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Madam President
It is my privilege to speak today on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand in this debate on Item 110, Revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly.
CANZ believes that this item should not be viewed in isolation, but rather as part of the overarching project of UN reform. As the Secretary-General elect, Ban Ki-moon, has commented, the true measure of success for the United Nations is not how much we promise, but how much we deliver for those who need us most. CANZ considers this statement to be applicable right across the UN agenda, including reform in the area of General Assembly revitalisation.
In aiming for deliverables we do recognise that revitalisation, a subject we discuss every year, both here in the Assembly and in the ad hoc working group, is much more a process than a specific outcome. But equipped with the resolution before us, and those we have passed previously, we are in a good position to move the process forward.
As an aid to delivery CANZ welcomes the request that the Secretary-General submit a status report to the General Assembly during its sixty-first session on the implementation of all resolutions regarding the revitalisation of its work. This report may add to the background note already prepared by the Secretariat in response to a request from the ad hoc working group for information on the state of implementation of previous resolutions on revitalisation.
CANZ was encouraged by the Secretariat’s note, which revealed that many past recommendations for revitalisation have been implemented while others remain under active consideration. Periodic meetings between the Presidents of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the ECOSOC, and the holding of topical thematic debates during the Assembly’s main session, for example, are both initiatives that are revitalising this body’s fulfilment of its Charter role. CANZ also welcomed the enhanced transparency and timeliness of the 2006 process for selecting the new Secretary-General, and supported the cooperative efforts of the General Assembly and the Security Council in determining their respective roles in the improved process.
We were disappointed however, by the many recommendations that have yet to be taken up or implemented consistently.
Madam President, we have many times noted the advantages that might accompany a shorter Assembly agenda, including the opportunity for full discussion of all issues so that decisions might have the greatest possible relevance and impact. Yet the current session of the Assembly has an agenda of over 150 items, seriously limiting the ability of even the largest delegations to commit adequate resources and attention to each issue. For smaller delegations it demands a ruthless prioritisation of items that risks marginalising their engagement across the UN. We must make progress on reviewing the mandates of the General Assembly, with a view to eliminating some items and consolidating others, in order to ensure that the membership is fully seized with, and able to fully engage in the many important issues before us.
So too have we agreed that resolutions should be shorter, sharper and directed for action, with preambular paragraphs normally kept to a minimum. Yet too often we settle for merely updating resolutions with technical changes that have no resonance or impact.
Our record on recommending actions to revitalise the General Assembly is strong. What needs work is our record on implementing them.
Like many others, CANZ is committed to improving our engagement in the resolution process and our implementation of previously agreed recommendations. This commitment is ongoing and acknowledges that achieving lasting change is in the hands of Member States.
Madam President, CANZ continues to see a need for Member States and the Secretariat to better monitor the follow-up of General Assembly resolutions. This reflects the recognition during the mandate review process that members need improved information and structured processes in order to become better custodians of their resolutions. We are all responsible for this revitalisation resolution, and we all have an interest in implementing its recommendations.
Revitalising the General Assembly will have a system-wide impact. As the UN’s most representative body, the Assembly is mandated to discuss all matters within the scope of the UN Charter. It makes important decisions on issues ranging from disarmament, human rights and international law to development and specific economic, political and humanitarian situations. It is also responsible for many of the decisions authorising and implementing UN reform. With a streamlined agenda focused on Members’ core priorities, a practice of passing concise, focused and action-oriented resolutions, and a balanced working relationship with other parts of the UN system, a revitalised General Assembly can better fulfil both its Charter obligations and its Members’ expectations.
In common with the rest of the UN reform process, General Assembly revitalisation needs to deliver results to be credible. The resolution before us today invites the President of the General Assembly to resume the ad hoc working group. CANZ is willing to fully engage in this group next year, but we hope it will be more productive in focusing on practical, realistic and deliverable steps to revitalise our Assembly. Thank you Madam President.
