Report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 3499 (XXX) of 15 December 1975, by which it established the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization, and its relevant resolutions adopted at subsequent sessions,

Taking note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization submitted to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first and forty-second sessions, as well as of the views and comments expressed on them by Member States,

Having considered the report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization on the work of the session it held in 1987,

Expressing its appreciation for the progress achieved by the Special Committee during its 1987 session on the question of the prevention and removal of threats to peace and of situations that may lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute,

Noting with satisfaction that tangible progress has been achieved in the Special Committee on the proposal concerning the resort to a commission of good offices, mediation or conciliation within the United Nations,

Mindful of the efforts made in the elaboration of a draft handbook on the peaceful settlement of disputes between States,

Recognizing the importance that pre-session consultations among the members of the Special Committee and other interested States may have in facilitating the smooth conduct of the work of the Special Committee towards the fulfilment of its task, especially as regards the composition of the Bureau and the organization of work,

1.         Takes note of the report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization;

2.         Decides that the Special Committee shall hold its next session from 22 February to 11 March 1988;

3.         Requests the Special Committee at its session in 1988, taking into account the provisions of paragraph 5 below:

(a)        To accord priority to the question of the maintenance of international peace and security in all its aspects in order to strengthen the role of the United Nations, in particular the Security Council, and, in this context:

(i)         To complete an appropriate draft document on the prevention and removal of threats to peace and of situations that may lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute, on the basis of the provisionally adopted paragraphs as well as other proposals set forth in paragraphs 37, 46 and 102 of the report of the Special Committee on its work at the 1987 session;

(ii)        To submit the draft document to the General Assembly at its forty-third session;

(b)        To continue its work on the question of the peaceful settlement of disputes between States, and, in this context:

(i)         To continue consideration of the working paper on the resort to a commission of good offices, mediation or conciliation within the United Nations, with a view to completing it and submitting conclusions thereon to the General Assembly at the earliest possible date;

(ii)        To examine the report of the Secretary-General on the elaboration of a draft handbook on the peaceful settlement of disputes between States;

4.         Requests the Special Committee to keep the question of the rationalization of the procedures of the United Nations under active review;

5.         Also requests the Special Committee to be mindful of the importance of reaching general agreement whenever that has significance for the outcome of its work;

6.         Decides that the Special Committee shall accept the participation of observers of Member States, including in the meetings of its working groups;

7.         Requests the Secretary-General to render all assistance to the Special Committee;

8.         Requests the Secretary-General to continue, on a priority basis, the preparation of a draft handbook on the peaceful settlement of disputes between States, on the basis of the outline elaborated by the Special Committee and in the light of the views expressed in the course of the discussions in the Sixth Committee and in the Special Committee, and to report to the Special Committee at its session in 1988 on the progress of work, before submitting to it the draft handbook in its final form, with a view to its approval at a later stage;

9.         Requests the Special Committee to submit a report on its work to the General Assembly at its forty-third session;

10.       Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-third session the item entitled "Report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization".