United Nations General Assembly A/RES/57/20 Distr.: General 21 January 2003 Fifty-seventh session Agenda item 155 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [on the report of the Sixth Committee (A/57/562 and Corr.1)] 57/20. Enlargement of the membership of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 2205 (XXI) of 17 December 1966, by which it established the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law with a mandate to further the progressive harmonization and unification of the law of international trade and in that respect to bear in mind the interests of all peoples, in particular those of developing countries, in the extensive development of international trade, Recalling also its resolution 3108 (XXVIII) of 12 December 1973, by which it increased the membership of the Commission from twenty-nine to thirty-six States, Being satisfied with the practice of the Commission of inviting States not members of the Commission and relevant intergovernmental and international nongovernmental organizations to participate as observers in the sessions of the Commission and its working groups and to take part in the formulation of texts by the Commission, as well as with the practice of reaching decisions by consensus without a formal vote, Observing that the considerable number of States that have participated as observers and made valuable contributions to the work of the Commission indicates that there exists an interest in active participation in the Commission beyond the current thirty-six member States, Convinced that wider participation of States in the work of the Commission would further the progress of its work and that an increase in the membership of the Commission would stimulate interest in its work, Having considered comments by States, as well as the report of the SecretaryGeneral on the implications of increasing the membership of the Commission,1 submitted pursuant to paragraph 13 of General Assembly resolution 55/151 of 12 December 2000, _______________ 1 02 53910 A/56/315.