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,

Bearing in mind 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, forty-second, forty-third, forty-fourth and forty-fifth sessions, as well as 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 its session held in 1990,

Expressing its satisfaction at the completion of the work on the draft document on rationalization of existing United Nations procedures, adopted by the General Assembly at its present session,

Mindful of the desirability of further work being done by the Special Committee in the field of the peaceful settlement of disputes between States,

Noting with appreciation the progress achieved in the elaboration of the draft handbook on the peaceful settlement of disputes between States,

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 will hold its next session from 4 to 22 February 1991;

3.         Requests the Special Committee, at its session in 1991, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 4 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 and, in this context:

(i)         To endeavour to complete its consideration of the proposal on fact-finding by the United Nations in the field of the maintenance of international peace and security with a view to submitting its conclusions, in an appropriate form, to the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session;

(ii)        To consider the proposals relating to the maintenance of international peace and security that were submitted to the Special Committee during its session in 1990, as well as those which might be submitted to it at its session in 1991;

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

(i)         To consider proposals relating to this question that might be submitted to the Special Committee;

(ii)        To consider the final text of the draft handbook on the peaceful settlement of disputes between States with a view to recommending its publication to the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session;

4.         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;

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

6.         Requests the Secretary-General to complete the work on the preparation of the 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 submit it, in its final form, to the Special Committee at its session in 1991;

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

8.         Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-sixth 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".