HL Deb 25 January 1978 vol 388 cc341-3

2.52 p.m.

Lord BROCKWAY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how the British delegation at the United Nations General Assembly voted on the proposal to appoint a Director General for United Nations economic affairs and what was the voting.

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, on 20th December, 1977, the General Assembly adopted by consensus its Resolution No. 32/197 taking note of the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the restructuring of the economic and social sectors of the United Nations system. Among other things, this report invited the UN Secretary-General to appoint a Director General for Development and International Economic Co-operation. The United Kingdom delegation, which had played an active part in the work of the committee on restructuring, joined in this consensus.

Lord BROCKWAY

My Lords, while appreciating the attitude of Her Majesty's Government, may I ask whether this is not a development of momentous significance? Does it not mean that there will be an economic arm of the United Nations to complement the political arm, that it will co-ordinate the Unites Nations agencies, 80 per cent. of its activity, and be able to put forward proposals for a new world economic order to replace the economic mess which there is in the world today?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

I very much hope so, my Lords. I join my noble friend entirely in his hopes, and arising from these reforms I think there is fair ground for expecting improved capability by the United Nations in the economic and social fields. The encouraging feature of this Resolution is not only its contents but the fact, as I have said, that it was adopted by consensus.

Lord BROCKWAY

My Lords, may I supplement that point by asking my noble friend whether Her Majesty's Government will follow their support of this proposal in the United Nations by seeking to implement its possibilities; by dealing with the hunger of half the world, by dealing with the unemployment of 30 million people in the work and by dealing with the problem of the growth of world population by seeking to fertilise the deserts and other non-arable areas?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

Certainly, my Lords, and I think I am within the agreement of the entire House when I say that this country has bilaterally performed, and is performing, a very worthy part in helping to solve the problems to which my noble friend referred. Multilaterally, through the United Nations, I repeat that in the preparations for this very useful and significant Resolution the United Kingdom delegates played a very prominent part indeed.