Sixth Committee (Legal) — 66th session
Observer Status for the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States in the General Assembly (Agenda item 167)
Summary of work
Background
The item was included in the agenda at the request of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey
Consideration at the sixty-sixth session
The Sixth Committee considered the item at its 4th, 16th and 29th meeting, on 4 and 18 October and on 9 November 2011 (see A/C.6/66/SR.4, 6 and 29).
Statements were made by the representatives of Turkey, Canada, Guatemala, Argentina, Armenia, Cyprus, the Russian Federation, Cuba and France. The Chair and the Secretary of the Committee also spoke.
Some delegations stressed the need for the proper and consistent application of the criteria for the granting of observer status in the General Assembly, pointing out that the delegations presenting the requests for the granting of observer status in the Assembly should prove the intergovernmental nature of relevant organizations. A view was expressed in favour of allocating more time for a detailed examination by the Sixth Committee of such requests. A view was also expressed in favour of requiring submitting the constitutional instruments of relevant organizations for the Committee’s consideration.
Action taken by the Sixth Committee
At the 4th meeting, on 4 October, the representative of Turkey, on behalf of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey, introduced a draft resolution entitled “Observer status for the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States in the General Assembly” (A/C.6/66/L.2). Under this draft resolution, the General Assembly would decide to invite the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States to participate in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly in the capacity of observer; and request the Secretary-General to take the necessary action to implement the resolution.
At the 29th meeting, on 9 November 2011, the representative of Turkey, on behalf of the sponsors of the draft resolution, proposed that the Committee, in order to allow more time for building consensus on this item, defer a decision on the request for observer status for the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States in the General Assembly to the sixty-seventh session of the Assembly.
The Secretary of the Committee, at the request of some delegations, provided procedural clarifications regarding the above-mentioned recommendation proposed by Turkey.
At the 29th meeting, on 9 November 2011, the Sixth Committee adopted, without a vote, a draft decision under which the General Assembly would decide to defer a decision on the request for observer status for the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States in the General Assembly to the sixty-seventh session of the Assembly.
Subsequent action taken by the General Assembly
- Report of the Sixth Committee: A/66/483
- GA decision: 66/527 [for the text of the decision, see the Sixth Committee's report to the General Assembly]
This agenda item was subsequently considered at the sixty-seventh session (2012).
