A/RES/59/95 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 10 December 2004 Fifty-ninth session Agenda item 65 (k) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 3 December 2004 [on the report of the First Committee (A/59/459)] 59/95. Improving the effectiveness of the methods of work of the First Committee The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 48/87 of 16 December 1993, 49/85 of 15 December 1994, 57/300 of 20 December 2002, 58/41 of 8 December 2003, 58/126 of 19 December 2003 and 58/316 of 1 July 2004, Affirming that its rules of procedure permit the Main Committees to undertake organizational refinements to improve the effectiveness of their methods of work, and noting with satisfaction that the First Committee already has done so, Emphasizing that improved functioning of the First Committee should be considered in an integrated and comprehensive manner through the existing three stages, namely general debate, thematic/structured debate, and consideration of and action on draft resolutions, Determining to continue its efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the methods of work of the First Committee, as a means to enhance the role of the General Assembly in promoting international peace and security, Invites Member States to consider the biennialization or triennialization 1. of the agenda items discussed in the First Committee, on a voluntary basis, and particularly when no specific action is required for the implementation of relevant resolutions; Also invites Member States to continue to hold interactive debates based 2. on a programme and format elaborated through informal consultations between the Bureau and Member States in advance of each First Committee session; Further invites Member States to submit draft resolutions in a more 3. concise, focused and action-oriented manner and, where practical, to consider the possibility of submitting draft decisions; Recommends that the respective sponsors of draft resolutions hold 4. informal consultations, both before and during First Committee meetings, with the participation of all interested Member States for furthering discussions on draft resolutions already submitted or yet to be submitted to the Committee; 04-48196