A/77/PV.76 General Assembly

I now give the floor to the representative of Georgia to introduce draft resolution A/77/L.73.

I have the honour to address the Assembly on behalf of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees forcibly displaced from Georgia’s occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia and seek to solicit members’ support for draft resolution A/77/L.73, entitled “Status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia”. The main purpose of the draft resolution is to address the humanitarian plight of those IDPs and refugees who were forced to flee from their homes as a result of multiple waves of ethnic cleansing starting in the 1990s and culminating in the full-scale military aggression against Georgia in August 2008. We have been adopting the resolution before the Assembly for the past 15 years, with an increasing number of votes in favour and encouraging dynamics of support. That comes down to time-tested adherence to the universally recognized principles enshrined in the text, such as the right to return, property rights and the calls for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, providing assurances to Member States that the resolution is human centred and aims to uphold lasting and durable peace in the region. This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, the very document on which the draft resolution before the Assembly is based. Today, when the number of forcibly displaced has exceeded 100 million globally and when their enormous suffering echoes in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe, with the latest example of Ukraine, where millions of innocent civilians have been forced to flee from their homes as a result of Russia’s war of aggression, we all need to lend a helping hand to those furthest behind. The draft resolution before the Assembly is of a purely humanitarian character. The text is based on the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and represents a country-specific application of the General Assembly biannual consensual resolution, entitled “Protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons” (resolution 76/167). The draft resolution is aimed at reaffirming the right of return in safety and with dignity of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, women, children and elderly who were forced to abruptly leave their homes to seek refuge elsewhere; reconfirming their property rights; reaffirming the unacceptability of forced demographic changes and ensuring access for international humanitarian organizations to the populations in need. Beyond that, the draft resolution reaffirms and supports the key role of the Geneva international discussions, the only international peace negotiations format on the matter, and calls on all participants, including my own country, Georgia, to engage in negotiations in good faith to find a peaceful and lasting solution. Finally, it calls for the elaboration of a concrete timetable for the return of IDPs and refugees and for the reporting instrument to be maintained in order to keep the international community informed about the implementation of the draft resolution through the annual reports of the Secretary-General, the latest of which repeats one and the same sentence from the previous 12 reports, “No major changes were observed during the reporting period with regard to internally displaced persons and refugees exercising their right to return” (A/77/870/, para. 16). Furthermore, the people living in the occupied regions endure continuous deprivation in terms of their basic human rights, isolation and discrimination. Those facts have been systematically reflected in the annual reports of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, based on Human Rights Council resolution 52/40, entitled “Cooperation with Georgia”, the most recent of which speaks about the various forms of discrimination ethnic Georgians continue to endure in both occupied regions, including violations of the right to life, the deprivation of liberty, arbitrary detention, the infringement of the right to property, violations of the right to health and restrictions on education in one’s native language. The High Commissioner for Human Rights reiterates his recommendations to “promptly and thoroughly investigate all allega­ tions of the violation of the right to life, torture and ill-treatment, and intensify efforts to establish ac­ countability”, as well as to “end the practice of arbi­ trary deprivation of liberty and conduct a thorough review and prompt resolution of the pertinent indi­ vidual cases, consistent with international human rights law”. Notwithstanding that grim background, the Government of Georgia continues the effective implementation of its fully human-centric reconciliation and engagement policy, which is based on a depoliticized approach and efficient instruments to reach the goals of peacebuilding and confidence-building among war- torn communities and to ensure a decent living for the conflict-affected people before undertaking a peaceful conflict resolution. The Government is proceeding with the active implementation of the peace initiative A Step to a Better Future. Over the years, we have been inspired to see the ever-growing interest of people in the occupied regions in the opportunities and State services available and designed for them, which is a major deliverable on the way to achieving our strategic goals of reconciliation and re-engagement. Furthermore, pending a final resolution to the conflict, the Government of Georgia continues its efforts to promote socioeconomic integration and improve the living conditions of IDPs. Significant efforts have been made in order to provide IDPs with decent, durable housing and financial assistance based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and the Guiding Principles on Durable Housing Solutions. As stated earlier, the draft resolution emphasizes the importance of the Geneva International Discussions, the only format of negotiations between Georgia and the Russian Federation, in addressing the return of IDPs and refugees to their homes. However, we are witness­ ing Russia’s ongoing and deliberate policy to obstruct meaningful discussions on this purely humanitarian issue, thereby precluding any progress in that regard. Up to 100 resolutions, presidential statements and communiqués have unanimously reaffirmed “the com­ mitment of all Member States to the sovereignty, inde­ pendence and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders”. Council resolutions from 1993 until 2009, on a continuous basis, stressed the necessity “to address seriously the need for a dignified return of internally displaced persons and refugees, in­ cluding their security and human rights concerns”. Let me make it perfectly clear  — the primary focus on the humanitarian aspect of the issue at hand is a deliberate decision of my delegation to avoid any political speculation when the fundamental rights of displaced persons are at stake. The draft resolution is not against any party, and neither does it aim to point fingers at those responsible for forced displacement. Every year when this resolution is introduced, we leave politics aside and focus exclusively on the humanitarian dimension of the problem. The text of the annual resolution remains unchanged because its provisions remain unfulfilled. We therefore ask the Assembly to continue being principled and unwavering in its resolve and to stand up for the universally recognized rights until the provisions of this resolution are fully implemented. The draft resolution before the Assembly (A/77/L.73), entitled “Status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia”, under agenda item 31, “Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development”, is sponsored by more than 60 United Nations Member States, including Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, the Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Türkiye, Tuvalu, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Vanuatu. The hardships that the displaced citizens of Georgia endure are the same ones that those from different parts of the world face and feel. By supporting their cause, we are also supporting the cause of all displaced persons around the world, as a matter of principle.

I am pleased to deliver a statement on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand (CANZ) about Georgia’s draft resolution on the status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia. CANZ is pleased to cosponsor this draft resolution. We state unequivocally that we support Georgia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Globally, CANZ recognizes the right of displaced people to a safe, voluntary, dignified and unhindered return to their homes, in accordance with international law. This draft resolution is important as it addresses a global humanitarian and human rights challenge. We encourage widespread support for this draft resolution. In Georgia itself, CANZ considers that forced demographic changes are unacceptable. We support the rights of those people displaced from Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia to return to their homes. The General Assembly must address the forced demographic changes from the conflicts at the end of the Soviet Union and the war with Russia in 2008. Despite the passage of time, the property rights of all internally displaced persons and refugees in Georgia must be respected. CANZ is concerned that international human rights organizations are denied access to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We call on all parties to ensure entry for those organizations and their access to people in need. CANZ is also concerned about the deterioration of human rights in those two regions, including the mistreatment of prisoners, impunity for past abuses and the right to freedom of expression. CANZ calls on all participants to accelerate efforts to achieve a sustainable peace. We are disappointed that the ceasefire agreement that ended the 2008 Russia-Georgia war has not been implemented. And we are concerned that the so-called authorities in South Ossetia continue, by increments, to push out the administrative boundaries of the region. Finally, CANZ calls out Russia for its role in creating instability in Georgia. This is part of a trend of Russia’s repeated aggression against its neighbours, including its illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, which CANZ categorically condemns. We are committed to a world in which no country dominates and no country is dominated.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Baltic and the Nordic States: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and my own country, Lithuania. The following States  — Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine  — align themselves with this statement. First, we avail ourselves of this opportunity to reiterate our unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders. The territorial integrity of Georgia has been continuously violated by the Russian Federation since 2008, with thousands of people displaced and the humanitarian situation of the country affected. Russia’s responsibility for the grave human rights violations committed while in effective control of illegally occupied Georgian territory has been confirmed by the European Court of Human Rights in its landmark judgment of 2021 and reaffirmed in its most recent judgment dated 7 March 2023. The perpetrators of these violations must be held accountable. In this regard, we welcome the application of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court dated 10 March 2022 for the issuance of arrest warrants for suspects bearing individual criminal responsibility for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Russia’s war against Georgia in 2008. We remain concerned with the human rights situation on the ground. Regrettably, no international human rights monitoring mechanisms have been granted unrestricted access to assess the situation in these regions. We reiterate our call for immediate access for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international and regional human rights mechanisms. We reiterate our support for the process of the Geneva International Discussions and regret that there has been a constant lack of engagement from the Russian side or from participants from Tskhinvali and Sukhumi. In this context, we also commend the continued efforts of the Georgian Government, working in close cooperation with international organizations, to provide internally displaced persons with alternative solutions in terms of housing and improved socioeconomic conditions. The number of displaced persons and refugees around the world has reached unprecedented levels and continues to grow. Russia’s full-scale military aggression against Ukraine has only resulted in a degree of displacement unseen in Europe since the Second World War, with more than 13 million displaced persons. We are pleased to see a growing awareness of the international community with regard to the need to address forced displacement, including the pressing humanitarian issues in the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia. Draft resolution A/77/L.73, which we are adopting today, reconfirms the need to continue working for the protection of and assistance to those who have been forcibly displaced and have not been able to exercise their fundamental right to a safe and dignified return to their homes for more than a decade. In conclusion, given the lack of progress on the ground and the need for continuous engagement by the United Nations, as in previous years, our countries will vote in favour of draft resolution A/77/L.73, and we call on all States Members of the United Nations to do the same.

First and foremost, I would like to reiterate Japan’s unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the GUAM countries. People in Georgia continue to suffer from long-term forced displacement. Japan has proudly co-sponsored the draft General Assembly resolution on the status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Georgia, expected to be adopted soon (A/77/L.73). As the overwhelming majority of the General Assembly has repeatedly stated, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a grave violation of the United Nations Charter. In Ukraine, millions of civilians are displaced and continue to be deprived of freedom from fear, freedom from want and freedom to live in dignity. The protection of internally displaced persons is an urgent issue as civilians are the most affected by instability all over the world. To address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries that have generously accepted a great number of Ukrainian people, including Moldova, Japan has exerted every effort to provide assistance. To date, Japan has pledged and transferred a total of approximately $7.6 million in humanitarian, financial, food and recovery and reconstruction assistance to Ukraine, its neighbours and other countries. Japan is also committed to supporting the GUAM countries and their efforts aimed at tackling various challenges caused by ongoing and protracted conflicts, including by providing assistance for internally displaced persons and refugees. We, the States Members of the United Nations, are at a critical juncture, as we face serious challenges to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, as well as the rule of law. Draft resolution A/77/L.73 embodies important values set forth in the Charter and reflects our collective commitment to upholding the rule of law. This is why Japan unequivocally support the draft resolution.

Nearly 15 years since the Russian invasion of Georgia, the United Kingdom remains deeply concerned over the continued illegal Russian presence in parts of the country. We fully support Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and we underline the need for a peaceful resolution of the conflict based on the full respect of the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and international law. Georgia has been under continuous hybrid attack from Russia since the 2008 war, which saw 20 per cent of Georgian territory effectively annexed. Russian troops and border guards remain stationed in the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Some are as close as 35 minutes from the Georgian capital. And the human rights situation in these breakaway regions is of serious concern. We welcome Georgia’s ongoing compliance with the European Union-mediated 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement. We call upon the Russian Federation to immediately fulfil its clear obligation under the ceasefire agreement to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions, live up to its commitments to allowing unfettered access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and not impede the creation of international security arrangements on the ground. We also call upon Russia to reverse its recognition of the so-called independence of Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions and end all practices aimed at creeping annexation of these territories into the Russian Federation. We welcome initiatives by the Government of Georgia to promote reconciliation among the populations separated by the administrative boundary lines, and we urge Russia not to obstruct these valuable peacebuilding and people-to- people contacts. The United Kingdom has been a long-standing supporter of this annual resolution in solidarity with the Georgian people and all internally displaced people worldwide. It is all the more pertinent as Russia continues its illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. The draft resolution highlights the inalienable rights of the forcibly displaced populations to a safe and dignified return to their homes. It acknowledges their property rights, reaffirms the unacceptability of forced demographic changes, and creates a vital mechanism for enabling the Secretary-General to report on developments on this important issue. These are all matters that are vital to our universally shared interest in human rights, reconciliation and peace. We therefore urge all Member States to vote in favour of this draft resolution, which aims to protect society’s most vulnerable and underlines the unacceptability of using internally displaced persons as political pawns in conflicts.

The United States is pleased to co-sponsor and support the important draft resolution (A/77/L.73) before us today and urges the members of the General Assembly to support it as well. We remain greatly concerned about the plight of internally displaced persons and refugees displaced from the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and all others whose lives have been upended by Russia’s unlawful invasions of its sovereign neighbours. Fifteen years ago, Russia’s aggression upended the lives and livelihoods of millions of Georgian civilians. Many of them remain unable to return to the lives and homes they had before the conflict. Many remain unable to enjoy peace and security. The United States fully supports Georgia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Russia’s military presence in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is the result of its unlawful invasion. Russia continues to violate Georgia’s territorial integrity and undermine its sovereignty, threatening not just Georgia but also the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. We call on Russia to cease its recognition of the so-called independence of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are integral parts of Georgia’s territory. We also call on Russia to fulfil its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions and allow and facilitate unhindered access for humanitarian organizations. Russia and the de facto authorities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia should take immediate steps to respect human rights in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, cease the construction of barriers along the administrative boundary lines and create security conditions that are conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and unhindered return and reintegration of internally displaced persons and refugees. Across the globe, the United States promotes respect for the human rights, dignity and humanitarian needs of internally displaced persons and refugees. We are alarmed by the increasing number of ongoing and urgent conflict-driven crises involving human rights violations and abuses, as well as limits on humanitarian access. With forced displacement and humanitarian needs reaching unprecedented levels year after year, there is no time to waste. We encourage the United Nations to strengthen its vision for improving protection and assistance for internally displaced persons and to create incentives for development and peacebuilding actors and the States affected to increase their efforts to meet the needs of internally displaced persons and refugees.

The delegation of Ukraine aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Lithuania on behalf of the Nordic and Baltic States and the statement to be delivered by the representative of the European Union. It has already been 15 years since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale military aggression against Georgia and occupied Georgia and the regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia, Georgia. That unprovoked brutal aggression, in violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, caused the large-scale displacement of thousands of people and affected the humanitarian situation in the region. As the cause of the problem, the Russian Federation still refuses to abide by international law and withdraw its military and security forces from sovereign Georgian territories. Moreover, the occupier has continued its illegal military presence and activities on Georgian soil. We must make every effort to provide protection and assistance to Georgians who have been forcibly displaced as a result of the Russian military aggression. Draft resolution A/77/L.73, which will be adopted today, addresses the issue of protracted displacement, with hundreds of thousands of men, women and children being deprived of their right to return to their homes. It is an opportunity for the States Members of the United Nations to reiterate their commitment to the fundamental right of all internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees to a safe and dignified return home. As a sponsor, Ukraine will therefore vote in favour of the draft resolution. As the occupier, Russia must not go unpunished. The international community must put an end to Russia’s imperialistic attempts to conquer and occupy its neighbours. All Russian-occupied territories, including those in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, must and will be liberated, and that in turn will enable IDPs and refugees to safely return home and will bring just and lasting peace and security back to the region.

I now give the floor to the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States. The candidate countries Türkiye, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, align themselves with this statement. The EU reaffirms its firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, within its internationally recognized borders. The EU remains committed to supporting peacebuilding and conflict resolution in Georgia, including through its co-chairmanship of the Geneva International Discussions and the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia. We express our concern about human rights violations in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/ South Ossetia and the persistent humanitarian challenges faced by their conflict-affected populations. The EU calls for ensuring full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to support those populations, in particular in Tskhinvali/South Ossetia. In that respect, the EU would like to remind the Assembly that humanitarian access is stipulated in the 12 August 2008 six-point ceasefire agreement. The EU underlines the importance of the right of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to choose a durable solution, including voluntary, safe and dignified return, as well as the ability to exercise property rights. We regret that so far no progress has been achieved on those issues and recall that addressing the issues of refugees and IDPs is a core task of the Geneva International Discussions. The EU therefore calls on the participants in the Geneva International Discussions to engage in a genuine dialogue on the various displacements that have taken place over the past three decades, as well as on partial returns, with a view to enhancing the protection of displaced persons and seeking pragmatic approaches and durable solutions, including further returns. The EU welcomes the efforts of the Georgian Government to find durable housing solutions for IDPs and promote their socioeconomic integration. We encourage the Government to continue IDP inclusion and prioritization in the national development plan and to make further efforts to improve their living conditions and livelihoods.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/77/L.73. 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 on the document, the following countries have also become sponsors of A/77/L.73  — the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mexico, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago and Vanuatu.

Before giving the floor for explanations of vote before the voting, I would like to remind delegations that explanations are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

First of all, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reaffirms its strong determination to preserve, promote and defend the Charter of the United Nations, as well as its unwavering commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes, and supports all diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving that end. In that regard, we reiterate our concern about the growing tendency to attempt to exploit the General Assembly in order to attack its members and, even more egregiously, to use it as a platform for adopting draft resolutions that lack consensus, which, far from fostering an environment conducive to dialogue and negotiation, only deepens tensions and divisions and has the potential to further complicate regional situations and dynamics. In adhering to the tenets of its Bolivarian diplomacy of peace, Venezuela therefore calls on the sponsors of draft resolution A/77/L.73 to refrain from politicized approaches and instead promote both confidence-building measures and a constructive approach to the issue, including within the framework of the Geneva International Discussions on security and stability in the South Caucasus, using political dialogue, diplomatic negotiation and cooperation, in order to find concerted solutions to the common challenges of the region, including in the humanitarian arena. We hope that, in the interest of peace and the well-being of all our peoples, sooner rather than later, the General Assembly will correct course and return to the practice of promoting consensus- based decision-making through transparent and inclusive processes in which all views, concerns and contributions are truly taken into account in order to reach consensual solutions to issues of common interest to the entire international community.

For yet another year in a row, this draft resolution (A/77/L.73) has been introduced before the General Assembly. Its sponsors have consistently said that they are driven by their concern for the needs of those who have lost their livelihoods and have been displaced by armed hostilities. It must be said, however, that its current text, like that of its predecessors, is a purely politicized product. This is an attempt to speculate on the fate of thousands of Georgians, Abkhazians, Ossetians and other nationalities who have suffered as a result of the Georgian authorities’ policy of aggression, which culminated in an armed attack on Tskhinval in South Ossetia in August 2008. It is naive to think that the draft resolution is devoted exclusively to concerns about refugees and displaced persons. Its goal is to prevent the normalization of the situation in the region and the establishment of good-neighbourly relations among Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Georgia. We regret that Georgian diplomacy and an established group of supporting countries have introduced the text before us year after year at the expense of taking practical steps to resolve the current humanitarian problems in the region. The initiative has a seriously negative impact on the Geneva International Discussions. It complicates the already-complicated relations among our close neighbours — the representatives of various nationalities living in Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We must today talk about peaceful coexistence in the region and take into account the current geopolitical realities. It is high time for Georgia to opt for constructive discussion on humanitarian issues instead of baseless and pointless attacks on Sukhumi and Tskhinval in international forums. The delegation of the Russian Federation requests that draft resolution A/77/L.73 be put to the vote and will vote against it. We urge other delegations that oppose the politicization of the work of the General Assembly not to support the draft resolution.

We have heard the last speaker in explanation of vote before the voting. The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/77/L.73, entitled “Status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia”. A recorded vote has been requested.

Before giving the floor to speakers in explanation of vote after the voting, may I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. I now give the floor to the representative of Brazil.

Brazil understands that the General Assembly should abstain in influencing sensitive issues that are under consideration in the Geneva International Discussions. Brazil abides by the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and does not recognize the independence of breakaway provinces. We hope that the situation can be resolved in a peaceful manner in the short term. We express our solidarity with the victims of forced displacement and the refugees in Georgia. We encourage all actors to create favourable political conditions for the safe return of internally displaced persons and seek durable solutions to avoid the further escalation of tensions, thereby avoiding actions that could aggravate the already-difficult situation in the region. Brazil calls on all parties concerned, in particular Georgia and the Russian Federation, to pursue dialogue and cooperation and adopt confidence-building measures, including within the framework of the Geneva process.

We have heard the only speaker in explanation of vote after the voting. May I take it that it is the wish of General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 31.