Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08USUNNEWYORK1099
2008-11-20 23:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USUN New York
Cable title:  

UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE DISCUSSES SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT,

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM KWMN KOCI UNGA 
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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1099/01 3252326
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 202326Z NOV 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5408
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3437
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001099 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KWMN KOCI UNGA
SUBJECT: UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE DISCUSSES SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT,
ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN, RIGHTS OF CHILDREN, AND INDIGENOUS
ISSUES

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001099

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KWMN KOCI UNGA
SUBJECT: UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE DISCUSSES SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT,
ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN, RIGHTS OF CHILDREN, AND INDIGENOUS
ISSUES


1. SUMMARY: From October 6-21, the UN General Assembly Third
Committee formally discussed social development, advancement
of women, rights of children, and indigenous issues. The
broader themes discussed under these topics reflected those
raised during the UN General Assembly General Debate, namely
the global food, financial, and energy crises, and the need
to fulfill the Millennium Development Goals, especially those
focused on poverty eradication, education, and health care.
Speakers from developing countries called for technical and
financial assistance to enable them to enact programs on
these issues. Many speakers expressed concern regarding the
UN's slow progress in achieving gender balance within its own
institutions, as well as the UN's as-of-yet failure to
appoint a Special Rapporteur on Violence against Children.
The representatives of several Arab nations used many of
these discussions to make comments regarding Israel's
"occupation" of the West Bank and Gaza and other territories.
Russia used the discussion on rights of children to blame
Georgia for the recent conflict. END SUMMARY

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
--------------


2. During four formal meetings October 6-7, the UN General
Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee discussed social development.
Speakers included the Under-Secretary-General (SYG) for
Economic and Social Affairs, the Acting Director of ECOSOC's
Division of Social Policy and Development; the Executive
Coordinator of the UN Volunteer Program; the Director of
UNESCO's Division for the Coordination of UN Priorities in
Education; observers from the International Labor
Organization (ILO),the International Organization for
Migration (IOM),and the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC); representatives of
59 countries, and the Palestinian observer. Public Delegate
Cheryl Halpern delivered the U.S. statement, which focused on
the need for greater international efforts to eradicate
illiteracy. (The complete texts of all U.S. statements can
be found at www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov.)


3. Key themes from the discussion included improving access
to healthcare and education; increasing employment

opportunities; protecting the rights of persons with
disabilities; addressing the needs of aging populations and
youth; eliminating diseases such as HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis,
and malaria; developing small and medium enterprises;
promoting literacy; and encouraging volunteerism. Many
speakers focused on the impact of poverty and hunger --
worsened by the global food, financial, and energy crises, as
well as climate change -- on already-vulnerable groups, such
as persons with disabilities, the elderly, and women and
children. Representatives of developing countries noted that
the lack of financial and technical resources was stalling
their progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). They called upon the developed countries to fulfill
their assistance commitments.


4. Speakers from Central and Latin America stressed that the
financial crisis was a major obstacle to social development,
advocating more "people-centered" economic policies as
opposed to capitalism. Cuba pointed to the "unfair
international reality" imposed by "powerful countries" as the
main cause of unemployment. India said it was time for the
Bretton Woods institutions to stop being the "cheerleaders of
capitalism" and revert to their initial goal of providing
assistance to countries to maintain high levels of
employment. Burma complained about the imposition of
"unilateral sanctions and coercive measures," which the
speaker said worked against national and international
efforts to increase employment. Lebanon blamed Israel for
impeding social development in the Middle East, and Syria
called for attention to the rights of persons in territories
under foreign occupation, expressing particular concern
regarding the "plight" of older persons in these territories.

ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
--------------


5. During five formal meetings October 13-15, the Third
Committee discussed advancement of women. Speakers included
the Assistant-SYG and Special Advisor to the SYG on Gender
Issues and Advancement of Women; the Director of the Division
of the Advancement of Women; the Executive Director of the UN
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM); the Chairperson for the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women;
the Executive Coordinator of Global Health of the UN
Population Fund (UNFPA); observers from the
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU),the International Committee
of the Red Cross, the IOM, the ILO, and the International
Fund for Agricultural Development; representatives of 80
countries, and the Palestinian observer. Ambassador T. Vance



McMahan delivered the U.S. statement, which emphasized the
need to end sexual violence, particularly in situations of
armed conflict.


6. Key themes from the discussion included eliminating
discrimination against women; eliminating all forms of
violence against women; combating trafficking of women and
girls; providing sexual and reproductive healthcare, with
specific goals of reducing maternal mortality and supporting
efforts to end obstetric fistula; achieving gender equality
in the workplace; ensuring girls' access to education and
encouraging attendance; promoting women's participation in
public life; ensuring equal property rights for women;
eradicating poverty; and protecting the role of rural women.
The need to fulfill the MDGs was referenced often, with some
speakers describing their perception of the "feminization of
poverty." Many speakers, including the European Union (EU)
via France's statement, called for the creation of a new
gender entity with the UN system, which would coordinate the
UN's existing gender-focused entities. Several speakers also
criticized the UN's slow progress in achieving gender balance
within its own institutions, to which the Special Advisor to
the SYG on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women responded
that her office was also frustrated, explaining that there
were not many female applicants for senior-level vacancies,
and that the UN was working more actively to recruit
qualified female candidates. Speakers from developing
countries noted their lack of resources, and called for
technical and financial assistance to work towards gender
equality and women's empowerment.


7. Sudan, Syria, and Palestine used the question and answer
session following the presentation of reports to bring up the
situation of women in areas under foreign occupation, with
Syria specifically referring to Israel's "occupation" of the
Golan Heights. Qatar, Oman, Sudan, Algeria, Libya, Morocco,
Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian observer also raised this
during their statements, although not all specifically
referenced Israel. During its statement, Cuba called the
U.S. embargo "a genocide act," claiming that it is the
"biggest form of violence" suffered by Cuban women. Japan
spoke in exercise of the right of reply in response to the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) comment during
its statement that Japan "denies its past," and the DPRK
responded that Japan had become "double-faced," noting
concern that because Japan was denying the "crimes" it had
committed against the DPRK, it was likely to repeat such
crimes.

RIGHTS OF CHILDREN
--------------


8. During four formal meetings October 15-17, the Third
Committee discussed rights of children. Speakers included
the Special Representative of the SYG for Children and Armed
Conflict; the Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children's
Fund (UNICEF); the Director of the New York Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights; the Chairperson of the
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC); observers from
the IPU, the IOM, the ILO, the IFRC, the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta; representatives of 71 countries, and the
Palestinian observer. Ambassador T. Vance McMahan delivered
the U.S. statement, which underscored the need to protect
children against abuse, exploitation and violence.


9. Key themes from the discussion included protecting
children in situations of armed conflict, including ending
the recruitment and use of children as child soldiers;
eliminating all forms of violence against children;
eliminating sexual exploitation of children; ending child
labor; eradicating poverty; providing health care for
children and preventing the spread of diseases such as
HIV/AIDS; addressing the needs of children living without
guardians; protecting the rights of detained children and
finding alternatives to the detainment of children; and
protecting children's rights to education and nutrition.
Nearly every speaker made positive comments about the Special
Representative of the SYG for Children and Armed Conflict's
work. Many speakers noted their concern that a Special
Representative on Violence against Children had not yet been
appointed as stipulated in a 62nd UNGA resolution. The
Director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights reported that candidates for the position were
currently being interviewed. Representatives from several
countries noted their support for the CRC's reform efforts,
including its decision to work in two chambers to help reduce
the backlog of reports pending the Committee's consideration.
The CRC Chairperson called for Member States who had not yet
done so to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child's
Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution
and child pornography, and the Optional Protocol on the



involvement of children in armed conflict. The EU, via
France's statement, said that discussions were underway
regarding the potential drafting of a third Optional
Protocol, which would grant the CRC authority to review
individual complaints.


10. Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, and the Palestinian observer used

the question and answer session following the presentation of
reports to bring up the situation of children in areas under
foreign occupation, specifically the situation of Palestinian
children in the West Bank and Gaza. Sudan, Egypt, Iran,
Libya, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Malaysia, and the Palestinian
observer also raised this during their statements, with the
Palestinian observer stating that more than 1,000 children
had died as a result of Israel's "occupation" of the West
Bank and Gaza. Israel expressed concern regarding the
"indoctrination of children into the world of extremist
ideology," listing as an example practices used at Hamas-run
"summer camps." During its statement, Cuba noted that it had
made progress in protecting children's rights in spite of the
financial and economic "blockade" imposed by the United
States, and said the "Bush plan" was "willfully ignorant of
the will of the people" in terms of their right to
self-determination. Russia spoke in exercise of the right of
reply in response to Georgia's reference during its statement
to acts of violence committed by a neighbor, listing
anecdotal cases "proving" that Georgia had committed acts
killing and injuring many children in South Ossetia. Georgia
reaffirmed that it was still open to its request for an
international investigation into the conflict, noting that
Russia had rejected the request.

INDIGENOUS ISSUES
--------------


11. During two formal meetings October 20-21, the Third
Committee discussed indigenous issues. Speakers included the
Under-SYG for Economic and Social Affairs; the Director of
the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights; experts from the UN Development Fund for Women, the
ILO, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development;
and representatives of 17 countries. The Under-SYG for
Economic and Social Affairs highlighted several positive
steps taken by the international community during the past
year, but noted that indigenous communities continued to
suffer from exclusion, exploitation, discrimination, extreme
poverty, and violence and persecution, with some facing the
threat of extinction. Many speakers expressed concern
regarding the impact of climate change on indigenous
populations, as they often live in the areas hit hardest by
natural disasters. Several speakers touched upon the
importance of preserving indigenous languages, and others
outlined their country's efforts to incorporate multicultural
curricula into the education system.
Khalilzad