Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USUNNEWYORK1129
2009-12-18 01:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:  

64TH UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY: EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC

Tags:  BP BX CB CH ECON FJ FM ID JA KR KS LA MG 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 10 USUN NEW YORK 001129 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019
TAGS: BP BX CB CH ECON FJ FM ID JA KR KS LA MG
MY, NH, NR, NZ, PHUM, PP, PREL, PS, RM, RP, SN, TH, TN, TV,
UNGA, VM, WS, XB
SUBJECT: 64TH UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY: EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC
ISLANDS' PERFORMANCE

USUN NEW Y 00001129 001.4 OF 010


Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROSEMARY DICARLO FOR REASONS 1.4 (B & D)

SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 10 USUN NEW YORK 001129

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019
TAGS: BP BX CB CH ECON FJ FM ID JA KR KS LA MG
MY, NH, NR, NZ, PHUM, PP, PREL, PS, RM, RP, SN, TH, TN, TV,
UNGA, VM, WS, XB
SUBJECT: 64TH UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY: EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC
ISLANDS' PERFORMANCE

USUN NEW Y 00001129 001.4 OF 010


Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROSEMARY DICARLO FOR REASONS 1.4 (B & D)

SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION:


1. (U) This cable was prepared by Ambassador Joan Plaisted,
who served as Senior Area Adviser for East Asia and the
Pacific (EAP) to the 64th United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA).


2. (U) EAP countries in general welcomed the new era of U.S.
engagement and partnership this 64th General Assembly where
the United States sought anew to work through the United
Nations in pursuit of enhanced global cooperation. In his
General Assembly address, President Obama cited the United
States paying our budgetary and peacekeeping arrears, our
rejoining the Human Rights Council, and our embracing the
Millennium Development Goals. He could have added our
recommitment to ending climate change and endorsement of the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. U.S. reengagement was
evidenced in the President's chairing a special session of
the Security Council on non-proliferation and disarmament and
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's chairing a session to
condemn violence against women and co-chairing with Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon a Food Security meeting. Pacific Island

Permanent Representatives (Permreps) to the United Nations
are still commenting on how much their heads of state and
government appreciated Secretary Clinton's meeting with them
on the margins of the UNGA. This clear message of
reengagment helped to advance new policies on
non-proliferation and disarmament, climate change and other
environmental issues, human rights and democracy, and the UN
Budget - the U.S. goals for the 64th UNGA. Other U.S.
priorities included peacekeeping and conflict management,
sustainable development, combating gender violence, and UN
management reforms, including enforcing budget discipline in
the regular and peacekeeping scales of assessments, as the
UNGA conducts its triennial review of the scale of
assessments this year.


3. (U) The policy of active engagement was reflected in
committee votes where the United States worked hard to avoid
being isolated, if possible. On disarmament and
nonproliferation issues in the First Committee, the United
States cast ten "no" votes this year, down from 23 last year,
and in no case did we vote "no" in isolation. Our going from
a "no" vote to co-sponsorship of Japan's resolution on the
complete elimination of nuclear weapons was reportedly front
page news in Japan. The Australians were delighted when we
co-sponsored and voted for their resolution on the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty rather than voted against it as
we had done since 2001. We were able to abstain rather than
vote "no" on the ASEAN resolution on the Southeast Asia
Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty. On social, humanitarian,
and cultural issues in the Third Committee, delegates broke
out in unusual applause when the United States joined
consensus on the Rights of the Child for the first time in a
decade. The new U.S. flexibility enabled us to join
consensus for the first time on Right to Food too. On Right
to Development the United States was no longer the sole "no"
vote, now joined by the EU. However, in the Second (Economic
and Financial) Committee, five resolutions still needed to be
voted upon this year, similar to previous years.


4. (U) To achieve U.S. goals for the 64th UN General Assembly
(UNGA) session, East Asian and Pacific Islands support was
essential. A new resolution this session based on the
Goldstone Report was adopted by a vote of 114-18(U.S.)-44.
It called on Israel and the Palestinian side to investigate

USUN NEW Y 00001129 002.4 OF 010


alleged war crimes committed during the December 2008-January
2009 conflict. The 18 "no" votes - including those cast by
five Pacific Islanders - are the most a resolution dealing
with Israel has received since 2005. EAP votes were
especially helpful on three Middle East resolutions the
United States identified as top priorities. Although these
still passed by overwhelming margins, the Pacific Islanders
accounted for the majority of the "no" votes with the United
States and for many of the abstentions. Voting "no" on all
three resolutions with the United States and Israel, along
with Canada, were Australia, the Marshall Islands,
Micronesia, Nauru, and Palau. In a welcome shift, New
Zealand joined the no votes on the Division for Palestinian
Rights resolution this session. While Australia moved away
from the United States on one vote - the resolution on
Palestinian self-determination - this was to reverse the
previous government's decision to vote no on resolutions that
reference the ICJ decision on the separation barrier.
Australia shifted its votes on two resolutions during the
63rd UNGA for the same reason.


5. (SBU) A top U.S. priority again this UNGA was to ensure
passage of the Iran human rights resolution, plus resolutions
on Burma and the DPRK. In a welcome development, no
delegation called for a procedural motion - a "no-action"
motion - to try to block the Third Committee from taking up
the Iran and Burma resolutions this session. All out efforts
by USUN, Washington, and our Posts ensured the Third
Committee passed all three human rights resolutions by wider
margins than last year. On our top priority, Iran, 14 EAP
countries in the Third Committee cast welcome "yes" votes.
We picked up an extra "yes" vote this year from Papua New
Guinea that had previously abstained. For the second year in
a row, Kiribati was able to get its proxy in on time for the
Third Committee votes. Due to Iran's assistance, Tuvalu
reverted to voting "no," a vote they had cast in the Plenary
in 2007 before getting miffed that Iran had not delivered on
promised aid and switched back to voting "yes" in 2008.
Alas, Iran delivered this year. On Burma, five ASEAN
countries were able to abstain this year when Cambodia
shifted from being not present to abstaining along with
Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. In part
influenced by its desire to join ASEAN, Timor-Leste switched
to abstaining from a "yes" vote. Tuvalu cast an unhelpful
"no" vote. On the DPRK human rights resolution, the only
change was Laos going from a "no" vote to deliberately being
not present. Third Committee items are expected to come up
in the Plenary for a vote on December 18, with the exception
of the Burma human rights resolution that due to budgetary
implications may be delayed until December 23-24. We again
need active lobbying efforts by posts.


6. (C) The votes of Pacific Islanders, which now number 14
counting Australia and New Zealand, can no longer be taken
for granted as islanders are increasingly courted by Iran,
Venezuela, Cuba, and others. Two islands - the Solomon
Islands and Tuvalu - have cast their lot with Iran in return
for much needed assistance. Cuba offers medical training in
Havana to students from several of the islands. As
Ambassador Rice commented in her much appreciated November 30
meeting with the Pacific Island Permreps before the
Copenhagen climate change conference, all the U.S. can offer
is friendship and a principled position; others offer added
incentives. For the 65th UNGA, the Senior Advisor would
recommend that Secretary Clinton again meet with the Pacific
Island heads of state and government. This high-level
attention does translate into goodwill and votes at the
United Nations. End Summary and Introduction.

USUN NEW Y 00001129 003.4 OF 010



--------------
Climate Change Summit and the General Debate
--------------


7. (U) To launch the 64th UNGA, Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon convened the largest-ever summit on the climate
crisis with the participation of 101 heads of state and
government and representatives from 163 countries in the run
up to Copenhagen in December. Many leaders confirmed the
need to limit global average temperature rise to a maximum of
two degrees Celsius. Most vulnerable countries including the
small island developing states pushed for an even more
stringent 1.5 degree limit. On the mitigation front, Japan's
new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was praised for his
announcement of an ambitious goal of a 25 percent reduction
in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, against the 1990 level,
and the intent to create a Japanese carbon market that would
be linked into a global carbon market. Several delegates
found President Hu Jintao's announcement too vague that China
would be prepared to take additional actions to reduce energy
intensity in the context of an international agreement. On
adaptation, the European Union announced their support for a
fast track funding facility for adaptation and their
readiness to provide 5-7 billion Euros to launch it.


8. (U) East Asia and Pacific countries in their speeches
during the Climate Change Summit and General Debate that
followed when almost all of the 192 member states addressed
the General Assembly highlighted the deleterious impact of
climate change and the global financial, food, and energy
crises on their economies. Pacific Island nations appealed
for redoubled efforts to address climate change and rising
sea levels, which they maintained threaten the security of
their people as seen in their General Assembly resolution
adopted last June by consensus with U.S. co-sponsorship on
"Climate Change and its Possible Security Implications."
Papua New Guinea noted the need to resettle 1200 of their
citizens and called for 20 percent of any financial or
institutional response to climate change to be allocated to
deforestation, since deforestation accounts for 20 percent of
greenhouse gas emissions. The Philippines referred to their
role as coordinator for the G-77 in the climate change talks.
New Zealand's new Prime Minister noted climate change must
be the 64th UNGA's main focus and announced New Zealand would
direct its assistance to the Pacific Islanders. New Zealand
also sought support for their Security Council candidacy for
2015-2016. (Australia is a candidate for 2013-2014). Palau's
President said his people "cherish" their relationship with
the United States and called for a worldwide bottom trawling
moratorium. Kiribati's President sought international support
for their relocation strategy, saying on climate change, "If
we don't act now, who the hell is going to do it."


9. (U) Mongolia's President proposed a North East Asian
Summit on climate change and sought support for their
subsequently successful candidacy for ECOSOC for 2010-2011.
Cambodia warmly welcomed the U.S. initiative to engage the
Lower Mekong Basin countries by sharing best practices.
Indonesia's Foreign Minister, identifying Israel as the main
problem in the Middle East, then praised President Obama's
even-handed and multilateral approach and called on other
countries to respond to this partnering for peace. Burma's
Prime Minister sought an end to sanctions against his
country, claiming that since "sanctions are indiscriminate
and of themselves a form of violence, they cannot
legitimately be regarded as a tool to promote human rights
and democracy." Japan's Prime Minister promoted a role for

USUN NEW Y 00001129 004.4 OF 010


his country as a bridge between East and West. The ROK's
President announced a tripling of their 2008 level of
official development assistance by 2015 and offered to share
their experiences to help others find the right development
model. He went off text to note he had proposed a "grand
bargain" to the DPRK, offering economic development aid in
exchange for the DPRK giving up nuclear weapons. Several
countries called on the DPRK to uphold their commitments and
to pursue Six-Party Talks.

--------------
Anti-Israeli Resolutions
--------------


10. (SBU) One of the most hotly contested votes this UNGA
was on a new resolution based on the Goldstone Report. The
resolution, the "Follow-up to the Report of the UN
Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict," endorsed the
report and called on Israel and the Palestinian side to
investigate alleged war crimes committed during the December
2008-January 2009 conflict and implied possible UNSC action
if either side fails to launch credible investigations.
Syria's hard-line negotiating stance allowed the EU to be
split and led to more "no" votes and abstentions. The 18
"no" votes are the most a resolution dealing with Israel has
received since 2005. The resolution was adopted by a vote of
114-18(U.S.)-44. Pacific Islanders cast five of the "no"
votes: Australia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and
Palau. Abstaining were Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, PNG, ROK,
Samoa, and Tonga. Voting "yes" were Brunei, Cambodia, China,
DPRK, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand,
Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Absent were Kiribati, Tuvalu, and
Vanuatu. This issue will come up again in February. Assuming
there could well be another vote, it is worth noting that
Vanuatu's Permrep told the Senior Advisor he could have voted
"no", but he had a conflicting appointment. Tuvalu has moved
from voting "no" to abstaining to voting "yes" most recently
on some Middle East votes, so being not present is a good
stance. Fiji's Permrep told the Senior Advisor he is facing
criticism from his capital that wants to move toward the Arab
position; "his country is kicking his butt" for his
abstention. Timor-Leste's Permrep told the Senior Advisor he
switched from his instructions to abstain to a "yes" vote
after hearing the Israeli Permrep's inflammatory language
referring to the Goldstone Committee as "conceived with
hatred and delivered in sin"; he maintained that more respect
was due to Judge Goldstone. This is a vote to turn around in
capital. Another vote to target is Mongolia's disappointing
"yes" vote, since Mongolia often abstains or is deliberately
absent on Middle East votes. Finally Singapore has good
relations with Israel yet votes consistently with the NAM.


11. (U) EAP countries were also helpful in adding to the "no"
votes and abstentions on three priority resolutions opposed
by the United States that extend the mandates of anti-Israeli
UN
programs established more than a generation ago. These
programs contribute neither to the achievement of peace in
the region nor to the goal of UN reform. The State
Department, under PL 106-113 (Section 721),is required to
report by January 15 each year on steps taken to abolish
certain UN groups, including these three programs.


12. (U) The Plenary vote to extend the mandate of the
Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices was 92
-9(U.S.)-74. Last year's vote was 94 for-8(U.S.)-73. Voting
"no" with the U.S. and Israel were Australia, Canada, the

USUN NEW Y 00001129 005.4 OF 010


Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and Palau. Panama added
the extra "no" vote this year. We had one less EAP "yes" vote
when Cambodia was absent this year. The Solomon Islands
switched to a "yes" vote from being not present in 2008.
Tuvalu switched to being not present from a "yes" vote in
2008, abstaining in 2007, and voting "no" with us in 2005 and

2006. EAP picked up two more abstentions from PNG and Vanuatu
(both were not present in 2008). The Senior Advisor was able
to convince Vanuatu's only remaining delegate to vote this
year by providing her with a detailed accounting of their
past votes. The Philippines and Thailand again broke ranks
with ASEAN to abstain. Also abstaining were Fiji, Japan,
Mongolia, New Zealand, the ROK, Samoa, Timor-Leste, and
Tonga. Cambodia, Kiribati, and Tuvalu were absent.


13. (SBU) The Plenary vote to extend the mandate of the
Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat was
112-9(U.S.)-54 Last year the vote was 106-8(U.S.)-57. We
picked up a welcome "no" vote from New Zealand. New
Zealand's Permrep told the Senior Advisor their new
government had given this a good hard look in capital. In a
helpful explanation of vote, he opined the resources for the
Division for Palestinian Rights can be better spent. (The
Division costs $3 million a year and largely turns out
reports). Again joining the U.S., Israel, Canada, and
Australia in voting "no" were our traditional small island
friends - the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and Palau.
Timor-Leste switched to being not present from voting "yes"
in 2008. After the Thai Permrep reviewed their past votes and
discovered all other ASEAN countries were voting "yes",
Thailand switched to a "yes" vote from abstaining in past
years. Fiji again abstained as they did in 2008, after
voting "yes" in 2007. Also abstaining were Japan, PNG, the
ROK, and Samoa. Absent were Kiribati, Mongolia
(deliberately),Timor-Leste (deliberately),Tuvalu, and
Vanuatu (staff shortage).


14. (U) The Plenary vote to extend the mandate of the
Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the
Palestinian People was 109-8(U.S.)-55. Last year the vote was
107-8(U.S.)-57. Reflecting their votes on the Division for
Palestinian Rights, Thailand switched from abstaining to a
"yes" vote to join the other ASEANS and Timor-Leste switched
from voting "yes" to being not present. Voting "no" were
Australia, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and
Palau. Abstaining were Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, PNG, ROK,
Samoa, and Tonga. Absent were Kiribati, Mongolia,
Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. All other EAP countries
voted "yes."


15. (SBU) Next year EAP should try to obtain more "no" votes
from the islanders, including Samoa and Tonga, and to see if
New Zealand, now voting "no" on the Division for Palestinian
Rights would join us on the other two priority resolutions in
line with their supposed efforts to vote more with the United
States on Middle East issues. Prime Minister Key has told us
he is very determined to re-think former Prime Minister
Clark's position on the debate. We should seek to get
Vanuatu to be present for all three resolutions and to
abstain. It was again a staff shortage with a delegate out
with the flu that lead to their being not present on two
resolutions this year. PNG is now abstaining on all three
resolutions. Fiji, which is now abstaining on all three
resolutions, also shifted from a "yes" vote to abstaining on
the resolution on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of
Palestine and should be urged to do so on other Middle East
resolutions too. Timor-Leste's recent welcome votes should
be watched in view of their interest to align themselves more

USUN NEW Y 00001129 006.4 OF 010


closely with ASEAN countries in hopes of joining ASEAN.
Thailand is now abstaining (along with the Philippines among
the ASEANS) on only one of the three resolutions. The high
cost - $3 million annually - of maintaining the mandate for
the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat is a
good point to emphasize. It would be useful if the
Department could provide more substantive talking points on
these resolutions and more advance notice of upcoming votes,
allowing for time for demarches.

--------------
Human Rights Resolutions
--------------


16. (U) EAP posts efforts paid off when the Third Committee
adopted resolutions on the human rights situations in Iran,
Burma, and the DPRK by wider margins than in 2008. These
resolutions still have to be voted on in the Plenary on
December 18, with the Burma vote expected December 23-24. In
a welcome change from past years, no Third Committee
delegations called for "no-action" motions - a procedural
motion to try to block an item for coming up for a vote. The
most important resolution on Iran passed by an overall 26
vote winning margin, compared with a 19 vote margin in the
Third Committee in 2008. The Burma resolution saw an overall
gain of three "yes" votes, three fewer "no" votes, and two
more abstentions compared with last year's Third Committee
vote. The DPRK resolution enjoyed a gain of two "yes" votes,
five fewer "no" votes, and three more abstentions. In sum,
we had a very good showing on all three resolutions. The
Pacific Islands again proved to be key to the success of the
human rights resolutions. These small delegations made a
real effort to be present and will have to make an even
greater effort to cover the plenary vote when many delegates
will be in Copenhagen for the climate conference. How EAP
countries voted is outlined in detail below:


17. (SBU) Iran human rights resolution: 74(U.S.)-48-59. Last
year's Third Committee vote was 70(U.S.)-51-60. Canada
sponsored this resolution and the U.S. cosponsored. EAP
gained a good "yes" vote from Papua New Guinea (PNG voted
"yes" in 2005 and had abstained since then). Their Permrep
carefully reviewed recent developments and told the Senior
Advisor he was influenced by the aftermath of the June
elections. We lost a "yes" vote when Tuvalu switched from
"yes" to "no" due to assistance from Iran. Their Charge, who
was trying to understand his government's instructions to
vote "no," said Tuvalu was desperate for assistance; without
it, they would be gone in ten years, he claimed. Iran has
helped to build a sea-wall for protection from global warming
and is also helping to finance their students to study in
Cuba. (In 2007 Tuvalu shifted from voting "yes" in the Third
Committee to voting "no" in the plenary, then returned to
their good "yes" votes last year when promised assistance was
not delivered). The Solomon Islands continued to abstain.
Their Permrep in an explanation of vote called for others to
respect the Solomon Islands' position, saying human rights
issues should be dealt with in the Human Rights Council, not
elsewhere. The Permrep had earlier maintained in a
conversation with an EAP/DAS and the Senior Advisor that
other countries had a luxury the Solomon Islands can't
afford; they need assistance from the international
community. For the second year, Kiribati cast a welcome
"yes" vote by proxy in the Third Committee. We saw a net gain
of one abstention from Cambodia which had been absent last
year.

--Yes: Australia, Fiji, Japan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands,

USUN NEW Y 00001129 007.4 OF 010


Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, PNG, Samoa,
Timor-Leste,
Tonga, Vanuatu.

--No: China, DPRK, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Tuvalu,
Vietnam.

--Abstain: Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Philippines,
ROK,
Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand.


18. (SBU) Burma/Myanmar human rights resolution:
92(U.S.)-26-65. Last year's Third Committee vote was
89(U.S.)-29-63. Because this resolution has budgetary
implications, it will come up for a vote very late in the
Plenary when some small countries are absent. It was
EU-sponsored and the United States again co-sponsored. The
resolution strongly condemns the ongoing systematic
violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the
people of Myanmar and expresses grave concern at the recent
trial and sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi while calling for
her immediate and unconditional release and the release of
all prisoners of conscience. It strongly urges the
Government to take the necessary steps towards a free, fair,
transparent, and inclusive electoral process, including
allowing the participation of all voters and all political
parties. The resolution extends the Secretary General's
mandate by requesting the SG "to continue to provide his good
offices" and to give all necessary assistance to enable his
Special Advisor and the Special Rapporteur to discharge their
mandates fully and effectively and in a coordinated manner.
We picked up a "yes" vote from Micronesia that had
embarrassingly missed the Third Committee vote last year.
Cambodia moved to an abstention, which was good to be
counted, rather than being absent. Timor-Leste shifted from
a good "yes" vote last year to abstaining; this very
controversial vote in capital had the Foreign Minister
ordering the Permrep to abstain and the President instructing
him to vote "yes." The Permrep has told the Senior Advisor he
intends to vote "yes" in the plenary even if it means being
fired. The worst vote was Tuvalu switching to a "no" vote
from a "yes" vote last year.

--Yes: Australia, Fiji, Japan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands,
Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, ROK, Samoa,
Tonga, Vanuatu.

--No: Brunei, China, DPRK, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Tuvalu,
Vietnam.

--Abstain: Cambodia, Indonesia, PNG, Philippines, Singapore,
Solomon Islands, Thailand, Timor-Leste.


19. (SBU) DPRK human rights resolution: 97(U.S.)-19-65.
Last year's Third Committee vote was 95(U.S.)-24-62. This was
the fifth time the UNGA has passed a human rights resolution
on
the DPRK. It was EU-sponsored, the United States
cosponsored. The resolution expresses "very serious concern
at the persistence of continuing reports of systemic,
widespread and grave violations of civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights" and the continued
refusal to recognize the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on
the situation of human rights in the DPRK. The ROK again
voted "yes," rather than abstaining as they did in 2007.
Laos was not present, having voted "no" in 2008. Mongolia
was again deliberately absent because of its strategic
location as a neighbor. Tuvalu, which had co-sponsored the

USUN NEW Y 00001129 008.4 OF 010


resolution, continued to vote "yes" on this one.

--Yes: Australia, Fiji, Japan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands,
Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, PNG, ROK, Samoa,
Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

--No: China, DPRK, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam

--Abstain: Brunei, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon
Islands, Thailand.

--Absent: Laos, Mongolia.

-------------- --------------
Defamation of Religions and other Third Committee Resolutions
-------------- --------------


20. (U) Another Third Committee priority was to ensure broad
cross-regional opposition to the OIC-sponsored "Combating
Defamation of Religions" resolution. The resolution seeks to
impose limitations on freedom of expression that run contrary
to U.S. and international law. While the resolution passed
in the Third Committee by a vote of 81-55(U.S.)-43, this was
an improvement from last year's Third Committee vote of
85-50(U.S.)-42. The OIC sponsors must be concerned by the
steadily diminishing votes for their resolution as more
delegations understand the content. On EAP votes, we picked
up a "no" vote from Vanuatu, which had abstained in 2008.
Both the Marshall Islands and Nauru were absent in the Third
Committee but have told the Senior Advisor they will vote
"no" in the plenary. We picked up four abstentions: Fiji,
Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu. Tonga's Permrep promised
to shift to a "no" vote in the Plenary. Voting yes were
Brunei, Cambodia China, DPRK, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Voting "no" with the U.S. were Australia, Micronesia, New
Zealand, Palau, ROK, Samoa, and Vanuatu. Abstaining were
Fiji, Japan, Mongolia, PNG, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste,
Tonga, and Tuvalu. Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and Nauru
were absent. This vote will come up again in the Plenary on
December 18.


21. (U) On other Third Committee resolutions, many EAP
countries warmly welcomed the new U.S. flexibility that
enabled us to join consensus for the first time on Right to
Food and Rights of the Child. Committee members broke out in
spontaneous applause when the U.S. joined consensus on Rights
of the Child for the first time since 2002. On Right to
Development the United States was no longer the sole "no"
vote when the EU stood firm against G-77 excesses and voted
"no" as a bloc.

--------------
Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
--------------


22. (SBU) The U.S. policy of active engagement on
multilateral disarmament and nonproliferation issues paid off
in the UNGA First Committee (Disarmament and International
Security). The United States sought to build on the vision
President Obama articulated in his April speech in Prague by
engaging resolution sponsors to find as much common ground as
possible and to reduce the number of instances where we voted
"no" in isolation. As a result, the First Committee greatly
reduced the number of issues voted upon this year. The
United States cast 10 "no" votes this year, down from 23 last
year, and in no case did we vote "no" in isolation. Many EAP
delegations, particularly Indonesia, applauded our

USUN NEW Y 00001129 009.4 OF 010


willingness to be flexible and to engage constructively.
Japan's delegation accommodated our recommended changes on
their resolution on the complete elimination of nuclear
weapons. With the Japanese press hovering over the First
Committee, the United States went from a "no" vote last year
to co-sponsorship this year - a move that was reportedly
front page news in Japan. The ASEAN states, particularly
Thailand as the chair, were most helpful in negotiations on
their resolution on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free
Zone Treaty enabling the United States to abstain rather than
vote "no" as we had in the past. Satisfactory but
hard-fought results were reached on resolutions on the report
of the Conference on Disarmament and the Fissile Material
Cutoff Treaty. The resolution on a conventional Arms Trade
Treaty (ATT) was among the most contentious, but in the end
we agreed to support it in return for UK agreement that the
ATT negotiations would be conducted by consensus; China,
Russia, India, Pakistan, and many Arab states abstained. The
Australians were thrilled when the United States co-sponsored
and voted for their resolution on the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty (reflecting the change in U.S. policy on the CTBT)
rather than vote against it as we had done since 2001. In
order to gain widespread support, the Australian sponsors,
after long and difficult consultations with China, watered
down significantly any reference to the DPRK nuclear test.
The DPRK still cast the only "no" vote. In general,
Singapore, especially on disarmament issues, and Indonesia
sought to moderate NAM positions in the First Committee.

--------------
Bloc Politics and EAP Country Performance
--------------


23. (C) ASEAN countries again diverged this UNGA, as seen in
their votes on the human rights resolutions on Iran, Burma,
and the DPRK. The Philippines and Thailand again split off
to abstain on some Middle East issues this session. Because
almost all of developing Asia is organized in one regional
group or another, Mongolia feels left out, belonging to no
sub-regional group and believes this impacts its ability to
get elected to UN bodies. Mongolia was thus most pleased to
be elected to ECOSOC, after dropping its bid for a SC seat
candidacy for 2009-2010. Timor-Leste, a fairly recent UN
member, is feeling its way on the issues and, without being a
member of a group, is amenable to considering questions on
their merits. Their Permrep's task has been complicated this
session by the conflicting instructions he is receiving from
capital on the Burma human rights vote.


24. (C) As in past years, Pacific Island Forum (PIF)
countries consult regularly on UN issues, with Nauru
currently serving as PIF chair. Counting Australia and New
Zealand, the Pacific Islands now number 14, with the addition
of Tuvalu as a member in 2000 and Kiribati, Nauru, and Tonga
in 1999. Kiribati, due to cost, is the only Pacific island
without a UN Mission in New York, although their President
participates in September's General Debate. Kiribati has
increasingly granted its proxy to New Zealand, enabling
Kiribati to vote on the human rights resolutions in the Third
Committee, not just in the plenary, for the second year now.
One has to start well in advance to line up their proxy. We
hope their participation will continue to increase. As in
past UNGAs, some delegations made effective use of interns to
supplement their small staff. Taiwan has managed to get into
the United Nations via the back door, placing interns in a
few island delegations. While not exactly a voting bloc, the
islands are an influential group whose votes are increasingly
solicited by others. The United States can not take these

USUN NEW Y 00001129 010.4 OF 010


votes for granted when we seek support on human rights,
Middle East, and other issues. Even our normally solid
supporter, the Marshall Islands switched in 2008 to
abstaining on the resolution calling for an end to the Cuban
embargo, but rejoined the handful of "no" votes this year
with the U.S., Israel, and Palau. Iran, Venezuela and Cuba
court the islanders too. Several islands have medical
students studying in Havana: Kiribati, Nauru, the Solomon
Islands, and, most recently, Tuvalu. Tuvalu's Permrep
earlier told the Senior Advisor quite blatantly that he votes
for whoever can assist Tuvalu; if you can help us on this
project, we will vote for you. "We are here to seek
assistance," he maintained.


25. (U) The best way to get island votes, in addition to
providing assistance, is to devote time and attention to
these small delegations and to provide written talking points
for them to share with their capitals when needed. Most
regular contact in New York ends after the Senior Advisor
departs. The islanders greatly appreciated Ambassador Rice's
hosting them to lunch last January and meeting with them on
climate change just before Copenhagen. We need to be alert to
opportunities to continue the outreach. For the 65th UNGA,
the Senior Advisor would recommend that Secretary Clinton
again meet with the Pacific Island heads of state and
government. This high-level attention does translate into
goodwill and votes at the United Nations.


26. (U) EAP countries good showing this UNGA - with the
Pacific Islands often our best allies in the UN - was
attributable to concerted efforts on all fronts: in New York,
in Washington, and in capitals. Our embassies in particular
deserve our gratitude for their lobbying efforts with host
governments, often on short notice.

*** Current Classification *** CONFIDENTIAL
RICE