A/RES/52/210 Page 2 Taking into account statements made by several delegations during the debate on the report of the Economic and Social Council at the meetings of the Second Committee on 11 November 1997,4 1. Reaffirms paragraphs 4 and 5 of its resolution 46/206 relating to transitional arrangements; 2. Welcomes the convening in New York from 17 to 19 December 1997 of Working Group III of the Committee for Development Planning to review the results of the technical work and the outcome of the expert group meeting concerning the vulnerability index, as requested by the General Assembly in its resolution 51/183; 3. Decides to postpone its consideration of subparagraph (a) of Economic and Social Council decision 1997/223, in consideration of the views and recommendations to be submitted by the Committee for Development Planning to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session, through the Economic and Social Council, in accordance with paragraphs 9 and 10 of resolution 51/183, on the usefulness of the vulnerability index as a criterion for the designation of least developed countries and without prejudice to the full development and examination of the vulnerability index and its potential application in assessing the graduation of Vanuatu, a small island developing State, from the list of least developed countries, and to take a decision accordingly. 77th plenary meeting 18 December 1997 4 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-second Session, Second Committee, 36th and 37th meetings (A/C.2/52/SR.36 and 37), and corrigendum.