A/67/PV.76 General Assembly

I should like, in keeping with established practice, to draw the attention of the General Assembly to document A/67/693/Add.12, in which the Secretary-General informs the President of the General Assembly that, since the issuance of his communication contained in document A/67/693/Add.11, Vanuatu has made the payment necessary to reduce its arrears below the amount specified in Article 19 of the Charter. May I take it that the General Assembly duly takes note of the information contained in that document?

In his note contained in document A/67/234, the Secretary-General requests, pursuant to rule 15 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, the inclusion in the agenda of the *1332966* 13-32966 (E) sixty-seventh session of an additional item entitled “Financing of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali”. Owing to the nature of the item, unless there is an objection, may I take it that the General Assembly agrees to waive the relevant provision of rule 40 of the rules of procedure, which would require a meeting of the General Committee on the question of the inclusion of this additional item in the agenda?

May I take it that the General Assembly, on the proposal of the Secretary-General, wishes to include in the agenda of the current session an additional item entitled “Financing of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali”, under heading I, “Organizational, administrative and other matters”?

Owing to the nature of the item, the Secretary-General also requests that it be allocated to the Fifth Committee. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to allocate this item to the Fifth Committee?

I should like to inform members that this additional item becomes agenda item 171 in the agenda of the current session.

Pursuant to decision 42/450 of 17 December 1987 and upon nomination by the Economic and Social Council, the Assembly elects the members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination. Members will recall that at its 34th plenary meeting, held on 12 November 2012, and its 56th plenary meeting, held on 14 December 2012, the General Assembly elected six members to the Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2013. Members will also recall that by its decision 2012/201 C of 26 November 2012, the Economic and Social Council decided to further postpone the nomination of one member from the Western European and other States for a term beginning on 1 January 2013 and expiring on 31 December 2015, and four members, also from the Western European and other States, for terms beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2014. In that connection, the Assembly has before it a note by the Secretary-General contained in document A/67/125/Rev.1/Add.2. As indicated in that document, by its decision 2013/201 C of May 2013, the Economic and Social Council nominated the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America to fill outstanding vacancies in the Committee for a term beginning on the date of the election and expiring on 31 December 2014. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, all elections should be held by secret ballot and there shall be no nominations. However, I should like to recall paragraph 16 of 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 the basis of dispensing with the secret ballot?

May I therefore take it that the Assembly wishes to declare the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America elected as members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination for a term beginning on 10 May 2013 and expiring on 31 December 2014?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 110. Reports of the Fifth Committee

The General Assembly will now consider the reports of the Fifth Committee under agenda items 129, 130 and 146. If there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the reports of the Fifth Committee that are before the Assembly today.

Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote. The positions of delegations regarding the recommendations of the Fifth Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. May I remind members that under paragraph 7 of decision 34/401, the General Assembly agreed that “When the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, that is, either in the Committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation’s vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee”. May I further remind delegations that, also in accordance with decision 34/401, explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. Before we begin to take action on the recommendations contained in the reports of the Fifth Committee, I should like to advise representatives that we are going to proceed to take decisions in the same manner as was done in the Committee, unless notified otherwise in advance. This means that where recorded votes were taken, we will do the same. I should also hope that we will proceed to adopt without a vote those recommendations that were adopted without a vote in the Committee.

The Assembly has before it a draft decision recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Assembly will now take action on the draft decision, entitled “Questions deferred for future consideration”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft decision without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 129.

The Assembly has before it a draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution, entitled “Special subjects relating to the programme budget for the biennium 2012-2013”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 130.

The Assembly has before it a draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 7 of its report. Before proceeding to the consideration of the draft resolution, I should like to inform members that the statement by the Chair of the Fifth Committee, as delivered at the Committee’s 27th formal meeting, as well as the supplementary information provided by the Under-Secretary General for Field Support, as reflected in the official records of the Fifth Committee, on the implementation of paragraphs 9 through 12 of the draft resolution form part of the decision. The statement delivered by the Chair of the Fifth Committee reads as follows: “I would like to state that it is the General Assembly’s understanding that the notion of ‘existing rotation arrangements’ included in paragraph 5 of the draft resolution includes financial arrangements. “Furthermore, it is the General Assembly’s understanding that in cases where the Secretary- General determines that operational circumstances and requirements demand rotation other than every 12 months, in accordance with paragraph 108 (b) of the Senior Advisory Group report, the determined rotation will be at the expense of the United Nations. “Finally, it is also the understanding of the General Assembly that the provisions of paragraph 108 of the report of the Senior Advisory Group, including the continuation of the supplementary payment equal to 6.75 per cent of the base rate as stated therein, will apply from 1 April 2013, subject to the implementation provisions of the draft resolution.” The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution, entitled “Report of the Senior Advisory Group established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 65/289 to consider rates of reimbursement to troop-contributing countries and other related issues”. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 146. The General Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of the reports of the Fifth Committee before it.