For information only - not an official document.
Press Release No: UNIS/GA/1690
Release Date:    12 September 2000
 General Assembly Adopts 179-item Agenda for Fifty-fifth Session

New Items Include Role of United Nations in Promoting
New Global Order, Global Partnerships, Role of Diamonds in Conflict

 NEW YORK, 11 September (UN Headquarters) -- The General Assembly this morning adopted an agenda of 179 items for its fifty-fifth regular session, and decided that the session should recess not later than Tuesday, 5 December.

 Among new items for inclusion in its agenda were “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe”, “Observer status for the Inter-American Development Bank in the General Assembly”, “Observer status for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in the General Assembly”, “Towards global partnerships”, “The role of the United Nations in promoting a new global human order”, “The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict” and “Financing of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea”. 

 The Assembly further decided to defer to its fifty-sixth session the items “Question of the Comorian Island of Mayotte” and “Question of the Malagasy Islands of Glorieuses, Juan de Nova, Europa and Bassas da India”, and decided that those items shall be included in the provisional agenda of that session. The item “World drug problem” was deleted from its provisional agenda.

 Following the recommendations of the General Committee regarding allocation of items to the Assembly’s Main Committees, the Assembly decided to consider the items “The situation in East Timor during its transition to independence”, “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe”, “Towards global partnership”, “The role of the United Nations in promoting a new global human order”, and “The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict” directly in plenary meeting. The items “Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations Committee” and “Financing of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea” were allocated to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary Matters). The items “Observer status for the Inter-American Development Bank in the General Assembly” and “Observer status of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in the General Assembly” were allocated to the Sixth Committee (Legal).

 The item “Question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas)” would be considered directly in plenary meeting, on the understanding that bodies and individuals having an interest in the question would be heard in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization).

 The item “Question of Cyprus” would be allocated at an appropriate time during the session.

 The President of the Assembly, Harri Holkeri (Finland), had to suspend the meeting at the start because of a lack of a quorum. He therefore urged that all delegates be on time henceforth.

 The fifty-fifth regular session will convene again tomorrow, Tuesday 12 September, at 10 a.m. promptly, to begin its General Debate.

Assembly Work Programme

 The fifty-fifth regular session of the General Assembly met this morning to consider organization of its work, adoption of the agenda and allocation of items.

 The Assembly had before it the first report of the General Committee (document A/55/250) which recommends 179 items for inclusion in the agenda of the Assembly's regular session.

 The Committee also recommends that the fifty-fifth session recess not later than Tuesday, 5 December 2000. With regard to the closing date of the fifty-fifth session, the General Committee draws the General Assembly's attention to the fact that the closing date will be subject to a decision of the Assembly.

Adopted Agenda  

1.  Opening of the session by the Chairman of the delegation of Namibia.
2. Minute of silent prayer or meditation.
3. Credentials of representatives to the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly:
 (a) Appointment of members of the Credentials Committee;
 (b) Report of the Credentials Committee.
4. Election of the President of the General Assembly.
5. Election of the officers of the Main Committees.
6. Election of the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly.
7. Notification by the Secretary-General under Article 12, paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations.
8. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work: reports of the General Committee.
9. General debate.
10. Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization.
11. Report of the Security Council.
12. Report of the Economic and Social Council.
13. Report of the International Court of Justice.
14. Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
15. Elections to fill vacancies in principal organs:
 (a) Election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council;
 (b) Election of 18 members of the Economic and Social Council.
16. Elections to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other elections:
 (a) Election of seven members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination;
 (b) Election of 17 members of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law;
 (c) Election of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
17. Appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments:
 (a) Appointment of members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;
 (b) Appointment of members of the Committee on Contributions;
 (c) Appointment of a member of the Board of Auditors;
 (d) Confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee;
 (e) Appointment of members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal;
 (f) Appointment of members and alternate members of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee;
 (g) Appointment of members of the International Civil Service Commission;
 (h) Appointment of members of the Committee on Conferences;
 (i) Appointment of members of the Consultative Committee on the United Nations Development Fund for Women;
 (j) Approval of the appointment of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
18. Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
19. Admission of new Members to the United Nations.
20. Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance:
 (a) Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations;
 (b) Special economic assistance to individual countries or regions;
 (c) Assistance to the Palestinian people;
 (d) Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan.
21. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of American States.
22. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee.
23. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Caribbean Community.
24. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
25. Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States.
26. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
27. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity.
28. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Cooperation Organization.
29. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
30. Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, including measures and recommendations agreed upon at its mid-term review.
31. Elimination of coercive economic measures as a means of political and economic compulsion.
32. United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations.
33. Culture of peace.
34. Oceans and the law of the sea:
 (a) Consideration of elements relating to oceans and seas, including improvement of coordination and cooperation;
 (b) Large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing, unauthorized fishing in zones of national jurisdiction and on the high seas, fisheries by-catch and discards and other developments.
35. Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.
36. Bethlehem 2000.
37. Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the special session of the General Assembly in this regard.
38. Zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic.
39. Support by the United Nations system of the efforts of governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies.
40. The situation in the Middle East.
41. Question of Palestine.
42. Special session of the General Assembly in 2001 for follow-up to the World Summit for Children.
43. The situation in Central America: procedures for the establishment of a firm and lasting peace and progress in fashioning a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development.
44. Global implications of the year 2000 date conversion problem of computers.
45. The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
46. The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security.
47. Assistance in mine action.
48. The situation of democracy and human rights in Haiti.
49. The situation in East Timor during its transition to independence.
50. Causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa.
51. Question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).
52. Report of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991.
53. Report of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994.
54. Declaration of the Assembly of heads of State and government of the Organization of African Unity on the aerial and naval military attack against the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya by the present United States Administration in April 1986.
55. Armed Israeli aggression against the Iraqi nuclear installations and its grave consequences for the established international system concerning the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and international peace and security.
56. Consequences of the Iraqi occupation of and aggression against Kuwait.
57. Implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations.
58. Launching of global negotiations on international economic cooperation for development.
59. Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters.
60. United Nations reform: measures and proposals:
 (a) United Nations reform: measures and proposals;
 (b) The Millennium Assembly of the United Nations.
61. Strengthening of the United Nations system.
62. Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly.
63. Restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields.
64. Question of Cyprus.
65. Reduction of military budgets.
66. Development of good-neighbourly relations among Balkan States.
67. Maintenance of international security:
 (a) Prevention of the violent disintegration of States;
 (b) Stability and development of South-Eastern Europe.
68. Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security.
69. Role of science and technology in the context of international security and disarmament.
70. Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East.
71. Conclusion of effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
72. Prevention of an arms race in outer space.
73. General and complete disarmament:
 (a) Notification of nuclear tests;
 (b) Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia;
 (c) Mongolia’s international security and nuclear-weapon-free status;
 (d) Measures to uphold the authority of the 1925 Geneva Protocol;
 (e) Preservation of and compliance with the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems;
 (f) Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction;
 (g) Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction;
 (h) Missiles;
 (i) Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: the need for a new agenda;
 (j) Consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures;
 (k) Transparency in armaments;
 (l) Assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in small arms and collecting them;
 (m) Reducing nuclear danger;
 (n) Nuclear-weapon-free southern hemisphere and adjacent areas;
 (o) Conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels;
 (p) Regional disarmament;
 (q) Nuclear disarmament;
 (r) Follow-up to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons;
 (s) Illicit traffic in small arms;
 (t) Observance of environmental norms in the drafting and implementation of agreements on disarmament and arms control;
 (u) Relationship between disarmament and development;
 (v) Convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament;
 (w) Small arms.
74. Review and implementation of the Concluding Document of the Twelfth Special Session of the General Assembly:
 (a) Regional confidence-building measures: activities of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa;
 (b) United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa;
 (c) United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific;
 (d) Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons;
 (e) United Nations regional centres for peace and disarmament;
 (f) United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean;
 (g) United Nations Disarmament Information Programme;
 (h) United Nations disarmament fellowship, training and advisory services.
75. Review of the implementation of the recommendations and decisions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth special session:
 (a) Report of the Disarmament Commission;
 (b) Report of the Conference on Disarmament;
 (c) Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters;
 (d) United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research;
 (e) Disarmament Week.
76. The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
77. Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects.
78. Strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region.
79. Consolidation of the regime established by the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco).
80. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction.
81. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
82. Effects of atomic radiation.
83. International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
84. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
85. Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories.
86. Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.
87. Questions relating to information.
88. Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73e of the Charter of the United Nations.
89. Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories.
90. 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.
91. Offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
92. Macroeconomic policy questions:
 (a) Trade and development;
 (b) Commodities;
 (c) External debt crisis and development;
 (d) Science and technology for development;
 (e) Financing of development, including net transfer of resources between developing and developed countries.
93. Sectoral policy questions:
 (a) Industrial development cooperation;
 (b) Business and development.
94. Sustainable development and international economic cooperation:
 (a) Implementation of the commitments and policies agreed upon in the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation, in particular the Revitalization of Economic Growth and Development of the Developing Countries and implementation of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade;
 (b) Integration of the economies in transition into the world economy;
 (c) Cultural development;
 (d) High-level dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership;
 (e) Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II).
95. Environment and sustainable development:
 (a) Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21;
 (b) Convention on Biological Diversity;
 (c) Water supply and sanitation;
 (d) Further implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States;
 (e) Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa;
 (f) Promotion of new and renewable sources of energy, including the implementation of the World Solar Programme 1996-2005;
 (g) Protection of global climate for present and future generations of mankind.
96. Operational activities for development.
97. Training and research.
98. Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.
99. Implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006).
100. Globalization and interdependence.
101. High-level international intergovernmental consideration of financing for development.
102. Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries.
103. Social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family.
104. Follow-up to the International Year of Older Persons.
105. Crime prevention and criminal justice.
106. International drug control.
107. Advancement of women.
108. Implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women and of the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”.
109. Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions.
110. Promotion and protection of the rights of children.
111. Programme of activities of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.
112. Elimination of racism and racial discrimination.
113. Right of peoples to self-determination.
114. Human rights questions:
 (a) Implementation of human rights instruments;
 (b) Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
 (c) Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives;
 (d) Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;
 (e) Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
115. Financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors:
 (a) United Nations;
 (b) United Nations Development Programme;
 (c) United Nations Children’s Fund;
 (d) United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East;
 (e) United Nations Institute for Training and Research;
 (f) Voluntary funds administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;
 (g) Fund of the United Nations Environment Programme;
 (h) United Nations Population Fund;
 (i) United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation;
 (j) Fund of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme;
 (k) United Nations Office for Project Services.
116. Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations.
117. Programme budget for the biennium 2000-2001.
118. Programme planning.
119. Improving the financial situation of the United Nations.
120. Administrative and budgetary coordination of the United Nations with the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
121. Pattern of conferences.
122. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations.
123. Human resources management.
124. United Nations common system.
125. United Nations pension system 
126. Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services.
127. Financing of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991.
128. Financing of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994.
129. Financing of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission and the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola.
130. Financing of the activities arising from Security Council resolution 687(1991):
 (a) United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission;
 (b) Other activities.
131. Financing of the United Nations Mission in East Timor.
132. Financing of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone.
133. Financing of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.
134. Financing of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor.
135. Financing of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.
136. Financing of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan.
137. Financing of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force.
138. Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Middle East:
 (a) United Nations Disengagement Observer Force;
 (b) United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
139. Financing and liquidation of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia.
140. Financing of the United Nations Protection Force, the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia, the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force and the United Nations Peace Forces headquarters.
141. Financing of the United Nations Operation in Somalia II.
142. Financing of the United Nations Operation in Mozambique.
143. Financing of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.
144. Financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia.
145. Financing of the United Nations Mission in Haiti.
146. Financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia.
147. Financing of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda.
148. Financing of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
149. Financing of the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium and the Civilian Police Support Group.
150. Financing of the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti, the United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti and the United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti.
151. Financing of the Military Observer Group of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala.
152. Financing of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic.
153. Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations:
 (a) Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations;
 (b) Relocation of South Africa to the group of Member States set out in paragraph 3(c) of General Assembly resolution 43/232.
154. Progressive development of the principles and norms of international law relating to the new international economic order.
155. Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts.
156. Consideration of effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and representatives.
157. Convention on jurisdictional immunities of States and their property.
158. Report of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law on the work of its thirty-third session.
159. Report of the International Law Commission on the work of its fifty-second session.
160. Nationality of natural persons in relation to the succession of States.
161. Report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country.
162. Establishment of the International Criminal Court.
163. Report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization.
164. Measures to eliminate international terrorism.
165. Review of the Statute of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal.
166. Election of judges of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991.
167. Financing of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
168. Programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999.
169. Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peacekeeping operations.
170. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe.
171. Observer status for the Inter-American Development Bank in the General Assembly.
172. Observer status for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in the General Assembly.
173. Towards global partnerships. 
174. The role of the United Nations in promoting a new global human order.
175. The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict.
176. Financing of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
177. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (decision 54/501 of 5 September 2000).
178. Armed aggression against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (decision 54/502 of 5 September 2000).
179. Review of the problem of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in all its aspects (resolution 54/283 of 5 September 2000).

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