Cablegate: Unga Adopts Second Committee Resolutions and Two

VZCZCXYZ0014
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1189/01 3541957
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191957Z DEC 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5555

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001189

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/EDA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ECIN AORC SENV KPAL UNGA LE IS
SUBJECT: UNGA ADOPTS SECOND COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS AND TWO
OTHERS

REF: A. USUN 1172
B. USUN 1152

1. Summary: On December 19, the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) took final action on the remaining draft
resolutions and decisions adopted by the Second Committee
(Economic and Finance) - approving three resolutions by vote
and adopting 31 resolutions and one decision by consensus.
The UNGA also adopted two plenary resolutions by consensus.
The General Assembly voted on fewer Second Committee
resolutions this year than in past years, in large measure
because many of this year's resolutions were procedural in
nature. This year's Second Committee resolutions are notable
for the large number of high-level meetings or events they
call for from 2009-2013. End Summary.

THREE SECOND COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS APPROVED BY VOTE
--------------------------------------------- ------

2. At its December 19 meeting to take action on all remaining
Second Committee resolutions, the UNGA took a vote on
resolution A/63/410, "Permanent sovereignty of the
Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab populations in the
occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources,"
submitted under Agenda item 38. The resolution was adopted
164-8(U.S.)-5.

3. Under Agenda item 49, the UNGA approved the resolution
contained in A/63/414, section III entitled, "Oil Slick on
Lebanese Shores," by a vote of 165-7(U.S.)-2.

4. The UNGA also approved the resolution submitted under
Agenda item 51(a) and contained in A/63/416/Add.1, section
III entitled, "Towards a New International Economic Order,"
by a vote of 123-1(U.S.)-52.

31 SECOND COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY CONSENSUS
--------------------------------------------- -------

5. The UNGA adopted the following 31 resolutions, listed by
Agenda item, by consensus. The resolutions contained no
Program Budget Implications (PBIs).

-- Agenda item 46: A/63/411 entitled, "Information and
communication technologies for development."

--Agenda item 47(a): A/63/412/Add.1, section I entitled,
"International trade and development," and A/63/412/Add.1,
section II entitled, "Report of the twelfth session of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development."

--Agenda item 47(b): A/63/412/Add.2 entitled, "International
financial system and development."

--Agenda item 47(c): A/63/412/Add.3 entitled, "External debt
and development: towards a durable solution to the debt
problems of developing countries."

--Agenda item 47(d): A/63/412/Add.4 entitled, "Commodities."

--Agenda item 48: A/63/413(Part II) entitled, "Follow-up
International Conference on Financing for Development to
Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus."

--Agenda item 49: A/63/414, section I entitled,
"International Year of Chemistry," and A/63/414, section II
entitled, "Reliable and stable transit of energy and its role
in ensuring sustainable development and international
cooperation."

--Agenda item 49(a): A/63/414/Add.1 entitled, "Implementation
of Agenda 21, the Program for the Further Implementation of
Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable
Development."

--Agenda item 49(b): A/63/414/Add.2, section I entitled,
"Follow-up to and implementation of the Mauritius Strategy
for the Further Implementation of the Program of Action for
the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States," and A/63/414/Add.2, section II entitled, "Towards
the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea for present
and future generations."

--Agenda item 49(c): A/63/414/Add.3, section I entitled,
"International cooperation to reduce the impact of the El
Nino phenomenon," A/63/414/Add.3, section II entitled,
"International Strategy for Disaster Reduction," and
A/63/414/Add.3, section III entitled, "Natural disasters and
vulnerability."

--Agenda item 49(e): A/63/414/Add.5 entitled, "Implementation
of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in
Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or
Desertification, Particularly in Africa."

--Agenda item 49(f): A/63/414/Add.6 entitled, "Convention on
Biological Diversity."

--Agenda item 49(g): A/63/414/Add.7 entitled, "Report of the
Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Program
on its tenth special session."

--Agenda item 50: A/63/415 entitled, "Implementation of the
outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements
(Habitat II) and strengthening of the United Nations Human
Settlements Program (UN-Habitat)."

--Agenda item 51(a): A/63/416/Add.1, section I entitled,
"Role of the United Nations in promoting development in the
context of globalization and interdependence," and
A/63/416/Add.1, section II entitled, "Development cooperation
with middle-income countries."

--Agenda item 51(b): A/63/416/Add.2 entitled, "International
migration and development."

--Agenda item 51(d): A/63/416/Add.4 entitled, "Preventing and
combating corrupt practices and transfer of assets of illicit
origin and returning such assets, in particular to the
countries of origin, consistent with the United Nations
Convention against Corruption."

--Agenda item 52(a): A/63/417/Add.1 entitled, "Implementation
of the Brussels Program of Action for the Least Developed
Countries for the Decade 2001-2010."

--Agenda item 52(b): A/63/417/Add.2 entitled, "Groups of
countries in specific situations: specific actions related to
the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing
countries: outcome of the International Ministerial
Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and
Donor Countries and International Financial and Development
Institutions on Transit Transport Cooperation."

--Agenda item 53(a): A/63/418/Add.1, section I entitled,
"Role of microcredit and microfinance in the eradication of
poverty," and A/63/418/Add.1, section II entitled, "Second
United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty
(2008-2017)."

--Agenda item 53(b): A/63/418/Add.2 entitled, "Industrial
development cooperation."

--Agenda item 54: A/63/419, section I entitled, "Operational
activities for development," and A/63/419, section II
entitled, "High-level United Nations Conference on
South-South Cooperation."

--Agenda item 110: A/63/420 entitled, "Draft program of work
of the Second Committee for the sixty-fourth session of the
General Assembly."

6. The UNGA also adopted draft decision A/63/416/Add.5 on,
"Report of the Secretary-General on the integration of the
economies in transition into the world economy," under Agenda
item 51(e).

TWO PLENARY RESOLUTIONS ALSO ADOPTED BY CONSENSUS
--------------------------------------------- ----

7. Delegates also approved two plenary-generated resolutions
by consensus:

--Agenda item 44: A/63/L.29/Rev.1, entitled, "International
Labor Organization Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair
Globalization."

--Agenda item 114(s): A/63/L.56 entitled, "Cooperation
between the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum."
The United States co-sponsored this resolution.

SIX SECOND COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED EARLIER
--------------------------------------------- ---

8. Earlier in its 63rd session, the UNGA adopted the
following six Second Committee resolutions:

-- Agenda item 48: A/63/413(Part I) and Corr.1, section I
entitled, "Arrangements and organization of work of the
Follow-up International Conference on Financing for
Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey

Consensus (Doha, 29 November-2 December 2008)," A/63/413(Part
I) and Corr.1, section II entitled, "Provisional rules of
procedure for the Follow-up International Conference on
Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the
Monterrey Consensus (Doha, 29 November-2 December 2008),
A/63/413(Part I) and Corr.1, section III entitled,
"Provisional Agenda for the Follow-up International
Conference on Financing for Development to Review the
Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus (Doha, 29
November-2 December 2008)," A/63/413(Part I) and Corr.1,
section IV entitled, "Accreditation of intergovernmental
organizations to the Follow-up International Conference on
Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the
Monterrey Consensus (Doha, 29 November-2 December 2008),"
A/63/413(Part I) and Corr.1, section V entitled,
"Accreditation of non-governmental organizations to the
Follow-up International Conference on Financing for
Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey
Consensus (Doha, 29 November-2 December 2008)."

--Agenda item 49(d): A/63/414/Add.4 entitled, "Protection of
global climate for present and future generations."

COMMENT
-------

9. Whereas six Second Committee resolutions were voted upon
during last year's sixty-second General Assembly, only three
were adopted by vote this session. The reduction is largely
due to the procedural nature of this year's resolutions - a
consequence, in part, of the Second Committee's actions being
taken in parallel with negotiations over the Doha Financing
for Development Conference Outcome Document. This year's
Second Committee resolutions are notable for the large number
of high-level meetings or events they call for, despite the
best efforts of the United States and like-minded countries.
By our estimates, the Second Committee resolutions call for
approximately 10 such events between 2009-2013 on a range of
topics. These would be in addition to the existing UN
calendar of high-level conferences.

Khalilzad

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