67. The representative of Chile said that the Draft Text would contribute to helping participants focus discussions and make progress. While there seemed to be widely divergent views on some points, achieving a common denominator was possible if certain elements could be brought together. He was of the opinion that it was legitimate for the Chairperson to prepare a paper which reflected the different positions expressed by Members and that such a paper could be termed a negotiating basis. For his delegation, it would not be unreasonable to ask participants to take the Draft Text as a basis for negotiations even if it contained elements which went beyond the purview of the mandate in Article 23.4. The Special Session was still in a phase of negotiations in which different positions should be able to mature and it should be able to ensure that the different elements of the text fell within the scope of the mandate.
