A/76/PV.52 General Assembly

The Assembly will proceed to a by-election to elect one member of the Economic and Social Council, in accordance with rule 140 of the rules of procedure, to fill the seat of one member that is relinquishing its seat before the end of its term. In that connection, I would like to draw the attention of members to document A/76/573, containing a note verbale dated 30 November 2021 from the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations. In the note verbale, the Permanent Mission of Germany, in its capacity as Chair of the Group of Western European and other States for the month of November 2021, communicated the fact that Norway has relinquished its seat on the Economic and Social Council for 2022 and that the group has endorsed the candidature of Finland for election to the Council in order to fill the Group’s seat vacated by Norway. As a result, one vacancy in the Council will occur, and a new member must be elected to fill the unexpired term of Norway, commencing on 1 January 2022 and expiring on 31 December 2022. In accordance with paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 2847, of 20 December 1971, of the twenty-sixth session, and taking into account the fact that the vacancy will occur from among the Western European and other States, the new member should be elected from that region. I should like to inform the Assembly that the candidate that receives a two-thirds majority of members present and voting and the greatest number of votes will be declared elected. If no candidate obtains a two-thirds majority, there shall be additional ballots, the voting being restricted to the two candidates obtaining the greatest number of votes in the previous ballot. Also consistent with past practice, in the event of a tie vote, and when it becomes necessary to determine the candidate to proceed to the next round of restricted balloting, there will be a special restricted ballot limited to those candidates that have obtained an equal number of votes. I should like to inform members that as of 1 January 2022, the following States from among the Western European and other States will be represented on the Economic and Social Council: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. The names of those 12 States should therefore not appear on the ballot paper. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, we shall now proceed to a secret ballot. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. We shall now begin the voting process. Members are requested to remain seated until all ballots have been collected. Ballot papers will now be distributed and will be given only to the representative seated directly behind the country’s nameplate. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 71/323, of 8 September 2017, the name of the State that has been communicated to the Secretariat has been printed on the ballot papers. Also, an additional blank line corresponding to the one vacant seat to be filled has been provided on the ballot paper for inscribing another State, if desirable. I request representatives to use only those ballot papers that have been distributed. Members are requested to write an “X” in the box next to the name printed on the ballot paper or write the name of another eligible State on the blank line. If the box next to the name of a State is checked, the name of that State does not have to be repeated on the blank line. There should be no more than one checked box or handwritten name for the vacant seat to be filled, as indicated on the ballot paper. A ballot will be declared invalid if it contains votes for more than one eligible Member State from the group of Western European and other States. Accordingly, members can only check the box printed on the ballot paper or write one name of an eligible Member State from the Western European and other States in the space provided. If the ballot paper contains a vote for a Member State that does not belong to the Western European and other States or for a Member State that will remain a member of the Council next year, the ballot paper will be declared invalid. Finally, if a ballot paper contains any notation other than a vote in favour of an eligible Member State, those notations will be disregarded.

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 115.

Pursuant to General Assembly decision 42/450, of 17 December 1987, and on the nomination of the Economic and Social Council, the Assembly elects the members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination. Members will recall that at its 30th plenary meeting, held on 11 November 2021, the General Assembly elected five members to the Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2022 and expiring on 31 December 2024. The Assembly has before it a note by the Secretary- General circulated in document A/76/364/Add.1 which contains nominations by the Economic and Social Council of the Dominican Republic for election by the Assembly to fill an outstanding vacancy in the Committee for Programme and Coordination for a term of office beginning on the day of election and expiring on 31 December 2023, and of France to fill an outstanding vacancy in the Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2022 and expiring on 31 December 2024. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, all elections should be held by secret ballot. However, I should like to recall paragraph 16 of General Assembly decision 34/401, whereby the practice of dispensing with the secret ballot for elections to subsidiary organs when the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled should become standard, unless a delegation specifically requests a vote on a given election. In the absence of such a request, may I take it that the Assembly decides to proceed to the election on the basis of dispensing with the secret ballot?

The number of States nominated from among the Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States is equal to the number of seats to be filled for each group. May I therefore take it that the Assembly wishes to declare the Dominican Republic elected as a member of the Committee for Programme and Coordination for a term of office beginning on 16 December 2021 and expiring on 31 December 2023, and France elected as a member of the Committee for a term of office beginning on 1 January 2022 and expiring on 31 December 2024?

I congratulate the Dominican Republic and France on their election as members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination. Members are reminded that two vacancies for members from the Western European and other States remain to be filled: one for a term of office beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2021 and one for a term beginning on 1 January 2022 and expiring on 31 December 2024. The General Assembly will be in a position to act on those vacancies upon nomination by the Economic and Social Council. We have thus concluded this stage of our consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 116. (c) Election of members of the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission

Members will recall that in accordance with paragraphs 4 (a) to (e) of General Assembly resolution 60/180, of 20 December 2005, the Organizational Committee shall comprise the following: seven members of the Security Council, including permanent members; seven members of the Economic and Social Council, elected from regional groups; five top providers of assessed contributions to United Nations budgets and of voluntary contributions to United Nations funds, programmes and agencies, including a standing peacebuilding fund; five top providers of military personnel and civilian police to United Nations missions; and seven additional members elected by the General Assembly, giving due consideration to representation from all regional groups in the overall composition of the Committee. By the same resolution, the General Assembly also decided that each of the five regional groups shall have no less than three seats in the overall composition of the Organizational Committee. Members will also recall that at its seventy-fourth session, the Assembly elected Peru and Slovakia as members of the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission for a two-year term of office, beginning on 1 January 2020. Consequently, the General Assembly will need to fill the seats to be vacated by Peru and Slovakia, whose two-year term of office expires on 31 December 2021. The Assembly will now proceed to the election of two members of the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission. By its resolution 60/261, of 8 May 2006, the Assembly decided that the members of the Organizational Committee shall serve for renewable terms of two years, as applicable. Accordingly, Peru and Slovakia are eligible for immediate re-election. Regarding candidatures for the two vacant seats, I should like to inform members that from among the Eastern European States, one candidate has been communicated, namely, Bulgaria. From among the Latin American and Caribbean States, one candidate has been communicated, namely, the Dominican Republic. Members will recall that by its resolution 60/261, the General Assembly decided that the rules of procedure and established practice of the Assembly for the election of members of its subsidiary bodies shall apply to its election of members of the Committee. For this election, rules 92 and 94 are applicable. Accordingly, the election shall be held by secret ballot. However, I should also like to recall paragraph 16 of General Assembly decision 34/401, whereby the practice of dispensing with the secret ballot for elections to subsidiary organs when the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled should become standard, unless a delegation specifically requests a vote on a given election. In the absence of such a request, may I take it that the Assembly decides to proceed to the election on that basis?

Since the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled, may I take it that the General Assembly decides to elect Bulgaria and the Dominican Republic as members of the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission for a two-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2022?

I congratulate Bulgaria and the Dominican Republic on their election as members of the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (c) of agenda item 116?

The result of the voting is as follows: By-election — Western European and other States (1 seat) Number of ballot papers: 185 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 185 Abstentions: 5 Number of members present and voting: 180 Required two-thirds majority: 120 Number of votes obtained: Finland 179 Liechtenstein 1

Having obtained the required two- thirds majority, Finland has been elected a member of the Economic and Social Council for a term of office beginning on 1 January 2022 and ending on 31 December 2022. I congratulate Finland on having been elected a member of the Economic and Social Council. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (b) agenda item 115.

In accordance with Assembly resolution 75/314, of 2 August 2021, “the Permanent Forum shall consist of 10 members: 5 members to be nominated by Governments, based on equitable geographical distribution, and elected by the General Assembly, and 5 members to be appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council following consultation with the Bureau and the regional groups through their coordinators, on the basis of broad consultations with organizations of people of African descent; membership shall take into account the diversity and geographical distribution of people of African descent in the world, ensuring gender parity as well as the principles of transparency, representativity and equal opportunity for all people of African descent, and all members shall serve in their personal capacity as independent experts on issues of people of African descent for a period of three years with the possibility of re-election or reappointment for one further period”. Accordingly, in my letter dated 18 October 2021, I stated that: “With regard to the five members to be elected by the General Assembly, Member States are kindly requested to present candidates to the Secretariat […]. Pursuant to said resolution, membership shall take into account the diversity and geographical distribution of people of African descent in the world, ensuring gender parity as well as the principles of transparency, representativity and equal opportunity for all people of African descent”. The initial three-year term of office of the five members elected by the General Assembly will begin on the date when five other members are appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council. I wish to recall that this is the first time that the Assembly is electing the five members to the Permanent Forum, as mandated in resolution 75/314. The election will be held in accordance with the rules of procedure of the General Assembly. In that regard, rules 92 and 94 shall be applied. As more candidates have been communicated to the Secretariat than the number of seats to be filled by the General Assembly, the Assembly will proceed to the election by secret ballot, in accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure. Each delegation will receive a single ballot paper for the five seats to be filled. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 71/323, of 8 September 2017, the names of the candidates that have been communicated to the Secretariat at least 48 hours prior to the election today have been printed on the ballot paper. Representatives are requested to use only the ballot paper that will be distributed in the General Assembly Hall and to put an “X” in the boxes next to the names of any five candidates for whom they wish to vote. Representatives may vote only for those candidates whose names appear on the ballot papers, and for no more than the number of seats to be filled by the General Assembly, namely, five. A ballot paper containing more than that number of votes will be declared invalid. If all five seats are not filled on the first ballot, in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure, there shall be additional ballots to fill the remaining places, the voting being restricted to the candidates obtaining the greatest number of votes in the previous ballot to a number not more than twice the places remaining to be filled. Consistent with the practice of the General Assembly, if more than the required number of candidates obtain the votes of the majority of the members present and voting on the same ballot, those candidates who have obtained the largest number of votes above the required majority will be considered as elected, up to the number of seats to be filled. Also consistent with past practice, if, due to a tie vote, it becomes necessary to determine a candidate or candidates to be elected or that will proceed to the next round of restricted balloting, there will be a special restricted ballot limited to those candidates that have obtained an equal number of votes. May I take it that the General Assembly agrees to proceed accordingly?

Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. We shall now begin the voting process. Members are requested to remain seated until all ballots have been collected. Ballot papers will now be distributed. Ballot papers will be given only to the representative seated directly behind the country’s nameplate. If a ballot paper contains any notation other than votes in favour of eligible candidates, those notations will be disregarded. If a mistake is made in filling out the ballot paper, delegations should request a new ballot paper from the Secretariat at the front of the General Assembly Hall.

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (g) of agenda item 116.

The General Assembly will now take action on the draft resolution contained in document A/76/L.28. I now give the floor to the representative of Kyrgyzstan to introduce draft resolution A/76/L.28.

At the outset, on behalf of Kyrgyzstan, I have the honour to introduce draft resolution A/76/L.28, entitled “International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development, 2022”, under agenda item 15. It is also my pleasure to inform the Assembly that since the submission of the draft resolution, more than 80 Member States have become co-sponsors of the draft; we invite those who have not yet done so to join us today. The initiative of the proclamation of next year as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development was put forward by the President of Kyrgyzstan, His Excellency Mr. Sadyr Zhaparov, during his statement delivered during the seventy- sixth session of the General Assembly, in September (see A/76/PV.3). Mountains are the habitat of unique species of flora and fauna. Home to glaciers, they are a source of water, which means the source of life for many countries and billions of people. Today more than 1 billion people live in mountain countries, while more than half of the planet’s population obtain water, food and environmentally friendly energy thanks to mountains. However, mountain countries are currently suffering from global warming. These regions constitute unique types of ecosystems and face specific problems owing to climate change. Therefore, adaptation to and mitigation of climate change, as well as sustainable development, in those countries require the implementation of a special set of measures addressing their needs. Mountainous regions have already faced the retreat of glaciers, frequent emergencies and the destruction of ecosystems, increasing the threat to public health. Furthermore, the global economic downturn, the coronavirus disease pandemic and the rapid increase in food prices have led to a sudden increase in the number of starving and malnourished people, and the residents of mountain regions are in particularly vulnerable situations. Those problems need urgent attention and concerted efforts in order to be resolved. Due to the importance of promoting the mountain agenda, taking into consideration the fact that it has been 20 years since the declaration of the International Year of Mountains, in 2002, the Bishkek Global Mountain Summit and the adoption of the Bishkek Declaration, Kyrgyzstan has submitted this draft resolution to be considered by the General Assembly. The proclamation of the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development not only recognizes the need for preserving the global life-support system, which is so indispensable to the survival of the global ecosystem, but also provides a sound basis for further substantive work on mountain development, thus having a truly global significance for the future of humankind. Therefore, the draft resolution invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, other international and regional organizations and other relevant stakeholders to observe the International Year, as appropriate, in order to increase awareness of the importance of sustainable mountain development. The draft resolution will enable us to strengthen international cooperation in the area of mountains, especially at the regional and subregional levels, to raise public awareness through a wide variety of activities and to intensify exchanges of information and experiences. The tremendous obstacles facing sustainable mountain development in the twenty-first century will not be overcome unless the problems are recognized and addressed by local communities, national policy- makers and international organizations. In that context, Kyrgyzstan, along with its partners and friends, intends to take an active part in the implementation of this initiative. In particular, along with the members of the Group of Friends of Mountainous Countries, we will introduce the draft document entitled “Quinquennium of actions on developing mountain regions”, which will be launched next year. We believe that all 27 States members of the Group of Friends will support that initiative as well. In conclusion, I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all Member States that participated in the informal consultations and supported our initiative and to thank them for their flexibility. At the same time, the Permanent Mission of Kyrgyzstan tried to be open and transparent during the discussions on the draft resolution. We also express our special appreciation to delegations for their firm commitment to the mountain agenda from the beginning and for co-sponsoring the draft resolution. By supporting this draft, the international community is sending a clear message to those who live in mountain areas and need special attention in order to ensure that no one is left behind.

We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/76/L.28. The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/76/L.28, entitled “International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development, 2022”. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution and in addition to the delegations listed in document A/76/L.28, the following countries have also become co-sponsors of the draft resolution: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Dominican Republic, France, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iceland, India, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Maldives, Mongolia, Morocco, Norway, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Panama, Poland, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Uganda and the United States. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/76/L.28?

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 15. I shall now suspend the meeting for 15 minutes while the ballots for the election of five members of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent are being counted.

The result of the voting is as follows: Number of ballot papers: 189 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 189 Abstentions: 1 Number of members present and voting: 188 Required two-thirds majority: 95 Number of votes obtained: Martin Kimani (Kenya) 149 Justin Hansford (United States of America) 138 June Soomer (Saint Lucia) 128 Mona Omar (Egypt) 123 Epsy Campbell Barr (Costa Rica) 113 Manzi Tchilabalo Karbou (Togo) 111 Alexei Avtonomov (Russian Federation) 79 Luisa Leonor Ortíz (Ecuador) 43

Having obtained the greatest number of votes and the required majority, Epsy Campbell Barr (Costa Rica), June Soomer (Saint Lucia), Justin Hansford (United States of America), Martin Kimani (Kenya) and Mona Omar (Egypt) have been elected members of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent for a three-year term of office beginning on the date when five other members are appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council. I congratulate them on having been elected members of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (g) of agenda item 116.