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Group of 77 wants a strengthened role for UN General Assembly

Disagreeing with UN Secretary- General Boutros Boutros- Ghali's suggestion that the UN should merely 'complement' the IMF, World Bank and GATT in economic and development matters, the G77 developing countries argue that the General Assembly's role in international policy-making and decision- taking should in fact be strengthened.

by Chakravarthi Raghavan
GENEVA: The Group of 77 have called for a strengthening of the role of the United Nations General Assembly, as the highest level intergovernmental mechanism In the areas of policy- making and appraisal on matters relating to the economic and social fields.
They have also called for a substantial strengthening of the research and analytical capability of the UN secretariat at the headquarters and of its main arm In this area, the secretariat of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
The G77 views in an Informal working paper 'On enhancing international cooperation for development of the role of the UN System' are in relation to the proposals for restructuring of the UN system.
While supporting some aspects of the restructuring exercise, the G77 have also sharply differed from the ideas of the US and other industrialised countries, as well as of UN Secretary- General Boutros Boutros- Ghali. In a speech to the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in July, Boutros- Ghali had suggested the UN should merely play a 'complementary' role to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank on Money, Finance and Development and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) on Trade.
The paper suggested the G77 should take the initiative In the ongoing debate on the UN reform and restructuring and not fall victim to the strategy of adopting piecemeal Institutional changes, a policy being pursued by the major Northern countries as
part of an overall strategy of their own.
In the working paper, the G77 have set out some of the principles of restructuring and revitalisation of the UN.
All the reforms, they said, should be in conformity with the principles already staled by the UN General Assembly in Its resolution 45/264 and any proposals must be tested against some principles:
Must be situated within the mandate of the UN Charter and in conformity with Ils basic principles, In particular: the universality of the UN; its democratic decision-making through the one-nation-one-vote rule based on the 'sovereign equality of all members' enunciated In Article 2 (1) of the Charter; and the principle of non-intervention in matters within domestic Jurisdiction of any State.
Should be designed to fulfil the agreed objectives to he pursued through the UN, and should not put lopsided emphasis on any particular objective or seek to pursue selected objectives at the cost of others.
Consistent with the democratic character of the UN, should not seek to undermine or discourage contending views, plurality of thinking and diversity of approaches and strategies.
Membership of UN bodies must be based on the principle of equitable geographical representation.
Decision- making must be on the basis of one-nation, one-vote rule.
'Any other process would not be acceptable,' the G77 paper has said.
The areas of UN activities which need particular strengthening, the G77 have said. Include the enhancement of the role of the UN in coordination of global macro-economic policies and promotion of economic growth and development, as well as international social and humanitarian Issues. In particular of developing countries.
This could be achieved through strengthening the role of the General Assembly, further enhancing and strengthening the revitalised ECOSOC. improving the relationship between the UN and the specialised agencies, in particular the relationship between international financial and trade institutions, as well as making more effective the UN's operational activities for development.
Vital to this process.' they said, would be attendant changes in the UN Secretariat.
The G77 said that the UN Charter assigned to the UN the central role in the UN system for global macro-economic policy and strategy formulation. The UN was recognised as the world forum for dia-
logue and decision on global macro-economic problems. This broad mandate is to be found In Articles 1 (3), 1 (4), 13 (Lb), 55, 60 and 62 of the Charter.
The UN as the only universal and democratic Intergovernmental organisation and also by virtue of Its mandate, Is in a particularly advantageous position to undertake such a task.
To achieve these objectives, the 077 have put forward some proposals for institutional reform.
As for governing bodies of the UN Development Funds and Programmes, the G77 have said the composition of these bodies should be on the basis of equitable geographical distribution.
Any proposal for balanced representation between developed and developing countries tn the governing bodies of technical cooperation programmes, they said, is not consistent with the principle of universality. 'Given the proportions of donor and recipient countries to the total membership of the UN, this is clearly inequitable'.
The G77 also called for decentralisation of operational activities of the UN at regional, sub regional and country levels, as also for a substantial real increase In resources available for the UN's operational activities, on an assured and stable basis.' The financing of operational activities must also respect the principle of neutrality of UN funding pro-Cmmea and on the basis of needs and priorities of developing countries.
Chakrauarthl Raghavan is Chief Editor of SUNS (South North Development Monitor). a daily bulletin, and the Geneva representative qf the Third World Network.