A/69/PV.76 General Assembly

In connection with agenda item 125, the Assembly has before it document A/69/560, in which the Secretary-General transmits a letter dated 1 October 2014 from Judge Vagn Joensen, President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; document A/69/679, in which the President of the Security Council draws the attention of the President of the General Assembly to the text of Security Council resolution 2194 (2014) of 18 December 2014; and, finally, a draft decision issued as document A/69/L.47. *1471546* 14-71546 (E) The Assembly will now take action on draft decision A/69/L.47. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt it?

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 125.

In connection with agenda item 126, the Assembly has before it documents A/69/559 and A/69/631, in which the Secretary-General transmits letters dated 1 October and 25 November 2014, respectively, from Judge Theodor Meron, President of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia; document A/69/678, in which the President of the Security Council draws the attention of the President of the General Assembly to the text of Council resolution 2193 (2014) of 18 December 2014; and a draft decision, issued as document A/69/L.48. The Assembly will now take action on draft decision A/69/L.48. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt it?

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 126.

Members will recall that the Assembly held its debate on agenda item 69 and its sub-items (a) to (c) at its 69th and 70th plenary meetings, on 11 and 12 December 2014. I now give the floor to the representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to introduce draft resolution A/69/L.49, entitled “International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development”.

I have the honour to address the General Assembly on behalf of the Group of 77 and China in order to introduce the draft resolution contained in document A/69/L.49, entitled “International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development”. At the outset, I would like to express the Group of 77 and China’s thanks to Mr. Omar Rabi, of the Permanent Mission of Morocco, who successfully coordinated the negotiations on the draft resolution. I am pleased to announce that Germany, Japan and Slovenia have become sponsors of the draft resolution. In introducing today’s draft resolution, the Group of 77 and China reaffirms the importance of international cooperation in support of the efforts of affected States to deal with natural disasters at every stage, particularly those relating to preparedness, response and the early stages of recovery. It also recognizes that affected States have the primary responsibility for the initiation, organization, coordination and implementation of humanitarian assistance within their territory, and highlights the importance of the humanitarian principles laid out in resolution 46/182. The draft resolution also recognizes the clear relationship between emergency response, rehabilitation and development, and reaffirms that in order to ensure a smooth transition from relief to rehabilitation and development, emergency assistance must be provided in ways that will be supportive of short- and medium- term recovery leading to long-term development, and that certain emergency measures should be seen as a step towards sustainable development. Given the fact that the Hyogo Framework for Action will end in 2015, the draft resolution calls on Member States, the United Nations system and other relevant humanitarian and development actors to accelerate the Framework’s full implementation, in particular those commitments related to assistance for developing countries that are prone to natural disasters, and in that regard it encourages States, the United Nations system and all stakeholders to continue to engage in consultations on the successor to the Framework, culminating at the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, to be held in Japan from 14 to 18 March 2015. Draft resolution A/69/L.49 is a result of the consensus reached through five informal consultation sessions held over the past few days; it includes most of the proposals made during the consultations. The Group of 77 and China has made a concerted effort to take into account the concerns of other groups and Member States. This year’s text of the draft resolution contains new elements based on the recommendations made in the Secretary-General’s report (A/69/303), noting the determination of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as expressed in its decision 2/CP.18, to adopt a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention applicable to all parties at its twenty-first session, to be held in Paris from 30 November to 11 December 2015, and for it to come into effect and be implemented from 2020. The text of the draft resolution also emphasizes the fundamentally civilian character of humanitarian assistance, and reaffirms, in situations in which military capacity and assets are used as a last resort to support the implementation of humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, the need for their use to be undertaken with the consent of the affected State and in conformity with international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as humanitarian principles. The text also notes with concern that persons with disabilities, older persons, women and children are disproportionately affected in natural disasters. It also encourages innovative practices that draw on the knowledge of people affected by natural disasters to develop locally sustainable solutions and to produce lifesaving items locally, with minimal logistical and infrastructure implications. The draft resolutions also urges Member States, the United Nations and humanitarian and development organizations to prioritize risk management and shift towards an anticipatory approach to humanitarian crises in order to prevent and reduce human suffering and economic losses. It also encourages the United Nations and humanitarian and development organizations to work towards a common understanding of underlying risks, clarify roles and responsibilities according to their respective mandates and establish joint objectives and programmes to strengthen coordination and coherence among short-, medium- and long-term activities. In closing, I would like to express the gratitude of the Group of 77 and China for the spirit of cooperation and collaboration exhibited by all of our members in the course of the informal consultations that allowed us to reach agreement on the important topics addressed in this draft resolution. The Group would also like to thank all of the Member States that are sponsoring this important draft resolution. We hope that that it will once again be adopted by consensus.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/69/L.49, entitled “International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development”. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution and in addition to those delegations listed in document A/69/L.49. the following countries have become sponsors: Finland, Italy, Mexico, the Russian Federation and Turkey.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/69/L.49?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 69. I shall now suspend the meeting in view of the fact that the Fifth Committee has not yet completed its work. The plenary will resume following the adjournment of the Fifth Committee.

Members will recall that at the 65th plenary meeting on 8 December, the General Assembly agreed to postpone the date of recess of the sixty-ninth session to Wednesday 24 December. In the light of the work still to be completed in the Fifth Committee, I would like to propose to the Assembly that the date of recess of the current session now be further postponed to Wednesday 31 December. May I take it that the Assembly agrees to further postpone the date of recess of the sixty-ninth session to Wednesday 13 December?

I should also like to consult members regarding an extension of the work of the Fifth Committee. Members will recall that at the 65th plenary meeting on 8 December, the General Assembly agreed to extend the work of the Fifth Committee until Tuesday 23 December. However, I have been informed by the Chair of the Fifth Committee that the Committee requests an extension of its work to Wednesday 31 December, so as to facilitate the reaching of consensus on the pending draft resolutions before it. May I therefore take it that the General Assembly agrees to extend the work of the Fifth Committee until Wednesday 31 December?