FINAL UNGA PLENARY ACTION ON RESOLUTIONS OF THE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 002290

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM AORC UNGA XX
SUBJECT: FINAL UNGA PLENARY ACTION ON RESOLUTIONS OF THE
THIRD COMMITTEE, DECEMBER 19-22

REF: USUN NEW YORK 002209 AND PREVIOUS


1. (U) Summary: The UN General Assembly took final action
December 19-22 on all the resolutions of the Third Committee,
including human rights resolution on Belarus, Iran, DPRK and
Burma (Burma further reported septel). As is customary,
final action in the Plenary was virtually identical to that
taken previously when the Third Committee adopted each
resolution. For the sake of brevity, this cable will
highlight only those four resolutions for which votes took
place. On all other items, resolutions were adopted by
consensus. End Summary.

Country Human Rights Resolutions: DPRK, Belarus, Iran
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2. Votes on individual country-specific human rights
resolution in the GA Plenary were as follows:

A/61/443/Add.3 -- Draft resolution on "The Situation of Human
Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
Adopted 99(U.S.)-21-56, with 6 not voting. Extrajudicial
Executions."

A/61/443/Add.3 -- Draft resolution on "The Situation of Human
Rights in Belarus." Adopted 72(U.S.)-32-69, with 19 not
voting. An earlier no-action motion, designed to kill
resolution without a vote, was defeated by a vote of
67-79(U.S.)-32, with 14 not voting.

A/61/443/Add.3 -- Draft resolution on "The Situation of Human
Rights in Iran." Adopted 72(U.S.)-50-55, with 15 not voting.
An earlier no-action motion was defeated by a vote of
81-75(U.S.)-24, with 12 not voting.

A/61/443/Add.3 -- Draft resolution on "The Situation of Human
Rights in Myanmar." Adopted 82(U.S.)-25-45, with 40 not
voting. An earlier no-action motion that was defeated in the
Third Committee was not raised in the GA Plenary. (Septel to
follow.)

Votes on Other Third Committee Resolutions
--------------


2. (U) Votes on other individual items from Third Committee
were as follows:

A/61/439 -- Draft resolution on "The Rights of the Child."
Adopted 185-1(U.S.)-0, with 6 not voting.

A/61/441 -- Draft resolution on "The Inadmissibility of
Practices Fueling Contemporary Forms of Racism." Adopted
121-4(U.S.)-60, with 7 not voting. In addition to the U.S.,
others voting no were Japan, Marshall Islands, and Micronesia.

A/61/441 -- Draft resolution on "Global Efforts to Eliminate
Racism." Adopted 179-2-4, with 7 not voting. In addition to
the U.S., Israel voted no.

A/61/442 -- Draft resolution on "The Use of Mercenaries as a
Means of Violating Human Rights." Adopted 127-51(U.S.)-7,
with 7 not voting. In addition to the U.S., others voting no
included Japan, S. Korea, Canada, Australia, Israel, Israel,
and the EU and aspirants.

A/61/442 -- Draft resolution on "The Right of the Palestinian
People to Self-determination." Adopted 176-5(U.S.)-5, with 6
not voting. In addition to the U.S., others voting no were
Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau.

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "The Human Rights
Situation Arising from Israeli Military Operations in
Lebanon." Adopted 112-7(U.S.)-64, with 7 not voting. In
addition to the U.S., others voting no were Australia,
Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau.

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "Globalization and Its
Impact on Human Rights." Adopted 130-54(U.S.)-3, with 5 not
voting. In addition to the U.S., others voting no included
Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Israel, New Zealand,
and the EU and aspirants.

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "The Composition of the
Staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights." Adopted 118-7(U.S.)-55, with 12 not
voting. In addition to the U.S., others voting no were
Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Marshall Islands, and
Micronesia. (Note: In a highly unusual procedural move, the
UN secretariat took the floor of the GA when this item came
up for adoption. The secretariat representative pointed out
that the provision in operative paragraph 1(b),which
authorizes the Office of the High Commissioner of Human


Rights (UNOCHR) to hire staff who have not competed in
standard competitive examination, is contrary to UN practice
and to requirements of other UNGA resolutions.)

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "Promotion of a
Democratic, Equitable International Order." Adopted
124-56(U.S.)-4, with 8 not voting. In addition to the U.S.,
others voting no included Japan, South Korea, Canada,
Australia, Israel, New Zealand, and the EU and aspirants.

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "Respect for the Right
to Universal Freedom of Travel and Importance of Family
Reunification." Adopted 112-4(U.S.)-58, with 18 not voting.
In addition to the U.S., others voting no were Israel,
Marshall Islands, and Palau.

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "Right to Food."
Adopted 185-1(U.S.)-0, with 6 not voting.

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "Combating the
Defamation of Religions." Adopted 111-54(U.S.)-18, with 9
not voting. In addition to the U.S., others voting no
included Japan, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, and the EU
and aspirants.

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "Promotion of Equitable
and Mutually Respectful Dialogue on Human Rights." Adopted
86(U.S.)-64-26, with 16 not voting. The countries voting
against the resolution included Japan, South Korea, Canada,
Australia, Israel, New Zealand, and the EU and aspirants.

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "The Right to
Development." Adopted 134-53(U.S.)-0, with 5 not voting. In
addition to the U.S., others voting no included Japan, South
Korea, Canada, Australia, Israel, New Zealand, and the EU and
aspirants.

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "Human Rights and
Unilateral Coercive Measures." Adopted 131-54(U.S.)-0, with
7 not voting. In addition to the U.S., others voting no
included Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Israel, New
Zealand, and the EU and aspirants.

A/61/443/Add.2 -- Draft resolution on "Extrajudicial
Executions."
Vote on Operative Paragraph 4, on human rights
obligations of States maintaining the death penalty. Adopted
104-31-29(U.S.).
Vote on Operative Paragraph 5(b),on the protection of
the right to life. Adopted 105-30(U.S.)-30, with 27 not
voting. In addition to the U.S., others voting no included
China, Egypt, Iran, Libya, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.
Vote on the resolution as a whole. Adopted
137-0-43(U.S.),with 12 not voting. In addition to the U.S.,
others voting no included China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Libya,
Russia, and Saudi Arabia
WOLFF