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