ECOSOC 2007 ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION: THEMES FOR

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000167

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID EFIN KUNR ECOSOC
SUBJECT: ECOSOC 2007 ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION: THEMES FOR
2007 HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT TO FOCUS ON POVERTY ERADICATION AND
RELATED MACRO-ECONOMIC POLICIES

REF: USUN 69


1. (U) Meeting in formal session March 2, ECOSOC adopted
the themes for the High Level Segment (HLS) that have been
under negotiation since December 2006. The themes adopted
were unchanged from the ECOSOC President's March 1 proposals.
As 2007 marks the first time ECOSOC will need to operate
under a new structure as mandated by GA resolution 61/16
(Strengthening the Economic and Social Council),the
discussions were significantly more problematic than in a
normal year (2007 is the first year where separate themes for
the Thematic Discussion and new Annual Ministerial Review
were required). An additional new component to the 2007 HLS,
the so-called Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) does not
require a formal theme. The announced plan is to hold a
ceremonial launching of the DCF in Geneva in 2008, and
thereafter to hold the DCF biennially when ECOSOC meets in
alternate years New York for summer sessions (2008, 2010,
etc).


2. (U) Agreed themes are as follows:

Thematic Discussion "Strengthening efforts at all levels to
promote pro-poor sustained economic growth, including through
equitable macroeconomic policies."

Annual Ministerial Review: "Strengthening efforts to
eradicate poverty and hunger, including through the global
partnership for development"

Delegations React


3. (U) On adoption, USDel noted that it was historic that
ECOSOC would devote its first meeting in its new format to a
discussion of the importance of macroeconomic policy, and the
need for developing countries to have the appropriate
national policies in place for assistance to work
effectively. USDel also noted that the themes as just
adopted were broad in scope and perhaps unfocused, possibly
making a negotiated outcome document (Ministerial
Declaration) difficult or even impossible to negotiate. In
response, the G77 (Pakistan) noted the group's view that the
adopted themes were good, and expressed confidence that an
outcome document negotiation would be worth the time and
energy, even if long. The G-77 believed the themes as agreed
covered all levels of economic policies, both national and
international (Note: This approach has been a concern of most
developed country delegations, and indeed is the rationale
behind some G77 intransigence on specific language).


4. (U) The EU (Germany) delegation noted that it agreed to
the ECOSOC President's proposed themes simply because there
was no more time to lose in endless negotiations, believing
that additional delay would imperil the success of the new
ECOSOC format. The EU felt the themes were focused on
national level policies and expressed concern that a lack of
clarity in the language surrounding the phrase "equitable
macroeconomic polices" in the thematic discussion would
create problems later on this year. Speaking for the CANZ
group, Canada noted its desire to ensure success for ECOSOC
this year by generating clear themes. Shorter themes would be
better for both negotiating and communicating with the
public. CANZ was not convinced the themes ECOSOC had just
adopted would bring the right mix of high-level participants
to Geneva, and stated that it saw the upcoming discussion as
focused on national level policy issues related to pro-poor
growth.


5. (SBU) Comment: Negotiations on the themes for ECOSOC's
new HLS format have been formally in progress since December,
but there had even been several discussions in ECOSOC's
"Extended Bureau" format (with key member states) held in
November. The current track resumed in early January, at
which time most developed countries' delegations argued
against the need to hold a thematic debate at all in 2007.
The G77 resisted any attempt to eliminate that older
structure, claiming that this issue was clearly decided in
the ECOSOC strengthening resolution - that new ECOSOC
structures would simply be added to the old mix, and that
no/no rationalization was agreed or required. In the final
phases of this negotiation, delegations endured weekly
(desperate) pleas from the ECOSOC President and the
Secretariat to agree on almost any topic so preparations for

SIPDIS
the July meetings could begin. The G77 was particularly
heavy handed in its apparent preference to inject almost
nonsensical language into the themes mix at each informal.
Part of this can be explained by intra-G77 group dynamics,
especially now between the Pakistan chair and Indian experts.
Other known voices of reason within that group told us they
simply opted out of group discussions, and the result was a
collective inability to get clarity on the themes within the



available time.
WOLFF