ICAPP Update (15-53)

Dear Distinguished Members of the ICAPP Standing Committee,

The draft resolution to invite the ICAPP as an observer to the U.N. General Assembly was considered at the Sixth Committee meeting of the 70th session of the UNGA in the afternoon of October 19, 2015. The resolution was co-sponsored by ten Member States, i.e. Australia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Nepal, Netherlands, Philippines and Sri Lanka.

At the meeting, the Permanent Representative of Cambodia to the U.N. introduced the resolution, and the representatives of six other co-sponsors, i.e. Republic of Korea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Japan and Netherlands, made presentations supporting the resolution.

However, representatives from two Member States from Latin America, i.e. Argentina and Venezuela, expressed their reservations on the ground that the ICAPP does not meet one of the two criteria set by the UNGA Decision 49-426 of December 9,1994, which is that granting observer status in the UNGA should be confined to States or Inter-governmental Organizations.

In the absence of consensus, the Chairman of the Sixth Committee concluded the deliberations by inviting Member States to continue their consultation on the item and to revert to it at a later stage.

More detailed report on the result of the ICAPP Mission to the UNGA will be provided in due course.

With warm regards,

Chung Eui-yong

Co-Chairman of the Standing Committee

and Secretary General of the ICAPP

October 19, 2015 from New York