A/72/PV.55 General Assembly

I should like to inform members of the Assembly that, in line with past practice, the General Assembly will hold a debate on item 65 jointly with agenda items 30, “Report of the Peacebuilding Commission” and 111, “Report of the Secretary-General on the Peacebuilding Fund”, during the resumed part of the session next year. I now give the floor to the representative of Turkmenistan to introduce draft resolution A/72/L.4.

The delegation of Turkmenistan has the honour to speak on behalf of the cross-regional sponsors of draft resolution A/72/L.4, entitled “Role of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia”. The draft resolution has been submitted on behalf of the five countries of Central Asia, namely, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and my own country, Turkmenistan, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, and to emphasize its role in the region. Central Asian countries would like to underscore the unwavering and broad interregional support for the draft resolution, and we have the honour to express deep gratitude to the sponsoring countries. We would also like to underline the constructive atmosphere of the entire deliberation process of the draft resolution. Preventive diplomacy is one of the priorities of the United Nations, whereby early warning and early action can advance security and stability, save lives and promote sustainable development. The United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) is a special political mission of the United Nations, established in December 2007 in Ashgabat at the initiative of the five Central Asian States. The Centre promotes dialogue among the Governments of the Central Asian countries on finding solutions to emerging problems and on eliminating potential threats so as to keep regular contacts with regional and international organizations operating in the region, to stimulate their peacemaking efforts and initiatives and to cooperate with other United Nations agencies working in the field of sustainable development and conflict prevention. In its 10 years of existence, the Centre has provided Governments with a platform for dialogue on the most challenging regional issues, ranging from the management of common resources to transnational threats, such as terrorism, violent extremism, organized crime and drug and other forms of trafficking. In doing so, UNRCCA has closely cooperated with all Governments of the region and has built capacities to use preventive diplomacy methods and instruments to address existing and emerging challenges. Regular multilateral meetings, attended by delegations of all five Central Asian countries, enable attention to be focused on common concerns, including the most important, such as preventive diplomacy as a key instrument for positive results in ensuring global security and stability, cross-border crime control and others. In June this year, Secretary-General António Guterres visited all five countries of the region. He presented an opportunity to renew United Nations support to the ongoing efforts of regional cooperation and underlined the relevance of preventive diplomacy to Central Asia. The draft resolution generalizes the experience of the Regional Centre for use by other countries of the world and emphasizes once again the role of preventive diplomacy. In conclusion, on behalf of all sponsors, may I express our hope that this important draft resolution will receive unanimous support and the wider sponsorship of Member States.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/72/L.4, entitled “Role of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia”. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that, since the submission of the draft resolution, in addition to those delegations listed in the document, the following countries have become sponsors of draft resolution A/72/L.4: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Romania, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the Sudan, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to adopt draft resolution A/72/L.4?

In paragraph 6 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 2018: Mr. Bachar Bong Abdallah (Chad), Mr. Pavel Chernikov (Russian Federation), Ms. Julia Maciel (Paraguay), Mr. Cihan Terzi (Turkey) and Mr. David Traystman (United States of America). May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint those persons as members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2018? It was so decided. (b) Appointment of members of the Committee on Contributions Report of the Fifth Committee (A/72/567)

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 2018: Mr. Michael Holtsch (Germany), Mr. Evgeny Kalugin (Russian Federation), Mr. Henrique da Silveira Sardinha Pinto (Brazil), Mr. Steve Townley (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Ms. Yoon Seongmee (Republic of Korea) and Ms. Zhang Wei (China). May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint those persons as members of the Committee on Contributions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2018? (c) Appointment of a member of the Board of Auditors Report of the Fifth Committee (A/72/571)

The Fifth Committee recommends, in paragraph 5 of its report, that the General Assembly appoint the Comptroller General of the Republic of Chile as a member of the Board of Auditors for a six- year term of office beginning on 1 July 2018. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint that person as a member of the Board of Auditors for a six-year term of office beginning on 1 July 2018 (d) Appointment of members of the International Civil Service Commission Report of the Fifth Committee (A/72/568)

In paragraph 5 (a) of the 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 2018: Mr. Yuji Kumamaru (Japan), Mr. Luis Mariano Hermosillo Sosa (Mexico), Mr. Aldo Mantovani (Italy), Mr. Jeffrey Mounts (United States of America) and Mr. Wolfgang Stöckl (Germany). May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint Mr. Yuji Kumamaru, Mr. Luis Mariano Hermosillo Sosa, Mr. Aldo Mantovani, Mr. Jeffrey Mounts and Mr. Wolfgang Stöckl as members of the International Civil Service Commission for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2018?

In paragraph 5 (b) of the same report, the Fifth Committee also recommends that the General Assembly designate Mr. Aldo Mantovani (Italy) as Vice-Chair of the International Civil Service Commission for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2018. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to designate Mr. Aldo Mantovani as Vice-Chair of the International Civil Service Commission for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2018? (e) Appointment of members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee Report of the Fifth Committee (A/72/569)

In paragraph 4 of the report, the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint Mr. Richard Quartei Quartey (Ghana) and Ms. Janet St. Laurent (United States of America) as members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2018. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint Mr. Richard Quartei Quartey and Ms. Janet St. Laurent as members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2018? (j) Confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee Report of the Fifth Committee (A/72/570)

The Fifth Committee recommends in paragraph 4 of its report that the General Assembly confirm the appointment by the Secretary-General of Ms. Kemi Adeosun (Nigeria) and Ms. Keiko Honda (Japan) as ad hoc members of the Investments Committee for a one-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2018. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to confirm the appointment by the Secretary-General of Ms. Kemi Adeosun and Ms. Keiko Honda as ad hoc members of the Investments Committee for a one-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2018?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-items (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (j) of agenda item 115?

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. 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 which are before the Assembly today. Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote. 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 the plenary meeting, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, that is, either in the Committee or in the plenary meeting, unless that delegation’s vote in the plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee.” May I further remind delegations that, also in accordance with General Assembly 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 Fifth Committee, unless notified otherwise in advance.

The Assembly has before it a draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 7 of its report. The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution. The Fifth Committee adopted it 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 133.

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. The Fifth Committee adopted it 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 137. Programme of work

Before adjourning the meeting, I would like to inform members that, as announced in today’s Journal, the consideration of agenda item 126, entitled “Interaction between the United Nations, national parliaments and the Inter-Parliamentary Union”, originally scheduled for this morning, has been postponed to a later date to be announced.