International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference (Unofficial electronic version)	GC(40)/RES/20 September 1996 GENERAL Distr. ENGLISH
Fortieth regular session Agenda item 19(a) (GC(40)/22)

The General Conference,

(a) Recalling its resolutions GC(XXI)/RES/353, GC(XXII)/RES/361, GC(XXIII)/RES/370, GC(XXIV)/RES/378 and GC(XXV)/RES/389 concerning the amendment of Article VI.A.2 of the Statute, and also all the other pertinent resolutions aimed at increasing the representation of the areas of Africa and the Middle East and South Asia in the Board of Governors,

(b) Bearing in mind the fundamental and structural changes that have taken place in the past two decades in international relations, and particularly in the world nuclear community in all regions resulting in the under-representation of other areas,

(c) Noting the interest of Member States of all regions in reconsidering Board membership in the light of present-day geopolitical and technological realities,

(d) Convinced of the urgent need to implement all relevant General Conference resolutions and decisions relating to the amendment of Article VI,

(e) Taking note with appreciation of the reports of the Chairpersons of the Open- ended Consultative Group contained in documents GC(39)/21 and GC(40)/20,

(f) Taking note with satisfaction of the progress achieved in this regard within the Open-ended Consultative Group, where good prospects exist for a consensus,

(g) Noting with regret that the Board of Governors was not in a position to make any recommendation on any proposal for amending Article VI for consideration and approval by the General Conference, as requested in resolution GC(39)/RES/21, and

(h) Confident that the General Conference will implement its resolutions and decisions relating to the amendment to Article VI at the latest at its forty-first regular session,

1. Recognizes that there is a widely held view that there is a need to expand the size and composition of the Board;

2. Welcomes the formal proposal submitted by the Kingdom of Morocco as contained in document GC(40)/20 and recognizes the urgent need to take fully into consideration the momentum it has brought to the consultation process;

3. Notes in this regard the sub-amendment submitted by Spain as well as the informal suggestions presented by other Member States with a view to facilitating efforts to reach a consensus;

4. Requests the Board of Governors to develop within a timetable a process of negotiations among Member States through the existing Open-ended Consultative Group, taking account of the above proposals and of the elements identified by the Chairman of the Open-ended Consultative Group in his report referred to above, and to submit its report on a finalized formula for approval by the General Conference at its forty-first regular session in accordance with Article XVIII of the Statute; and

5. Invites the Director General to report to the Board of Governors and to the General Conference at its forty-first session on the result achieved in the implementation of the present resolution.