Pattern of conferences

XII. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE
1202. Pattern of conferences

The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 694 (VII) of 20 December 1952, Recognizing the need to establish further clear procedures for the planning and financing of meetings and conferences of the United Nations in order that the most rational and economical use may be made of the resources of the Organization,

1. Decides that a fixed pattern of conferences to govern the places and dates of the meetings of United Nations bodies shall come into force on 1 January 1958 for a period of five years;

2. Decides further that, as a general principle, meetings of United Nations bodies shall be held at the established headquarters of the bodies concerned, with the following exceptions:

(a) The regular summer session of the Economic and Social Council may be held each year at Geneva, during which period no other United Nations body shall meet there;

(b) Not more than one functional commission of the Economic and Social Council, to be determined by that Council, in addition to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, may meet annually in Geneva; a session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs may, in exceptional circumstances, and by decision of the Economic and Social Council in consultation with the Secretary-General, be held in New York; in such years one other functional commission may meet in Geneva in its place without overlap;

(c) The regular sessions of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East and of the Economic Commission for Latin America as well as meetings of their subsidiary bodies may be held away from their headquarters when the commission concerned so decides, subject, in the case of regular sessions of the commissions, to the approval of the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly;

(d) The annual session of the International Law Commission would be held in Geneva without overlapping with the summer session of the Economic and Social Council;

(e) Meetings may be held away from the established headquarters of any body in other cases where a Government issuing an invitation for a meeting to be held within its territory has agreed to defray, after consultation with the Secretary-General as to their nature and possible extent, the additional costs involved;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly every year a basic programme of conferences for the following year established in conformity with the present pattern and after consultation, as appropriate, with the organs concerned;

4. Decides that as a general rule any meeting, other than an emergency meeting, not covered by the basic programme for a given year shall not be held during that year; the General Assembly nevertheless authorizes the Secretary-General, within a financial limit to be set annually in the resolution relating to unforeseen and extraordinary expenses, to decide when and where any body or ad hoc conference not covered by the basic annual programme shall meet; in the event that the decision of the Secretary-General is not accepted, the final decision in the matter shall be taken by the Assembly at its next regular session;

5. Invites all organs of the United Nations as well as the specialized agencies to review their working methods and the frequency and length of sessions in the light of the present resolution and of the growing volume of meetings, the resulting strain on available resources, and the difficulty of effective participation of members.

729th plenary meeting,
13 December 1957.