Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations

RP ENDS YEAR AS ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE 61^ST UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

NEW YORK —The Philippines will end the year by again taking over as Acting President of the 61^st United Nations General Assembly, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations said today. In a statement, the Philippine Mission said General Assembly President Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa of Bahrain has requested Ambassador Lauro L. Baja, Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN, to again assume her functions in an acting capacity from Sunday, 24 December to Sunday, 31 December 2006. A ccording to the Philippine Mission, the designation of Ambassador Baja makes the Philippines the first vice president of the 61st General Assembly to be asked to serve as acting president twice. It could be recalled that President Al-Khalifa first designated Ambassador Baja as Acting President of the General Assembly on 19 October.As acting president, Ambassador Baja can sign correspondence, represent the General Assembly in the meetings of the other organs of the United Nations, receive callers and assume related functions in addition to presiding over plenary meetings.The designation of Ambassador Baja as Acting President is different from the other occasions where he presided over meetings of the General Assembly because these were done in his capacity as vice president. The Philippines first presided on 13 September when Ambassador Baja was asked in his capacity as vice president to chair the High Level Dialogue of the 61st General Assembly on the agenda item Migration and Development. A week later, the Philippines was given another opportunity when Secretary Romulo was requested to chair the general debate of the 61st General Assembly also in the country's capacity as vice president. Ambassador Baja had been asked to preside on several occasions since then.

NYPM-055-06