S/PV.2998 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. In a letter dated 2 .July 1991 addressed to the Secretary-General, the Vice-Premier of the Administration Council and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea submitted the application of his country for membership in the United Nations. That letter has been circulated in document S/22777. In a letter dated 19 July 1991 addressed to the Secretary-General, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea submitted the application of his country for membership in the United Nations. That letter is contained in document S/22778. Under the provisions of rule 59 of the provisional rules of procedure of the Security Council, unless the Council decides otherwise applications for membership shall be referred by the President of the Council to the Committee on the Admission of New Members. Accordingly, unless I hear a proposal to the contrary, I shall refer the applications of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea to the Committee on the Admission of New Members for examination and report. The last sentence of rule 59 provides that the Committee shall report its conclusions to the Council not less than 35 days in advance of a regular session of the General Assembly. Moreover, the fourth paragraph of rule 60 stipulates that the Security Council should make its recommendation on the applications not less than 25 days in advance of a regular session of the General Assembly following the receipt of the applications, in order to ensure its consideration at the session. In view of the fact that the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly is scheduled to convene on 17 September, and bearing in mind the time-limits, I propose that the Committee on the Admission of New Members meet this afternoon, 6 August, at 3.30 p.m. in Conference Room 7 in order to examine the applications of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea and prepare the Committee's report to the Council. I further propose that the Security Council meet again on Thursday, 8 take a decision on the report of the Committee. As I hear no objection, it is so decided. The meetina rose at 12.10 p.m. (The President) August, to consider and