Statement to the Third Committee by Ragnar Þorvarðarson, First Secretary
General Assembly 74th session, Third Committee, 7 November 2019
Enlargement of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Thank you, Mr. Chair,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of Burkina Faso, Mali, Malta and my own country Iceland.
With the number of displaced persons on the rise, in our own countries as well as globally, we see the importance of increased participation in the work of the programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We commend the UNHCR for its efforts in responding to humanitarian needs in complex and protracted situations worldwide.
We put this resolution forward today, taking note of the decision made by the Economic and Social Council from 23 July and 15 October of this year, concerning the enlargement of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
With this procedural resolution, the United Nations General Assembly decides to formally enlarge the Executive Committee from 102 states to 106 states, in accordance with the interest of our four countries, Burkina Faso, Iceland, Mali and Malta, to join as full members of the Executive Committee.
Following that, the before mentioned countries request the Economic and Social Council to elect the additional members at a meeting of its management segment in 2020.
To conclude, I would like to highlight that as firm believers in multilateral approach to international affairs, we consider membership of the Executive Committee to be the appropriate track to follow. We look forward to a continued constructive partnership with the UNHCR as full members of the Executive Committee.
Thank you.