INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACTION ON UNGA 62 RESOLUTION ON

UNCLAS STATE 098068 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC UNGA SENV KGHG AORC XB XV SUBJECT: INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACTION ON UNGA 62 RESOLUTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE REF: A. REF A: SNOWDEN-WEBBER PHONE CALL 9/12/08 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. REF B: STATE 82276 ¶1. This is an Action Request (see paragraphs 2-3) containing instructions for USUN (reftel A) during action on the proposed UN General Assembly (GA) Resolution requesting the UN Security Council to address climate change on Monday, September 15. ¶2. USUN is instructed to continue, as our preferred option, efforts to defer action on this item to the Second Committee of the 63rd General Assembly (reftel B). If action is taken on this item on Monday, USUN is instructed to join consensus on the resolution - although Department remains concerned that this issue not impose an additional workload on the Security Council extraneous to its core peace and security responsibilities - and give the explanation of position in paragraph 3. ¶3. Explanation of position: The United States shares the concerns of the Pacific Island States and other delegations on the seriousness of global climate change and the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing energy security and promoting sustainable development. We fully support UN efforts to address climate change, in particular the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and are committed to reaching conclusions under the UNFCCC on an economically sustainable and environmentally effective global framework to address the challenges of climate change. However, we have some concerns about this particular resolution that we would like to voice. First, we take issue with the procedures surrounding this resolution. The process was not transparent: the resolution was introduced very late in the General Assembly and no effort was made to achieve consensus on the resolution's content through negotiations. Second, we feel that this subject would be addressed most appropriately in the Second Committee of the 63rd General Assembly, within the context of the agenda item on climate change. A call by the GA for member states to look at additional implications of climate change is most effectively made through the 2nd Committee resolution on climate change. Further, we have strong reservations on the implications of this resolution in view of on-going efforts to address climate change and promote peace and security. The Security Council already has a very full agenda of matters that are very clearly immediate threats to international peace and security. UN bodies and international venues, with the appropriate mandates and expertise, are already actively and seriously addressing issues related to climate change. We believe that it is important to refrain from taking actions within additional UN bodies which might detract from progress on negotiations within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, whose outcomes will supersede other decisions. RICE