A/66/PV.114 General Assembly

In the light of the need for further consultations among the regional groups regarding the candidatures for the Chairs of the Main Committees for the sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly, the elections of the Chairs and bureaux of the Main Committees are postponed to a later date, to be announced. I should now like to consult members with a view to proceeding to the election of the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly for the sixty-seventh session. In accordance with rule 30 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, “The Vice-Presidents shall be elected after the election of the Chairmen of the six Main Committees referred to in rule 98, in such a way as to ensure the representative character of the General Committee.” It is my understanding that the elections of the Chairs of the Main Committees will conform with annex II of resolution 48/264, of 29 July 1994, and will not have an impact on the geographical distribution of the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly and the representative character of the General Committee. If there is no objection, I shall take it that the General Assembly therefore agrees to proceed to elect the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly.

In accordance with rule 30 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, we shall now proceed to the election of the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly for the sixty-seventh session. All members of the General Assembly are eligible in this election except those already represented in the General Committee, namely, the country whose representative has been elected to the presidency of the General Assembly. In accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of the annex to resolution 33/138, of 19 December 1978, the 21 Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly for the sixty-seventh session shall be elected according to the following pattern: six representatives from African States, five representatives from Asian States, three representatives from Latin American and Caribbean States, two representatives from Western European and other States, and five representatives from the permanent members of the Security Council. In accordance with paragraph 16 of General Assembly decision 34/401, the election of the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly by secret ballot will be dispensed with when the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled. We shall proceed accordingly. I shall now read the names of the slate of endorsed candidates: African States: Algeria, Angola, the Congo, Ghana and Sierra Leone. Asian States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Nepal and Palau. Latin American and Caribbean States: Honduras, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago. Western European and other States: Israel and the Netherlands. Since the number of candidates corresponds to or is less than the number of seats to be filled in each region, I declare those candidates elected, in addition to the five representatives from the permanent members of the Security Council. The following States have therefore been elected to vice-presidencies of the General Assembly for the sixty-seventh session: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, China, the Congo, France, Ghana, Honduras, Israel, Lebanon, Nepal, the Netherlands, Palau, Peru, the Russian Federation, Sierra Leone, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the States which have been elected to vice-presidencies of the General Assembly for the sixty-seventh session. I also wish to inform members that the election of an additional Vice-President from among the African States will take place at a later date to be announced. I wish to remind members that the Chairs of the Main Committees have not yet been elected. After the election of an additional Vice-President of the General Assembly and the Chairs of the six Main Committees, at a later date, the General Committee of the General Assembly for the sixty-seventh session will then be fully constituted in accordance with rule 38 of the rules of procedure.