Resolution adopted by the General Assembly

[on the report of the Second Committee (A/57/537)]

57/270. Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic and social fields

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions on the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields, particularly its resolution 50/227 of 24 May 1996,

Recalling also its resolution 56/211 of 21 December 2001, as well as Economic and Social Council resolution 2001/21 of 26 July 2001 and its agreed conclusions 1995/1 of 28 July 1995, 2000/2 of 27 July 2000 and 2002/1 of 26 July 2002,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcome of the major United Nations conferences and summits, including the Millennium Summit,^¹

Reaffirming that the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration^² and the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits, provide a comprehensive basis for action at the national, regional and international levels with the key objectives of poverty eradication, sustained economic growth, sustainable development and improvement of the living conditions of people everywhere,

Reaffirming also that, while each United Nations conference has its thematic unity, major United Nations conferences and summits should be viewed as interlinked and contributing to an integrated framework for the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration, and to a global partnership for development,

Recognizing the need to continue efforts to use the existing structure, namely, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary machinery, for coordinated and integrated follow-up to and implementation of the commitments agreed upon at the Millennium Summit and other major United Nations conferences and summits, so as to enhance coordination as well as effectiveness and efficiency of actions at all levels,

Reiterating the need to strengthen the role of the General Assembly as the highest intergovernmental mechanism for the formulation and appraisal of policy on matters relating to coordinated and integrated follow-up to United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields,

Reaffirming that the Economic and Social Council should continue to strengthen its role as the central mechanism for system-wide coordination and thus to promote coordinated follow-up to the outcomes of major United Nations conferences in the economic, social and related fields,

Emphasizing that the relevant functional commissions and, as appropriate, other relevant intergovernmental bodies of the United Nations system, within their mandates, must fulfil their responsibilities as specified in the outcomes of the United Nations conferences and summits, should further enhance their role as the main forums for expert follow-up and review of major United Nations conferences and summits and, in this regard, must strengthen their efforts to enhance inter-agency collaboration and coordination to implement the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits,

Recognizing that the process of integrated and coordinated follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits should not include renegotiation of any outcomes of those conferences, including their specific institutional arrangements for follow-up,

1. Decides to establish an open-ended ad hoc working group of the General Assembly under the chairmanship of the President of the Assembly, with two vice-chairmen to be elected by the working group;

2. Also decides that the work of the working group should be consistent with the provisions of resolution 50/227 and the follow-up mechanisms decided upon by the respective United Nations conferences and summits and should respect the interlinked nature of their outcomes as well as the thematic unity of each conference, and emphasizes that cross-sectoral thematic issues for further consideration throughout the existing structure should be decided upon at the intergovernmental level and should focus on implementation, bearing in mind that the process of integrated and coordinated follow-up to the outcomes of the United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields should be fair and balanced and should respect the principle of multilateralism and the principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations;

3. Further decides that the working group will produce concrete recommendations to ensure an integrated and coordinated follow-up to the outcomes of the United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields and will thus contribute to the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration,² bearing in mind the continuing reform process of the United Nations and resolution 50/227, as well as the views expressed by the Member States on this question;

4. Decides that the working group will also consider the work of the General Assembly and its Second and Third Committees relevant to the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields as well as the modalities of the reports presented to the General Assembly, bearing in mind the respective roles of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council and its functional commissions and subsidiary organs;

5. Also decides that the working group will submit proposals on how best to address the review of the implementation of the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields, including its format and periodicity, bearing in mind the need to recognize the active role of all relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the outcomes of United Nations conferences and summits;

6. Further decides that future decisions on follow-up to conferences whose ten-year anniversaries are imminent shall be kept pending subject to the decisions to be taken by the General Assembly on the report of the working group;

7. Decides that the working group will consider how to ensure that the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits are integrated into the programmes of work of the organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and are taken fully into account, as relevant, in the operational work and country frameworks of the organizations of the United Nations system, in accordance with national development objectives and priorities, and requests the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination and the United Nations Development Group to contribute to the reflection on integrated conference follow-up;

8. Also decides that the working group will commence its substantive work during the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, no later than January 2003, and will submit its report before 27 June 2003, for consideration by the General Assembly and action before the close of the fifty-seventh session in 2003;

9. Further decides that at its first meeting the working group will consider its work programme, including the issue of the periodicity and duration of its meetings within the time boundaries established in paragraph 8 above;

10. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-eighth session an item entitled “Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields” and to consider it directly in plenary meeting.

78th plenary meeting
20 December 2002

United Nations

General Assembly

Fifty-seventh session

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly