Pakistan wants greater role for UNGA

UNITED NATIONS—Voicing concern over the steady erosion of the UN General Assembly’s role, Pakistan has called for steps to breathe new life into the 192-member body so that it can effectively deal with world problems.
“The General Assembly is the chief deliberative, policy-making and representative UN organ and must be enabled to play its central role effectively,” Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative Farukh Amil told the assembly, which is debating measures to revitalise it.
Amil said revitalisation of the General Assembly was a political ‘not procedural’ issue, and he called for achieving consensus in areas where divisions persisted. The United Nations was seemingly failing to play a lead role in world affairs, due in part to the lack of an agreed vision among member states, he said. At the crux of revitalisation was strengthening the assembly’s authority, prerequisites for which included: full respect for the assembly’s role; an end to the Security Council’s encroachment on issues within the Assembly’s purview; a renewed commitment to implement decisions on a non-selective basis; and provision of adequate financial resources to implement all mandated activities.
Among ideas to be considered, the Pakistan representative said the General Assembly should be accorded a greater review and residuary role in peace and security by reinvigorating the “Uniting for Peace” procedure, which was adopted by the Security Council so that the UN can act even if the 15-member body is stalemated by vetoes. He also called for addressing “ignored” issues relating to complex crises.
A monitoring and implementation mechanism could be established for the General Assembly to advise on the implementation of various decisions adopted, Amil said. Further, Pakistan would welcome regular briefings by the Secretary-General to the Assembly, noting also that the Assembly should exercise closer examination of Security Council decisions.
Finally, he said the Assembly’s role in financial management over all United Nations decisions and expenditures should be bolstered. A key reason the Assembly’s credibility had been eroded was non-implementation of its resolutions.
The Pakistan representative urged member states to explore the idea of establishing monitoring mechanisms. He supported efforts to strengthen the Assembly
President’s Office, and recommend d that the Secretary-General brief the President bimonthly. The President also should be authorised to request special briefings on any issue from the Presidents of the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Secretary-General.—Agencies