Page:General Assembly GA 11437.pdf/3

 :Additional statements in right of reply were made by the representatives of Argentina and the United Kingdom.


 * Background


 * The General Assembly met today to consider a range of draft texts.


 * Action on Drafts


 * The representative of Turkmenistan, introducing a draft resolution on reliable and stable transit of energy and its role in ensuring sustainable development and international cooperation (document A/67/L.65), said that access to energy was central to job creation, security, climate change mitigation, food production, poverty eradication and improved living standards. Turkmenistan, a leading supplier of energy and home to the world’s fourth largest hydrocarbon reserves, believed there was a need for consensus decisions to serve as a basis for global cooperation to ensure the reliable and stable transit of energy. Indeed, unpredictable, erratic energy prices were the main culprit for instability in the global energy supply chain.


 * Since 2008, said the delegate, energy experts had set forth proposals at various energy forums to strengthen global cooperation in that field and to balance the interests of producers, transit countries and consumers. To follow up the High-Level Conference on Reliable and Stable Transit of Energy, held in Ashgabat in 2009, the Turkmen Government had proposed hosting and financing a meeting of experts in the Turkmen capital in the first half of 2014 on the issues. He was confident that the meeting would promote a common approach to ensure a reliable and stable global energy supply.


 * Adoption of the present resolution would undoubtedly be an important step towards that goal, and thus, help to eliminate an acute obstacle to sustainable development.


 * The Assembly then adopted that text without a vote.


 * Next, the Assembly adopted, also without a vote, a draft decision on the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (document A/67/L.66). Under its terms, the Assembly decided to host the Conference in Samoa’s capital, Apia, from 1 to 4 September 2014, to be preceded by activities related to the Conference from 28 to 30 August 2014, also in Apia.


 * Next, the representative of Djibouti and Chairman of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) introduced the draft resolution on Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (document A/67/L.29). He noted that it had been tabled in early December 2012, but later withdrawn upon the request of a Group that sought further discussion.


 * He said that the draft’s operative paragraphs underscored the shared common goals of the United Nations and OIC in promoting and facilitating the Middle East peace process, leading to establishment of a just, comprehensive peace in the region. Among its other provisions, it welcomed cooperation between the two organizations to combat intolerance and stigmatization of persons based on their religion or belief; recognized the strong need for global awareness about religious intolerance; condemned any advocacy or religious hatred that constituted incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence; and welcomed cooperation towards addressing those issues urgently. He called on all delegates to adopt it.


 * The Assembly then adopted that text without a vote.


 * The delegate of Solomon Islands, introducing a draft resolution on Self-determination of French Polynesia (document A/67/L.56/Rev.1), said that, historically, French Polynesia was inscribed by the administering Power on the original United Nations list, which, in line with obligations under the Charter’s Chapter XI, required the administering