resolution just adopted.

Resolution 65/283 on strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflict prevention and resolution, adopted by the General Assembly today, was the outcome of a long and intense negotiation process. Cuba engaged actively in that process and presented a significant number of proposed amendments to the text. We are satisfied with the final balance of the resolution, which is the first referring specifically to mediation to be adopted by the General Assembly. We commend the delegations of Finland and Turkey, which acted as co-facilitators of the consultations, for their excellent work and professionalism. Cuba is firmly committed to the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes. War, confrontation, hostility and sanctions have never been and never will be the way to preserve international peace and security. On the contrary, many conflicts could have been avoided and many lives saved had dialogue and negotiation prevailed. Over 111 million people have died in modern wars, while civilian deaths accounted for 5 per cent of the total casualties in the First World War. In the wars of conquest waged after 1990, innocent deaths have accounted for 90 per cent of casualties, in particular in Iraq, with more than 1 million deaths, and in Afghanistan, with over 70,000 deaths. The proportion of children in that data is horrifying and unprecedented. Currently, without exhausting diplomatic instruments or even attempting to use peaceful methods, NATO is unjustifiably using its most modern lethal weapons in Libya. The Alliance’s bombs are killing the same civilians whom it supposedly seeks to protect. Once again, Cuba calls for the immediate cessation of military operations in Libya and, instead, for the promotion of a process of dialogue that will enable the Libyans themselves to peacefully solve their differences without foreign interference. Neutrality, equality, impartiality and the full consent of the parties involved are basic conditions for effective mediation. As noted in resolution 65/283, mediation must be carried out in full respect for international law and the Charter of the United Nations, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs. The purposes and principles of the Charter cannot be rewritten, distorted, limited or conditional. Mediation can be and has proved to be effective in certain situations. Meanwhile, the adoption of this resolution cannot give rise to the misinterpretation that mediation is the only or the most effective mechanism for the peaceful settlement of disputes in all situations. There can be no preconceived formulas. Each situation must be addressed according to its specific characteristics. What is clear is that no mechanism for the peaceful settlement of disputes, including mediation, can be effective as long as some States continue to use or threaten to use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of other States. Conflict will not be prevented and international peace and security will continue to elude humankind, so long as certain States insist on turning to unilateralism and fail to meet their obligations under international law. There is an unacceptable and growing tendency of the Security Council to rush to threaten coercive action or to authorize its use in some cases, while remaining silent, indifferent or inactive in others. The selective procedures of the Council have consequences for the credibility of the United Nations as a whole and affect the efforts of the Organization in the prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes, including through mediation. The Security Council has the responsibility to fully utilize the provisions of Chapter VI of the Charter for the peaceful settlement of disputes, instead of excessively and hastily referring to Chapter VII as it has frequently done. Lastly, my country stresses that the link between peace and development, explicitly enshrined in the resolution adopted today, is fundamental to all efforts aimed at preventing, managing and settling disputes.

The Republic of Argentina joined the consensus on resolution 65/283 on strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflict prevention and resolution. In so doing, we reaffirm yet again our commitment to the ideals and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and our conviction that multilateralism is crucial to international peace and security. Any avenue to the peaceful settlement of disputes is equally valid in resolving conflicts. We note in particular our conviction that only through these methods can we ensure just and lasting solutions. In this respect, we underscore the special role entrusted to the Secretary-General by the Charter in the area of good offices and mediation, and the primary responsibility of all Member States to peacefully resolve their disputes pursuant to the Charter, as noted in paragraph 1 of the resolution. In that context, we reiterate once again our expectation that the good offices entrusted to the Secretary-General by the General Assembly and the Special Committee on Decolonization in successive resolutions concerning the Malvinas Islands will bear fruit, and that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will respect its commitments under the Charter and to the Organization and reopen negotiations with our country to achieve a peaceful solution to the mentioned sovereignty dispute as soon as possible.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela supported resolution 65/283, entitled “Strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution”, and reaffirms yet again the commitment of the Bolivarian Government to the alternative methods to resolve disputes and to foster peace and harmony among peoples. From the outset, Venezuela played an active role in the intensive negotiations on the draft of the resolution just adopted. On the basis its commitment to the use of alternative methods in the settlement of disputes, my delegation presented proposals and ideas that have been incorporated into the text. We wish to thank in particular the Turkish and Finish delegations for their excellent work and tireless efforts to craft the text that we adopted by consensus today. The resolution contains elements that are extremely important to the international community and emphasizes the solid principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including the sovereign equality of all States, respect for their territorial integrity and political independence, the duty of Member States to refrain from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the Organization. It is precisely pursuant to these principles that the United Nations and its Mediation Support Unit must orient their work for the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflict prevention and resolution. The resolution is a symbol of how combined efforts within the only deliberative body of universal representation — the General Assembly — can generate peaceful tools, in contrast to all the terrible initiatives that, on behalf of peace, have focused on the use of war. Venezuela reiterates that biased visions lead to biased responses. We cannot pretend to create peace by waging war on the pretext of protecting some to the detriment of others. That is why we welcome the adoption of this resolution on mediation — the first of its kind within the Organization. Venezuela will pursue its efforts to promote and to implement such initiatives and methods for resolving conflicts that revive the interest of the international community specifically in the peaceful settlement of disputes through peace.

We have just adopted resolution 65/283, which recognizes the central role of good offices and mediation in the maintenance of international peace and security. The concept of mediation has always been at the forefront of the attention of the United Nations and of regional organizations, and we believe that this concept should include the views of all concerned Member States. From the very beginning of the informal consultations, we were hopeful that we would produce a strong consensual text that would identify the irreplaceable role of mediation in preventing and resolving conflicts. During the last phase of our deliberations, however, we were unable — at least, I speak on behalf of my delegation — to reach a consensus on a formulation regarding one principle of international law. In this regard, we wish to highlight a point that we strongly believe cannot be ignored, given the context of the resolution. Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations calls upon all Member States “[t]o develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace”. Over the decades following the adoption of the Charter, understanding of the substantive legal principle of self-determination has evolved into its recognition as a fundamental right. Undoubtedly, today’s resolution is a new element to further strengthen the mediation dimension of the United Nations and regional organizations. As such, we believe that it should consolidate the purposes of the Charter and the principles of international law and ensure their balanced and inclusive reflection in the text. We agree with the content of almost all of the paragraphs. However, we cannot agree to the limitation imposed on the self-determination of peoples in the fifth preambular paragraph. While recognizing the utmost importance of the right to self-determination of peoples who remain under colonial domination or foreign occupation, we believe that this right is not limited only to those specific cases. The narrow reference in the fifth preambular paragraph can in no way prejudice the right to self-determination, freedom and independence of all peoples as derived from the Charter of the United Nations, both international covenants on human rights and numerous relevant United Nations resolutions, among other instruments, especially given the subject matter of the resolution. Having said this, Armenia disassociates itself from the consensus and would like to believe that the reference contained in the fifth preambular paragraph will not set a precedent for future resolutions and initiatives. However, Armenia hopes that this resolution will serve as another helpful tool in promoting the role of mediation in conflict by embracing the principles of mutual respect and mutually agreed solutions and rejecting the language of the use or the threat of use of force.

At the outset, I would like to join previous speakers in congratulating all delegations on the adoption of resolution 65/283 on strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution. I would also like to convey our special thanks to Finland and Turkey for their skilful efforts, which enabled us to reach agreement on, and succeed in garnering overwhelming support for, this important resolution. As a sponsor of the resolution and an active participant in the drafting process, Azerbaijan fully supports the resolution, the adoption of which is an essential achievement for reinforcing the promotion of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution, as well as for providing existing and future mediation mechanisms with useful guidance. A number of mediation efforts have been successfully undertaken, contributing to the reduction of tensions and ensuring that peace processes move forward. Both the United Nations and regional organizations and arrangements play an important role in helping to mediate conflicts. At the same time, more should be done, including through mediation, to address the major threats and challenges that continue to affect the basic elements of the international legal order. Mediation is a diverse and complex process that is influenced by the specific conditions brought by the parties involved into the conflict management system. Success depends on a number of critical factors, among which is the need to ensure that both the parties involved and mediators are guided by the normative standards set by the Charter of the United Nations and international law, as well as by the objectives of the comprehensive settlement of conflicts. This understanding is fully supported in the resolution, which reiterates that all Member States should strictly adhere to their obligations, as laid down in the Charter of the United Nations, and recognizes that responsible and credible mediation requires, among other things, respect for national sovereignty and compliance with international law. We consider it important that the resolution recalls all relevant resolutions on matters related to the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution, including through mediation. Such references obviously include —

I call on the representative of Armenia on a point of order.

I have requested a point of order since, as you stated, Mr. President, we are in the stage of explanation of vote after the vote. The delegation of Azerbaijan is listed as one of the sponsors of resolution 65/283. I am therefore seeking your ruling as to whether that country may take the floor at this stage. Rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly states that the President shall not permit the proposer of a proposal to explain his vote on his own proposal. I would appreciate your clarification.

After verification, I find that the point of order raised by the representative of Armenia is indeed correct. As a sponsor of the resolution, Azerbaijan cannot take the floor in explanation of position. I therefore regret that I must inform the representative of Azerbaijan that he cannot continue with his statement. We have heard the last speaker in explanation of position. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 33?

I have the honour to introduce, on behalf of the Group of 77 (G-77) and China, a draft resolution entitled the “New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support”, contained in document A/65/L.69/Rev.1, under agenda item 62 (a). The Group would like to thank the following countries that have joined the list of sponsors: Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom. The Group of 77 and China would also like to express its warm thanks to the delegations of Kenya, as facilitator, and Algeria, as coordinator of the Group, for their expertise and competence in conducting the deliberations on the draft resolution. The Group reaffirms its full support for the implementation of the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and recognizes the progress made by African countries and regional and international support for the New Partnership, while acknowledging that much needs to be done to ensure its full implementation. Through NEPAD, African leaders have taken ownership, assumed leadership and transformed the content of the development agenda. In that context, we consider that NEPAD is based on the dual principles of ownership and partnership. Africa owns, leads and manages the process. Nonetheless, African leaders recognize the critical importance of international support. The international community has pledged that support in various forums and, most notably, in the General Assembly in the form of numerous resolutions. At the same time, the G-77 and China also recognize that, while economic growth is returning, there is a need to sustain the recovery, which is still fragile and uneven, in order to address the continuing adverse effects of multiple crises on development and the serious challenges they pose to the fight against poverty and hunger, which could in turn undermine efforts to achieve internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in Africa. We acknowledge the efforts of developed countries to increase the resources available for development, including commitments by some of those countries to increase their official development assistance. In that context, however, we are deeply concerned that the commitment to doubling aid to Africa by 2010, as articulated at the Group of Eight Gleneagles summit, has not been fully attained. In this regard, the G-77 and China stress the need for rapid progress towards fulfilling the Gleneagles promises, as well as substantial commitments by other donors, to increase aid through a variety of means. Equally important, the G-77 and China appreciate the support that some of its members have extended to Africa through South-South and triangular cooperation programmes, bearing in mind that South-South cooperation is not a substitute for but rather a complement to North-South cooperation. Despite the efforts to implement NEPAD, Africa is still far from realizing the levels of support required under that partnership. While we welcome the support provided by international partners, and the United Nations in particular, much more needs to be done. Finally, the Group urges the international community — especially donor countries, multilateral institutions, the private sector and civil society — to support NEPAD generously. For those reasons, the G-77 and China hope that the draft resolution will be adopted at this meeting. After consultations, we would like to introduce the following oral amendment to paragraph 6 of the draft resolution, which would read as follows: “Takes note of the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, intensifying our efforts to eliminate HIV/AIDS, adopted at the High-level meeting on HIV/AIDS on 10 June 2011”.

The Assembly will now proceed to consider draft resolution A/65/L.69/Rev.1, as orally amended. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I would like to announce, that since the submission of the draft resolution, and in addition to those delegations listed in the document, the following countries have become co-sponsors of draft resolution A/65/L.69/Rev.1: Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

We will now take action on the draft resolution. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/65/L.69/Rev.1, as orally amended?

There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 62 and agenda item 62 as a whole?

Regarding the remaining vacant seat for the Latin American and Caribbean States, I urge that regional group to submit its candidature as soon as possible. The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (f) of agenda item 113.