A/75/PV.41 General Assembly

Before we proceed, I would like to make some opening remarks. At the outset, I would like to thank the Chair of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), His Excellency Mr. Collen Vixen Kelapile, Permanent Representative of Botswana to the United Nations, and the other members of the Bureau for their able and skilful steering of the Fourth Committee during this session. My deepest thanks also go to Member States for successfully accomplishing the Committee’s extensive programme of work. The importance of the agenda items of the Fourth Committee cannot be overstated. On decolonization, we continue to make efforts to ensure the self- determination of all colonial countries and peoples is implemented in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. On peacekeeping, we need to do our utmost to protect peacekeepers, who risk their own lives to protect others and fulfil their mandates. Palestinian issues, which have been on the agenda of the United Nations since its creation, still require sustained engagement by the international community to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people. And on our outer space, we need to find ways to reap the benefits of science and technology to invest in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Owing to the impacts of the coronavirus disease, this session has seen limitations placed on in-person meetings. I extend my congratulations to the Bureau of the Fourth Committee for its pragmatism in proceeding with a hybrid working model that includes in-person meetings. I also thank the Secretariat for its efforts to facilitate those meetings. I now request the Rapporteur of the Committee, Mr. Jassim Sayar Al-Maawda of Qatar, to introduce in one intervention the reports of the Committee. Mr. Al-Maawda (Qatar) (spoke in Arabic), Rapporteur of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee): I have the honour to introduce to the General Assembly the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) submitted under agenda items 50 to 61, 126 and 142. These reports, contained in documents A/75/409 to A/75/422, include the texts of draft resolutions and decisions recommended to the General Assembly for adoption. For the convenience of delegations, the Secretariat prepared a checklist of actions taken in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), which is contained in document A/C.4/75/INF/3. During the main part of the seventy-fifth session, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) held a total of 10 formal meetings. It also held two virtual informal meetings owing to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. During the course of the session, the Committee adopted 34 draft resolutions and three draft decisions. The first report, submitted under agenda item 50, “Effects of atomic radiation”, is contained in document A/75/409. In the draft resolution contained in paragraph 8 of the report, the General Assembly notes, among other things, the decision of the Bureau of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation to postpone the sixty-seventh session from July 2020 to November 2020, as a consequence of the pandemic, in order to allow for the fullest participation possible under these difficult circumstances, and also notes that the reports of the sixty-seventh and sixty-eighth sessions of the Scientific Committee will be presented at the seventy-sixth session of the General Assembly. The second report, submitted under agenda item 51, “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space”, is contained in document A/75/410. The Committee was not able to adopt its annual omnibus draft resolution owing to the inability of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) to meet this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the Fourth Committee adopted a draft decision that would ensure the continuity of the work of COPUOS and its subsidiary bodies until those bodies are able to resume their work in 2021. This draft decision is contained in paragraph 10 of the report. During its consideration of the same item, the Fourth Committee held one virtual informal meeting of the Working Group of the Whole, chaired by the delegation of Romania. The third report, submitted under agenda item 52, “United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East”, is contained in document A/75/411. The Fourth Committee also considered the report of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA (A/75/13), as well as other relevant reports. The Fourth Committee adopted three draft resolutions related to various aspects of the work of UNRWA, as contained in paragraph 12 of the report. The fourth report, submitted under agenda item 53, “Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories”, is contained in document A/75/412. The Fourth Committee also considered the fifty-second report of the Special Committee concerning the protection and promotion of the human rights of the Palestinian people and other Arab inhabitants of the occupied territories, as well as other reports by the Secretary-General. The Fourth Committee proposes for adoption four draft resolutions, contained in paragraph 14 of its report. The fifth report, relating to agenda item 54, “Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects”, is contained in document A/75/413. The Fourth Committee heard introductory statements by the Under-Secretaries-General for Peace Operations and Operational Support and from the Assistant Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance. Many of the issues raised during the joint general debate pertaining to this item and others will be further considered by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations at its 2021 session. The report of the 2021 session will be considered by the Fourth Committee in a resumed session in the second half of 2021. The sixth report of the Committee, relating to agenda item 55, “Comprehensive review of special political missions”, is contained in document A/75/414. By the terms of the draft resolution contained in paragraph 8, the Assembly requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session a report on the overall policy matters pertaining to special political missions, including efforts towards improving expertise and effectiveness, transparency, accountability, geographical representation, gender perspective and the equal participation of women, as well as youth participation. The seventh report, submitted under agenda item 56, “Questions relating to information”, is contained in document A/75/415. The Fourth Committee considered the report submitted by the Committee on Information (A/75/21) and the related report of the Secretary-General and was briefed by the Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications about the efforts being made by her Department to promote the United Nations message around the world. The Fourth Committee adopted draft resolution A, “Information in the service of humanity”, and draft resolution B, “United Nations global communications policies and activities”. Both draft resolutions are contained in paragraph 8 of the report. With regard to the cluster of items on Non-Self- Governing Territories and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, agendas items 57 to 61, the General Assembly has before it five reports, as follows. Under agenda item 57, the report, “Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations”, is contained in document A/75/416. The report on agenda item 58, “Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories”, is contained in document A/75/417. Regarding agenda item 59, the report, “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations”, is contained in document A/75/418. The report relating to agenda item 60, “Offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories”, is contained in document A/75/419. Submitted under agenda item 61, the report “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples” is contained in document A/75/420. Under this item, the Fourth Committee adopted a number of draft resolutions and a draft decision on matters related to implementation of the Declaration and the Non-Self- Governing Territories, as contained in paragraphs 27 and 28 of the report. With regard to agenda item 126, “Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly”, the draft decision containing the proposed programme of work and timetable of the Fourth Committee for the seventy- sixth session of the General Assembly is contained in document A/75/422. The Fourth Committee recommends this draft decision to the General Assembly for adoption. The need did not arise for the Committee to take up agenda item 142 at this stage, “Programme planning”, as indicated in the report of the Committee contained in document A/75/421. I have the honour to submit to the General Assembly for its consideration and adoption the draft resolutions and draft decisions recommended by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) in its reports, documents A/75/409 to A/75/422. Before concluding, I would like to note the high level of cooperation prevailing in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee). The Committee was able to fulfil the mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly and to complete its work effectively and efficiently within the time allotted to it, despite the extraordinary and challenging circumstances arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. I should like to express, on behalf of the Bureau of the Committee, our sincere appreciation to all delegations for their constructive participation during the session. I should like to pay particular tribute in that regard to the Chair of the Fourth Committee, His Excellency Ambassador Collen Vixen Kelapile of Botswana, whose knowledge and experience, enhanced by his consummate diplomatic skills, enabled the Committee to consider in depth all the agenda items allocated to it. The other members of the Bureau  — Mr. Darren Camilleri of Malta, Mr. Paul Hussar of Romania and Mr. José Osvaldo Sanabria Rivarola of Paraguay, with whom I had the pleasure of working — also contributed greatly to the successful conclusion of the work of the Committee. I would also like to place on record our thanks to the secretariat of the committee related to the Disarmament and Peace Affairs Branch of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management for its effective and valuable assistance.

I thank the Rapporteur of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee). The positions of delegations regarding the recommendations of the Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. Therefore, if there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) that are before the Assembly today.