Participation of the Holy See in the Work of the United Nations

A/RES/58/314View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 59 Strengthening of the United Nations System, published in 2004.

What subjects does this mandate have?

2 subjects

Holy See Observer Status

What’s in this document?

2 operative paragraphs

Acknowledges that the Holy See, in its capacity as an Observer State, shall be accorded the rights and privileges of participation in the sessions and work of the General Assembly and the international conferences convened under the auspices of the Assembly or other organs of the United Nations, as well as in United Nations conferences as set out in the annex to the present resolution;

Requests the Secretary-General to inform the General Assembly during the current session about the implementation of the modalities annexed to the present resolution.

The rights and privileges of participation of the Holy See shall be effected through the following modalities, without prejudice to the existing rights and privileges:

The right to participate in the general debate of the General Assembly;

Without prejudice to the priority of Member States, the Holy See shall have the right of inscription on the list of speakers under agenda items at any plenary meeting of the General Assembly, after the last Member State inscribed on the list;

The right to make interventions, with a precursory explanation or the recall of relevant General Assembly resolutions being made only once by the President of the General Assembly at the start of each session of the Assembly;

The right of reply;

The right to have its communications relating to the sessions and work of the General Assembly issued and circulated directly, and without intermediary, as official documents of the Assembly;

The right to have its communications relating to the sessions and work of all international conferences convened under the auspices of the General Assembly issued and circulated directly, and without intermediary, as official documents of those conferences;

The right to raise points of order relating to any proceedings involving the Holy See, provided that the right to raise such a point of order shall not include the right to challenge the decision of the presiding officer;

The right to co-sponsor draft resolutions and decisions that make reference to the Holy See; such draft resolutions and decisions shall be put to a vote only upon request from a Member State;

Seating for the Holy See shall be arranged immediately after Member States and before the other observers when it participates as a non-member State observer, with the allocation of six seats in the General Assembly Hall;

The Holy See shall not have the right to vote or to put forward candidates in the General Assembly.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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