EU Speaking Points - General Assembly Revitalization

Ad Hoc Working Group on General Assembly Revitalization, 1st Session; Statement by Alexander Marschik, Deputy Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, on behalf of the European Union.


Distinguished Co-chairs,

• 
  
• On behalf of the European Union I would like to thank you for convening this first meeting of the ad hoc working group on the revitalization of the General Assembly. We are convinced that you will guide the discussions in an open and transparent manner.
  
  
• Let me seize this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to the previous facilitators on the revitalization of the GA for their efforts.
  
  
• The EU strongly supports efforts to strengthen the General Assembly's role and authority, in line with the principles and objectives outlined in the 2005 World Summit Outcome, which reaffirmed the central position of the General Assembly as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Using the momentum of the reform process, we should strengthen the GA by building on the resolutions of the past few years, including last year's GA resolution 59/313 on "A strengthened and revitalized General Assembly" and GA resolutions 58/126 and 58/316.
  
  
• GA resolution 58/126, which initiated the recent efforts on GA revitalization, recognized that the GA should have a shorter agenda to ensure the fullest discussion of all the issues, so that its decisions may have greater impact. The current heavy workload of the GA poses the greatest burden on smaller Missions, and we should continue to look at ways to rationalize the GA's agenda and refocus our work on issues of real importance.
  
  
• In addition to rationalizing the number of resolutions presented in the GA, we should increase our efforts to make their content more concise, implementable and operative. Repetition should be reduced by encouraging new elements in resolutions. We should also think about how best to ensure and perhaps review the implementation of GA resolutions.
  
  
• In this context the EU looks forward to the report on the implementation of GA resolutions regarding GA revitalization requested from the Secretary-General in OP 19 of GA resolution 59/313.
  
  
• The EU believes that work on revitalization of the GA should include ways to improve its working methods. We suggest initiatives such as:
  
• Review the agenda and working methods of the GA's subsidiary organs, including its Main Committees, with a view to avoid overlaps. In this context we believe that the General Committee can and should play an important role by, for example, advising the President of the GA.
  
• Hold interactive debates on issues of global relevance and urgency.
  
  • Modernize the time consuming and cumbersome election process by, for example, using optical laser technology for counting the votes cast. In this context, the EU would welcome specific information on the status of implementation of OP 15 of resolution 59/313 on the introduction of optical scanners in the voting procedure.
    
  • Streamline and reduce documentation by requesting consolidated reports which should be analytical and precise.
    
  • Encourage Member States to make concise oral statements no longer than ten minutes and to distribute longer statements in written form.
    
  • Encourage a study of the rules of procedure of the GA and compare them with best practices.
  
  
  
• We could consider discussing the possibility of further strengthening the Office of the President of the GA to promote effective leadership and greater continuity in the work of the GA. In order to improve the transitional mechanism between the Presidents of the GA the EU would suggest an earlier election of the President of the GA and recommend that the President elect make maximum use of the period prior to the resumption of office in order to prepare for his upcoming tasks. Regular briefings for the President elect by the incumbent President as well as by the Secretariat could be very beneficial for an efficient "preparatory phase".
  
  
• We could also support the holding of frequent regular meetings of the Presidents of the GA, the Security Council and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with the participation of the Secretary General in order to avoid duplication and overlaps and to promote greater synergy for the common interests of the UN as a whole. This would build upon the informal mechanism set out in paragraph 6 of the Annex to GA resolution 58/126.
  
  
• The EU would also like to stress the importance of associating to the highest degree possible national parliaments, civil society, including NGOs, and the private sector to our work in the UN.
  
  
• The EU believes that the authority of the GA could be enhanced by greater public visibility and transparency. We should discuss possibilities that enable the Office of the President of the GA to better explain the work of the GA, especially through the mass media, to the wider public.
  
  
• Finally, as to procedure and outcome of this ad hoc working group. The EU reads OP 5 of GA resolution 59/313 with the understanding, that this working group shall submit to the 60th GA a report containing specific recommendations. The EU believes that these recommendations could take the form of a draft resolution annexed to the report.
  
  
• The EU promises to be an active participant at the debates and to work constructively with the co-chairs and partners on this important undertaking.
  
  
  
  
  
  • Ref: PRES06-038EN
  • EU source: EU Presidency
  • UN forum: 
  • Date: 16/2/2006

  | Top |

  
  

• EU Speaking Points - Ad Hoc Working Group on GA Revitalization (6/4/2006)
• EU Speaking Points - Ad Hoc Working Group on GA Revitalization (29/3/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - UN General Assembly, Information and Communication Technologies for Development  (27/3/2006)
• EU Presidency Speaking Points - Ad Hoc Working Group on UN General Assembly Revitalization (16/3/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Fifth Committee, Programme of Work  (6/3/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Fifth Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (6/3/2006)
• EU Speaking Points - GA Revitalization (3/3/2006)
• EU Speaking Points - ECOSOC Reform (9/2/2006)
• EU Speaking Points - UN Secretariat and Management Reform  (7/2/2006)