THIRD COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELPOMENT, ADVANCEMENT OF

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001044 DEPT FOR IO/HR, DRL/MLGA, PRM/PIP, S/GWI SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KWMN KOCI UNGA SUBJECT: THIRD COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELPOMENT, ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN, AND RIGHTS OF CHILDREN ¶1. SUMMARY: The 64th UNGA Third Committee began October 5th with the discussion of Social Development. Speakers centered on women, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, migrants, and indigenous peoples as related to reducing poverty and achieving social development. On October 12th, the Committee took up Advancement of Women followed by Rights of Children. Most speakers during the Advancement of Women's debate endorsed the creation of the new gender entity, and urged the SG to announce its leader as soon as possible. The Rights of Children debate had over 95 speakers, many of whom focused on the effects of the economic crises on children, as well as child labor, all forms child abuse including FGM or cutting, children in armed conflict, and achieving MDGs that directly affect children. END SUMMARY. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ¶2. During four formal meetings October 5-6, the UN General Assembly Third Committee discussed social development. Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang addressed the three sub-items associated with this theme: a) Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the 24th special session of the GA; b) the world social situation of youth, ageing, disabled persons, and the family; and c) follow-up to the International Year of Older Persons: Second World Assembly on Ageing. U/SYG Zukang stressed that in periods of extended unemployment and rising prices, nations must devote special attention to those most affected by the situation. Representatives from over 45 countries spoke, including several international organizations, and Deputy U.S. Representative to ECOSOC, John F. Sammis, delivered the U.S. statement. The complete text of U.S. statements can be found at www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov. ¶3. With the exception of a few youth delegates focused on youth issues and climate change, speakers centered on women, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, migrants, and indigenous peoples as critical in reducing poverty and achieving social development. Many noted that the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) did not mention persons with disabilities. Sudan, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, expressed concern that negative impacts from the global economic and financial crises were undermining development efforts, especially in the fulfillment of commitments for internationally agreed official development assistance (ODA) in accomplishing the MDGs. The Group called for an equitable multilateral system that avoided protectionism, and stressed that developing countries needed additional resources to address food security. ¶4. The European Union (EU) said social exclusion was a major obstacle in combating poverty reduction and that job creation was a viable solution. Other speakers stressed the need to address the elderly in social development and suggested intergenerational solidarity as the bridge between the young and the old, as well as the family, as the primary social institution. The Cuban representative asked why the two billion dollars of bank bail-out money wasn't being used to help alleviate poverty and why developing country's debts weren't being cancelled. She suggested that $300 billion of the agriculture subsidy be redirected to food security issues and, that despite the illegal U.S. blockade, Cuba has undergone positive social transformation. ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN ¶5. During five formal meetings October 12-14, the Third Committee discussed Advancement of Women. Several presenters took the floor on the first day including, Joanne Sandler, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women; Carolyn Hannan, Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women; Jessica Neuwirth, Director, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Special Adviser to the SG on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Rachel Mayanja. Ms. Mayanja presented the report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on its forty-second and forty-third sessions (document A/64/38). More than 80 speakers discussed a broad range of women's issues such as all forms of violence against women, migrant workers, women in the informal sector, economic empowerment, trafficking in women, and female genital mutilation (FGM),among others. Public delegate Wellington Webb delivered the U.S. statement. ¶6. Another main topic was the adopted resolution on the new composite gender entity, which would unite the four UN gender-specific entities - UNIFEM, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues (OSAGI),the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW),and INSTRAW. The reports presented by UNIFEM and INSTRAW are document A/64/164 and document A/64/79-E/2009/74, respectively. Ms. Mayanja said she looked forward to the Committee making a "swift decision" for a composite gender entity that would be better resourced, have stronger field presence and a greater capacity to serve member states. During a question and answer session in which several delegates requested resource clarification, Ms. Sandler said the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, managed by UNIFEM, had only $12 million available, not nearly enough to handle almost $900 million in requests. UNIFEM was working to raise the visibility of successful projects and was reaching out to the private sector for help. ¶7. Several speakers underscored the dangers facing women migrant workers. They said women, who often worked at the lowest levels of the labor market, were among the first to be laid off as a result of the economic crisis. It was noted that, as the informal labor market grew for women, they were being exposed to violence and a higher degree of insecurity that had been associated with migrant workers in the informal sector. Sri Lanka's representative expressed strong support for efforts by UN agencies to promote protection of women migrant workers. Those measures included strengthening contractual agreements, control over recruitment agencies and information campaigns. ¶8. Other highlights throughout the discussion were the increased participation of women in the public and private sector, ongoing legislative and judicial reforms, and FGM. A number of African countries including, Burkina Faso Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Togo stressed the need to eradicate FGM in communities and enact laws making it a criminal act. Eritrea said that it has taken steps but more work was needed in public awareness and dialogue. The Perm Rep of Djibouti noted the increasing number of peacekeeping soldiers were themselves responsible for violence against women and called for a zero-tolerance policy for violence perpetrated against women by UN peacekeepers. He also welcomed Security Council resolution 1888 and quoted part of Hillary Clinton's statement made in September on the resolution to Combat Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict. Additionally, the Australian delegate said that some government's characterization of sexual violence as an inevitable "by-product" of war was intolerable. ¶9. In addition to Cuba's normal U.S. blockade rhetoric, the representative said it was a "genocide act and the major form of violence suffered by Cuban women and girls." She also called the visa denial of Mrs. Adriana Perez O'Connor; wife of one of five Cubans imprisoned in the U.S., inhumane and demanded the issuance of a humanitarian visa. She also criticized the lack of criminal prosecution by the U.S. of Luis Posada Carriles, who Cuba considers a terrorist for carrying out an airplane attack and hotel bombing. She urged states to support Cuba's upcoming resolution aimed at ending the embargo. ¶10. The United States delivered a right of reply to Cuba saying the U.S. regretted the use of the word "genocide" by Cuba to describe U.S. actions. One statement noted that even with the blockade, the U.S. was the largest provider of food to Cuba, exported medicine and medical equipment to the country and was Cuba's fifth largest trading partner. ¶11. The DPRK delegate blamed Japan for past crimes against Korean women and called for Japan to admit its wrong doing and give redress for its past crimes, particularly with respect to the 200,000 women it had abducted. The Japanese delegate repeated that his country was facing up to its past with sincerity and remorse for its actions, and had offered apologies. As for the abducted women, his country recognized that their existence was an act involving military authorities of the day, which injured the honor and dignity of many women, for which Japan apologized. RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ¶12. Rights of the Child attracted over 95, including Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the SG for Children and Armed Conflict; Omar Abdi, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF; and Yanghee Lee, Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative on Violence against Children, in her first appearance before the Committee since her appointment, said her agenda would build on the foundation provided by the Pinheiro UN Study on Violence against Children. Several Speakers noted that the U.S. and Somalia are the only two states that have not signed onto the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Public Delegate Laura G. Ross delivered the U.S. statement. ¶13. The debate covered the effects of the economic crises on children, child labor, all forms child abuse including FGM or cutting, children in armed conflict, and achieving MDGs that directly affect children. Many speakers said that the array of crises around the world, from the economic crisis to climate change to high food prices and nutritional insecurity, threatened to make achievement of the rights of the child, especially for girls, more difficult. The ILO estimated 218 million children in child labor. Speakers noted that child labor needed to be addressed, that children who are working are not going to school and learning, thereby making the MDG of "education for all" unattainable and that the real impact of the economic crisis would likely push more children into the work force and the informal sector. ¶14. While countries called for an end to the physical and emotional abuse of children worldwide, several speakers focused on ending FGM and sexual violence against children. Chile's representative underscored the crucial role of health systems in overcoming the lack of equity faced by girls, and that the elimination of FGM and obstetric fistula would promote the attainment of MDGs 3 and 5. The Inter-Parliamentary Union noted that progress on MDG 4, child survival, was slow with 97% of all maternal and child deaths occurring in 68 countries but only 16 are on track to reach MDG 4. Many delegates affirmed their country's commitment to SC resolution 1882 on children and armed conflict. ¶15. Cuba once again condemned the U.S. blockade calling it a "genocidal blockade" but also named U.S. companies Merck, NUMED, AGA, and Boston Scientific as companies that are forbidden to sell life saving medical products to Cuba. ¶16. Georgia and Russia had a tit-for-tat on who was at fault for the conflict in South Ossetia in August 2008. Armenia blamed Azerbaijan for using every agenda item to unleash anti-Armenian comments. Responding, the delegate from Azerbaijan said it was not politicizing the issue, but had special concerns, namely the disproportionate amount of refugees and internally displaced persons, a large number of which were children. Rice