Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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09USUNNEWYORK1048 | 2009-11-17 20:28:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | USUN New York |
VZCZCXYZ0013 RR RUEHWEB DE RUCNDT #1048 3212028 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 172028Z NOV 09 FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7653 INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3950 |
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001048 |
1. SUMMARY: On October 29 and November 10th the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly took action on five resolutions, adopting all by consensus, and defeating an amendment to the Violence against women resolution which related to foreign occupation. The resolutions on the situations of human rights in Iran and the DPRK sparked debate and the right of reply. END SUMMARY. 2. During formal meetings on October 29 and November 10, the Third Committee took action on A/C.3/64/L.4/Rev.1, (Policies and Programs Involving Youth); and A/C.3/64/L.16/Rev.1, (Intensification of Efforts to Eliminate All Forms of Violence against Women.) Sudan introduced an amendment to the later draft, A/C.3/64/L.25*. Resolution A/C.3/64/L.4/Rev.1 (Policies and Programs Involving Youth) was adopted by consensus without any amendment. Resolutions A/C.3/64/L.5/Rev.1 (Realizing the Millennium Development Goals for persons with disabilities), A/C.3/54/L.19 (Improvement on the situation of women in rural areas) and A/C.3/64/L.23/Rev.1 (Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) were adopted without a vote. 3. After the Netherlands introduced draft resolution A/C.3/64/L.16/Rev.1, Sudan introduced amendment L.25* which included text that had been in the resolution adopted last year, addressing violence against women in instances of foreign occupation and terrorism. The Netherlands delegate pointed out that the amendment did not fit the institutional nature of the draft text and would significantly shift its balance. The U.S. and Peru voiced their disapproval of the amendment in an explanation of vote (EOV) before the vote. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 52 in favor to 60 against, with 40 abstentions. Colombia and Serbia had an EOV; Colombia voted against the amendment and Serbia, as a co-sponsor of the amendment, abstained from voting. NOTE: The amendment was defeated primarily due to abstentions, no votes and absences from sub-Saharan countries in a reaction to Egyptian attempts to dominate the African group. END NOTE. 4. The committee then adopted by consensus draft resolution A/C.3/64/L.16/Rev.1, (Intensification of Efforts to Eliminate All Forms of Violence against Women.) Syria and Malaysia made statements after action supporting attention to foreign occupation. Liechtenstein decided to forego presenting an amendment on impunity in of the failure of the Syrian amendment. 5. After the adoption of the Torture resolution, L.23/Rev.1, China, Chile, Syria, and South Africa explained their respective positions. China disassociated itself with paragraph 29 of the resolution which referenced the Special Rapporteur's interim report. Chile said it would have preferred keeping the reference to capital punishment. Syria urged Member States to take all measures to prevent torture and commented that war, the threat of war, or political instability should not be excuses for conducting torture. South Africa said it would have preferred a more specific approach to torture to address such issues as the closure of the facilities in Guantanamo Bay, rights of victims, and accountability of people responsible for torture. 6. Twenty-nine resolutions were introduced on November 10, including the Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran (A/C.3/64/L.37) and the Situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) (A/C.3/64/L.35). In reaction, Iran and the DPRK exercised their rights of reply. Iran characterized resolution L.37 as misleading and exaggerated, criticizing Canada, the resolution's main sponsor, for its human rights record. The DPRK rejected L.35 stating that it was full of fabrication and concerned only with political interests not human rights. RICE |