EU Speaking Points - Ad Hoc Working Group on GA Revitalization

Ad Hoc Working Group on GA Revitalization, 4th Session; Statement by Ambassador Gerhard Pfanzelter, 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 fourth meeting of the ad hoc working group on the revitalization of the GA which - for its first time - takes place in the format of a "thematic discussion".

• We warmly welcome the participation of the President of the General Assembly to this debate which we believe underlines the importance of our undertaking.

• Mr. President, I would like to seize this opportunity to offer you on behalf of the European Union my warm congratulations for your nomination as Foreign Minister of Sweden.

• As regards today's overall theme "The role and authority of the General Assembly" let me briefly set out some ideas shared by the European Union.

The role and authority of the General Assembly

A. The relationship between the GA and other principal organs of the UN system

• First and foremost, the EU believes that an enhanced interaction and a cooperative relationship between the principal organs of the UN in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter relating to their powers and functions is of vital importance for the functioning and consequently for the effectiveness of the UN. Anything other than a cooperative approach would inevitably weaken this organization to the detriment of all of us. While recognizing that over the last 15 years the UN's principal organs have been adapting in varying degrees their work to the current operational needs of the Organization, the EU is of the opinion that each principal organ ought to exercise its powers responsibly and in accordance with the relevant Charter provisions.

• The EU encourages periodic meetings between the Presidents of the GA, the Security Council and the ECOSOC to ensure increased cooperation, coordination and complementarity (cf. para. 6 of GA res. 58/126). We believe that through such meetings a more complementary division of work between these three principal organs could be achieved by, inter alia, better coordinating plans for thematic debates. We would suggest that the Secretary General may attend such tripartite meetings in order to intensify the link between the Secretariat and Member States. The EU believes that information to Member States by the President of the GA about substantial issues raised during such meetings would enhance transparency and ensure better coordination between the principal organs (cf. para. 6 of GA res. 58/126).

• The EU supports the proposal as contained in para. 7 of GA res. 58/126 which encourages the President of the General Assembly to suggest the issue or issues of global concern as a guideline for the annual general debate of the General Assembly.

A.1. Relationship GA - Security Council

• The EU would support the GA's invitation to the Security Council to submit to the GA, on a periodic basis, special subject-oriented reports on issues of current international concern (para. 2d of GA res. 59/313).

• We would further welcome more analytical and substantive annual reports of the Security Council which could be made available before the beginning of the general debate of the General Assembly. These Security Council annual reports could, inter alia, analyze to which degree Security Council resolutions have been implemented, what have been major obstacles to such implementation and how these obstacles could be overcome. Furthermore, decisions, recommendations or progress of work of the Security Council's subsidiary organs could, for example, also be included in the annual report. The EU would also welcome a more interactive and in-depth debate of the Security Council's annual report in the GA (para. 2c of GA res. 59/313).

• We appreciate that according to the Secretariat's implementation chart the Presidents of the GA are regularly briefed by the Presidents of the Security Council. Information to Member States by the Presidents of the GA about substantial issues raised during such briefings as outlined in para. 5 of GA resolution 58/126 could be useful.


A.2. Relationship GA - ECOSOC

• In order to avoid duplication and overlaps, the EU believes a more complementary division of work between the GA, its Second and Third Committee and ECOSOC could be achieved, for example, through a review of their current work distribution. We might also consider examining the relationships between the GA and the ECOSOC and their respective subsidiary organs. The ECOSOC and the GA, for example, should not engage in repeating the debates that have already been conducted in the functional bodies.

• The EU shares the view that ECOSOC's annual report to the GA could be more analytical and streamlined. Further, it could be discussed more in depth in the framework of an interactive debate.


B. The Presidency of the General Assembly

• The EU notes with appreciation that the Office of the President of the GA has been strengthened in terms of resources over the last years. We believe that the current resources better enable the President's Office to carry out its functions.

• In analogy to para. 9 of GA res. 59/313 we would suggest that the President of the GA provide at the end of his/her term a short report on his/her observations and "lessons learned" to the General Committee as well as to the President elect.

• We might also want to consider encouraging Presidents of the GA to increase their public visibility including through enhanced contacts with representatives of media, NGO's and civil society and thus promoting the role and authority of the GA and we welcome the steps taken hereof by the current President of the GA. In that regard, the support by the Secretariat and in particular its Department of Public Information would be crucial.

• The practice of regular exchanges with the General Committee should also be pursued.

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