Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06USUNNEWYORK1768
2006-09-08 21:10:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USUN New York
Cable title:  

LIECHTENSTEIN REQUEST IN 61ST UNGA GENERAL

Tags:  UNGA XG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0038
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1768 2512110
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 082110Z SEP 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 0234
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0149
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001768 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: UNGA XG
SUBJECT: LIECHTENSTEIN REQUEST IN 61ST UNGA GENERAL
COMMITTEE FOR GRANTING OBSERVER STATUS


UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001768

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: UNGA XG
SUBJECT: LIECHTENSTEIN REQUEST IN 61ST UNGA GENERAL
COMMITTEE FOR GRANTING OBSERVER STATUS



1. Action Request. Para 2.


2. Liechtenstein Mission is circulating a proposal to
inscribe a generic item on the General Assembly agenda under
which all requests for UNGA Observer Status could be
considered . They are proposing that the item be allocated
to the Sixth Committee. The Sixth Committee has in recent
years considered individual items requesting such status and
applies criteria which the Committee developed in the late
nineties to determine eligibility. Action request: The
Liechtenstein proposal makes sense and consistent with our
liberal inscription policy, USUN plans, unless otherwise
instructed, to agree to inscription of the item and its
allocation to the Sixth (Legal) Committee.


3. Begin text. The General Committee of the 61st session has
before it, once again, requests for the inclusion of agenda
items related to the granting of observer status in the
General Assembly (A/61/141 and A/61/191). Agenda items
relating to this issue are allocated to the Sixth Committee,
which then deals with the substance of the matter. In fact,
dealing with the question of observer status has become a
standard activity of the Sixth Committee.

The current practice of including a specific agenda item for
every single organization requesting observer status in the
General Assembly seems unnecessarily burdensome and
bureaucratic. On a number of occasions in the he past, the
General Committee had to schedule a separate meeting for no
other purpose than the inclusion of such a specific agenda
item, which is mainly administrative in mature.

The Liechtenstein delegation notes that many other
delegations have criticized this practice. In the spirit of
revitalization of the General Assembly and its working
methods, it would indeed be simpler if the Sixth Committee
could deal with the merits of such requests directly, without
the need to involve the General Committee in every such
request.

The Liechtenstein delegation therefore intends to propose to
the General Committee upon its first meeting on Tuesday 12
September 2006, to include a generic item on this matter in
the agenda, and to allocate it to the Sixth Committee.

"Requests for granting observer status"

This agenda item would replace the two related items
requested for inclusion in the agenda
(A/61/141 and A/61/191),and make it unnecessary in the
future to bring specific requests for observer status to the
General Committee. Such requests would have to be brought to
the attention of the Sixth Committee directly.

We hope that this simple procedural improvement would not
pose any problems to other members of the General Committee,
and invite them to discuss any questions or concerns
regarding this matter within the next few days. 01/09/06 End
text.
BOLTON