A/73/PV.39 General Assembly

Under sub-item (t), I should like to inform members that action on draft resolution A/73/L.24, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organization”, has been postponed to a later date. I now give the floor to Mr. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization, to introduce his reports covering the years 2016 and 2017.

I am honoured to address the General Assembly under the agenda sub-item entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization”. I addressed the General Assembly in September during its high-level commemoration of the International Day against Nuclear Tests (see A/72/ PV.112). In my statement, I spoke of the consequences of nuclear testing for humans and the environment, as well as for international peace and security. The devastating impact of nuclear testing underpins our moral conviction and provides us with the strength and resolve needed to finally put an end to that chapter of human endeavour once and for all. The entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is the only viable path to achieving that end. Enhancing cooperation towards that objective should therefore be a priority for us all. With that aim in mind, I am pleased to report to the Assembly today on the following issues: the current status of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty, developments related to the verification regime, and enhanced cooperation with the United Nations and other measures to strengthen the Treaty and its verification regime. On the current status of the CTBT, the objective of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is to put a verifiable end to nuclear-test explosions by everyone, everywhere and for all time. A comprehensive nuclear- test ban is one of the oldest items on the international nuclear disarmament agenda, first proposed more than six decades ago. Thanks to the support of the General Assembly and the tireless efforts of the dedicated staff of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, we continue to make strides towards a world free from the dangers of nuclear testing. Although the CTBT has yet to enter into force, the Treaty enjoys near-universal support and has solidified the de facto international norm against nuclear testing. In stark contrast with the darkest days of the Cold War, when nuclear testing was commonplace, the international community is unanimous in its condemnation of any violation of that norm today. That has been true since the Treaty’s opening for signature in 1996 and has been the case with each of the nuclear tests by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — the only State to carry out a nuclear-test explosion this century. We recently welcomed the ratification by Thailand and the signature by Tuvalu earlier this year. There are now 184 States that have signed the CTBT, of which 167 have ratified it. I wish to thank the Governments of Thailand and Tuvalu once more for their support and resolve, which has bolstered global efforts to achieve a nuclear-test-free world. The CTBT is one of the most adhered-to arms control and international security-related instruments and receives overwhelming support from United Nations States Members. Nonetheless, the CTBT has not yet become legally binding international law, as eight annex 2 States must still ratify the Treaty to achieve its entry into force. Those States are China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States of America. The de facto norm against nuclear testing grows in strength with every signature and ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. But history teaches us that norms and voluntary moratoriums can never substitute for a legally binding and credibly enforceable nuclear-test ban. There were moratoriums on nuclear testing by the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1961 as negotiations were taking place on a nuclear-test ban in Geneva. However, changing political circumstances and a rise in tension between the United States and the Soviet Union led to a collapse of those negotiations. Soon afterward, the two super-Powers resumed their nuclear-test programmes and carried out more nuclear tests between 1961 and 1962 than in the whole of the previous decade. That is not to be forgotten. Legal instruments such as nuclear-weapon-free zones, and most recently the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, can ultimately complement the CTBT. But an in-force treaty with a fully completed verification regime is the path to an effectively verifiable and credibly enforceable prohibition on nuclear testing. That is the only way that Member States will have trust and confidence that the Treaty is being complied with. That is why we are continuing our work on confidence-building and education and outreach with the annex 2 States, with the aim of creating the right conditions globally and regionally that would be conducive for positive consideration of their signature and/or ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty. With that in mind, the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty, also known as the Article XIV Conference, has been held every other year to promote the Treaty’s entry into force. When the tenth Article XIV Conference was held last year in New York, the Conference offered an opportunity for States to renew their commitment to the CTBT as a core element of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. A high number of Foreign Ministers participated in the conference. Secretary-General António Guterres and the then-President of the General Assembly, Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, addressed the opening meeting. In addition, the ninth Ministerial Meeting of the Friends of the CTBT, held this year, brought together a large number of Foreign Ministers and other high- level representatives from States signatories to review the progress that has been made and issue a joint call for the prompt entry into force of the CTBT. The meeting was organized by the Friends of the CTBT  — Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands — in cooperation with the co-coordinators of article XIV, Iraq and Belgium. The ministers were unanimous in their commitment to the entry into force of the CTBT, while highlighting the verification regime as an essential tool for ensuring compliance. From 21 May to 1 June, we convened the second CTBT Science and Diplomacy Symposium, which brought together more than 120 policymakers, diplomats and practitioners, as well as academics, students and young professionals from around the globe. Hundreds more participated in the Symposium virtually through the CTBTO Knowledge and Training Portal. The Symposium served to raise public awareness of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and its contribution to international peace and security, and to deepen the understanding of the participants, in particular those from the non-ratifying annex 2 States, about the Treaty and its Organization. Attendees took part in in-depth and dynamic discussions on various legal, political and technical aspects of the Treaty, and participated in creative thinking and collective solution finding. The CTBTO’s efforts to raise awareness about the Treaty have continued in New York as well. Since its establishment last year, the CTBTO New York Liaison Office is continuing to cultivate and enhance relationships with the 193 States Members of the United Nations and various entities represented in New York. Capacity-building exercises and visual presentations organized through the Liaison Office mechanism have helped to generate attention and further knowledge about the Treaty and the CTBTO, not only among the Permanent Missions but also among the general public. Turning to developments related to the verification regime, I am pleased to report that the system is nearing completion. The progressive build-up of the system has resulted in a level of maturity, readiness and relevance that has been demonstrated on numerous occasions and in a variety of circumstances. By virtue of the consistent efforts and hard work by CTBTO staff in Vienna, the full establishment of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty verification regime is well within reach. I just returned from a mission to Australia to celebrate the completion of the Australian segment of the International Monitoring System stations, the third-largest of any State. With the certification of the infrasound station at Davis base in Antarctica, all 21 monitoring facilities located on Australian territory are now complete. Those strategically positioned stations are sending reliable, high-quality data to our International Data Centre in Vienna for analysis. We have installed or certified several important new International Monitoring System stations in the past several years. Of particular note, the last remaining hydroacoustic station in the Crozet Islands, in the southern Indian Ocean, was certified, which marked a major milestone on the way to completion of the verification system. Five stations were also certified in China — two primary seismic stations and three radionuclide stations. Additional achievements include the certification of an infrasound station and a radionuclide station in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, as well as the certifications of stations and radionuclide laboratories in the Russian Federation, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, Italy and France. As of November 2018, there are 296 certified International Monitoring System facilities, and another 16 installed or under construction, bringing the verification system to slightly over 92 per cent completion. The International Data Centre continues to process and analyse data registered at monitoring stations, which are shared with 1,300 institutions in 130 countries. The International Data Centre is progressively carrying out its work through experiments and full-scale testing. In addition to the steady advancement in the Treaty’s International Monitoring System, the capabilities of the International Data Centre are also continuing to develop. In fact, they have achieved a far better detection threshold than many thought would be possible when the Treaty was negotiated and the International Monitoring System was conceived. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization is also continuing to prepare for the entry into force of the Treaty by strengthening its on-site inspection capabilities. That includes developing on-site inspection elements, conducting integrated field exercises and evaluating the organization’s on-site inspection activities. After having concluded and evaluated the on-site inspection field exercises of 2008 and 2014, we are now in a new cycle of on-site inspection development and have a new action plan for on-site inspection activities that began in 2016 and will continue until 2019. With regard to our project to build a permanent equipment storage and maintenance facility, its construction is well under way at the site in Seibersdorf, Austria. That permanent facility will be in charge of on-site inspection and have other organization-wide operational functions, including storage, maintenance, testing and training. Those achievements prove that the Treaty’s verification regime has reached an advanced state of readiness. Our strategic goal of moving towards the acceptance of the verification regime is progressing in accordance with our planning. The reliability of the verification regime has been demonstrated by the performance of the system in its timely and accurate detection of each and every nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. On the occasion of the nuclear test conducted in September 2017 by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the identified test-area error ellipse was only 110 square kilometres and has since shrunken to less than 10 square kilometres, bearing in mind that the Treaty stipulates that the area of an on-site inspection site can be up to 1,000 square kilometres. Our precision has increased nearly ten-fold. For the five previous tests, data from 125 international monitoring stations were used to determine the magnitude of the events and compute their locations. The Treaty’s verification regime and its associated technology and data have also proven valuable for civil and scientific purposes. For example, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization cooperates with UNESCO in the area of tsunami early warning. It also provided timely and trustworthy information on the dispersion of radiation during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. By virtue of the quality and accuracy of its data, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization is now a member of the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies. The Committee is tasked with coordinating among relevant international intergovernmental organizations to prepare for and respond to nuclear and radiological emergencies. The potential for International Monitoring-System data to contribute to volcanic ash advisories for airline safety, other disaster risk reduction and mitigation efforts and countless other related areas is currently being explored. Nuclear test monitoring data and technologies can also help support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). International Monitoring System stations can be a valuable asset for research related to climate change in line with SDG 13, on climate action. Monitoring the movements of glaciers, hurricanes and tornadoes and the seasonal variations of specific radionuclides helps scientists better understand the effects of climate change. Moreover, the hydroacoustic stations of the International Monitoring System help whale conservation efforts by recording whale vocalizations to support research on whale populations and their migration patterns, thereby contributing to SDG 14, on life below water. In order to ensure that the verification regime remains at the forefront of scientific and technical innovation, we must also strive to further enhance the Organization’s strong relationship with the scientific and technological community. That is achieved through the CTBT’s biennial Science and Technology Conference series, which is organized for scientists and experts from a broad range of disciplines that are relevant to all aspects of nuclear-test monitoring. The sixth Science and Technology Conference, which was held in Vienna in 2017, welcomed nearly 1,000 scientists, academics, students, members of the media and representatives from Government agencies from more than 120 countries. Throughout the conference, 650 abstracts, nearly 400 posters and 100 oral presentations were disseminated. Preparations for the next event, which will take place from 24 to 28 June 2019, are well under way. The successful development of the Treaty’s verification regime is a product of enormous collective investment. Member States have contributed substantial financial support valued at more than $1 billion. They have invested their time, energy and resources to help put in place the most expansive verification regime ever designed. We must all strive to ensure that those investments are protected. I will now speak about the Organization’s enhanced cooperation with the United Nations. Promoting international peace and security through collective action is at the core of the work of the United Nations. There is no greater threat in scale and consequence to peace and security than the use of weapons of mass destruction. As such, the United Nations has tirelessly endeavoured since its establishment to reduce and eliminate that risk. Multilateral non-proliferation and disarmament instruments, such as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, constitute the legal, technical and normative backbone of those efforts. It is only once we have fully implemented the Treaty and other key elements of a multilaterally verifiable nuclear disarmament framework that we will move closer to realizing our vision of a world free from nuclear weapons. Since the CTBT opened for signature, more than 20 years ago, the United Nations has consistently supported the effective implementation of the Treaty and the efforts to advance its entry into force. The launch in May of the Secretary-General’s agenda for disarmament underpins the United Nations effort to advance cooperation with the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty Organization. Notably, action point 4 of the implementation plan towards the elimination of nuclear weapons is “Bring the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty into force”. To that end, the Secretary- General aims to facilitate progress in the signing and ratification of the Treaty through active diplomacy, public outreach and coordination with the organization and its member States. Such advocacy will include direct engagement with the Heads of State or Government of the annex 2 States. I applaud the Secretary-General for taking the initiative on that important issue, and I look forward to cooperating with him and his good offices towards our shared goals. Of course, those activities are directly in line with the Agreement to Regulate the Relationship between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, which recognizes the need for the two bodies to work jointly in order to achieve their common objectives. Another aspect of the Agreement that I would like to highlight is reciprocal representation. The Agreement states that, whenever other principal organs of the United Nations consider matters that are of relevance to the activities of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission, the Executive Secretary or a designated representative may, at the invitation of that organ, attend its meetings to supply it with information. In that context, I would like to report that on 27 September, on the margins of the General Assembly high-level week, I attended the meeting of the Security Council (see S/PV.8363) on non-proliferation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The meeting provided an important platform for States and relevant entities to stress the importance of the CTBT for international peace and security and to appeal for the Treaty’s entry into force. I wish to reiterate the readiness of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization to participate, as appropriate, in meetings and provide relevant information and reports in order to contribute to discussions and deliberations on those critical issues. The relationship agreement also calls on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization to furnish special studies or information, as requested by the United Nations, as well as to provide, within its competence and in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty, information and assistance to the United Nations in the exercise of its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations. That is particularly relevant in the light of the Secretary-General’s remarks concerning the readiness of United Nations agencies to support the process of denuclearization in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The recent announcement by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that it is committed to inviting international inspectors to confirm a closure of its nuclear-test site has opened a window of opportunity for the organization. Within its mandate and with the approval of our member States, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory Commission stands ready to contribute its expertise, technologies and monitoring assets to any multilateral process aimed at confirming the closure of the Punggye-ri nuclear- test site. Moreover, if an agreement on verifiable denuclearization is reached, a prohibition on nuclear tests must be included as an interim step pending the ratification of the CTBT by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The organization and its verification regime can be explicitly called upon to verify that aspect of the agreement. If the international community is serious about its commitment to achieving a world free from nuclear tests, then we must be prepared to seize every opportunity to promote the CTBT and advance its entry into force. If the ongoing talks with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea  — the only country to test in the twenty-first century  — do not constitute such an opportunity, then I do not know what does. Engagement with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea offers opportunities to continue to prove that the organization’s technical capabilities are mature and primed to fulfil the verification task. Such engagement also holds the potential to bring Pyongyang into the orbit of the CTBT as one of the most challenging States listed in the Treaty’s annex 2. This is nothing short of a historic opportunity for the Treaty and its verification regime, and if we want to see a worldwide halt to nuclear testing, we must be ready and willing to seize it. Another key focus of the organization is to empower the next generation, in particular women, to work to ensure the Treaty’s verifiability well into the twenty-first century and beyond. For that reason, we have established the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Youth Group, in recognition of the importance of the next generation’s active involvement aimed at advancing the Treaty’s entry into force. The Youth Group has reached a membership of more than 500 and is creating a groundswell of excitement and support for the CTBT and its role in international peace and security. Through active engagement, sustained advocacy and research and publishing, the Youth Group is complementing the efforts of the organization and its member States to ensure that the CTBT remains firmly at the top of the international agenda. Looking ahead, it is impossible not to recognize, and perhaps even to dwell upon, the challenges that confront the international community, including the viability of multilateralism as a means to advance peace and security. That is particularly true in the area of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. However, after decades of consistent efforts and hard work, the CTBT and its verification regime have become the most practical and achievable step towards a world free of nuclear weapons. The success of the CTBT will be a success for multilateralism. The world is already benefiting from the value of the CTBT under the de facto global norm against nuclear testing; but, without determined and urgent action to maintain the Treaty’s relevance and bring about its entry into force, the goodwill and momentum generated in recent years will remain at risk. The General Assembly’s leadership can make a difference in that regard by finishing what we started with the CTBT. Let us strengthen our resolve and work together to bring the Treaty into force as a key step towards the realization of lasting peace and security in a world free from nuclear weapons.

I now give the floor to the representative of Croatia to introduce draft resolutions A/73/L.17 and A/73/L.27.

I have the honour to introduce two draft resolutions today. The first one is draft resolution A/73/L.17, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Central European Initiative”, which I have the privilege to introduce on behalf of 17 members of the Initiative, who are original co-sponsors of the draft resolution. The cooperation between the United Nations and the Central European Initiative (CEI) began with resolution 66/111, adopted on 9 December 2011, by which observer status was granted to the Initiative. The cooperation between the two entities is focused on furthering political and socioeconomic development. In that respect, I should especially highlight the Initiative’s plan of action for the period 2018-2020, which was drawn up in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and contributes to its implementation through projects at the regional level. The CEI is committed to fruitful cooperation with the United Nations, the specialized agencies and other organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, with the aim of achieving mutual participation in events and meetings of common interest and developing practical and results-oriented joint projects, in particular with UNESCO and the Economic Commission for Europe. As Croatia holds the presidency of the CEI for 2018, allow me to express our gratitude to all the member States of the Initiative for their excellent cooperation with the presidency. Let me conclude this part of my introduction by stating that the member States of the CEI express their hope that this biennial draft resolution will be adopted without a vote, as was the case on previous occasions. Allow me now to turn to the second part of my introduction. Based on the mandate given by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to the Croatian chairmanship of the Council for the period from May to November 2018, which officially ended on 21 November, I also have the honour to introduce draft resolution A/73/L.27, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe,” on behalf of the co-sponsors. With the Council of Europe’s seventieth anniversary approaching in 2019, it is worth mentioning that cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe started as early as in 1951 and was updated in 1971 with the cooperative arrangements between the secretariats of the United Nations and the Council of Europe. In 1989, the Assembly granted the Council of Europe an invitation to participate as an observer in its sessions. From 2000 onwards and every second year since 2004, a draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe has been submitted and adopted. The draft text before us today includes important updates with regard to the work undertaken by the Council of Europe and the United Nations in areas of common interest since the adoption of resolution 71/17, in 2016, and it recognizes the ever-increasing role of the Council of Europe in protecting and strengthening human rights and fundamental freedoms, promoting democracy and upholding and strengthening the rule of law through its standards, principles and monitoring mechanisms, as well as through the effective implementation of its legal instruments. It also reaffirms the commitments and aspirations of both organizations to further enhance their cooperation in fields of common interest. The Council of Europe remains committed to the promotion of its objectives around its three key pillars  — human rights, democracy and the rule of law — and stands ready for dialogue and cooperation to advance its core values and achieve greater synergy between the United Nations and the Council of Europe. In conclusion, I take this opportunity to thank all members of the Council of Europe and the observer States for their cooperation and the support extended to the Croatian chairmanship and all other New York-based delegations that have been actively and constructively engaged during the discussions on the draft resolution before us, enabling us today to have a text that we hope can be adopted without a vote, as on previous occasions.

I now give the floor to the representative of Brazil to introduce draft resolution A/73/L.21.

I have the honour to introduce, on behalf of Switzerland and my own country, Brazil, draft resolution A/73/L.21, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)”. Brazil has been a member of INTERPOL since 1986, and Switzerland since 1956. Both our countries have maintained close cooperation with INTERPOL over the years and strongly support INTERPOL’s activities, goals and objectives. The Office of the Special Representative of INTERPOL to the United Nations in New York was established in October 2004 so as to raise awareness of INTERPOL’s role within the United Nations community and to encourage the use of its tools, databases and resources available to Member States that are also member countries of INTERPOL, as well as to identify areas of common interest and opportunities for increased cooperation and coordination. The Office has taken a lead role in further enhancing INTERPOL’s cooperation with United Nations entities directly involved in activities related to law enforcement, such as the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the Office of Counter-Terrorism. The General Assembly adopted resolution 71/19 by consensus in 2016, the first resolution to address cooperation between the United Nations and INTERPOL. This year’s draft resolution represents the first review of the original text. The fundamental threefold purpose of the draft resolution remains unchanged: acknowledging and taking stock of the existing cooperation between the United Nations and INTERPOL, strengthening that cooperation within the respective mandates of both organizations and raising awareness among Member States of the role of INTERPOL at the United Nations. We are convinced that the reviewed draft resolution is a solid and well-balanced text. It reflects the significant changes in the international security priorities at the United Nations since the first resolution was adopted, such as counter-terrorism activities, foreign terrorist fighters and the need to counter the use of information and communications technologies for criminal or terrorist purposes, among others. It is our hope that the draft resolution will build a strong basis for the further strengthening of the cooperation between the United Nations and INTERPOL, for the benefit of all Member States that are also member countries of INTERPOL. The revised draft resolution calls for the strengthening of cooperation in two main areas, namely, preventing and combating transnational crime and preventing and countering terrorism. Throughout the operative paragraphs, those two main areas are broken down into a wide range of topics, such as combating trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants, tackling the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and supporting peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, just to name a few. Furthermore, the main INTERPOL tools, databases and other resources readily available to Member States are all mentioned in the text. It goes without saying that those new additions and improvements will help the work of INTERPOL at the United Nations. In our view, it is a great achievement to have reached consensus on such important and complex issues, which have an impact at the national, regional and global levels. By taking advantage of existing synergies, stronger cooperation and coordination between the United Nations and INTERPOL will serve the goals and purposes of both organizations and ultimately contribute to long-term improvements in law enforcement activities. On behalf of the main sponsors, Brazil and Switzerland, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the representatives of all of the Member States who actively took part in the consultations process for their constructive inputs. Our thanks also go to the members of the Office of the Special Representative of INTERPOL to the United Nations for the excellent technical advice provided throughout the negotiations. Their valuable contributions, guidance and support have been greatly appreciated by all delegations. Finally, we sincerely appreciate the presence today of the Secretary General of INTERPOL, Mr. Jürgen Stock, who will address the Assembly later, as a strong sign of INTERPOL’s support for our work here at the United Nations.

I now give the floor to the representative of Italy to introduce draft resolution A/73/L.22.

Allow me, first of all, to express my appreciation to the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Mr. Lassina Zerbo, for his statement and for his report on the major activities carried out by the Preparatory Commission and the Provisional Technical Secretariat in 2017. Today’s debate on the cooperation between the United Nations and the CTBTO in the General Assembly provides the international community with an opportunity to renew its commitment to the ultimate goal of a peaceful and secure world free of nuclear weapons. A progressive approach based on concrete and verifiable measures aimed at enhancing mutual confidence and increasing the perception of solid international security may play a decisive role in furthering such a goal. The entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) has a crucial place among nuclear disarmament measures. During the past two decades, despite not having entered into force, the CTBT has paved the way for a moratorium on nuclear tests that in the twenty- first century has been implemented by all countries in the world but one. And, through its Preparatory Commission and Provisional Technical Secretariat, the CTBT has led to the establishment of a highly effective and fully reliable global monitoring system, whose invaluable role in quickly providing trustworthy and independent data has been demonstrated repeatedly. However, progress along the way towards non-proliferation and disarmament requires that the current voluntary moratorium on nuclear-test explosions be translated into a binding norm by means of the CTBT’s entry into force. Our shared commitment is crucial to reaching that goal. As the 2018 Chair of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission, Italy invites all partners to work closely together to turn political momentum into action and, eventually, reality. In that very spirit, following a consolidated practice by the countries that have chaired the CTBTO Preparatory Commission, and consistent with the cooperation agreement concluded between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission in 2000, the delegation of Italy wishes to submit to the General Assembly draft resolution A/73/L.22, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization”. Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations (A/73/328), as well as of the report of the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO, and noting with appreciation the establishment of the CTBTO New York liaison mechanism in June 2017, the text envisages the decision to include in the provisional agenda of the seventy-fifth session of the General Assembly, under the item “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations”, a sub-item specifically devoted to discussing the cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO. In that regard, the Secretariat has informed us that an oral amendment is required regarding the third preambular paragraph, which should read as follows: “Noting with appreciation the establishment of the New York liaison mechanism between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in June 2017”. This draft resolution, which has been submitted biennially for several years, performs a procedural function but, above all, it has a political value. The activities that the Preparatory Commission and the Provisional Technical Secretariat are performing pursuant to the Treaty and the CTBTO resolution establishing the Preparatory Commission to foster non-proliferation and security contribute to the fulfilment of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Close cooperation between the United Nations and the CTBTO Preparatory Commission therefore serves the interests of the international community. Synergies are in fact mutually beneficial and need to be pursued with determination. Against that backdrop, we are confident that the General Assembly will be willing to adopt the draft resolution we have submitted, as a means to continue keeping non-proliferation and disarmament high on our agenda.

I should like to inform members that action on draft resolution A/73/L.23, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States” is postponed to a later date to allow time for a review of its programme budget implications by the Fifth Committee. I now give the floor to the representative of Qatar to introduce draft resolution A/73/L.23.

As Chair of the Group of Arab States for the month of November, and on behalf of the following Arab countries — Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Somalia, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen — it is my honour to introduce to the General Assembly the draft resolution contained in document A/73/L.23, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States”. The draft resolution before members embodies one of the fundamental principles established in the Charter of the United Nations, namely, the cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in areas of common interest, particularly in the area of international peace and security, as provided for in Chapter VIII of the Charter. The draft resolution is based on the need to strengthen cooperation between the two organizations, the United Nations and the League of Arab States, with a view to achieving their common goals and objectives. The draft resolution reflects the high level of cooperation between the secretariats of the United Nations and the League of Arab States at the practical level as well as the ongoing efforts to continue and strengthen their cooperation in the future. The draft resolution further aims to continue and improve interaction and consultation between the specialized agencies, programmes and institutions of the United Nations and their counterparts from Arab organizations and institutions. Consequently, we call on Member States to support the draft resolution contained in document A/73/L.23, and we call on the General Assembly as well to adopt it by consensus.

I now give the floor to the representative of Azerbaijan to introduce draft resolution A/73/L.25.

In our capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC), the Republic of Azerbaijan is pleased to introduce, on behalf of its sponsors, draft resolution A/73/L.25, submitted under sub-item (o) of agenda item 128 and entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization”. The draft resolution, which is based on resolution 71/18, adopted by consensus by the General Assembly on 21 November 2016, was discussed in informal consultations in an open and transparent manner. It includes substantive and technical updates and new paragraphs reflecting developments over the past two years. I would like to thank delegations for their constructive approach and contribution throughout the negotiations process. The draft resolution reiterates the conviction that the strengthening of cooperation between the United Nations and other organizations contributes to the promotion of the purposes and principles of the United Nations. It further refers to the activities of the organization aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in various fields and welcomes the efforts towards elaborating and implementing concrete joint regional projects. The draft resolution welcomes the ongoing cooperation by the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization with the funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations system and encourages developing practical and goal-oriented projects in areas of common interest. It also seeks to promote the interest of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, bearing in mind the importance of regional and subregional dimensions and interconnectivity in sustainable development and their supporting role in facilitating the effective translation of sustainable development policies into concrete action at the national level. The report of the Secretary-General entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations” (A/73/328) describes, inter alia, the joint activities of the United Nations and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization and the reinforced engagement of the United Nations with the BSEC secretariat and its member States with respect to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The adoption of the draft resolution will further contribute to enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, supporting the implementation of ongoing projects in areas of mutual interest and strengthening the relevance and visibility of the activities undertaken for the benefit of the countries of the region. We look forward to Member States support for the draft resolution and its adoption by consensus.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Republic of Moldova to introduce draft resolution A/73/L.26/Rev.1.

As the country currently holding the chairmanship of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development — GUAM, the Republic of Moldova has the honour to introduce, on behalf of its sponsors, draft resolution A/73/L.26 Rev.1, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development — GUAM”. As a full-fledged international regional organization, with the distinct vocation of promoting democracy in its member States and their economic development, GUAM attaches great importance to cooperation with the United Nations. That cooperation began in 2004, when GUAM obtained observer status in the General Assembly, pursuant to resolution 58/85. The United Nations has been an important partner to the GUAM member States in their pursuit of stability and sustainable development. The previous resolutions on this subject, particularly the biennial resolutions 67/109 and 69/271, all entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development  — GUAM”, defined the framework for cooperation between the two organizations. The Secretary-General’s report (A/73/328), submitted under the current agenda item, highlights some areas of focus where cooperation between the United Nations and GUAM was envisaged in the period since then in terms of enhanced interaction. The draft resolution that is being introduced today under sub-item (v) of agenda item 128 underscores the importance of continued cooperation between the United Nations and GUAM and acknowledges GUAM’S efforts to enhance cooperative relationships with the United Nations and its member States. It also takes note of GUAM’s activities aimed at promoting regional cooperation in various areas. The overall goal of the draft resolution is to further develop cooperation between the United Nations and GUAM and through a dynamic and substantive partnership to better contribute to the promotion of the vision and principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations. It emphasizes the importance of strengthening dialogue, cooperation and coordination between the United Nations system and GUAM, and urges the agencies, programmes, funds and other specialized institutions of the United Nations to cooperate and develop direct contacts with GUAM for the joint implementation of projects aimed at attaining common objectives. Lastly, it asks the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly, at its seventy-fifth session, a report on the implementation of the current draft resolution. The text of the draft resolution proposed for adoption today is based on the Assembly’s previous consensus resolutions on the topic. It has been discussed in informal consultations in an open and transparent manner. The sponsors of the draft resolution took into account the comments and suggestions of all interested delegations. I sincerely hope that this year’s draft resolution will be adopted without a vote, as has been the case in past years. In conclusion, I would also like to express the sponsors’ firm belief that once the draft resolution is adopted it will further strengthen cooperation between the United Nations and GUAM, thereby contributing to the promotion of shared objectives in the area of international peace and development, including the Sustainable Development Goals, as set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I now give the floor to the representative of Tajikistan to introduce draft resolution A/73/L.28.

The delegation of the Republic of Tajikistan, as President of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) for 2018, has the honour to submit for the attention of the General Assembly draft resolution A/73/L.28, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Independent States”. Throughout its existence the Commonwealth has frequently demonstrated that it is a useful platform for dialogue between its member countries on political, economic, social and humanitarian issues, and today it is as much in demand as ever with respect to a number of important topics. It was an important milestone for the CIS when the General Assembly granted it observer status in March 1994, while on 3 August of the same year, the Secretariat registered the CIS Charter as a multilateral agreement and the Commonwealth was recognized as a regional international organization. As such, it participates in all major forums held by the United Nations and other international organizations. The new session of the Council of Head of States of the Commonwealth, held in Dushanbe in September, was an event of key significance for our organization. The meeting paid particular attention to issues related to further strengthening cooperation between CIS member States in the areas of ensuring security and stability in the Commonwealth, trade and economic cooperation, energy, transport and communications, and the development of cooperation in the areas of science, education, youth policy, health care, sport and tourism, including issues related to the free movement of goods, investments and services, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The meeting culminated in the adoption of 16 decisions and a number of political statements, one of the most important of which was a declaration by the Heads of State of the CIS countries on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. I would like to point out that one of the priority areas of Tajikistan’s presidency of the CIS is strengthening cooperation between member States of the Commonwealth within the framework of the United Nations. We have accumulated solid experience in that regard at various levels of cooperation between the CIS and the United Nations aimed at addressing our common social, economic and humanitarian challenges. However, in order to strengthen the practical aspects of our cooperation and make it more effective, a systemic foundation for that collaboration that will help to develop and deepen the ties between the CIS and the specialized agencies of the United Nations is essential. That is the purpose of the draft resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Independent States” that is before the Assembly today. In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to all States Members of the United Nations for their support to this draft resolution, which we hope will be adopted by consensus.

I thank the President for convening today’s important debate. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report on the cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations (A/73/328). The activities and achievements outlined in the report illustrate the depth and breadth of cooperation between the United Nations and its partners. Today’s uncertain global landscape is evolving at a rapid pace. Many of the challenges we face are no longer neatly confined within geographical boundaries. Terrorism, cybercrime and climate change are just some examples of the complex issues that are transboundary in nature. The United Nations cannot deal with those contemporary threats alone; regional and other organizations must be meaningfully engaged to complement the work of the United Nations in addressing such issues. Given their specialized knowledge, functional expertise and holistic understanding of regional contexts, regional organizations will be able to enhance the work of the United Nations in a manner that takes into account the specific circumstances and needs of each Member State. Singapore therefore welcomes the draft resolutions before the Assembly on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations (A/73/L.17, A/73/L.21, A/73/L.22, A/73/L.23, A/73/L.25, A/73/L.26/Rev.1, A/73/L.27, A/73/L.28). The draft resolutions are testament to the broad outreach and deep engagement between the United Nations and the relevant organizations. Critically, the draft resolutions demonstrate the interest of the United Nations in further collaboration with these organizations. Singapore’s view is that the United Nations network of partnerships should be deepened and expanded. In addition, cooperation and synergies among the different regional organizations should be strengthened. To that end, we welcome the interactive dialogue meetings between the Secretary-General and heads of regional organizations as a concrete way to promote understanding of each region’s unique circumstances. Singapore would like to highlight our sponsorship of draft resolution A/73/L.21, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)”. A predecessor resolution on this topic was first considered and adopted two years ago at the seventy-first session of the General Assembly (resolution 71/19). Important and timely updates have been made to the draft resolution to reflect present realities and the constantly evolving nature of threats, for example, through the prevention and disruption of foreign terrorist fighter travel and countering the use of information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes. It also highlights INTERPOL’s capabilities that Member States can leverage, such as the Stolen and Lost Travel Document Database. Tackling such threats requires greater cooperation between States Members of the United Nations and INTERPOL, which is exactly what the draft resolution calls for. Since its establishment, INTERPOL has played a critical role in international law enforcement. Singapore is proud to play our part in this endeavour. We have been a member of INTERPOL since 1968 and host the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation, established in 2015. The Complex aids in the identification of crimes and criminals using advanced tools and capabilities and provides capacity training and operational support. As the Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, Singapore, on behalf of ASEAN, will submit a draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and ASEAN (A/73/L.71). We look forward to the support of the international community for the draft resolution. The need for greater engagement by regional and other organizations is increasingly urgent owing to mounting concerns about the utility of multilateralism and the propensity of some to resort to unilateral solutions. Strengthening the symbiotic relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations will send a strong signal that greater cooperation, engagement and trust are the way forward in overcoming these challenges.

At the outset, I would like to associate ourselves with the statement made by the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar on behalf of the Group of Arab States, as well as with the statement to be made by the Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States (LAS). My delegation has carefully reviewed the report of the Secretary-General on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations (A/73/328), which details the cooperation between the United Nations and 26 regional and other organizations. The report stresses the importance of continuing to deepen existing cooperation arrangements and of considering new ones, as appropriate, with the aim of achieving the noble purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, thereby fulfilling the aspirations of the peoples of the world towards achieving security, peace and stability and enjoying human rights, development and well-being. Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations has become a necessity given the world situations and circumstances, their variables and enormous challenges, on the one hand, and the unprecedented growing role of regional organizations, on the other hand. The objective is to achieve international peace and security, especially in the midst of the increase in intrastate and regional conflicts. By emphasizing the importance of this kind of cooperation, many regional organizations have sought to cooperate with the United Nations in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter in order to address security challenges and settle conflicts throughout the world. The complex, multidimensional and unpredictable challenges we face today make multilateral cooperation increasingly important. Regional organizations often have a better understanding of the nature of a conflict as a result of their closer geographic, historic, cultural and social ties to it. That means that regional organizations are better able to understand the root causes of conflicts and identify the best options for resolving them. The State of Kuwait is a member of two very important regional organizations: the LAS and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Both organizations have enjoyed a long relationship with the United Nations for more than three decades. We call for strengthening and enhancing the ongoing cooperation in order to achieve peace, security and stability in our Arab and Islamic worlds. Our brotherly peoples in Palestine, Syria, Yemen and Libya and the Rohingya minority all have the right to enjoy peace, development and prosperity following the tremendous humanitarian suffering they have experienced as a result of gross and flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. In order to develop cooperation between the United Nations, the LAS and OIC, the State of Kuwait deems it important to conclude more memorandums of understanding and other agreements between the United Nations and those two organizations, while taking into consideration the capabilities and responsibilities of each of them. The aim is to define a clear and effective framework for the cooperation and coordination mechanism that could enhance dialogue and exchange of expertise. It is also useful to expand cooperation in order to include the areas of development, economics and sociocultural, as well as humanitarian and environmental domains. That would help to address the root causes of crises and conflicts with a view to resolving them. In conclusion, we reiterate our belief that the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security, preventing conflicts and resolving them by peaceful means could be best achieved through deepened cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, in order to energise early- warning mechanisms, preventive diplomacy and swift appropriate response to conflicts looming on the horizon.

The delegation of Turkmenistan would like to thank the Secretary-General for the preparation of his report (A/73/328) on the implementation of resolution 72/273, on cooperation between the United Nations and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. The situation in the Aral Sea region is one of the worst global environmental disasters in recent history, whose consequences are being felt by Central Asia’s population of more than 60 million people. Today the effects of the Aral Sea disaster can be perceived all over the world. According to international experts, toxic salts from the Aral Sea region have been found on the shores of the Antarctic, in glaciers in Greenland, in Norwegian forests and many other parts of the world. Right now the most crucial task we have is reducing the destructive consequences of the Aral Sea crisis for the surrounding environment and the health and existence of the millions of people living in the Aral Sea basin. In that connection, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012, the President of Turkmenistan emphasized that the problem of the Aral Sea had by then gone far beyond the boundaries of the region. It had become a truly global problem and a completely new approach was therefore needed to address the environmental, social, humanitarian, economic and other issues resulting from it. In that regard, the President of Turkmenistan proposed establishing a separate entity within the United Nations, in the form of a special programme for the Aral region. We are grateful to the United Nations and its bodies, specialized entities and agencies for their understanding and support of that idea, and we are continuing to implement the initiative. The Assembly’s adoption by consensus on 12 April of resolution 72/273, entitled “Cooperation between United Nations and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea”, established a sound legal foundation for it. At the Summit of the founding members of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, held on 24 August 2018 in Turkmenistan, our Heads of State voiced their support for the importance of creating a specialized United Nations programme for the Aral Sea basin and tasked the Fund’s Executive Committee with carrying out consultations on the subject with the States of the region, United Nations Member States, the United Nations itself and its various bodies. That is why Turkmenistan intends to present for the Assembly’s consideration during its seventy-third session a draft resolution of the same title as the previous resolution that includes provisions reflecting the outcomes of the Aral Sea Summit. It will specifically call for multilateral consultations to consider the already drafted concept for the special programme for the Aral Sea in detail. We call on Member States to support our proposal. A model for international cooperation on the Aral Sea issue that is being drafted by the countries of Central Asia can be used for study and application in other regions of the world susceptible to the negative consequences of similar natural disasters. We believe the main areas for the special United Nations programme for the Aral Sea basin could be the following: mobilizing cooperation between the Fund and the United Nations on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in the Aral Sea region with regard to water-resource management in the context of climate change; creating a global platform for multilateral cooperation in addressing the problem of internal watercourses based on the Fund’s experience in improving the water-conservation, environmental and socioeconomic situation in the Aral Sea basin; developing and implementing long- term strategic goals for water-resource management and environmental protection in Central Asia with the participation of international partners; improving the water-conservation, environmental and socioeconomic situation in the Aral Sea basin by implementing projects and programmes in partnership with international organizations and financial institutions; and increasing awareness of the problem of the Aral Sea in today’s environment. We firmly believe that the special United Nations programme for the Aral Sea basin will be an effective platform for multilateral cooperation to address the Aral Sea issue and a basis for a global initiative for countries on problems with inland bodies of water.

Austria would like to warmly thank Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), for the presentation of his report (A/73/111). We also welcome draft resolution A/73/L.22, on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty” and express our gratitude to Italy as its main sponsor. We note with satisfaction the close and ever- expanding relationship between the CTBTO Preparatory Commission and the United Nations, dating back to the Assembly’s adoption of the Treaty. The Relationship Agreement, adopted in 2000, provides a solid foundation for active cooperation between the two organizations. We particularly welcomed the establishment in 2017 of the CTBTO’s New York Liaison Office, which will contribute to further strengthening this close partnership. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) has established a universally accepted norm against nuclear testing, banning all nuclear explosions. The nuclear tests conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have demonstrated the CTBTO’s invaluable role in quickly providing independent and reliable data enabling the international community to respond appropriately and swiftly. Following the positive signals from the recent high-level talks between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States, we urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to take concrete steps towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization, comply with its international obligations and sign and ratify the CTBT without delay. The fact is that the accession of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the CTBT must be a central element in any credible denuclearization process on the Korean peninsula. The CTBTO Preparatory Commission’s unique expertise, as established in its mandate, in verifying the dismantling of nuclear weapons and nuclear-weapon test sites and in ongoing remote monitoring, as well as the Treaty Organization’s own independence, predestines it to engage in such a denuclearization process. The CTBT is a key instrument of the global nuclear- disarmament and non-proliferation architecture. The Treaty’s entry into force is enormously important. We will continue to use every opportunity to advocate for the ratification and universalization of the CTBT. We welcome Thailand’s ratification and Tuvalu’s signing of the Treaty and call on all States that have not yet done so, in particular the remaining annex 2 States mentioned by Mr. Zerbo, to sign and ratify it without further delay. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to Belgium and Iraq for their efforts as article XIV co-Coordinators.

At the outset, I would like to express my country’s appreciation to the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization for the report on its activities in 2017 (A/73/111). My country’s delegation takes note of that report, and would like to thank Italy, as Chair of the Preparatory Commission, for its efforts to facilitate the submission of draft resolution A/73/L.22, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization”. The Government of my country categorically believes in the importance of binding international instrument to address nuclear testing and be an integral part of the international non-proliferation regime and the international disarmament system. Based on that, my Government underscores the need to implement the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) as soon as possible in order to safeguard, without exception, our common future. In that regard, my delegation welcomes the ratification of the CTBT by Thailand, bringing the number of ratifications to 167. We also welcome the signing of the Treaty by Tuvalu, bringing the number of signatories to 184. We underscore our support to the two countries and our readiness to work with them in order to achieve the CTBT objectives. My delegation also stresses the importance of the work carried out by the Preparatory Commission as it seeks to finalize the verification system. We as well emphasize the civilian and technical benefits that result from monitoring technology. We commend the Commission’s role in encouraging non-signatory and non-ratifying countries to sign and ratify the Treaty as soon as possible in order to achieve the ultimate goal of its entry into force. My country considers the CTBT to be an extremely important instrument that plays a fundamental role in the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament system. It is crucially important to international peace and security. The increasing importance of the Treaty is evident through the efforts aimed at achieving its universalization, but there is an urgent need to make it enter into force through the ratification of eight countries listed in the Treaty’s annex 2. As a facilitator of article XIV of the Treaty, alongside the Kingdom of Belgium, we worked with the Treaty’s Provisional Technical Secretariat to carry out many activities, the most important of which is the issuance of a welcoming statement in June concerning the summit between the Presidents of the United States of America and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. That statement included a call addressed to the latter to sign and ratify the Treaty as soon as possible so as to ensure its entry into force. My delegation looks forward to promoting the Treaty in Iraq next year in coordination with the Executive Secretary of the CTBT and our friends in Belgium. In conclusion, my country’s delegation reiterates its support for the Provisional Technical Secretariat of the CTBT and underscores the importance of working together to ensure that the Treaty enters into force as soon as possible in order to establish a world free from nuclear testing that would contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security.

I take the floor to speak under sub-item (k) of agenda item 128, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization”. I thank the Executive Secretary for his opening remarks and for his visit last week to Australia, where we jointly hosted a Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) regional workshop in my hometown of Melbourne for States in the South Pacific. It was also wonderful to have the Executive Secretary in Australia last week as he was able to help us celebrate the completion and certification of our twenty-first and final monitoring station. As the Executive Secretary noted, Australia is host to the third- largest number of monitoring facilities in the world and provides data from Alice Springs to Antarctica in contribution to the International Monitoring System (IMS). This significant achievement is the product of more than 20 years of cooperation and partnership between Australia and the CTBTO. Australia is a strong supporter of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and of its verification regime in particular as a critical element of the global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament architecture. It is particularly important that we further develop the civil and scientific applications of those technologies, building on the tangible contribution to tsunami warnings for countries in our Indo-Pacific region. That makes a tangible contribution to millions of lives every day. It is both reassuring and unfortunate that we know exactly how effective the IMS has become, as Australian stations were among those to detect North Korean tests in recent years. That serves as a clear reminder to us all of the importance of the CTBT and of our efforts to further build and strengthen its verification regime. Australia is committed to complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization by North Korea. We welcome ongoing dialogue between North Korea and each of the Republic of Korea and the United States. We note North Korea’s commitment to halting nuclear testing and to allowing international inspections of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site and the Tongchang-ri missile site. We see those commitments as positive, but we remain committed to maintaining pressure on North Korea until it takes concrete steps towards complying with the relevant Security Council resolutions on its nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes. We call on North Korea to sign and ratify the CTBT as part of its commitment to denuclearize. Australia calls on all States yet to do so, particularly those listed in annex 2 and those in our region, to ratify the CTBT without delay. We welcome Thailand ratifying and Tuvalu signing the CTBT, both of which are events we can all celebrate as tangible progress towards bringing the Treaty into force. Australia maintains that the entry into force of the Treaty is of the utmost importance. In the interim, we maintain our strong support for the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO and welcome the successes of its recently concluded fifty- first session and its ongoing cooperation with the United Nations. We thank Italy, as Preparatory Commission Chair for 2018, for leading the work on the draft resolution contained in document A/73/L.22. Australia is proud to remain a sponsor of the draft resolution, and we encourage others to join us in doing the same.

I am honoured to address the General Assembly with regard to two of the draft resolutions submitted under agenda item 128, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations”. I wish first to address draft resolution A/73/L.21, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)”, which my country sponsored. I wish to thank the Permanent Missions of Brazil and Switzerland for their excellent work in facilitating the negotiations on the draft and to recognize the work carried out by the experts who participated in the negotiations. I should also like to welcome the presence in the Hall today of INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock. Two years ago, Spain welcomed the Assembly’s adoption of resolution 71/19, which for the first time established a formal framework for cooperation between the United Nations and INTERPOL. That first resolution set straight the anomalous situation whereby recognition of the significant cooperation already in place with INTERPOL was long overdue. Spain has been a member of INTERPOL since 1956. Our relationship with INTERPOL has been and is excellent, both bilaterally and within the framework of the United Nations. We collaborated intensively with INTERPOL during our term on the Security Council in the 2015-2016 biennium. We recognize the importance of INTERPOL’s work in the joint fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime. It is clear that those forms of criminality, which are interrelated and growing in complexity, recognize no borders and take the form of networks, cannot be effectively halted without adequate cooperation among our police forces. For such cooperation to be effective, we need to equip ourselves with the appropriate tools and resources. There can be no doubt that INTERPOL, as the organization dedicated, almost universally, to the promotion of international police cooperation, is the key frame of reference in this area. In fulfilling its mandate, INTERPOL has developed a wide range of enormously useful tools, including the I-24/7 secure global police communication system, databases, notifications and alerts, analytic products, and training and capacity-building activities. Those resources are in place, but they are not yet used to their full potential, which is one of the reasons that this draft resolution is so important in our view, as it reminds us of the possibilities of the technical, operational, analytical and other assistance that INTERPOL puts at our disposal. For Spain, the fight against terrorism is a priority of the highest order. We are therefore particularly pleased that the new draft resolution has been updated to include to the most pressing challenges posed by the current terrorist threats, in particular the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, including those who return home or relocate. We therefore reiterate our support for cooperation between the United Nations and INTERPOL, which we trust will continue to grow and contribute to a safer world for all. I should now like to turn to draft resolution A/73/L.22, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization”, which my country is also honoured to sponsor. We thank Italy for introducing the draft resolution, and we welcome the presence here today of the Executive Secretary, Mr. Lassina Zerbo. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which Spain signed in 1996 and ratified in 1998, constitutes a key element of the global non-proliferation system and a crucial step towards achieving the goal of nuclear disarmament. We must recall the urgent need to ensure its entry into force, and we call once again on all those States not yet having done so to proceed to its signature and ratification. This call goes in particular to the remaining eight annex 2 States, without whose ratification of a Treaty that has the support of the vast majority of the international community — let us recall that 167 States have ratified it  — will remain as is, without entering into force. We want to express our firm support for the important work carried out by the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization and its cooperation with the United Nations. I also wish to highlight the importance of the International Monitoring System, whose effectiveness in detecting tests has already been demonstrated. Any nuclear test constitutes a threat to international peace and security and must therefore be condemned. We request that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea maintain the declared moratorium on the conduct of nuclear tests, and we reiterate our call that it sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty without delay.

Terrorism and organized crime continue to pose important challenges to international peace, security and stability. The interconnectivity between terrorist cells and criminal organizations is of paramount significance. Our efforts to suppress them should therefore also have a strong international dimension. Based on this understanding, Turkey supports the adoption of draft resolution A/73/L.21, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)”. We believe that the draft resolution will provide further useful input for the international community in tackling those threats. We would like to take this opportunity to emphasize our position regarding one particular issue. As a country that has been fighting against almost all types of terrorism for more than 40 years, we firmly believe that it is high time to reaffirm that security is indivisible. We must apply the universal principle of “either prosecute or extradite”. We must give the same message to terrorists: there is no safe haven or immunity from justice. No act of terrorism should go unpunished; otherwise, our joint efforts to mitigate and ultimately defeat this threat are bound to collapse.

My delegation would like to express its position with respect to sub-item (d) of agenda item 128 and draft resolution A/73/L.23, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States”. As members of the Assembly are aware, my country, the Syrian Arab Republic, was one of the founding members of the League of Arab States (LAS) in March 1945, even before the founding of the United Nations. The LAS founding members decided at that time to entrust it with many tasks and responsibilities, on top of which is maintaining the independence of member States and achieving cooperation among Arab countries at the economic, cultural, social and health levels, as well as preserving the independence and interests of Arab States while liberating non-independent Arab countries and cooperating with international organizations to maintain international peace and security. Notwithstanding the significant developments and great challenges that have occurred in the world — and in the Middle East in particular, including the occupation of Palestine, the displacement of millions of its people and the occupation of Syrian Arab Golan — the LAS has struggled for decades to preserve its role, status and credibility as a regional organization that brings together the Governments of Arab States and defends the rights and interests of their peoples, who share the same blood, language and destiny. The League has continued to be a reflection of the historical Arab role, civilization and interactivity within the framework of international relations. However, the past decade has shown the League’s real and serious setback as a result of a limited number of Governments of League member States — that have enormous economic revenues from oil and gas — which decided to submit to foreign pressures and schemes that run counter to Arab national interests and threaten the concept of collective Arab national security. To that end, those Governments also decided to control the League work mechanisms in order to resolve their political differences with League States and non-League States by harnessing those mechanisms to serve their political interests and agendas. The Syrian Arab Republic is a country of principle. We do not level false or unfair accusations. We take our responsibilities very seriously, and when we express our position, we provide evidence, facts and legal basis. Therefore, when we assert that the decision taken by the LAS Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs at their meeting on 12 November 2011 to suspend Syria’s membership in the League was illegitimate, we base our argument on the LAS Charter, which clearly states that a Member State may be suspended only by a unanimous decision of all Member States at a summit meeting. Based on that legal basis, the Syrian Arab Republic continues to reject the League’s politicized decision. We do not recognize any of its legal or political effects. However, we reiterate that it is the responsibility of those who breached the LAS Charter in taking that decision to reverse it. A second breach by the League of Arab States, which many in this Hall may not be familiar with, also took place in November 2011, when the LAS unilaterally imposed coercive economic measures against the Syrian people, in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and relevant General Assembly resolutions. Those measures amounted to an economic blockade in many sectors, in particular finance, trade, banking, investment, transport, aviation and media. They are punitive measures against Syrian citizens who chose to stand by their country and their Government in the face of extremist Wahhabi religious terrorism, regrettably supported and financed by certain Governments of LAS member States. Based on that legal basis, we in the Syrian Arab Republic continue to reject and condemn the decision that the LAS was forced to take that imposed an economic blockade against Syrians. We hold those who took that decision legally responsible along with its economic, humanitarian and financial consequences on the Syrian people, who have been suffering until now. At the same time, the Syrian Arab Republic will always remember and highly appreciate the significant number of members of the LAS that rejected the unjust economic blockade imposed on the Syrian people. Thirdly, in December 2011 — many here in this Hall do know about this fact — the Syrian Arab Republic responded favourably to the Arab League initiative to send a team of Arab observers to various parts of Syria, despite the fact that the Syrian Government knew the premeditated ill intentions of the Governments of certain LAS member States. However, some in this Hall today may not know that, in early 2012, the LAS Chair and secretariat ignored and buried the report of the head of the team of Arab observers because it had concluded that foreign Powers were seeking to negatively interfere in the situation in Syria. We can provide a long list of facts related to decisions and attitudes that were imposed on the LAS over the past eight years concerning the situation in Syria. Those decisions and attitudes were imbalanced and reflected the influence of one or two countries over the decision-making mechanism of that regional organization. At the same time, we confidently underscore from this rostrum that the vast majority of LAS member States continue to disapprove of the decisions adopted against Syria, as they run counter to the majority of those Member States. Fourthly, the Syrian people will never forget or forgive Governments of a limited number of LAS member States for having ominously interfered in the internal affairs of Syria and for having directly implicated themselves in support of armed terrorist groups in Syria. They recruited and financed tens of thousands of foreign terrorist fighters and sent them to fight in the ranks of Da’esh, Al-Qaida, the Al-Nusra Front and other armed terrorist groups, which the Governments in question have falsely described as moderate opposition. The truth is that those terrorist groups subscribe to the same extremist religious- terrorist ideology that advocates the killing of others, the expropriation of victims’ funds and property, the demolition of their homes and the burning of their lands and sources of livelihood. In that context, my delegation expresses its categorical reservation with regard to paragraph 67 of the report of the Secretary-General contained in document A/73/328, on the existence of communication and coordination between the United Nations and the LAS regarding the situation in Syria. My country does not see a role for the LAS in relation to the situation in Syria as long as its role continues to be hijacked and subjected to the policies and practices of a limited number of financially and economically powerful Governments. Those are Governments of Member States of that regional organization, and their policies and practices remain ongoing and are, as we have said, premised regrettably on political and military investments in extremist religious terrorism with a view to obstruct the prospects for a political solution to the situation in Syria. They are further premised on the intention to seriously and destructively interfere in the internal affairs of Syria. My country has had to bear unprecedented suffering in the history of humankind and in terms of inter-State relations owing to global terrorism, with Syrians having to pay a high price not only in terms of blood but also in terms of lost economic, industrial and agricultural gains after working hard for long decades in order to realize them. Nevertheless, we in the Syrian Arab Republic continue to believe that the LAS can restore its role and credibility if it now undertakes a serious and comprehensive review of its work over the past decade. That would enable that regional organization to once again play its role and shoulder its responsibilities as an organization that truly serves collective Arab interests and national security. In that context, we continue to hope that the Arab League will deal with the situation in Syria in a constructive and positive manner, while directly cooperating and coordinating with the Syrian Government in support of its efforts aimed at defeating terrorism, ensuring the return of refugees and displaced persons, reconstruction and ending foreign occupation of its territories. In conclusion, my country’s position is not against the LAS, being one of its founding members. Syria’s Arab identity and affiliation have always been a principled position expressed by actions and policies, based on our keen commitment to a regional organization that we hope will bring Arab States together, protect their interests, reject interference in their internal affairs and promote the socioeconomic development of all its members without discrimination or exception so that no one is left behind. For all of those reasons, the Syrian Arab Republic calls for a recorded vote on draft resolution A/73/L.23.

Norway is a consistent partner in the global multilateral system. Norway strongly believes that a rules-based international order is in the interests of all States Members of the United Nations. Both the institutions and the norms that underpin this foundation are now under pressure. Only international cooperation can bring about sustainable development, mitigate and reduce climate change and end violent conflict. The United Nations system, together with regional and subregional organizations, is the core of the multilateral order. All countries depend up on the international system to address the many global challenges we face. We are now in the process of implementing important United Nations reforms. At the same time, countries are joining forces to make regional and other organizations better prepared to address common challenges. The consolidated report submitted as background for today’s discussion (A/73/328) reminds us about the important work of 26 intergovernmental organizations and their numerous partnerships with the United Nations. Through our membership in or partnership with many of the organizations covered by the present agenda item, we have first-hand knowledge about numerous cooperation initiatives of the United Nations. We are particularly encouraged to see how the relations between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) are maturing and growing stronger. Within less than two years, the two institutions have signed and started two important framework agreements, on peace and security and for the implementation of the sustainable development agenda for Africa. Partnerships with regional organizations are quite rightly given priority in the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative. We cannot say it too often: there can be no development without security, and vice versa. In January this year, we therefore applauded the signing by United Nations and African Union leaders of the Framework for Implementation of Agenda 2063 and 2030 Agenda. We are convinced that this framework will add important energy to both Agendas, reduce duplication, accelerate domestic-resource mobilization and attract support from development partners. We share the enthusiasm among United Nations and AU member States, and Norway has launched an initiative in Addis Ababa to establish a group of friends of the United Nations-AU partnership. The aim of the initiative is to support and strengthen additional joint AU-United Nations efforts for sustainable development, conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy and mediation, including enhanced cooperation between the AU Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security Council. Another area of important progress among many is the commitment of the United Nations to deepen its already comprehensive partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Cooperation between the United Nations and ASEAN remains essential to achieving sustainable development and maintaining peace and security in the region. Norway is taking a leading global on oceans and sustainable use of ocean resources. This issue is also a priority for Norway’s Sectoral Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN. Norway looks forward to strengthening its cooperation with the United Nations and ASEAN in this field, including combating marine litter and microplastics in the ASEAN region. Norway fully supports United Nations efforts to strengthen existing arrangements and seek new opportunities for cooperation with regional and other organizations.

My statement will address sub-item (a) of agenda item 128, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union”. The past decade has been particularly busy with the tireless efforts of African countries at the national, subregional and continental levels to address the challenges inherent to implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union 2063 Development Agenda in a context of peace and stability. Sustained efforts are being devoted, under the 2063 Agenda and its first Ten-Year Implementation Plan, to generate structural socioeconomic transformation, build collective wealth and prosperity, and expeditiously promote sustainable development. Strategic partnership with the African Union is crucial in all areas, especially peace and security, in the light of the persistent nature of conflicts, the proliferation of terrorist activities and other forms of organized crime. Therefore, to eradicate them by tackling their root causes, the United Nations must, under Chapter VII of the Charter, further develop strategic cooperation with the African Union. Such cooperation has provided for significant progress towards lasting solutions to recurrent and emerging conflicts in some parts of the continent. That support has produced tangible results in defusing tense relations in the Horn of Africa. In that regard, the Guinean delegation welcomes the signing of the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for an Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, in April 2017, by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Based on the principle of African ownership of African problems, it is reassuring to note the implementation of the African Union Peace Fund at the Extraordinary Summit of the African Union, held in Addis Ababa on 18 November. The significant progress made by the United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security, which was established at the second annual conference of the United Nations and the African Union, held in Addis Ababa on 9 July, gives cause for optimism on the future of cooperation between Africa and this universal Organization. We commend the commitment of Secretary- General António Guterres and his many initiatives in support of Africa, particularly with regard to conflict prevention, the Action for Peacekeeping initiative and the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, as well as the various high-level meetings on relevant topics. However, given the scale and complexity of the challenges we face, it is essential that United Nations action continue along the following lines. First, we must provide United Nations assistance to the African Union in the mobilization of essential resources for the implementation of Agenda 2063 of the African Union and its first 10-year implementation plan. Secondly, we should support the African Union road map for the promotion of peace, security and stability in Africa, with the aim of silencing the guns by 2020. This goal entails not only conflict prevention, peacebuilding and post-conflict development, but also good governance, the rule of law and democracy. Thirdly, we must improve the cooperation and coordination of activities in the deployment of peacekeeping operations through adequate, predictable, flexible and sustainable funding for human resources, materials and equipment and capacity-building. In that context, my delegation welcomes and supports the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, embodied in the United Nations Support Plan for the Sahel, which requires further resources and better coordination of the activities of various partners on the ground. Fourthly, we must ensure the empowerment of women and the promotion of young people embarking along the path of exile in search of greater well-being. Fifthly, we must manage the impact of climate change, natural disasters and new technologies. Sixthly, we must tackle migration issues. In conclusion, the urgent need to enunciate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 of the African Union, and to take into account the recommendations of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the third International Conference on Financing for Development and to mobilize the international community for the development of Africa, remains dependent on the goals set by the Charter of the United Nations, namely, the building of just, equitable, integrated and peaceful societies.

At the outset, Ethiopia would like to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations (A/73/328), which clearly demonstrates the efforts being made to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and those organizations. I would like to make the following observations on cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU). Given the unprecedented scale and complexity of global dynamics, it is evident that the United Nations cannot handle new and emerging global challenges alone. Forging effective partnerships with regional and subregional organizations is not an option, but rather an absolute necessity for the Organization, as it remains essential to maintaining international peace and security, upholding human rights and achieving sustainable development. The role of the United Nations system focusing mostly on support for peace and security, good governance and social justice, human rights protection and humanitarian action, and initiatives and actions to contribute to addressing the root causes of conflict in Africa is commendable. In that regard, Ethiopia appreciates the readiness and commitment of the Secretary-General to further deepening the strategic partnership with the African Union and regional economic communities and mechanisms, as reflected by collaboration on numerous fronts, including through more regular exchanges of information, consultations and coordinated action. There is a renewed commitment in the leadership of both organizations to elevating the United Nations- AU cooperation and partnership to new heights. The Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for an Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, signed by the leadership of the two organizations on 19 April 2017, is indeed a clear testament to this renewed commitment to working together, inter alia, in addressing the common challenges of peace and security on the African continent, across the whole spectrum of the conflict cycle. However, we recognize that there is room for more progress, in particular with regard to better coordinating the decisions of both organizations at various levels and in many areas of mutual interest, so as to continue to work towards greater unity of purpose. This is particularly pertinent in the context of the discussions on the sustainability of funding to African Union peace support operations. Of course, we can all recall the concrete recommendations with respect to the strategic partnership with the African Union made by the United Nations High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations in its report (see S/2015/446). The report did not, in that regard, put the spotlight on the African Union without reason. Nowhere is it explained more clearly than in the report of the Secretary-General on options for authorization and support for African Union peace support operations, which states, “Considering the limitations of the United Nations peacekeeping doctrine with regard to peace enforcement and counter-terrorism, the African Union peace support operations are a tool for the United Nations to better discharge its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in certain situations.” (S/2017/454, para. 61) African Union member States have also taken important steps towards greater self-reliance and burden-sharing since 2015, including through the commitment that its member States will finance 25 per cent of its peace support operations, as well as the decision to finance the African Union Peace Fund. The role of the United Nations Office to the African Union is crucial in strengthening the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, as the demands on the partnership have grown over the past few years. Strengthening its capacity would help to ensure an enhanced ability for effective partnership with the African Union and the regional economic communities to address the continent’s challenges. In conclusion, my delegation wishes to express its appreciation to the Secretary-General and all United Nations entities for their continued cooperation in working with the African Union to advance the continent’s goals and objectives.

At the outset, my delegation wishes to express its appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), for his briefing and comprehensive report on the extensive work of the organization. We also wish to thank the delegation of Italy for introducing draft resolution A/73/L.22 under sub-item (k) of agenda item 128, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization”. Consistent with our traditional position, Malaysia has co-sponsored the draft resolution and reaffirms its commitment to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty (CTBT), while welcoming the cooperation established between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. Malaysia welcomes the progress made to facilitate the entry into force of the Treaty, including maintaining all existing moratoriums on nuclear-weapon-test explosions. Nonetheless, those measures do not have the same permanent and legally binding effect to end nuclear- weapon testing and all other nuclear explosions. While the Treaty’s total number of ratifications currently stands at 167 and the total number of signatures stands at 184, we hope that more progress will be made towards the universalization of the Treaty. Malaysia strongly believes in the need for the early entry into force of the CTBT, with the ultimate goal of eliminating nuclear weapons as well as general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control. Malaysia will continue to pledge its full support and cooperation to the CTBTO towards the completion of all of its tasks in the most efficient and effective way, which is in line with Malaysia’s long-standing position of achieving general and complete nuclear disarmament, including through the verifiable end of nuclear testing. Malaysia recognizes the benefits of the civil and scientific applications of the verification technologies in areas such as the environment, Earth science and technology, tsunami-warning systems, the detection of the accidental release of radioactive particles and gases and other disaster-alert systems. We will continue to explore possible ways to work closely with the Preparatory Commission in promoting awareness on the Treaty so that the benefits resulting from the verification technologies may be broadly shared among the members of the international community. Finally, Malaysia wishes to reaffirm its readiness to work closely with Member States, the CTBTO and all stakeholders in exploring concrete steps and activities to achieve the entry into force and universalization of the Treaty. We firmly believe that all efforts should be undertaken to further strengthen the cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO, with a view to strengthening international peace and security.

My delegation welcomes the report on the cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) (A/73/328). We pay tribute to the Provisional Technical Secretariat under the able leadership of His Excellency Mr. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO. The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania reaffirms that it attaches the utmost importance to the application of the principles and objectives of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) across the globe. We appreciate the support extended to Tanzania by the Provisional Technical Secretariat through a number of projects, programmes and training opportunities. My delegation is pleased to learn that sufficient efforts have been made that the Treaty now enjoys the signatures of 184 States and the ratification of a large number of countries. We welcome the latest ratification, by Thailand, and encourage States not yet party to the Treaty to ratify it as soon as practicable. We particularly urge the eight remaining annex 2 States to adhere to the international community’s call by signing the Treaty, which is necessary for it to become operational. Furthermore, my delegation continues to recognize the importance of strengthening the verification regime through technical support. We greatly appreciate United Nations efforts to mobilize international support for the effective strengthening of the Provisional Technical Secretariat. Moving forward, the continued and meaningful engagement and support of all stakeholders remains crucial to achieve the universality of the Treaty. We call on the Secretariat to continue to provide the necessary support, particularly to developing countries, in areas such as climate change mitigation and the strengthening of early-warning systems. We are of the view that supporting Member States in terms of capacity-building and the technical support of the Provisional Technical Secretariat is of the utmost importance. We conclude by reaffirming our commitment to the fulfilment of the obligations under the Treaty. We encourage the international community to remain an active participant in the work of the Treaty, both at the regional and international level.

I now give the floor to the observer of the Holy See. Father Charters (Holy See): The Holy See delegation welcomes the report of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) on the current status of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the prospects for the future (A/73/328). Having ratified the CTBT, the Holy See strongly urges all non-ratifying States, in particular those necessary for bringing the CTBT into force, to do so promptly. The present capabilities of the Provisional Technical Secretariat have been of great value in monitoring the nuclear tests that have taken place since the Treaty’s International Monitoring System (IMS) was established and since the IMS, the International Data Centre and the capabilities for on-site inspection that have been put in place are potentially available for dealing with present issues.

In accordance with resolution 477 (V), of 1 November 1950, I now give the floor to the observer of the League of Arab States.

Cooperation between the United Nations and regional arrangements and organizations is of growing importance given the enhanced pioneering role played by multilateral diplomacy in consolidating the purposes and principles of the United Nations at the international and regional levels and in strengthening the means of achieving those shared goals and purposes within the framework of respect for international law, international humanitarian law and international human rights law. It is on that basis that the scope of cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States (LAS) has widened. The Arab League was one of the first regional organizations to be invited to attend the meetings of the General Assembly, pursuant to resolution 477 (V) of 1950. Since then, we have made many contributions to developing the concept of shared international efforts and to integrating the perspectives of the Arab world in the agenda of the United Nations in the three fundamental areas: maintaining international peace and security, socioeconomic and political development and democracy and human rights. In that context, the LAS wishes to thank Secretary- General António Guterres for his valuable report on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations (A/73/328). In his report, the Secretary-General sets forth a comprehensive review of the progress made in terms of cooperation since that item was introduced within the General Assembly agenda at its seventy-first session. We also pay tribute to the increased institutional cooperation with the various departments of the United Nations, particularly after signing the additional protocol on the cooperation between the two organizations on 24 September 2016, covering new areas of cooperation to the cooperation agreement signed by the two organizations on 6 October 1989. Those new areas of cooperation included developing cooperative activities such as meetings consultations, training programmes, exchange of information and documents enhanced mutual representation and the exchange of personnel, in line with the mandate of each organization. Based on the ongoing cooperation, the two organizations agreed to strengthening their joint action in several areas, including capacity-building, the protection of civilians, counter-terrorism, the fight against all types of drug trafficking and illicit trade, transnational organized crime, disarmament, human rights issues, sustainable socioeconomic development, humanitarian issues and issues related to refugees and internally displaced persons. To that end, the two organizations agreed to establish a United Nations liaison office in Cairo, in order to strengthen the cooperation between one another. The Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt approved the opening of the United Nations office in Cairo, and it is time for a new phase of joint action for achieving their common goals, in line with the memorandum of understanding to be negotiated and signed by the relevant parties to establish the framework and mandate of the new office, in accordance with draft resolution A/73/L.23. The LAS envisages a new phase of joint Arab action with the United Nations system whereby their enhanced cooperation will contribute to achieving peace and security across the entire Arab region, with Arab countries contributing to international peace and security. That would include reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, with the creation of an independent Palestinian State along the 1967 borders and with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, as well as ensuring the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan and the Lebanese Shaba’a farm lands. Furthermore, the Arab Peace Initiative must be fully implemented and the lost peace in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen must be re-established while effectively addressing the Iranian threat to the region and establishing a Middle East region free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Terrorist groups and organizations that threaten security and stability in the region must be eradicated, including stopping their funding and preventing the deployment of foreign fighters, as well as preventing the return of Da’esh to Iraq or spreading to other areas in the region and many more. That would require building on the outstanding outcomes of the high-level meetings held between the two secretariats, the last of which was held in Geneva in July. On sustainable development, the Economic and Social Council of the LAS plays a leading role in strengthening the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and supporting the relevant efforts of Arab States, which recently submitted to the High- level Political Forum their annual voluntary national reviews. During Arab Sustainable Development Week, held at the headquarters of the LAS in Cairo between 19 and 22 November, we discussed the best means to implement those objectives and announced, inter alia, several recommendations to be submitted to the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, to be held in Beirut on 20 and 21 January 2019, with a view to harmonizing the activities of the United Nations and the LAS in this domain. On democracy and good governance, we have continued our efforts aimed at supporting pioneering reform steps taken by the countries of the region, in line with the Arab Charter on Human Rights and other Arab instruments and resolutions adopted by the Arab League in ministerial meetings and summits. Particular attention has been given to women and young people as fundamental pillars of society, with the participation of civil society and the private sector. In addition, the Arab League supported the efforts of its member States aimed at strengthening health and education services as well as vocational training. The League has also participated in overseeing presidential and parliamentary elections in several Arab States. In addition, we have participated in training and capacity-building programmes organized by the United Nations for Member States and in supporting activities undertaken by Arab States to apply the concept of good governance, while taking into account the cultural specificities of the countries of the region. Furthermore, we strengthened our cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and participated in the periodic reviews of the Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in the Arab countries, while following up on the implementation of the recommendations issued after the reviews. Cooperation between the United Nations and the LAS is not limited to the ongoing relations, but rather extends to other regional and political organizations, including the LAS, through sharing of information and experience. In that regard, the LAS pays tribute to the United Nations Secretary-General for his initiative to submit ambitious United Nations reform plans, especially as they touch upon the maintenance of international peace and security and restructuring the development pillar, as well as financial and administrative reform. Those reforms were thoroughly discussed at the conference of heads of regional organizations held in June. The conference issued joint recommendations that would strengthen cooperation between our regional organizations and the United Nations, while giving additional impetus to the ambitious plans that the LAS is intending to implement in various areas of reform. In the same vein, the League is keen to expand cooperation with all the continents and plans to hold with the African Union an Arab-African summit in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2019, and with the European Union an Arab-European summit in the Arab Republic of Egypt in 2019. We are also planning to hold a summit with Latin America as part of our initiatives to open the Arab region to the rest of the world and strengthen our multilateral approach. The LAS hopes that the General Assembly will adopt draft resolution A/73/L.23, introduced by the Permanent Representative of Qatar at the beginning of this meeting on behalf of the Group of Arab States. It also hopes to begin serious work on strengthening the cooperation between our two organizations, as set forth in the draft resolution. We are confident that we will receive the support of the States Members of the United Nations. All member States of the LAS have endorsed the draft resolution. As for the reservations expressed by the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic on the draft resolution, they will not affect the resolve of the LAS member States. Syria is an Arab sisterly country whose membership in the League was suspended in 2011 by a unanimous decision taken by the League’s Council in accordance with the legal procedures due to the serious violations that, regrettably, were committed and are still being committed by the Syrian Government against the brotherly Syrian people. Those violations contravene the Charter of the United Nations, international law, international humanitarian law and international human rights law. They have been documented in various resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council. The League did not impose any economic or financial embargo on the Syrian brotherly people. On the contrary, the League has supported and financed our Syrian refugee brothers who have fled to neighbouring Arab countries as a result of those violations. Despite Syria’s aggressive position towards the LAS and its States, we will continue to support the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria and all other international efforts. We will spare no effort aimed at regaining the currently lost peace in Syria, until the country regains its status as an active member of the LAS following a decision to be taken by LAS Council in due time. In that context, I call on all countries present to vote in favour of draft resolution A/73/L.23, submitted by all Arab States without exception.

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 51/1, of 15 October 1996, I now call on the Secretary General of the International Criminal Police Organization.

Two years ago, I had the privilege of standing in this Hall to address the General Assembly on the occasion of the debate on and adoption of resolution 71/19, the first-ever resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) (see A/71/ PV.48). Following the facilitators’ hard work and the Assembly’s valuable contributions, I am delighted today to be bestowed again with the honour of addressing the Assembly, this time to submit the first biennial review of resolution 71/19, contained in document A/73/L.21. Since the resolution’s first adoption, in 2016, the transnational threat landscape has evolved to pose new and increasingly complex challenges, driven in large part by unprecedented technological advances and instability worldwide. However, what remains a constant variable over time is the determination of international criminal groups to seek to exploit national boundaries so as to evade the rule of law. Embracing and strengthening international law-enforcement cooperation is the only way for the international community to stay ahead of the curve. The mission of INTERPOL is to work towards making that cooperation as seamless and effective as possible and to carry out our collective fight against crime across borders by connecting law enforcement in our 194 member countries and working together towards a safer world. That cooperation framework rests on the apolitical character of INTERPOL, rooted in the principles of neutrality and independence and in respect of human rights, which is enshrined in our Constitution. The trust of our nations is just as important as the success of such cooperation, as is trust in INTERPOL and its ability to ensure appropriate management of police data. Based strictly on its neutral mandate and ensuring full respect for the national sovereignty of its member countries, INTERPOL practices strict adherence to its rules on the processing of data and due diligence  — from its General Secretariat in Lyon to its remote offices to each of the INTERPOL National Central Bureaux embedded in the criminal justice structures of the Member States. That independent and robust cooperation framework underpins the round-the-clock support that INTERPOL provides to policing and law enforcement, as well as the implementation of its three global programmes, focusing on countering terrorism, organized and emerging crimes and cybercrime. Through them, on a daily basis, national law-enforcement agencies receive tangible operational support at the front lines. The relationship between the United Nations and INTERPOL in tackling these areas of crime has substantially strengthened since the adoption of resolution 71/19, two years ago. Cooperation between our two organizations has especially intensified in the context of counter-terrorism. Over the past two years, new cooperation agreements have been signed between INTERPOL and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and the United Nations Counter- Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), which, in this context, has led to INTERPOL expert participation in 17 CTED country-assessment visits. In addition, I am very pleased to see substantial recognition of the contribution of INTERPOL to the fight against terrorism and the organization’s support to Member States and the United Nations in implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, in particular through Security Council resolutions 2341 (2017) and 2396 (2017), inter alia. Furthermore, the close convergence of the respective visions of the United Nations and INTERPOL is exemplified by the seven global policing goals launched by INTERPOL, alongside the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in Vienna, just last month. These goals aim to serve as a framework for the international community to collectively address today’s most pressing security threats and have been designed to complement and further support the Sustainable Development Goals set forth in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Their overarching purpose is to provide guidance on which criminal threats the international law-enforcement community should give priority to — and commit to — in the years to come, as part of our common broader efforts to meet objectives under the 2030 Agenda. Criminal threats share a common denominator: the dire effects they have on our public security, long-term stability, economic systems and governance structures, which ultimately stifle economic development and deprive society of a better future. The fight against international crime is an instrument in bringing about global peace and stability. Its core lies in law enforcement, yet its roots and ramifications extend far beyond the strict boundaries of ministries and agencies in charge of policing. In an increasingly complex, fast-evolving and therefore less predictable threat landscape, political leadership in international police cooperation is needed more than ever. Connecting the dots is just the first step in building a robust cooperation network; relying on key decision makers to lead it towards a shared vision is the next. With the reviewed draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and INTERPOL being brought up for adoption at today’s meeting, we look forward to marking a new milestone in our common journey towards a safer world. In conclusion, allow me to recognize the outstanding efforts made by the Permanent Missions of Brazil and Switzerland in co-facilitating the review of today’s draft resolution and in bringing together the precious viewpoints and contributions offered by Member States. As we prepare to further strengthen the global security architecture with the United Nations and Member States, INTERPOL expresses its highest gratitude and appreciation to the General Assembly for giving us this opportunity today.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on agenda item 128 and its sub-items (a) to (z). We shall now proceed to consider draft resolutions A/73/L.17, A/73/L.21, A/73/L.22, as orally revised, A/73/L.25, A/73/L.26/Rev.1, A/73/L.27 and A/73/L.28. Before giving the floor to speakers in explanation of vote or position before we take decisions on the draft resolutions, may I remind delegations that explanations are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. I call on the representative of Austria on a point of order.

I want to clarify whether a vote has been called on the draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe (A/73/L.27).

I understand that is not yet the case. I call on the representative of the Sudan on a point of order.

On behalf of my country, I would like to request a recorded vote on operative paragraph 4 of the draft resolution entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe” (A/73/L.27). Our steadfast position on the International Criminal Court, to which there is a specific reference in paragraph 4 of the draft resolution, is the basis of that request.

Before the General Assembly proceeds with the adoption of draft resolution A/73/L.28, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Independent States” (CIS), I would like to make the following statement. Ukraine supports cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations in the context of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. In many cases, such cooperation proves to be an important tool for the effective settlement of conflicts and for promoting peace and security, but that is not the case with the CIS, which, as an institution, totally ignores the aggressive actions of one of its member States, namely, the Russian Federation, which continues to violate the Charter of the United Nations, the CIS Charter, international law and multilateral and bilateral agreements. Just yesterday, Russian Federation military vessels fired at and forcefully captured three Ukrainian Navy vessels near the Kerch Strait, thereby committing an act of aggression against Ukraine, as set out in the definition of aggression contained in paragraph (d) of article 3 of resolution 3314 (XXIX). Unfortunately, the CIS is not able to make every effort to achieve the pacific settlement of disputes as enshrined in Article 52 of the Charter of the United Nations. The Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS, the Alma Ata Declaration and the CIS Charter do not endow the Commonwealth with the status of having the features of a subject of international law. The CIS is a special interregional formation that does not only lack definitive of status but in fact includes a military and political alliance established on the basis of the CIS Collective Security Treaty of 15 May 1992, which binds only some members of the Commonwealth. Under those circumstances, Ukraine dissociates itself from the consensus on the adoption of draft resolution A/73/L.28, exclusively due to our understanding that the adoption of the draft resolution should not be interpreted as de jure recognition of the Commonwealth as a regional organization or arrangement, as defined in Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations.

I take the floor to express my delegation’s position on draft resolution A/73/L.28, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Independent States” (CIS). The Republic of Moldova supports promoting cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in advancing the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The Republic of Moldova takes note of the activities outlined in the report of the Secretary-General (A/73/328) on cooperation between the United Nations and the CIS, which provides information on the various exchanges and contacts with the CIS secretariat that have taken place on matters relating to drug control, crime prevention and international terrorism in the context of sustainable development and human security. While joining the consensus on draft resolution A/73/L.28, my delegation wishes to reiterate that, due to reservations on the regulation of the chairmanship of the Commonwealth of Independent States that were adopted on 10 October 2008, the Republic of Moldova does not recognize the international legal personality of the CIS. The General Assembly has already been informed of the fact that the basic documents of the CIS, namely, the Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS, the Alma Ata Declaration and the CIS Charter, do not endow the Commonwealth with the status of having the features of a subject of international law. We therefore ask that the adoption of draft resolution A.73/L.28 not be interpreted as deviating from previously expressed Moldovan reservations.

My country’s delegation would like to clarify its position with respect to draft resolution A/73/L.27. I speak in explanation of vote before the voting. Current practice of the International Criminal Court (ICC) shows that the Court has become a tool of international conflicts and a mechanism for political action. Therefore, the Sudan reiterates its firm and clear position, which is to reject the Court and its practices. The Court has become a platform for politicizing international justice. It targets active African leaders and threatens peace and security in African countries. It has become an adversary to, rather than an enhancement of, the international justice system. Furthermore, we note the ongoing attempts to turn the General Assembly into an assembly of States parties to the ICC, in breach of the Charter of the United Nations and in violation of established principles of international law. We would recall that the relationship between the United Nations and the ICC must take into account the fact that they are two separate and independent entities. There is no organic or structural relationship between them. We are very much concerned by the attempts of some States parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC to turn the General Assembly into a de facto assembly of States parties to the Statute. My delegation has repeatedly expressed its firm and clear position against that trend. Some countries seek to interpret the nature of the cooperation between the United Nations and the ICC beyond the letter and spirit of the Relationship Agreement between the two. The Relationship Agreement has very clear and specific objective, namely, that it should not, under any circumstances, be used to gain new ground at the United Nations for the ICC, which is supposed to be independent pursuant to the Agreement, which constitutes a legal framework The Sudan has clearly expressed its position and will continue to do so, while we call for adhering to the Relationship Agreement without expansion in its interpretation. My country opposes any reference to the Rome Statute establishing the ICC in paragraph 4 of the draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe (A/73/L.27). The ICC is not the sole institution within the international justice system, and mentioning it alone only implies that it enjoys unanimous support. The reality is far from that, as States parties to the ICC have themselves attested that the ICC is not universal. Rather, it is a club with limited membership, limited functions and limited capabilities, whose independence and integrity are doubted. Therefore, States that are not party to the ICC cannot be forced to acknowledge it, and the United Nations cannot be forced to cooperate with the Court outside the bounds of the Relationship Agreement between the two entities. We hope that our concerns, which are shared by a number of States that are not parties to the Rome Statute, will be addressed. That is why we are requesting a specific vote on operative paragraph 4 of the draft resolution. In explaining our position, we deem it necessary to defend our sovereignty and our perspective. We stress that we are not party to the ICC and we have no obligations whatsoever towards the Court pursuant to the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, international law and international customary law. We do not and will not cooperate with the ICC or give it any consideration. The Sudan has a constitutional, legal, cultural and moral obligation to punish those who have perpetrated crimes and violations under established international law, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948, the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the two Additional Protocols and all other human rights treaties and conventions. We are committed to fighting impunity. Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions provides in article 3 that “Nothing in this Protocol shall be invoked for the purpose of affecting the sovereignty of a State or the responsibility of the government, by all legitimate means, to maintain or re-establish law and order in the State or to defend the national unity and territorial integrity of the State.” The Sudan has ratified most of the relevant international conventions and treaties, including the two Additional Protocols to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949. Based on what I have said here, the Sudan does not give any consideration or weight to paragraph 4 of draft resolution A/73/L.27. We call upon all Member States to vote against its inclusion in that draft resolution. My country’s delegation requests that the statement of the Sudan and its position be included in the official record of the meeting.

I call on the representative of Austria on a point of order.

I have an explanation of vote to deliver before the vote that was just requested, but I need some clarification as to what we are voting on. I would therefore like to ask for a clarification in that respect. Did I understand correctly that the representative of the Sudan has called for deletion of paragraph 4 of draft resolution A/73/L.27? If so, we would like to know if retention of the paragraph would then be a vote in favour and deletion a vote against. Could you provide clarification on this point, Sir, before I make my explanation of vote.

I understand that the representative of the Sudan asked for a vote on operative paragraph 4 of draft resolution A/73/L.27. In paragraph 4 of the draft resolution there is a reference to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. A vote in favour will retain that sentence; a vote against will delete it.

I thank the Acting President for clarifying this point. I have the honour to speak in explanation of vote before the voting on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States. We deeply regret that the Sudan has asked for deletion of operative paragraph 4 of draft resolution A/73/L.27, which has been in the text for years. The EU and its member States reiterate their unwavering support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) as an important tool of the international community for fighting impunity and contributing to peaceful societies. The gross violations of international humanitarian law and human rights that we witness worldwide are a clear reminder of the increasing relevance of the Court, the role of which is to complement  — rather than replace — existing national judicial systems. The primary responsibility to investigate and prosecute crimes remains with the individual States. All perpetrators of such crimes must be held accountable for their actions. A key element of the Rome Statute is its equal application. In that respect, the creation of the ICC has given millions of victims of atrocity crimes new hope that justice will be done. States from all over the world have joined efforts to make this possible. The United Nations and its Member States consider that the fight against impunity for the most serious crimes is critical to guaranteeing fair and just societies by holding the perpetrators accountable and ensuring justice for victims. We also consider peace and justice to be complementary and not mutually exclusive. For these reasons, the 28 States members of the European Union will vote in favour of the retention of paragraph 4 in its entirety. We call on all other States — in particular all States parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC — to also vote in favour of an intact paragraph 4.

We have heard the last speaker in explanation of vote or position before we take decisions on the draft resolutions. The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolutions A/73/L.17, A/73/L.21, A/73/L.22, as orally revised, A/73/L.25, A/73/L.26/Rev.1, A/73/L.27 and A/73/L.28. Draft resolution A/73/L.17 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Central European Initiative”. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that, since the submission of draft resolution, in addition to those delegations listed in document A/73/L.17, Armenia has become a sponsor of draft resolution A/73/L.17.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/73/L.17.

Draft resolution A/73/L.21 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)”. 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 A/73/L.21, the following countries have become sponsors of the draft resolution: Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Montenegro, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Rwanda, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, the Sudan, Sweden, the Syrian Arab Republic, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Uruguay.

May I take it the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/73/L.21?

Draft A/73/L.22, as orally revised, is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization”. 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 document A/73/L.22, the following countries have become sponsors of the draft resolution, as orally revised: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkino Faso, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, the Sudan, Switzerland, Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/73/L.22, as orally revised?

Draft resolution A/73/L.25 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization”. 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 document A/73/L.25, the following countries have become sponsors of the draft resolution: Austria, China, Georgia, Hungary, Romania, the Republic of Moldova and the Sudan.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/73/L.25?

Draft resolution A/73/L.26/ Rev.1 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development  — GUAM”. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/73/L.26/Rev.1?

Draft resolution A/73/L.27 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe”. 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 document A/73/L.27, the following countries have become sponsors of the draft resolution: Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, the Republic of Moldova, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine.

A separate recorded vote has been requested on operative paragraph 4 of draft resolution A/73/L.27.

We will now consider the draft resolution in its entirety. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/73/L.27, as a whole?

Draft resolution A/73/L.28 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Independent States”. 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 document A/73/L.28, the following countries have become sponsors of the draft resolution: Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Samoa, the Sudan and Turkmenistan.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/73/L.28?

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-items (a) to (z) of agenda item 128.