UNGA: FOLLOW-UP TO MILLENNIUM SUMMIT AND

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001178 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN ECIN UNGA SUBJECT: UNGA: FOLLOW-UP TO MILLENNIUM SUMMIT AND COOPERATION WITH THE ECONOMIC COOPERATION ORGANIZATION REF: A. USUN 1069 ¶B. USUN 1006 ¶C. USUN 950 ¶D. USUN 1172 ¶1. The UN General Assembly (UNGA) convened on December 15 a meeting focused on development, as called for in Resolution A/62/265 on the follow-up to the development outcome of the 2005 World Summit. UN Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro and speakers from France (on behalf of the EU), Honduras, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Cuba reiterated calls heard throughout the 63rd General Assembly for greater international cooperation to respond to the current economic crisis (reftels A-C). France recognized the importance of actions taken in follow up to the Millennium Summit, while stressing the need for coherence within the UN system and expressing concern over the proliferation of high-level meetings and summits on the UNGA's upcoming calendar. Honduras blamed the financial crisis on "weaknesses" in the United States' financial markets, and welcomed the G-20's call for international financial sector reform at its November 15 meeting in Washington. Cuba refrained from criticizing directly the United States, but pointed to the UNGA Second Committee's December 11 passage of a resolution calling for a new international economic order (reftel D) as "acknowledgment" of the need to reform the international financial architecture. ¶2. The UNGA also adopted, by consensus, Resolution A/63/L.39/Rev.1 entitled, "Cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Cooperation Organization," submitted under Agenda item 114(i). Action on this resolution was delayed from November 26, when the United States requested several revisions. (Note: The facilitators did not hold informal consultations prior to introducing the resolution. End note.) The final document incorporated all U.S. requested changes. COMMENT -------------- ¶3. As development-related issues were considered under multiple other agenda items during the 63rd General Assembly, the December 15 discussion focused on development was rather perfunctory and featured a noticeably shorter speakers' list than earlier meetings on related topics. Khalilzad