INSTRUCTION: CALL FOR A VOTE AND ALIGN POSITION

UNCLAS STATE 119126 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA SUBJECT: INSTRUCTION: CALL FOR A VOTE AND ALIGN POSITION WITH EU ON UNGA 3C RESOLUTION "RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT" REF: MUSSER - MCGEENEY EMAIL 11/10/09 16:53 ¶1. The Department authorizes USDEL to call for a vote and to vote "no" or abstain in line with EU countries and to deliver the Explanation of Vote contained in paragraph 2, below, on the resolution entitled "Right to Development" provided the resolution text does not change significantly from the wording contained in REF to negatively affect vital U.S. interests. ¶2. Explanation of Vote: Thank you Mr. President. The United States has a long-standing commitment to support development. Our Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has emphasized that the promotion of development and human security is one of the crucial pillars of our country's foreign policy and the United States is the world's largest bilateral donor of overseas development assistance. President Obama, in addressing this 64th session of the General Assembly, spoke of developing a global economy that advances opportunity for all people as one of the four pillars that must fortify our future. He pledged to "integrate more economies into a system of global trade" and to "support the Millennium Development Goals", "setting our sights on the eradication of extreme poverty in our time". These objectives align closely with the broader thrust of this resolution on the right to development. Notwithstanding, the United States must call a vote, as we do not believe the current text of the resolution reflects a genuine consensus on how best to achieve these goals. In particular, at this time, we do not consider it appropriate for any criteria related to the right to development to evolve into a basis for consideration of an international legal standard of a binding nature. We also have concerns about this resolution's numerous extraneous statements about topics that have little to do with the right to development, such as international governance, globalization, WTO negotiations, and indigenous peoples. Nonetheless, we welcome the contribution of the Independent Expert on the Right to Development and the High Level Task Force and look forward to continuing our engagement as the Task Force moves to elaborate the right to development criteria and corresponding operational sub-criteria. These tools, aimed at strengthening development practice, may be shaped and utilized through a process of genuine consensus to underpin our common purpose on this vital issue. I thank you Mr. President. CLINTON