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## ITEM 4 OF THE AGENDA: DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS IN THE COMMITTEE PER ELECTORAL GROUP Document: ITH/18/7.GA/4 Resolution: 7.GA 4

- 40. The Chairperson then turned to agenda item 4, the distribution of seats in the Committee per electoral group, which needed to be determined before consideration of item 14 on the agenda relating to the election of the members of the Intergovernmental Committee.
- 41. The Secretary remarked that Document 4 was the result of the application of three rules. First of all, Article 6.1 of the Convention, which provides that, '[t] he election of States Members of the Committee shall obey the principles of equitable geographical representation and rotation. ' Secondly, Rule 13.2 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly, which provides that seats shall be distributed at each session, ' in proportion to the number of States Parties from each Group provided that after such distribution at least three seats have been attributed to each Group. ' Finally, Resolution 3.GA 12 of the General Assembly, which states that, ' the principle of proportionality in Rule 13.2 of its Rules of Procedure shall be […] rigorously applied to future elections strictly on the basis of mathematical calculations. ' Thus, paragraph 4 established the distribution of seats on the basis of these mathematical calculations and on the 177 States Parties to the Convention at the time of the election. The Secretary explained that a minimum number of three seats was first attributed to Electoral Groups I and V(b). The eighteen remaining seats were then apportioned to the four remaining groups, beginning with the group with the highest decimal fraction, i.e. Group V(a), to which six seats were distributed. Group IV therefore had five seats, Group III had four seats, and Group II had three seats. The Secretary reminded the Assembly that the principle of mathematical calculation was based on a resolution of the General Assembly, whereas the principle of equitable geographic representation and rotation pertained to an Article of the Convention.
- 42. The Chairperson thanked the Secretary for the comprehensive explanation on the proposed distribution, noting that the distribution of seats per electoral group had not changed since the two previous sessions of the General Assembly despite the increase in the number of States Parties to the Convention. With no comments or objections, the Chairperson declared Resolution 7.GA 4 adopted .

## ITEM 5 OF THE AGENDA: REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY Document: ITH/18/7.GA/5 Resolution: 7.GA 5

- 43. The Chairperson then turned to the first of the four reports on the agenda under agenda item 5 and the Report of the Committee to the General Assembly. The Chairperson of the twelfth session of the Committee, Mr Byong-hyun Lee, would present the report. The Chairperson of the eleventh session of the Committee, Mr Yonas Desta Tsegaye, unfortunately could not attend due to prior commitments. Thus, Mr Byong-hyun Lee would present the achievements of both the eleventh and twelfth sessions. The Chairperson took the opportunity to thank the Chairpersons for their wise leadership. She particularly thanked Mr Byong-hyun Lee for his participation despite his very busy agenda as Chairman of the Executive Board.
- 44. Mr Byong-hyun Lee conveyed his congratulations to Ms Vincenza Lomonaco on her chairing of the General Assembly, whose able leadership would guide the session to a successful completion. He regretted that Mr Yonas Desta Tsegaye could not join the Assembly, but he was happy to present the reports in his capacity as Chairperson of the twelfth session of the Committee. He would thus present the report on the activities and