Sixth Committee, 17th plenary meeting - General Assembly, 80th session
Observer status for the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development in the General Assembly - A/80/141
Introduction of draft resolution A/C.6/80/L.3
Observer status for the Islamic Organization for Food Security in the General Assembly - A/80/142
Introduction of draft resolution A/C.6/80/L.6
Observer status for the African Export-Import Bank in the General Assembly - A/80/143
Introduction of draft resolution A/C.6/80/L.7
Observer status for the International Tropical Timber Organization in the General Assembly - A/80/191
Introduction of draft resolution A/C.6/80/L.4
Observer status for the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials in the General Assembly - A/80/192
Introduction of draft resolution A/C.6/80/L.2
Observer status for the Climate Vulnerable Forum in the General Assembly - A/80/193
Introduction of draft resolution A/C.6/80/L.5
Strengthening and promoting the international treaty framework - A/80/132
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Exercising the right of reply, we wish to emphasize that we treat the position expressed with full respect and take note of the considerations that underlie it. At the same time, we would like to draw the attention to the following. The criteria for granting observer status are set out in General Assembly Decision 49 four hundred twenty six of ninth december nineteen ninety four. As I mentioned during the introduction of the draft resolution, the Islamic Organization for Food Security fully meets this criteria. At present, no other criteria for observer status are envisaged in UN documents. Therefore, the FS request is legally sound and consistent with existing practice. We proceed from the understanding that the Sixth Committee, in considering such requests, should rely on legal grounds rather than political considerations. In this regard, we believe that the arguments put forward by some colleagues are legally unsubstantiated. Moreover, I would like to kindly draw attention to Chapter eight of the Charter of the United Nations, the founding document of this organization, which encourages the use of regional arrangements and agencies for the maintenance of international peace and security. The IFS is a regional organization focused on such an essential aspect of security as food security. This is clearly reflected in its very name. Therefore, the decision to grant observer status to the IFS logically and legally derives from the relevant provisions of the UN Charter. In addition, granting observer status to the IFS would resonate with the main policy trends, which emphasize the need to for the United Nations. To return to its founding principles and to focus on maintaining international peace and security. In this context, I wish to emphasize that the IFS pursues the noble humanitarian mission of eradicating hunger and promoting well-being in the least developed and most vulnerable countries of the world. Hunger and food shortages can, in fact, become triggers, undermining peace and security in fragile regions. Taking into account all these considerations, we call upon all delegations to support the draft resolution and to grant observer status in the General Assembly to the Islamic Organization for Food Security. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah.
Round 2
🇧🇷 BrazilFirst replyin response to United States
Thank you, Chair. You may be assured that I'll take much less than ten minutes in my right of reply. Mr. Chair, colleagues, I take due note of the concerns expressed by the distinguished delegate of the United States. Brazil stands ready to engage in consultations to discuss and clarify any doubts on the current draft resolution. The International Tropical Timber Organization fulfills all the criteria to be granted observer status in the General Assembly. As I said, it's an intergovernmental organization whose work can contribute to the deliberations of the UN, especially in the field of sustainable development. This is why an interregional group of 15 countries, both developed and developing, have requested to the Secretary General the inclusion of this item on the agenda of the Sixth Committee. The draft resolution submitted counts already on 19 co sponsors. Furthermore, the present request for observer status was submitted in accordance with Decision 560 adopted by the International Tropical Timber Council, to which the United States is a member, on 6 December 2024. This decision was adopted by consensus. Finally, the granting of observers status should not be decided on the number of entities with such status, but on the merits of each request as per the relevant GA decision. As I said, I trust that any potential concern may be addressed through constructive consultations in the coming weeks. I thank you.
Round 3
🇧🇷 BrazilFirst replyin response to United States
Gracias, señor presidente. Thank you, Chair. We take note of the intervention by the Distinguished Delegate of the United States. We fully concur, Chair, that the request for observer status should meet the criteria established in Decision 4946, particularly with regard to the intergovernmental nature of the organisation aspiring to this status. However, we think that it is It would be helpful to um make a general statement about the rejection of observer status for all of the organizations. I would like to insist on why we should continue to consider the resolution on ABAC. In this legal committee, we are all aware of the importance of justice in this specific in a specific case. We have a responsibility to examine these requests case by case on the basis of their own merits. ABAC is without doubt, as I previously stated, an intergovernmental organization that encompasses topics of great interest for the General Assembly. And as is shown exhaustively in resolu in the relevant document, I reiterate that ABAC already has observer status before the International Atomic Energy Agency, playing a constructive role in debates on nuclear non-proliferation. The work carried out by the agency over the last 30 years was recognized through resolution 7652 of the first committee of the General Assembly that was adopted by consensus. This broad recognition that included the United States should provide a sufficient proof of the value of this agency for the General Assembly. In a spirit of a constructive and transparent approach, we would be ready to undertake consultations to clarify any doubts that delegations might have on the draft resolution under consideration. We are sure that with dialogue it will be possible to resolve this matter and to ensure that ABAC can uh benefit from uh participation as observer in the General Assembly. Thank you very much.
Round 4
🇧🇧 BarbadosFirst replyin response to United States, Brazil, Kazakhstan
Thank you, Chairman, for giving me the opportunity to exercise the right of reply. Barbados takes careful note of the concerns expressed by the distinguished representative of the United States. I just wish to take this opportunity to underline two points also highlighted in previous interventions, most notably by the distinguished representatives of Brazil and Kazakhstan. First, Chair, this committee's responsibility lies in making legal assessments of the conformity of requests for observer status. These requests must satisfy two main conditions. The requesting organization must be intergovernmental in character, and its work must be in keeping with the goals and objectives of the United Nations. It is our view that the request for observer status of the CVF V 20 meets these criteria in totality. Secondly, the CVF V20 is composed of a vast cross regional group of countries, large and small, least developed, landlocked, developing, and small island developing states. There, 1.8 billion people expect the United Nations, expect us to do everything in our power to support them as they face the climate crisis they did little to create. We therefore look forward to continuing constructive consultations with all interested delegations so that this committee can, in due course, under your leadership, adopt this resolution in accordance with its finest traditions of rigor and inclusivity. Thank you, Chair.
Verbatim from the transcript. A reply is identified from its own words, the Chair's grant, or its place in the right-of-reply sequence; delegations and addressees follow the transcript's attribution.
Speaking timeChair (14.7%) · Brazil (10.4%) · Nepal (6.8%) + 25 more