2007 UN VOTING REPORT

UNCLAS STATE 055178 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC UNSC UNGA SUBJECT: 2007 UN VOTING REPORT ¶1. The Department's annual Voting Practices in the United Nations report (2007) is complete and will be distributed soon to posts. The Department wishes to use the release of the report to convey to UN member states that a country's voting record at the United Nations is relevant to its bilateral relationship with the United States and that greater cooperation with the United States at the UN is a priority. The Bureau of International Organization Affairs will pouch two copies of the 2007 report to posts in UN member states so that posts can provide one copy to the foreign ministry and retain one copy for reference. The report is also available online (see para 4). Please address inquiries about distribution of the report to: Paulette Onley (OnleyPL@state.gov). Queries about content should be addressed to Mark Schlachter (SchlachtMM@state.gov) or Susan Poulin (PoulinSS@state.gov). Please see general and post-specific action requests in paragraphs 3-17. ¶2. BACKGROUND: The Department prepares an annual report to Congress on voting practices in the United Nations in compliance with Public Law 101-246. The report reviews voting practices in the UN Security Council (UNSC) and General Assembly (UNGA). All UNSC resolutions adopted in 2007 are described, and voting on them is tabulated. The report statistically measures the overall voting of UN member states at the 62nd UNGA (Fall 2007) in comparison with the U.S. voting record (i.e., voting coincidence). The report also lists and describes UNGA resolutions selected as important to U.S. interests, again with tables showing voting coincidence statistics. The report presents data by country and by various groups. As required by P.L. 101-246, voting coincidence is also displayed with levels of U.S. foreign assistance. Finally, an annex is included to present the voting patterns on UNGA resolutions relating to Israel and opposed by the United States. ¶3. Action Requests/General: Bilateral missions in countries that are UN member states are asked to present a copy of the report to the foreign ministry and to deliver a message regarding voting coincidence. Where a country's voting coincidence with the United States is high, the post is asked to convey to the host government that the United States appreciates the support it has shown in its UN voting in 2007, and hopes to maintain and build on that cooperation in the 63rd General Assembly. Where a country's voting coincidence could improve (as is the case for most countries),the post is asked to convey that the country's voting record at the United Nations is relevant to its bilateral relationship with the United States and that we desire greater cooperation at the UN. The gulf between the United States and voting blocs led by the G-77, NAM, and regional groups continues to widen. The Bureau of International Organization Affairs would welcome the opportunity to support Embassies that would like to engage in or develop public diplomacy activities related to UN voting practices (e.g., targeted placement of op-eds, speaker outreach to civil society, digital video conferencing with government officials and/or civil society). Contact details are those listed in para 1. The 2007 version of the report is now available online at: http://www.state.gov/p/io/rls/rpt/c25867.htm. ¶5. For Bridgetown: Eight copies are intended for post and for the Governments of Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. ¶6. For Colombo, Dakar, Libreville, New Delhi, and Paris: A third copy is being pouched to each post for passing to Maldives, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Bhutan, and Monaco, respectively. ¶7. For Port Louis: Two additional copies are for Comoros and Seychelles. ¶8. For Port Moresby: Two additional copies are for the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. ¶9. For Suva: Four additional copies are for Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu. ¶10. For Barcelona and Florence: Two copies will be pouched. Posts should retain one and give the other to the foreign ministries of Andorra and San Marino, respectively. ¶11. For Bern: One additional copy is for the foreign ministry of Liechtenstein. ¶12. For Strasbourg: Only one copy is being pouched for retention by post. ¶13. USUN New York: Mission is requested to present copies of the report to the missions of other member states. 300 copies will be sent to USUN New York shortly. One copy should be delivered to each UN mission. Remaining copies are for USUN New York's use and for distribution at mission's discretion. ¶14. For Geneva and UNVIE: Each mission will receive 10 copies. ¶15. For U.S. UNESCO: Two copies are being pouched. ¶16. For USUN Rome: Five copies are being pouched. ¶17. For USEU Brussels: Three copies are being pouched, one for retention by post, one for the European Commission, and one for the Council of the European Union. ¶18. Minimize considered. RICE