A/73/PV.66 General Assembly

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

I have the honour to introduce, under agenda item 14, the draft resolution contained in document A/73/L.73, entitled “Commemoration of the one-hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the International Labour Organization”, on behalf of the Permanent Mission of Belgium and my own Government, through the Permanent Mission of Jamaica. Emerging from the ashes of the First World War, the International Labour Organization (ILO) was founded on the belief that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace. Indeed, its work affects us all — the hours we work, our entitlements to holiday and maternity pay, the fight against discrimination in the workplace — the ILO’s international labour standards and activities address all such issues affecting the conditions of labour that give meaning to our lives and imbue our work with dignity. Through the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the Great War, it was recognized that an international organization was needed to deal with labour issues and to promote and preserve world peace. The novel idea to ensure a place for representatives of Governments, workers and employers to come together to forge solutions to labour issues has become a lasting and central pillar of the ILO, known as tripartism. Surviving two world wars and numerous other crises, the ILO, as a key member of our United Nations family, stands at the cusp of its hundredth anniversary. That milestone reaffirms the strength and resilience of multilateralism. Moreover, it provides inspiration to the entire United Nations system as we address modern challenges, including the future of work and actions required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In that spirit, I wish to draw the Assembly’s attention to the draft resolution before it. The draft resolution recalls the ILO’s establishment in 1919, and subsequently its membership as the first specialized agency of the United Nations in 1946. The draft resolution congratulates the ILO on its centenary and notes with satisfaction its contribution to promoting social justice. It further decides to devote a one-day meeting, to be held within existing resources, to commemorate the ILO’s centenary under the overall theme “The future of work”. The draft resolution sets out the modalities of the meeting, including the convening of a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on 10 April 2019, and designates that the Director-General of the International Labour Organization and the representatives of the ILO social partners, comprising the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation and the President of the International Organization of Employers, address the commemorative plenary meeting. Bearing in mind that the overall theme of the meeting will be to focus on the future of work, the draft resolution also establishes that a youth representative address the commemorative plenary meeting. In addition to the half-day commemorative plenary meeting, two interactive panel discussions will be convened that same afternoon from 3 to 4.25 p.m. and from 4.30 to 5.55 p.m., also to be held within existing resources. The draft resolution further instructs the President of the General Assembly, with support from the International Labour Organization, to finalize the organizational arrangements in a transparent manner, including the identification of sub-themes and panellists, with due regard to gender balance and equitable geographical representation. The draft resolution requests the President of the General Assembly to prepare and bring to the attention of Member States a summary of the panel discussions and to transmit the summary to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to be held in 2019 under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. I reiterate that the meeting will not bear any programme budget implications, as it will take place within existing resources. Finally, I wish to draw the Assembly’s attention to paragraph 6 of the draft resolution in order to make a minor revision. It should read “President” of the International Organization of Employers rather than “Secretary-General”. On behalf of Ambassador Pecsteen de Buytswerve and on my own behalf, we encourage the unanimous adoption of the draft resolution before the Assembly today and would welcome high-level attendance by delegations at the meeting in April.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/73/L.73, as orally revised, entitled “Commemoration of the one-hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the International Labour Organization”. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that Antigua and Barbuda is also a co-sponsor of draft resolution A/73/L.73, as orally revised.

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

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 14.

Members will recall that, at the 65th meeting, on 21 December, Mr. Yusuf Aksar of Turkey was elected as a judge of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals for a term ending on 30 June 2020. As members are aware, there is still one vacant seat to be filled for the roster of the Residual Mechanism. In that connection, I wish to refer to the communication received by the United Nations Legal Counsel from the Permanent Mission of the United States of America, which the President of the General Assembly transmitted on 8 January, informing of the withdrawal of the nomination of its candidate from the election, namely, Mr. Michael A. Newton. Consequently, the remaining candidates for the one vacancy are Mr. Mustapha El Baaj of Morocco and Mr. Guénaël Mettraux of Switzerland. The Assembly will now proceed to vote in respect of the remaining vacancy. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that, pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. In addition, ballot papers will be given only to the representative seated directly behind the country’s nameplate. We shall now proceed with the seventh round of balloting and begin the voting process. Ballot papers are now being distributed. I would like to remind representatives that they are requested to use only the ballot papers that are being distributed. Only those candidates whose names appear on the ballot papers are eligible. Representatives may indicate the one and only candidate for whom they wish to vote by placing a cross in the box at the left of the name on the ballot papers. Ballot papers on which more than one name is checked will be considered invalid. Votes may be cast only for those whose names appear on the ballot papers. If a ballot contains votes other than votes for the candidates listed on the ballot paper, those votes will not be counted.

The result of the voting is as follows: Number of ballot papers: 188 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 187 Abstentions: 2 Number of members voting: 185 Required absolute majority: 98 Number of individual votes obtained: Mustapha El Baaj (Morocco) 99 Guénaël Mettraux (Switzerland) 86

I take this opportunity to extend to the judges the congratulations of the Assembly on their election and to thank the tellers for their assistance. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 130?