Wednesday, December 21 2005 09:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: In a major initiative, the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council yesterday (Dec 20,2005) voted to establish a Peace-Building Commission to help countries coming out of conflicts stabilize and ensure that they do not relapse into fighting.

This is the first major reform agreed to the UN member states who were given mandate by their leaders at a September summit to create such a body.

All the main organs of the world the General Assembly, Security Council and ECOSOC will be represented on the Organizational Committee, which will oversee the work of the Commission and representatives of World Bank and the International Monetary Fund would participate in it. Thus, it would bring together all stakeholders in the rebuilding of a conflict-shattered nation.

The Assembly, the Council and ECOSOC will have seven members each on the Committee. Besides, five largest troop contributors and largest donors would be its members. But one member State can only represent one category.

The members, who would be elected, would serve a two-year term except the five permanent members of the Security Council who would have permanent membership on the Organizational Committee.

While the Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus and without vote, the Council unanimously adopted a similar resolution.

Later, the 15-member Council adopted another resolution by 13 votes giving the US, Britain, Russia, France and China the permanent five permanent membership of the Committee. Brazil and Argentina abstained.

Since the Council has seven seats, it means that only two seats w ill be left for the remaining ten non permanent members of the Council.

Secretary General Kofi Annan, who had actively promoted the Commission, told the Assembly that it would help prevent a fragile peace from crumbling into a new conflict.

Speaking just before the Assembly voted on the draft which was mostly his creation, General Assembly President Jan Elisson described it 'truly historic' as it would be the first time that the world body is taking action to ensure that countries coming out of conflicts move towards peace.

"It will be our best chance to reverse the trend which in recent years we have seen around the world where half the countries emerging from conflict are lapsing back into it again within five years,'' he said.