VZCZCXRO2034
PP RUEHROV
DE RUCNDT #1152/01 3441553
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091553Z DEC 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5494
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 001152
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAL KWBG PHUM PREF SENV UNGA IS
SUBJECT: UNGA ADOPTS ALL FOURTH COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS; FOUR
OTHERS
1. SUMMARY: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted 22
resolutions and four draft decisions included in the reports
of the UNGA Fourth Committee (Special Political and
Decolonization Committee) on December 6. Resolutions and
plenary votes are in paragraph two (most passed with
significant margins). The UNGA also adopted three
plenary-generated resolutions by consensus under the
following Agenda items: The Culture of Peace; Cooperation
Between the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons; and Cooperation Between the UN and the
Organization of the Islamic Conference. During its November
26 session, the General Assembly adopted by consensus a
Second Committee (Economic and Financial) resolution on
"Protection of the Global Climate for Present and Future
Generations of Mankind." END SUMMARY.
UNGA ADOPTS FOURTH COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS
----------------------------------------
2. The UN General Assembly adopted 22 draft resolutions and
four draft decisions during its December 6 consideration of
the UNGA Fourth Committee reports on agenda items 27 to 37,
110 and 119. It also took note of Fourth Committee reports
on the "Comprehensive review of the whole question of
peacekeeping operations in all their aspects," under Agenda
item 31 and "Program planning," under Agenda item 119. This
concluded UNGA's consideration of all Fourth Committee
actions. Among the 22 adopted resolutions originating in the
Fourth Committee, delegates approved 14 by vote and eight by
consensus. Additionally, delegates adopted four draft
decisions by consensus. The resolutions and voting results
were:
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY VOTE:
Agenda item 29: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East:
-- Resolution 63/91, "Assistance to Palestine Refugees"
173-1(Israel)-6(U.S., Palau, Nauru, Micronesia, Marshall
Islands and Cameroon).
-- Resolution 63/92, "Persons Displaced as a Result of the
June 1967 and Subsequent Hostilities" 172-6(U.S., Israel,
Palau, Nauru, Micronesia and Marshall Islands)-2(Canada,
Cameroon).
-- Resolution 63/93, "Operations of the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East"
172-6(U.S., Israel, Palau, Nauru, Micronesia and Marshall
Islands)-1(Cameroon)
-- Resolution 63/94, "Palestine Refugees' Properties and
Their Revenues" 173-6(U.S., Israel, Palau, Nauru, Micronesia
and Marshall Islands)-2(Cameroon, Vanuatu).
Agenda item 30: Report of the Special Committee to
Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of
the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied
Territories:
-- Resolution 63/95, "Work of the Special Committee to
Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of
the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied
Territories" 94-8(U.S., Canada, Australia, Israel, Palau,
Nauru, Micronesia and Marshall Islands)-73.
-- Resolution 63/96, "Applicability of the Geneva Convention
Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of
War, of 12 August 1949, to the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, Including East Jerusalem, and the Other Occupied
Arab Territories" 173-6(U.S., Israel, Palau, Nauru,
Micronesia and Marshall Islands)-1(Cameroon).
-- Resolution 63/97, "Israeli Settlements in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem, and the
Occupied Syrian Golan" 171-6(U.S., Israel, Palau, Nauru,
Micronesia and Marshall Islands)-2(Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire).
-- Resolution 63/98, "Israeli Practices Affecting the Human
Rights of the Palestinian People in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, Including East Jerusalem" 165-8(U.S., Australia,
Canada, Israel, Palau, Nauru, Micronesia and Marshall
Islands)-4(Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, El Salvador, Honduras).
-- Resolution 63/99, "The Occupied Syrian Golan"
171-1(Israel)-7(U.S., Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Marshall
Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau).
Agenda item 33:
-- Resolution 63/101, "Information from Non-Self-Governing
Territories Transmitted under Article 73e of the Charter of
the United Nations," 177-0-4(U.S., United Kingdom, Israel,
France).
Agenda item 34:
-- Resolution 63/102, "Economic and Other Activities which
Affect the Interests of the Peoples of the Non-Self-Governing
Territories," 179-2(U.S., Israel)-2(United Kingdom, France).
Agenda item 35:
USUN NEW Y 00001152 002 OF 003
-- Resolution 63/103, "Implementation of the Declaration on
the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and
Peoples by the Specialized Agencies and the International
Institutions Associated with the United Nations,"
125-0-55(U.S.).
Agenda item 37: Implementation of the Declaration on the
Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples:
-- Resolution 63/109, "Dissemination of Information on
Decolonization" 177-3(U.S., United Kingdom, Israel)-2(France,
Madagascar).
-- Resolution 63/110, "Implementation of the Declaration on
the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and
Peoples" 177-3(U.S., United Kingdom, Israel)-1(France).
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED WITHOUT A VOTE:
Agenda item 27:
-- "Effects of Atomic Radiation."
Agenda item 28:
-- "International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer
Space."
Agenda item 32:
-- "Questions Relating to Information, Part A on Information
on the Service of Humanity, and Part B on United Nations
Public Information Policies and Activities."
Agenda item 36:
-- "Offers by Members States of Study and Training Facilities
for Inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories."
Agenda item 37: Implementation of the Declaration on the
Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples:
-- "Question of Western Sahara."
-- "Question of New Caledonia."
-- "Question of Tokelau."
-- "Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the
British Virgin Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint
Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States
Virgin Islands."
DRAFT DECISIONS ADOPTED WITHOUT A VOTE:
-- "Increase in the Membership of the Committee on
Information," under Agenda item 32.
-- Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of
Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples: "Question of
Gibraltar," under Agenda item 37.
-- Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of
Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples: "Increase in
the membership of the Special Committee on the Situation with
regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the
Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,"
under Agenda item 37.
-- "Proposed program of work and timetables of the Special
Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) for
the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly," under
Agenda item 110.
3. In the only intervention during voting, the Iranian
delegation delivered a statement following consideration of
Agenda item 30 on "The Special Committee to Investigate
Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the
Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied
Territories." Iran noted its continued, unwavering support
for the Palestinian people and their "inalienable rights,"
while sympathizing with their "suffering under the Israeli
occupation." The Iranian Delegate concluded by stressing
that durable peace can only be achieved through the "end of
Israeli occupation" and the establishment of a democratic
Palestinian state.
THREE OTHER RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY CONSENSUS
--------------------------------------------
4. The General Assembly adopted by consensus draft resolution
A/63/L.23 entitled, "International Decade for a Culture of
Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World,
2001-2010," under Agenda item 45. It also adopted by
consensus draft resolutions A/63/L.46 entitled, "Cooperation
Between the United Nations and the Organization for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons" (which the United States
co-sponsored) and A/63/L.44 entitled, "Cooperation Between
the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic
Conference," both submitted under Agenda item 114.
AT NOV 26 SESSION, UNGA ADOPTED RESOLUTION ON GLOBAL CLIMATE
--------------------------------------------- ---------------
5. During its November 26 session, the General Assembly
USUN NEW Y 00001152 003 OF 003
adopted by consensus a Second Committee resolution entitled,
"Protection of the global climate for present and future
generations of mankind." The resolution stressed the
seriousness of climate change and urged countries to work
towards achieving the goals of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The General Assembly
took action on this resolution separate from its
consideration of other Second Committee reports in order to
approve it before the December 1-12 Conference of Parties to
the UNFCCC in Poznan, Poland.
Khahilzad