A/71/PV.45 General Assembly

In paragraph 8 of its report, the Fifth Committee recommends 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 2017: Mr. Takeshi Akamatsu (Japan), Mr. Marcel Jullier (Switzerland), Mr. Mahesh Kumar (India), Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu (Mexico), Ms. Catherine Vendat (France) and Mr. Ye Xuenong (China). May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint Mr. Takeshi Akamatsu, Mr. Marcel Jullier, Mr. Mahesh Kumar, Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Ms. Catherine Vendat and Mr. Ye Xuenong as members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017? (b) Appointment of members of the Committee on Contributions Report of the Fifth Committee (A/71/590)

In paragraph 4 of its 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 2017: Mr. Cheikh Tidiane Dème (Senegal), Mr. Gordon Eckersley (Australia), Mr. Bernardo Greiver del Hoyo (Uruguay), Mr. Ugo Sessi (Italy) and Mr. Alejandro Torres Lépori (Argentina). May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint Mr. Cheikh Tidiane Dème, Mr. Gordon Eckersley, Mr. Bernardo Greiver del Hoyo, Mr. Ugo Sessi and Mr. Alejandro Torres Lépori as members of the Committee on Contributions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017?

The appointment for the remaining vacancy beginning on 1 January 2017 has been postponed to a later date. (c) Confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee Report of the Fifth Committee (A/71/591)

In paragraph 4 of its report, the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly confirm the appointments by the Secretary-General of the following persons as regular members of the Investments Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017: Mr. Masakazu Arikawa (Japan), Mr. Madhav Dhar (India), Mr. Simon Jiang (China), Mr. Achim Kassow (Germany), Mr. Nemir Kirdar (Iraq), Mr. Michael Klein (United States of America), Ms. Linah Mohohlo (Botswana), Mr. Gumersindo Oliveros (Spain) and Ms. Luciane Ribeiro (Brazil). May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to confirm the appointment by the Secretary-General of Mr. Masakazu Arikawa, Mr. Madhav Dhar, Mr. Simon Jiang, Mr. Achim Kassow, Mr. Nemir Kirdar, Mr. Michael Klein, Ms. Linah Mohohlo, Mr. Gumersindo Oliveros and Ms. Luciane Ribeiro as regular members of the Investments Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017? (d) Appointment of members of the International Civil Service Commission Report of the Fifth Committee (A/71/592)

In paragraph 4 of its report, the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the International Civil Service Commission for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017: Mr. Larbi Djacta (Algeria), Mr. Mohammed Farashuddin (Bangladesh), Mr. Sergey Garmonin (Russian Federation), Mr. Wang Xiaochu (China) and Mr. El Hassane Zahid (Morocco). May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint Mr. Larbi Djacta, Mr. Mohammed Farashuddin, Mr. Sergey Garmonin, Mr. Wang Xiaochu and Mr. El Hassane Zahid as members of the International Civil Service Commission for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017? (e) Appointment of members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee Report of the Fifth Committee (A/71/593)

In paragraph 4 of its report, the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly reappoint Ms. Patricia Arriagada Villouta (Chile) and Ms. Natalia Bocharova (Russian Federation) as members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to reappoint Ms. Patricia Arriagada Villouta and Ms. Natalia Bocharova as members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017?

The appointment for the remaining vacancy beginning on 1 January 2017 has been postponed to a later date. (f) Appointment of members and alternate members of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee Report of the Fifth Committee (A/71/594)

In paragraph 4 of its report, the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint the following persons as members or alternate members of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017: Mr. Dmitry Chumakov (Russian Federation), Mr. Hitoshi Kozaki (Japan), Mr. Lovemore Mazemo (Zimbabwe), Mr. Philip Richard Okanda Owade (Kenya), Ms. Pía Poroli (Argentina), Mr. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), Mr. Thomas Repasch (United States of America) and Mr. Jörg Stosberg (Germany). May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint Mr. Dmitry Chumakov, Mr. Hitoshi Kozaki, Mr. Lovemore Mazemo, Mr. Philip Richard Okanda Owade, Ms. Pía Poroli, Mr. Mustafizur Rahman, Mr. Thomas Repasch and Mr. Jörg Stosberg as members or alternate members of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017?

The General Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of sub-items (a), (c), (d) and (f) of agenda item 115 and this stage of its consideration of sub-items (b) and (e) of agenda item 115. (g) Appointment of members of the Committee on Conferences Note by the Secretary-General (A/71/107)

As indicated in the note by the Secretary-General, since the terms of office of the representatives of Austria, Jamaica, Japan, Mauritania, Qatar, the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America will expire on 31 December 2016, it will be necessary for the President of the General Assembly to appoint seven members to fill the resulting vacancies. Those members will serve for a period of three years beginning on 1 January 2017. Consequently, on the recommendation of the Chairs of the Groups of African States, Asia-Pacific States, Latin American and Caribbean States and Western European and other States, the President has appointed Austria, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Morocco and the United States of America as members of the Committee on Conferences for a period of three years beginning on 1 January 2017. May I take it that the Assembly takes note of those appointments?

I should like to remind members that one seat from the Asia-Pacific States, for a period of three years beginning on 1 January 2017, remains to be filled, and that two seats from the Latin American and Caribbean States, for a period beginning on the date of appointment and expiring on 31 December 2018, still remain vacant. I urge those groups to submit their candidates as soon as possible. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (g) of agenda item 115. (h) Appointment of members of the Joint Inspection Unit Notes by the Secretary-General (A/71/178 and A/71/178/Add.1)

Members will recall that at the 29th plenary meeting, on 14 October, the Assembly selected the United States of America from among the Group of Western European and other States to propose a candidate for appointment to the Joint Inspection Unit, for a five-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017. This selection was made following the resignation of Mr. George Bartsiotas (United States of America). As indicated in paragraph 2 of document A/71/178, the General Assembly, by its resolution 61/238, decided that beginning on 1 January 2008, the President of the General Assembly, when drawing up the list of countries that would be requested to propose candidates in accordance with paragraph 1 of article 3 of the statute of the Unit, would invite Member States to submit the names of the countries and their respective candidates simultaneously, on the understanding that the candidates submitted were the candidates that the respective Member States intended to propose, to the extent possible, for appointment by the Assembly in accordance with paragraph 2 of article 3 of the statute. As indicated in documents A/71/178 and its Addendum 1, the General Assembly is required, during the seventy-first session, to appoint the remaining four members to fill the vacancies in the Joint Inspection Unit that will arise from the expiration of the terms of office on 31 December 2017 of Mr. Gopinathan Achamkulangare (India), Mr. Gennady Tarasov (Russian Federation), Mr. Jean Wesley Cazeau (Haiti) and Ms. Sukai Elie Prom-Jackson (Gambia). As also indicated in document A/71/178, in accordance with paragraph 1 of article 3 of the statute of the Joint Inspection Unit, the President of the General Assembly shall consult with Member States to draw up a list of countries  — in this case, four countries — that would be requested to propose a candidate for appointment to the Joint Inspection Unit. After holding the necessary consultations with the regional groups, I should like to communicate to the Assembly the information received from the Chair of the Group of African States that of two candidates, the Gambia and Libya, the Group has endorsed the Gambia as the country that will propose a candidate for the one vacancy from among the African States; from the Chair of the Group of Asia-Pacific States that the Group has endorsed India for the one vacancy from among the Asia-Pacific States; from the Chair of the Group of Eastern European States that the Group has endorsed the Russian Federation for the one vacancy from among the Eastern European States; and from the Chair of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States that the Group has endorsed Haiti for the one vacancy from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. As the Groups of Asia-Pacific States, Eastern European States and Latin American and Caribbean States have each endorsed one country for one vacant seat  — India, the Russian Federation and Haiti, respectively — those three countries will therefore be requested to propose one candidate each for appointment to the Joint Inspection Unit. Since, however, from among the African States there are two candidates for one vacancy, I should like, in accordance with past practice, to consult with Member States through the procedure of holding an advisory vote by secret ballot, to select one country from among the African States to be requested to propose a candidate for appointment to the Joint Inspection Unit. Although this advisory vote would not be an election, we would follow the rules of procedure of the Assembly governing elections. If there is no objection, may I take it that the General Assembly agrees to that procedure?

In accordance with existing practice, the country receiving the greatest number of votes and not less than a majority of the votes of those present and voting shall be the country selected to propose a candidate for appointment to the Joint Inspection Unit. May I take it that the General Assembly also agrees to that procedure?

I should like to remind members that the Assembly is not appointing members to the Joint Inspection Unit at this time. It is only selecting one country that will be requested to propose a candidate, and therefore only the name of one country, not the name of an individual, should appear on the ballot papers. I should now like to repeat that for the one vacancy from among the African States, there are two candidates, the Gambia and Libya. I should further like to point out that from among the African States, Morocco already has a national serving on the Joint Inspection Unit whose term of office ends on 31 December 2020. The name of that State should therefore not appear on the ballot paper. The Assembly will now proceed to the selection of one country from among the African States that will be requested to propose a candidate to fill the vacancy in the Joint Inspection Unit. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. We shall now begin the voting process. Members are requested to remain seated until all ballots have been collected. Ballot papers will now be distributed. I should like to request that representatives write on the ballot paper the name of the one State for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers containing more than one name will be declared invalid. If a ballot paper contains the name of a Member State that does not belong to the relevant region, it will be declared invalid. Similarly, ballot papers bearing the name of an individual will also be declared invalid.

The result of the voting is as follows: African States Number of ballot papers: 185 Number of invalid ballots: 3 Number of valid ballots: 182 Abstentions: 2 Number of members voting: 180 Required simple majority: 91 Number of votes obtained: Gambia 93 Libya 87

I thank the members for their advice and the tellers for their assistance. In accordance with paragraph 1 of article 3 of the statute of the Joint Inspection Unit, the Gambia, India, Haiti and the Russian Federation will be requested to submit the names of candidates and the curricula vitae highlighting the candidates’ relevant qualifications for the tasks ahead. I would like to remind members that, in accordance with Assembly resolution 59/267, of 23 December 2004, the candidates should have experience in at least one of the following fields: oversight, audit, inspection, investigation, evaluation, finance, project evaluation, programme evaluation, human resources management, management, public administration, monitoring and programme performance, as well as knowledge of the United Nations system and its role in international relations. After holding the appropriate consultations described in paragraph 2 of article 3 of the statute of the Joint Inspection Unit, including consultations with the President of the Economic and Social Council and the Secretary-General, in his capacity as Chair of the United Nations System Chief Executive Board for Coordination, I will submit the names of the candidates to the Assembly for appointment to the Joint Inspection Unit. The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (h) of agenda item 115.

The General Assembly will now proceed to hold by-elections to elect members of the Economic and Social Council, in accordance with rule 140 of the rules of procedure. Members are reminded that the election of 18 members of the Economic and Social Council was held on 14 June 2016 during the 104th plenary meeting of the seventieth session, in which the following 18 States were elected members of the Council for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017: Andorra, Azerbaijan, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Chad, China, Colombia, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, Sweden, Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. I would first like to draw the attention of members to a letter dated 4 November 2016 from the Permanent Representative of San Marino to the United Nations, circulated in document A/71/604. In his letter, the Permanent Representative of San Marino, in his capacity as Chair of the Group of Western European and other States, refers to a note verbale dated 29 April 2016, sent by the Permanent Mission of Malta, announcing that Greece will relinquish its seat on the Economic and Social Council at the end of 2016 for the remainder of its term, in favour of Turkey, and that Portugal will relinquish its seat on the Council, also at the end of 2016 for the remainder of its term, in favour of Spain. As a result, two vacancies will occur and new members must therefore be elected to fill the unexpired terms of office of Greece and Portugal, commencing on 1 January 2017 and expiring on 31 December 2017. In accordance with paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 2847 (XXVI), adopted on 20 December 1971, and taking into account that the vacancies will occur from among the Western European and other States, the new members should therefore be elected from that regional group. I should like to inform the Assembly that the candidates that receive a two-thirds majority and the greatest number of votes by members present and voting will be declared elected. May I take it that the General Assembly agrees to that procedure?

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election shall be held by secret ballot, and there shall be no nominations. We shall now proceed accordingly. I should like to remind members that the following States from among the Western European and other States are currently represented on the Economic and Social Council: Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. The names of those 11 States should therefore not appear on the ballot. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. In addition, ballot papers will be given only to the representative seated directly behind the country’s nameplate. We shall now begin the voting process. Members are requested to remain seated until all ballots have been collected. I would like to remind members that they are voting in the by-election for two seats for the Western European and other States. Ballot papers will now be distributed. Representatives are requested to use only those ballot papers and to write on them the names of the States for which they wish to vote. A ballot will be declared invalid if it contains more names of Member States from the relevant region than the number of seats assigned to it. A ballot will also be declared invalid if any of the names of the Member States on it do not belong to the Group of Western European and other States.

The result of the voting is as follows: Western European and other States Number of ballot papers: 180 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 180 Abstentions: 5 Number of members voting: 175 Required two-thirds majority: 117 Number of votes obtained: Spain 171 Turkey 171

I congratulate Spain and Turkey on having been elected members of the Economic and Social Council. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 112.