Israeli Representative elected Vice Chair of UN General Assembly First Committee
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Israeli Representative elected Vice Chair of UN General Assembly First Committee

  • 6/11/2004
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    (Communicated by the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN

    Yesterday, 10 June 2004, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) elected Israeli Representative Mr. Alon Bar to the post of Vice Chairman of the GA's First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. Mr. Bar was elected to the committee bureau by acclimation and will serve throughout the duration of the 59th UNGA Session, which is scheduled to commence in September 2004.

    The Western European and Other States Group (WEOG) endorsed the appointment of Mr. Bar on 21 May as a representative of WEOG to the First Committee, marking the ninth such distinction for Israel at the UN since the beginning of 2003.

    Mr. Bar has headed Israel's delegation to the First Committee since 2000, as well as to other multilateral fora in the fields of disarmament and arms control. In 2003, Mr. Bar served as a member of a group of governmental experts on the UN Register on Conventional Arms Transfers, a prestigious panel selected by the Executive Office of the Secretary General.

    Ambassador Arye Mekel, Deputy Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, responded to the endorsement by saying, "This marks the second consecutive year that Israel will hold a position on the bureau of a General Assembly committee, following the election of Mr. Tal Beker, our Legal Advisor at the Permanent Mission, to the position of Vice Chairman of the Sixth Committee. We are very proud of Mr. Bar's reputation in the First Committee and we look forward to sharing our expertise in security and disarmament with member states. This accomplishment marks yet another significant step towards Israel's full participation in the United Nations."

    Since 2003 Israel has also been elected as a member of WEOG to numerous posts at the United Nations which include membership of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Governing Council Member of the Environment Programme (UNEP), Member of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), Governing Council Member of the Human Settlement Programme (UNHABITAT), Member of the Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Rapporteur of the Disarmament Commission (UNDC), Vice Chairman of the Sixth Committee and Vice Chairman of the Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD-4).