UN GENERAL DEBATE CONTINUES (SEPTEMBER 25 AM)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000994 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNGA ECON PGOV PREL AORC KPKO US ZI NR PS EN, IV, UV, LE, SO, MK, DO, KR, PK, AC, KU, MP SUBJECT: UN GENERAL DEBATE CONTINUES (SEPTEMBER 25 AM) USUN NEW Y 00000994 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. SUMMARY: The UN General Debate continued on September 25 on a range of topics from climate change to UN reform (particularly Security Council membership),the Israel-Palestine dispute and multilateralism. The following heads of state or government spoke: Zimbabwe; Nauru; Palau; Estonia; Cote d'Ivoire; Burkina Faso; Lebanon; Somalia; Macedonia; Dominica; Kiribati; Pakistan; Palestinian Authority; Antigua and Barbuda; Kuwait; and Mauritius. Full text of statements is available on at www.un.org/ga/64/generaldebate, video archives are at www.un.org/webcast/2009.html. END SUMMARY ¶2. Zimbabwe: President Robert Mugabe reaffirmed Zimbabwe's position that the UN General Assembly is the "best forum to tackle global issues" but that it needs to serve the collective interest of all of its members, not just a select few. He advocated for Africa's position for two more permanent seats on the Security Council with veto power plus two additional non-permanent seats. Mugabe called for an increase in investment in agriculture in developing countries in addition to the removal or reduction of agricultural subsidies. He also urged the international community and pharmaceutical companies to make anti-retroviral drugs more accessible. Although he complimented the United States on the recent non-proliferation agreement with Russia, he criticized the United States (and the E.U.) for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe and for continuing the embargo on Cuba. ¶3. Nauru: President Marcus Stephen called for the revitalization of the multilateral system to make it more equitable and representative. Stephen urged Member States not to lose focus of the MDGs, and invited the United Nations to open a field office in Nauru. He advocated for immediate action to address climate change and for developed countries to provide one percent of GDP to developing countries for adaptation and mitigation efforts. He closed with a request to include Taiwan more substantively in UN activities and to make Japan, India, Germany, and Brazil permanent members of the Security Council. ¶4. Palau: President Johnson Toribiong began his address by thanking the permanent members of the Security Council for recognizing Palau's sovereignty. Like other small island countries, Toribiong expressed his concern over the effects of climate change and hopes the Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen will yield concrete results. He identified Japan for a permanent seat on the Security Council and also recommended including Taiwan in UN activities. Toribiong stated that Palau is ending all commercial shark fishing in its waters and called for a worldwide moratorium on deep sea trawling. ¶5. Estonia: President Toomas Hendrik Ilves implored countries to avoid protectionist policies in the wake of the financial crisis. He encouraged Member States to reach a comprehensive and binding agreement at the Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen including a "polluter pays" principle. Ilves expressed his support for the stability and security of both Georgia and Afghanistan and warned members not to underestimate cyber threats. He closed with a push for Security Council restructuring, gender reform, and humanitarian issues. ¶6. Cote d'Ivoire: President Laurent Gbagbo said his country had been hit hard by the energy, food, and financial crises. Gbagbo appealed for reform of the international monetary and financial systems and noted that reform is essential if the United Nations does not want to become obsolete. He commented that there needs to be more dialogue on religion and peace among member nations and that countries need to focus on the MDGs. ¶7. Burkina Faso: President Blaise Compaore observed that it was not fair that African nations were the ones most affected by the economic crisis even though they did not cause it. USUN NEW Y 00000994 002.2 OF 003 Similarly, he noted that climate change severely affected Africa (most recently with floods) and hoped that the Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen would yield bold decisions. Compaore called for peaceful resolutions to problems in Sudan, Madagascar, and Guinea. He concluded by thanking President Obama for leading the Security Council resolution on non-proliferation and by calling for reform of the Security Council. ¶8. Lebanon: President General Michel Sleiman focused his entire speech on the Palestinian-Israel issue. He criticized Israel for its settlement construction and use of force and for not wanting peace. Sleiman reaffirmed his country's position that it is not in the Palestinian refugees' national interest for Lebanon to allow permanent settlement in its territories. He called on the international community to follow through with Security Council Resolution 1701 which he said requires Israel to withdraw from certain areas. ¶9. Somalia: President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed listed three priorities for his country: 1) to improve the security situation, 2) to promote reconciliation and 3) to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced persons. He said Somalia is rebuilding its naval forces and coast guard to combat piracy. Ahmed commented that terrorism is not confined to Somalia and that it should be tackled with international assistance. He plans to institute a transparent system of government which will respect individual freedoms, gender and rights, and encourage foreign direct investment and individual ownership. Ahmed requested that the Security Council revisit its arms embargo resolution against Somalia to help him rebuild his country's security forces. ¶10. Macedonia: President Gjorge Ivanov highlighted the importance of the MDGs, fighting climate change, regional cooperation, and multilateralism. Macedonia hopes to join the European Union and NATO soon. Ivanov reproached Greece and stated that Macedonia was entitled to a solution that affirmed its right to "self determination and self identification." ¶11. Dominica: President Nicholas Joseph Orville Liverpool reiterated Caribbean Community (CARICOM) concerns that the economic and food crises affected island nations the hardest. He welcomed the USD 15 billion from the G-8 for food security but warned that countries need to remove agriculture subsidies. Liverpool expects a solution to the "Earth Crisis" at the Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen. He expressed concern over the situation in Haiti but embraced the appointment of former U.S. President Clinton as Special Envoy for Haiti. Finally, Liverpool demanded the removal of the U.S. embargo on Cuba. ¶12. Kiribati: President Anote Tong centered his address on the issue of climate change and called for a global compact on climate change for "if we don't act now, who the hell is going to do it?" Tong noted that Kiribati does not want to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status as it relies heavily on assistance provided to LDCs. Kiribati supports allowing Taiwan to participate more meaningfully in the United Nations. ¶13. Pakistan: President Asif Ali Zardari, with a picture of Benazir Bhutto at his side, described Pakistan's transition to democracy and his plans to make democracy sustainable and irreversible. Zardari highlighted his goals for Pakistan: the return of internally displaced persons to their homes, reconstruction, economic development, market access, and counterterrorism. He advocated for a resolution to the Kashmir dispute, support for Palestine, the release of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, friendship with India, and promotion of non-proliferation. Zardari petitioned for foreign direct investment in agriculture, mega-hydroelectric projects, and infrastructure deals. USUN NEW Y 00000994 003.2 OF 003 ¶14. Palestinian Authority: President Mahmoud Abbas described the situation in the Middle East as a "lack of commitment to the (U.N.) Charter." Abbas welcomed President Obama's support for the two state solution and called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to stop its settlement activities, release the approximately 11,000 prisoners, and lift the siege on the Gaza Strip. ¶15. Antigua and Barbuda: Prime Minister Winston Baldwin Spencer advocated the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) as an alternative to the Washington Consensus, espousing its principles of solidarity, cooperation, and respect for sovereignty. He criticized institutions such as the IMF for their conditionalities and blamed developed countries for the current climate change problem. Spencer backed non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament, the end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba, gender equality, women's empowerment, and a permanent memorial to victims of the transatlantic slave trade. ¶16. Kuwait: Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al Jaber Al-Sabah highlighted Kuwait's successes, such as topping the Arab states in the fields of education and health and ranking third globally in combating drug use and trade. Al-Sabah supported the recent Security Council resolution on non-proliferation and urged that Israel join the Non-Proliferation Treaty and be subject to review by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Kuwait condemned the terrorist acts in Iraq and stressed the importance of a unified and peaceful Iraq. He condemned Israel for its "illegal policies and practices in contradiction to international law and relevant U.N. resolutions." Al-Sabah called for the peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear dispute and for Iran to settle the Emirates Islands argument. ¶17. Mauritius: Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam appealed for Bretton Woods institutions reform and protested that for too long global economic decisions were made by too few. He called for a Marshall Plan for developing countries and for the successful achievement of the MDGs and Doha Round. Ramgoolam contended that countries that polluted the most should shoulder more of the burden. He advocated for the Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court, the release of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, and for permanent positions on the Security Council for India, a Latin American country, and an African country. Ramgoolam criticized the unconstitutional governments in Madagascar and Honduras, and the United Kingdom for not returning the Chagos Archipelago. Rice