A/77/PV.52 General Assembly

The General Assembly will now consider the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) on agenda items 44 to 55, 124 and 139. I request the Rapporteur of the Committee, Ms. María Noel Beretta Tassano of Uruguay, to introduce the reports of the Committee in one intervention. Ms. Beretta Tassano (Uruguay), Rapporteur of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) (spoke in Spanish): I have the honour to introduce to the General Assembly the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee submitted under agenda items 44 to 55, 124 and 139. These reports, contained in documents A/77/397 to A/77/410, include the texts of draft resolutions and decisions recommended to the General Assembly for adoption. For the convenience of delegations, a checklist prepared by the Secretariat of action taken in the Committee is contained in A/C.4/77/INF/3. During the main part of the seventy-seventh session, the Committee held a total of 26 formal meetings, of which one was held jointly with the First Committee on agenda item 45, in accordance with Assembly resolution 76/55. During the course of those formal meetings, the Committee adopted 34 draft resolutions and three draft decisions, including its proposed programme of work for the seventy-eighth session. The first report, submitted under agenda item 44, “Effects of atomic radiation”, is contained in document A/77/397, and the draft resolution submitted under this agenda item is contained in paragraph 8 of the Committee’s report. The second report, submitted under agenda item 45, “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space”, is contained in document A/77/398 and contains two draft resolutions in paragraph 12. During its consideration of the item, the Committee held a number of meetings of the Working Group of the Whole, chaired by the delegation of the United Arab Emirates. The third report, submitted under agenda item 46, “United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East” (UNRWA), is contained in document A/77/399. In connection with this item, the Committee considered the report of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA (A/77/13) and other relevant reports, after hearing introductory statements by the Commissioner-General and the Rapporteur of the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA. The Committee adopted three draft resolutions relating to various aspects of the work of UNRWA, as contained in paragraph 14 of the report. The fourth report, submitted under agenda item 47, “Israeli practices and settlement activities affecting the rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories”, is contained in document A/77/400. In connection with this item, the Fourth Committee considered the fifty-fourth report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (A/77/501) and other reports by the Secretary-General, after hearing introductory statements by the Chair of the Special Committee and the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights. The Fourth Committee proposes for adoption three draft resolutions contained in paragraph 14 of its report. The fifth report, relating to agenda item 48, “Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects”, is contained in document A/77/401. Under this item, the Fourth Committee heard introductory statements by the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, the Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support and the Director of the Global Strategy and Policy Division of the Office of Human Resources, on behalf of the Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance. Many of the issues raised during the general debate under this item will be further considered by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations at its 2023 session, the report of which will be considered by the Fourth Committee in a resumed session in the first half of 2023. The sixth report of the Committee, relating to item 49, “Comprehensive review of special political missions”, is contained in document A/77/402 and contains a draft resolution in paragraph 8. Under this item, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs introduced the report of the Secretary-General on overall policy matters pertaining to special political missions (A/77/283), and the Fourth Committee also heard a statement by the Under- Secretary-General for Operational Support. The seventh report, submitted under agenda item 50, “Questions relating to information”, is contained in document A/77/403. Under this item, the Fourth Committee considered the report of the Committee on Information (A/77/21) and the related report of the Secretary-General (A/77/280) and was briefed by the Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications about the efforts of the Department for Global Communications to promote the message of the United Nations around the world. The Fourth Committee will propose for adoption two draft resolutions contained in paragraph 9 of its report. With regard to agenda items 51 to 55, the cluster on Non-Self-Governing Territories and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, the Fourth Committee considered these five items together, holding a joint general debate on them and hearing 134 petitioners on issues relating to various Non-Self-Governing Territories. It also heard statements by the Special Envoy of the Premier of the British Virgin Islands, the Minister for Public Works and Land Transport of French Polynesia, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, a representative of the Governor of Guam, and the President of the Government of New Caledonia. Under these items, the General Assembly has before it five reports as follows. Under item 51, “Information from Non-Self- Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations”, the Committee’s report is contained in document A/77/404. The draft resolution submitted under this item is contained in paragraph 8 of the report. The Committee’s report on agenda item 52, “Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories”, is contained in document A/77/405. The draft resolution submitted under this item is contained in paragraph 8 of the report. Regarding item 53, “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”, the Committee’s report is contained in document A/77/406. The draft resolution submitted under this item is contained in paragraph 8 of the report. The Committee’s report relating to agenda item 54, “Offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories”, is contained in document A/77/407. The draft resolution submitted under this item is contained in paragraph 8 of that report. The report submitted under agenda item 55, “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples”, is contained in document A/77/408. Under this item, the Committee adopted a number of draft resolutions and a draft decision on matters relating to the implementation of the Declaration and the Non-Self-Governing Territories, as contained in paragraphs 33 and 34 of the Committee’s report. With regard to agenda item 124, “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- eighth session of the General Assembly is contained in paragraph 6 of document A/77/409. The Committee recommends this draft decision to the Assembly for adoption. The need did not arise for the Committee to take up agenda item 139, “Programme planning”, at this stage, as indicated in the report of the Committee contained in document A/77/410. 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, which are contained in documents A/77/379 to A/77/409. Before concluding, I would like to commend the high level of cooperation prevailing in the Committee, which enabled it to fulfil the mandate entrusted to it by the Assembly and to complete its work effectively and constructively well ahead of the proposed deadline. On behalf of the Bureau of the Committee, I should like to express our sincere appreciation to all delegations for their constructive participation during the session. Here I would like to pay particular tribute to the Chair of the Fourth Committee, Ambassador Mohamed Al Hassan of Oman, whose knowledge, experience and consummate diplomatic skills enabled the Committee to consider in depth all the agenda items allocated to it. The other members of the Bureau  — Mr. Iason Kasselakis of Greece, Mr. Klemen Ponikvar of Slovenia and Mr. Ray Sithole of South Africa, with whom I had the pleasure of working closely  — 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 Fourth Committee, located in the Disarmament and Peace Affairs Branch of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, for its competent 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. If there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall therefore take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the reports of the Fourth Committee that are before the Assembly today.

Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote or position. I would like to remind members that, in accordance with decision 34/401, “a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, i.e., either in the Committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation’s vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee.” I also want to remind delegations that explanations of vote or position are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. When there are multiple proposals under an agenda item, statements in explanation of vote before the voting on any or all such proposals should be made in one intervention, followed by action on all of them one by one. After that, there will also be an opportunity for statements in explanation of vote after the voting on any or all of the proposals in one intervention. Before we begin to take action on the recommendations contained in the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), I would like to advise representatives that we will proceed to take decisions in the same manner as was done in the Committee, unless the Secretariat is notified otherwise in advance. This means that where recorded votes were taken, we will do the same. I therefore hope that we may proceed to adopt without a vote those recommendations that were adopted without a vote in the Committee. The results of the votes will be uploaded on the e-DeleGATE portal under plenary announcements. I would like to draw the attention of members to a note by the Secretariat, in English only, entitled “Proposals contained in the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) for consideration by the General Assembly”, which has been circulated as document A/C.4/77/INF/3. Members are reminded that additional sponsors are no longer accepted now that draft resolutions and decisions have been adopted by the Committee. Any clarifications about sponsorship should be addressed to the Secretary of the Committee. Furthermore, any corrections to the voting intentions of delegations after the voting has concluded on a proposal should be addressed directly to the Secretariat after the meeting. I count on members’ cooperation in avoiding any interruptions to our proceedings in that regard.

The Assembly has before it a draft resolution recommended by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) in paragraph 8 of its report. We will now take a decision on the draft resolution. The Committee adopted it without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 44?