GA/EF/2949

CONCLUDING WORK FOR FIFTY-FIFTH SESSION, SECOND COMMITTEE APPROVES 10 DRAFT RESOLUTIONS

Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Addresses Committee

The General Assembly would decide to organize the ten-year review of progress achieved in the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 2002 at the summit level, accept South Africa�s offer to host it, and call it the World Summit on Sustainable Development, by a draft resolution approved by the Second Committee (Economic and Financial), as it concluded its work for the fifty-fifth session.

The text on the ten-year review of progress achieved in the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was one of 10 draft resolutions approved without a vote this morning by the Committee.

A draft resolution on culture and development would have the Assembly invite all Member States, intergovernmental bodies, the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations, in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to analyse the connection between culture and development and the elimination of poverty in the context of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997- 2006).

The Assembly would, by a draft resolution on further implementation of the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, call on the United Nations system to assist those States in their efforts to enhance their capacities to effectively utilize the benefits and mitigate the implications of globalization, including by bridging the digital divide and fostering digital opportunities in the field of information and communication technologies.

A draft resolution on promoting an integrated management approach to the Caribbean Sea area in the context of sustainable development would have the Assembly call on the United Nations system and the international community to assist Caribbean countries and their regional organizations to ensure the protection of the Caribbean Sea from degradation as a result of pollution from ships, particularly through the illegal release of oil and other harmful substances, from illegal dumping or accidental release of hazardous waste,

Second Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/EF/2949 42nd Meeting (AM) 8 December 2000

including radioactive materials, nuclear waste and dangerous chemicals, as well as from pollution from land-based activities.

The Assembly, by a draft resolution on commodities, would invite the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to provide assistance to developing countries in the financing of commodity diversification and to include issues related to commodities in the provision of analytical support and technical assistance to developing countries in their preparation for effective participation in multilateral trade negotiations and in formulating a positive agenda for future trade negotiations.

A draft resolution on trade and development would have the Assembly deplore any attempt to bypass or undermine multilaterally agreed procedures on the conduct of international trade by unilateral actions inconsistent with the multilateral trade rules and regulations, including those agreed on in the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations.

The Assembly would call for the full, speedy and effective implementation of the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and stress the need for the donor community to provide the additional resources necessary to fulfil the future financial requirements of this initiative by a draft resolution on enhancing international cooperation towards a durable solution to the external debt problem of developing countries

A draft resolution on the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) would have the Assembly request the Secretary-General to consider reclassifying the rental rates and maintenance costs charged to the Institute with a view to alleviating its current financial difficulties, which are aggravated by the current practice of charging commercial rates, taking into account that other organizations affiliated with the United Nations enjoy such privileges.

The Assembly, by a draft resolution on the role of the United Nations in promoting development on the context of globalization and interdependence, would re-emphasize the urgency of coordinated action by the United Nations, the Bretton Woods Institutions and the World Trade Organization, along with the action of governments, to promote equitable and wide sharing in the benefits of globalization, taking into account the specific vulnerabilities, concerns and needs of developing countries.

By a draft resolution on the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, the Assembly would decide, in the light of the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee, to convene within existing resources, the Committee�s second session from 5 to 9 February 2001 in New York, at which the Committee will undertake the first formal reading of the draft programme of action and consider other relevant matters, while noting that the final session of the Committee will be held in New York from 2 to 6 April 2001.

Also this morning, the Committee took note of reports on water supply and sanitation; outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of

Second Committee - 1b - Press Release GA/EF/2949 42nd Meeting (AM) 8 December 2000

small island developing States; promoting an integrated management approach to the Caribbean Sea area; the high-level panel of experts on information and communication technology and the twenty-third to twenty-fifth sessions of the Trade and Development Board.

In addition, the Committee approved its draft biennial programme of work for 2001-2002, as orally revised.

Addressing the Committee, Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said that it was clear that the Millennium Summit and Declaration had shaped the focus of the work of the Assembly�s fifty-fifth session. Three areas requiring specialized effort were the eradication of poverty; the high-level intergovernmental international event on financing for development; and the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Committee Chairman Alexandru Niculescu (Romania), in closing remarks, said that the session had been both productive and constructive. That 34 resolutions had been approved, all but one by consensus, reflected the level of commitment of delegations to work together.

In terms of efficiency and coordination, he said, the Committee had interacted well with the Economic and Social Council and the Preparatory Committee on the High-Level Event on Financing for Development. This coordination was essential, and it was an indication that partnership was possible. As a result, the United Nations was better prepared to work together in the upcoming global conferences that were scheduled for 2001 and 2002.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Nigeria (on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China), France (on behalf of the European Union and associated States), Bangladesh, Turkey, Cyprus, United States, Ukraine, Benin, Japan, Madagascar and Colombia.

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Committee Work Programme

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to take action on a number of draft resolutions.

It had before it a draft resolution, submitted by Committee Chairman Alexandru Niculescu (Romania) on the basis of informal consultations on document A/C.2/55/L.10, on culture and development (document A/C.2/55/L.60), which would have the Assembly invite all Member States, intergovernmental bodies, organizations of the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to ensure, in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), continuous and effective implementation of the Action Plan on Cultural Policies for Development.

The Assembly would also invite them to further intensify their efforts to integrate cultural factors into their development programmes and projects, so as to ensure sustainable development that fully respects cultural diversity; to implement fully the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace adopted by the Assembly on 13 September 1999; and to commit themselves to promoting the Dialogue among Civilizations as an essential process for human development and mutual understanding and for strengthening international cooperation.

Further, they would be invited to analyse the connection between culture and development and the elimination of poverty in the context of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006); and to safeguard cultural and linguistic diversity in the context of globalization and support UNESCO action in that regard.

Also before the Committee is a draft resolution, submitted by Vice- Chairman Navid Hanif (Pakistan) on the basis of informals on document A/C.2/55/L.15 on the ten-year review of progress achieved in the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) (document A/C.2/55/L.58).

It would have the Assembly decide, among other things, to organize the review in 2002 at the summit level, accept with gratitude the generous offer of South Africa to host the summit, and to call the summit the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The Assembly would also decide that the Summit, including its preparatory process, should ensure a balance between economic development, social development and environmental protection, as these are interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development. Further, the Assembly would decide that the meetings of the tenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development shall be transformed into an open-ended preparatory committee.

The Committee had before it a draft resolution, submitted by Vice-Chairman Anne Barrington (Ireland) on the basis of informals on A/C.2/55/L.21, on further implementation of the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (document A/C.2/55/L.59). The text would have the Assembly call on Member States, particularly the donor community, as well as the relevant organs and agencies of the United Nations system and the regional commissions and organizations, to support the efforts of small island developing States in the further implementation of the Programme of Action through, among other things, the provision of adequate technical and financial resources, taking into account the Declaration and review document for further implementation and effective follow-up.

The Assembly would also call on the organizations of the United Nations system to assist small island developing States in their efforts to enhance their capacities to effectively utilize the benefits and mitigate the implications of globalization, including by bridging the digital divide and fostering digital opportunities in the field of information and communication technologies. Also, it would urge all relevant organizations to finalize, as a matter of urgency, the work on the development of a vulnerability index.

By the terms of a draft resolution, submitted by Ms. Barrington on the basis of informals on document A/C.2/55/L.30, on promoting an integrated management approach to the Caribbean Sea area in the context of sustainable development (document A/C.2/55/L.57), the Assembly would call on the United Nations system and the international community to assist Caribbean countries and their regional organizations in their efforts to ensure the protection of the Caribbean Sea from degradation as a result of pollution from ships, particularly through the illegal release of oil and other harmful substances, from illegal dumping or accidental release of hazardous waste, including radioactive materials, nuclear waste and dangerous chemicals, as well as pollution from land-based activities.

The Assembly would also call on all relevant States to take necessary steps to bring into force, and to support the implementation of, the Protocol concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities, in order to protect the marine environment of the Caribbean Sea from land-based pollution and degradation. Also, it would call on all States to become contracting parties to relevant international agreements to promote the protection of the marine environment of the Caribbean Sea from pollution and degradation from ships.

Further, the Assembly would call on Member States to improve as a matter of priority their emergency response capabilities and the containment of environmental damage, particularly in the Caribbean Sea, in the event of natural disasters or of an accident or incident relating to maritime navigation.

By the terms of a draft resolution, submitted by Ms. Barrington on the basis of informals on document A/C.2/55/L.28, on commodities (document A/C.2/55/L.62), the Assembly would invite the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), within its mandate, to provide assistance to developing countries in the financing of commodity diversification and to include issues related to commodities in the provision of analytical support and technical assistance to developing countries in their preparation for effective participation in multilateral trade negotiations and in formulating a positive agenda for future trade negotiations. Also, the Assembly would urge developed countries to continue to support the commodity diversification and liberalization efforts of developing countries, especially African countries, the least developed countries and commodity-dependent small island developing States, in a spirit of common purpose and efficiency, among other things, by providing technical and financial assistance for the preparatory phase of their commodity diversification programmes. It would also urge producers and consumers of individual commodities to intensify their efforts to reinforce mutual cooperation and assistance.

Also before the Committee is a draft resolution, submitted by Ms. Barrington on the basis of informals on document A/C.2/55/L.29, on international trade and development (document A/C.2/55/L.61), which would have the Assembly deplore any attempt to bypass or undermine multilaterally agreed procedures on the conduct of international trade by unilateral actions inconsistent with the multilateral trade rules and regulations, including those agreed on in the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations.

Also, the Assembly would urge those countries that have announced market- access initiatives in favour of developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, and have not yet fulfilled them, to expedite the implementation of those initiatives, and call on other countries that have not yet done so to undertake similar initiatives.

Further, the Assembly would invite members of the international community to consider the interests of non-members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the context of trade liberalization. It would also invite the international financial institutions to ensure that, in their development cooperation activities with developing countries, the obligations of the latter with regard to their development policies, strategies and programmes in trade and trade- related areas are consistent with their commitments under the framework of rules agreed on within the multilateral trading system.

A draft resolution, submitted by Ms. Barrington on the basis of informals on document A/C.2/55/L.38, on enhancing international cooperation towards a durable solution to the external debt problem of developing countries (document A/C.2/55/L.64), would have the Assembly call for the full, speedy and effective implementation of the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and stress the need for the donor community to provide the additional resources necessary to fulfil the future financial requirements of this initiative.

Also, the Assembly would call for concerted national and international action to effectively address debt problems of middle-income developing countries with a view to resolving their potential long-term debt-sustainability problems through various debt-treatment measures, including, as appropriate, existing orderly mechanisms for debt reduction, and encourage all creditors, public and private, and debtor countries to utilize to the fullest extent possible, where appropriate, the mechanisms for debt reduction.

The Committee had before it a draft resolution, submitted by Ms. Barrington on the basis of informals on document A/C.2/55/L.35, on United Nations Institute for Training and Research (document A/C.2/55/L.56). It would have the Assembly call on developed countries, which are increasingly participating in training programmes in New York and Geneva, to make contributions to, or consider increasing their contributions to, the General Fund.

Also, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to consider reclassifying the rental rates and maintenance costs charged to the Institute with a view to alleviating its current financial difficulties, which are aggravated by the current practice of charging commercial rates, taking into account that other organizations affiliated with the United Nations enjoy such privileges. It would also request the Board of Trustees of the Institute to intensify its efforts to attract experts from developing countries and countries with economies in transition for the preparation of the relevant training materials for the programmes and activities of the Institute, and stress that the Institute�s courses should focus primarily on development issues.

By a draft resolution, submitted by Vice-Chairman Mauricio Escanero (Mexico) on the basis of informals on document A/C.2/55/L.36, on the role of the United Nations in promoting development on the context of globalization and interdependence (document A/C.2/55/L.63), the Assembly would re-emphasize the urgency of coordinated action by the United Nations, the Bretton Woods Institutions and the WTO, as appropriate, along with the action of governments, to promote equitable and wide sharing in the benefits of globalization, taking into account the specific vulnerabilities, concerns and needs of developing countries.

Also, the Assembly would call for effective addressing of globalization through, inter alia, making the decision-making process of international economic and financial policy more participatory, especially with regard to developing countries, the integrated consideration of trade, finance, investment, technology transfer and development issues by the relevant international institutions, the continuation of a wide range of reforms in the international financial system and further progress towards liberalization and enhanced market access in areas and for products of particular interest to developing countries, and to this end for coherence and close cooperation between the United Nations, the Bretton Woods Institutions and the WTO.

In addition, the Assembly would call on all countries, in particular the major developed economies, to enhance coherence among their financial, investment, trade and development cooperation policies, with a view to enhancing the development prospects of developing countries.

Further, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to prepare, in close collaboration with UNCTAD, an analytical report on the effect of increasing linkages and interdependencies among trade, finance, knowledge, technology and investment on growth and development in the context of globalization, containing action-oriented recommendations, including on appropriate development strategies both at the national and international levels, and to submit it to the Assembly at its fifty-sixth session.

The Committee also had before it a draft resolution submitted by the Chairman, Alexandru Niculescu (Romania), on the basis of informal consultations on the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (document A/C.2/55/L.43/Rev.1). It would have the Assembly decide, in the light of the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee at its first session, to convene within existing resources, the second session of the Committee from 5 to 9 February 2001 in New York, at which the Committee will undertake the first formal reading of the draft programme of action and consider other relevant matters, while noting that the final session of the Committee will be held in New York from 2 to 6 April 2001.

Also, the Assembly would invite participation at the Conference and its preparatory process of the relevant NGOs that enjoy consultative status in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31 of 25 July 1996; the NGOs that were accredited to the Second Conference in 1990; and the NGOs that enjoy consultative status with UNCTAD.

It would also decide that the accreditation of other interested civil society actors, in particular NGOs and the business sector, to the Conference and its preparatory process shall be considered by the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee on a non-objection basis before 31 January 2001, for final decision by the Committee at its second session provided that requests for accreditation are submitted to the Secretariat of the Conference before 15 January 2001 and accompanied by the relevant information. Further, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General of the Conference to appropriately inform the community of civil society actors about this accreditation process.

The Assembly would also invite the Bureau to make recommendations for the consideration of Member States during the second session of the Committee as to the form of involvement of such civil society actors in the Conference and the final session of the Committee.

Also before the Committee was a note by the Secretariat containing the Committee�s draft biennial programme of work for 2001-2002 (document A/C.2/55/L.40).

Action

Committee Vice-Chairman ANNE BARRINGTON (Ireland) introduced the draft resolution on international trade and development. She informed the Committee of a few editorial changes to the draft text.

Regarding programme budget implications, Committee Secretary MARGARET KELLY informed the Committee that should the General Assembly adopt the draft, there would be no additional appropriations for the biennium 2001-2002. Should additional resources be required, the Secretary-General would request them.

The Committee approved the draft, without a vote, as orally revised.

Following that, the Committee took note of the report of the Trade and Development Board on its twenty-third to twenty-fifth executive sessions (A/55/15 Parts I to III) and on its forty-seventh session (A/55/15/Rev.1).

The Committee then approved, without a vote, the draft resolution on commodities, as introduced by Ms. BARRINGTON.

Committee Chairman ALEXANDRU NICULESCU (Romania) introduced the draft resolution on culture and development.

The representative of Nigeria expressed concern at the reference to human rights in the context of the resolution.

The Committee then approved the draft without a vote.

Committee Vice-Chairman NAVID HANIF (Pakistan) introduced the draft resolution on the ten-year review of progress achieved in the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

Ms. KELLY informed the Committee that, should the Assembly adopt the draft, there would be a number of organizational decisions. The programme budget for 2002-2003 was currently under preparation. Based on information available with regard to the requirements of the three additional sessions of the preparatory body, provisions would be made under section 2 for those meetings, as well as for the World Summit itself. Any additional costs directly or indirectly involved in holding a meeting away from an established United Nations Headquarters would be borne by the host government in accordance with established procedures.

The representative of the United States said his delegation would like to reiterate its objection to the global conference package contained in the draft resolution. It fully understood the viewpoint that "Rio+10" should be held as a global conference and that it should be held outside New York. The United States strongly supported a ten-year review that took into consideration major changes since the Rio Conference and that advanced those areas of Agenda 21 where progress had been slow.

However, he said, in light of more general United States policy related to United Nations matters, his delegation must disassociate itself from consensus on the matter. The United States would be unable to pay its share of United Nations funding for such a conference if current United States legislation were renewed, and as a result, United States policy was to not support the convening of new global conferences in the United Nations system.

The representative of Nigeria said that his delegation had had to concede some things in order to approve the draft. He thanked the work of the Pakistani delegation for its work.

The Committee then approved the draft without a vote.

With regard to the Committee�s consideration of water supply and sanitation, for which there were no draft proposals, the Committee took note of the note by the Secretary-General on the �progress made in providing safe water supply and sanitation for all during the 1990s� contained in document A/55/65-E/2000/19.

Mr. HANIF introduced the draft resolution on further implementation of the outcome of the Global Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, which the Committee approved without a vote.

Regarding the draft that had just been approved, the representative of Turkey said that with regard to preambular paragraph, due to legal, moral and factual reasons, the Government of Cyprus could not be representative of the people of Cyprus in their entirety because there were two Governments in Cyprus.

The representative of Cyprus said that the Government of Turkey continued to occupy a part of Cyprus in violation of international law. There was only one State in Cyprus, the Republic of Cyprus, which he was representing.

The Committee then approved, without a vote, the draft resolution on promoting an integrated management approach to the Caribbean Sea in the context of sustainable development, as introduced by Mr. HANIF.

Following that, the Committee took note of the report of the Secretary- General on the outcome of the Global Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States; and promoting an integrated management approach to the Caribbean Sea area, contained in document A/55/185.

Committee Vice-Chairman MAURICIO ESCANERO (Mexico) next introduced the text on the role of the United Nations in promoting development on the context of globalization and interdependence. The Committee approved the draft without a vote.

The Committee then took note of the report of the high-level panel of experts on information and communication technology contained in document A/55/75-E/2000/55.

Next, the Committee approved, without a vote, the draft resolution on the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, as introduced by the Committee CHAIRMAN.

The representative of France said that the European Union was pleased to have the text adopted. It was glad that the Secretary-General was going to request that sufficient resources be provided for the Conference.

The representative of Bangladesh said that the Conference enjoyed wide support from all Member States of the United Nations. He thanked all Member States and their development partners for their support for the Conference.

Ms. BARRINGTON then introduced the draft resolution on the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). WARREN SACHS, Director, Programme Planning and Budget Division, said that under the terms of operative paragraph 12 of the draft, the General Assembly would request the Secretary-General to consider reclassifying the rates charged to UNITAR for rent and maintenance costs with a view to alleviating its current financial difficulties. In accordance with the procedure established to conform to recommendation 36 of General Assembly resolution 41/213 (1986), the rental and maintenance charged by the United Nations to entities occupying space in United Nations buildings was based on the commercial rates that the United Nations was charged.

The Secretary-General, he said, did not have the discretionary authority to waive the provisions of General Assembly resolution 41/213 (1986), and hence was not in a position to reclassify the rates charged to UNITAR for rent and maintenance costs, unless the General Assembly decided to make an express exception in its resolution 41/213 with regard to recommendation 36. Should the Assembly adopt the draft resolution, UNITAR would have to continue to pay its rent and maintenance costs at commercial rates and to reimburse the United Nations for services provided, so that the actual costs incurred by the United Nations itself would be reimbursed.

The Committee then approved the draft without a vote.

After the meeting was briefly suspended for informal consultations, Ms. BARRINGTON introduced the draft resolution on enhancing international cooperation towards a durable solution to the external debt problem of development countries.

The representative of France said that he regretted having to take a decision on a draft text that was only available in English.

The Committee approved the draft without a vote.

Regarding that draft, the representative of the United States said that his delegation had allowed the resolution to be adopted by consensus although there were statements in it with which it did not agree. It was particularly troubled by the manner of negotiations, which saw substantial new language introduced at the last minute.

The United States, he said, reaffirmed its commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, and its vital objectives. At the same time, the United States wished to emphasize that actual decisions on appropriate debt treatment measured for specific cases would continue to be made in the established venues for such decision-making, and that, in particular, United States consideration of debt-reduction measures envisaged as part of the HIPC Initiative would be reserved for indebted countries meeting HIPC criteria.

Lastly, Mr. LIXIAN XIONG, Chief of Documentation Programming and Monitoring Unit, General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services, introduced the draft biennial programme of work of the Second Committee for 2001-2002, contained in document A/C.2/55/L.40. He then informed the Committee of some editorial changes to the text.

The Committee approved the draft biennial programme of work as orally revised.

Statements

NITIN DESAI, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said that it was gratifying that the Committee was completing its work on time and that the culture of compromise had been fruitful. It was clear that the Millennium Summit and the Millennium Declaration had shaped the focus of the work of the fifty-fifth General Assembly. Three areas required a specialized effort: the eradication of poverty; the high-level intergovernmental international event on financing for development; and the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The World Summit for Sustainable Development would be a major event in 2002, he said. The Committee had done a good job of laying out expectations. The Secretariat had been working on the review that was so far called �Rio+10�. A Web site had been launched as of today, and he urged delegations to make use of it.

As for the High-Level Event on Financing for Development, the Committee had indicated that the Event would take place in early 2002. The Event had a huge potential to strengthen the work of the United Nations in the field of development and in forging new cooperation with the Bretton Woods institutions.

Globalization, he said, was the theme that was dominating many of the discussions of the General Assembly. It was of great importance at the national and international level. One important aspect of globalization was the economic, environmental and social linkage. The Second and Third (Social, Cultural and Humanitarian) Committees of the General Assembly had addressed the financial and social aspects of globalization. He hoped that there would be a holistic response to globalization in the future.

Making closing remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. NICULESCU (Romania) said that during the current session, he had tried to be a consensus builder. According to the latest evaluation, good work had been done in the Committee. The session had been both productive and constructive. There were 34 resolutions, all but one adopted by consensus. This reflected the current level of commitment to work together by delegations. Some of the drafts might not have met some delegations� expectations, but the important thing was the ability to reach consensus. The international community had an interest in a multilateral approach to global challenges.

As Chairman, he said, he had focused on the messages that the Committee sent to the outside world. In terms of efficiency and coordination, the Committee had interacted well with the Economic and Social Council and the Preparatory Committee on the High-Level Event on Financing for Development. This coordination was essential, and it was an indication that partnership was

possible. As a result, the United Nations was better prepared to work together in the upcoming global conferences that were scheduled for 2001 and 2002.

Expressions of gratitude were made by the representatives of Nigeria (on behalf of the �Group of 77� developing countries and China), France (on behalf of the European Union), Ukraine, Benin, Japan, Madagascar, Colombia and the United States.

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