Statements
The representative of
Syria said that her delegation had not been able to speak on Monday, even though she had asked for the floor. She questioned that decision, taken by the chair, without consulting with delegations. On Monday, action on a draft resolution had been deferred without any consultation with delegations. Her delegation hoped this decision had not been taken to put pressure on delegations regarding that draft resolution.
A representative of
Egypt supported what the representative of Syria had said and stressed the need for delegations to express their views on draft resolutions.
Action on Draft Resolutions
The Committee had before it a draft resolution on the
follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing (document A/C.3/58/L.10/Rev.1) that would have the General Assembly stress that the role of civil society, including non-governmental organizations, was important in supporting governments in their implementation and assessment of and follow-up to the Madrid Plan of Action. The Economic and Social Council would be requested to consider ageing when elaborating its list of cross-sectoral thematic issues common to the outcomes of major United Nations conferences for the establishment of the multi-year work programme for the coordination segment of its substantive session. The Statistical Commission would be requested to assist Member States in developing modalities for disaggregating data by age and sex. Finally, the General Assembly would recommend that the institutional linkages between United Nations gender and ageing focal points be strengthened in order to enhance the integration of the gender aspects of ageing within the system.
The draft resolution was approved without a vote.
Before the Committee was a draft resolution, presented by the Chairman on the basis of informal consultations, on the
follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (document A/C.3/58/L.85). The draft would have the General Assembly call on States to continue to take effective action to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session. States would also be invited to submit responses to the Secretary-General’s questionnaire on the implementation of the Platform for Action. The Secretary-General would be requested to ensure that all United Nations personnel and officials receive training on mainstreaming a gender perspective in their work.
The draft resolution was approved without a vote.
After the resolution’s approval, the representative of the
United States said his delegation supported women’s full enjoyment of human rights, but wished to point out that its joining consensus on the draft in no way constituted a reaffirmation of the language in the Beijing Declaration. The United States understood that none of the terms should be interpreted to constitute support for abortion or abortion-related services.
The Committee had before it a draft resolution on the
future operation of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) (document A/C.3/58/L.36) that would have the General Assembly urge Member States to make voluntary financial contributions to the United Nations Trust Fund for the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, particularly during the critical transitional period. It would also have the General Assembly continue to provide its full support for current efforts to revitalize the Institute and to provide funds complementary to the existing ones, if needed, to ensure that the Institute would have adequate resources to function for a period of one year and to present its report requested in resolution 57/311.
A recorded vote had been requested.
Making a general statement, the representative of
Morocco, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China and Mexico, said that gender equality was an important issue before the United Nations. The Institute was part of the United Nations’ institutional arsenal that aimed to improve the situation of women and gender equality. The INSTRAW was the only such Institute on this issue and was also located in a developing country. Welcoming the appointment of a Director of the Institute, he stressed the need to maintain the momentum of support to the Institute. He encouraged delegations to vote in favour of the draft.
The representative of
El Salvador associated himself with the statement made by the representative of Morocco. In addition, he appreciated that support had been given to INSRTAW by the General Assembly and the Third Committee. The INSTRAW was at a delicate point and needed decisive support from Member States. He invited all Third Committee colleagues to continue to support the Institute and the advancement of women.
A representative of the
Dominican Republic asked what delegations had requested the vote, and was informed that the vote had been requested by the United States and Japan.
The representative of
Mexico said that her Government supported the work of INSTRAW, as well as the appointment of the newly appointed Mexican Director of the Institute.
Making a general statement as well, the representative of the
Dominican Republic, the host country of INSTRAW, welcomed the important work carried out by the working group on the future operations of INSTRAW, as well as the recommendations made. Four members had already been appointed to the new Executive Board, as well as a Director for the Institute. Their appointment would allow the work of INSTRAW to move forward.
It was hoped that due to the one-year delay in the appointment of a Director, the Institute would be given further support in order to allow it to fulfil its mandate -– the advancement of women. The INSTRAW played a critical role in advancing the world programme on gender equality, development and peace, the representative said. Despite its critical financial situation, the Institute was undertaking innovative projects, including the development of a database that included 2,000 gender related sources. Member States were called upon to vote in favour of the draft in order to allow this important Institution to carry out its work.
A representative of
Spain, explaining her vote before the vote, said that INSTRAW was the only Institute of the United Nations that had its headquarters in a Latin American country. It was also the only Institute that dealt with research and training for the advancement of women. Spain had presided over the working group on the future operations of the Institute and would vote in favour of the draft.
The representative of the
United States said his country had been an active member of the working group to give it appropriate leadership. However, if the Institute was to be viable, it must rely on voluntary contributions. Any other source of funding was unacceptable to the United States, and he had therefore called for a vote.
The representative of
Japan said her country was deeply committed to the goal of achieving gender equality and had been one of the biggest donors to INSTRAW. She was convinced that the Institute must be supported by voluntary contributions. Unfortunately, even though INSTRAW had received a subsidy from the United Nations regular budget, there was no evidence for a revitalization of its work. Japan could not accept operative paragraph 5 of the draft concerning the financing of the Institute and would vote against the draft.
A representative of the
Czech Republic said she regretted that, as a matter of principle, her delegation could not support the draft and would be forced to abstain in the vote. She wished that the Institute would become viable and attract both old and new donors.
The draft resolution was then adopted by a recorded vote of 126 in favour, 33 abstentions, to five against (Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States) (see Annex I).
After the vote, the representative of
Sweden, on behalf of Denmark, Netherlands and the United Kingdom, said they were deeply committed to the advancement of women and gender equality. The United Nations had a vital contribution to make towards those goals. However, the draft resolution could be seen to imply future additional subvention to INSTRAW from the regular budget. Those States that believed in and supported the work of Institute should step forward and provide voluntary contributions to its work.
The representative of the
Republic of Korea attached a high priority to the advancement of women, both nationally and internationally, but could not support the potential financial consequences of the draft. Her delegation had therefore abstained.
The representative of
Canada, speaking on behalf of Australia and New Zealand, said those Governments were deeply committed to the advancement of women’s rights. However, in the light of United Nations reform, they were unable to support funds being provided to the Institute from the regular budget.
A representative of
Benin said that she supported the statement made by the representative of Morocco and expressed the hope that one day there would be consensus on this draft resolution, with the support of donors and partners.
The representative of
Morocco, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and Mexico, thanked colleagues that had voted in favour of the draft. They had also voted in favour of gender equality. He stressed that financial considerations must not be allowed to stand in the way of the advancement of women.
The Committee had before it a draft resolution on the right to development (document A/C.3/58/L.52), which stressesthat the basic responsibility for the protection of human rights and for economic and social development lies with States, while recognizingthe need for strong partnerships with civil society organizations and the private sector in pursuing development initiatives.
The draft emphasizesthe importance of identifying obstacles impeding the full realization of the right to development at both the national and international levels. In addition, the draft would have the General Assembly recognize the need to address market access for developing countries and to stress the need to adopt measures at the national and global levels to ensure that the process of globalization is fully inclusive and equitable.
The Chairman noted that the United States had requested a recorded vote on the draft.
In a general statement before the vote, the representative of Italy, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said her delegation was fully committed to the realization of the right to development. However, the Union would have welcomed a reference to mainstreaming a rights-based approach, including the right to development, in United Nations agencies, funds and programmes. Mainstreaming of all human rights should be emphasized. The European Union considered that the active participation of the individual in the realization of human rights was an important element that should not be overlooked. She noted that the Union believed the amended draft marked an improvement from the version originally tabled.
The representative of Japan, in explanation of vote before the vote, said the current draft taken as a whole was still overly concerned with economic issues and did not reflect the kind of balance his delegation would have liked. The draft gave only cursory treatment to the individual or human aspects of development that deserved more attention. Neglect of that would not do justice to development efforts. Japan would continue to actively engage in development activities but would abstain from voting on the draft.
The representative of the United States, saying her delegation opposed the draft, which continued to present a lack of development as a justification for a lack of human rights. Furthermore, there was no internationally accepted definition of the right to development. For those reasons, the United States would vote against the draft.
The draft was approved by a vote of 158 in favour to two against (United States and Israel), with six abstentions (Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Republic of Moldova and Sweden) (see Annex II).
In explanation of vote after the vote, the representative of
Australia said his delegation supported the right to development as a fundamental human right but abstained because of concerns that the text did not sufficiently recognize the positive aspects of globalization in development processes. Australia recognized that the primary responsibility for the realization of human rights, including the right to development, rested with States. Australia was committed to continue working to realize human rights, including the right to development.
In a draft before the Committee on
strengthening the role of the United Nations in enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections and the promotion of democratization (document A/C.4/58/L.61), the text would have the General Assembly commend the electoral assistance provided upon request to Member States by the United Nations, and requests that such assistance continue on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the evolving needs of requesting countries to develop, improve and refine their electoral institutions and processes, recognizing that the fundamental responsibility of organizing free and fair elections lies with governments.
In addition, the text would have the General Assembly encourage the Secretary-General, through the Electoral Assistance Division, to continue responding to the evolving nature of requests for assistance and the growing need for specific types of medium-term expert assistance aimed at supporting and strengthening the existing capacity of the requesting government, in particular through enhancing the capacity of national electoral institutions.
The Committee was informed that a delegation had asked for a recorded vote.
Explaining his vote, the representative of
Cuba said that his Government recognized the important role of the United Nations in giving assistance in the electoral processes, when requested by the country in question. Cuba had made a number of suggestions and recommendations to the main sponsor of the draft, the United States, but regrettably none of those proposals had been included.
Cuba believed that some aspects of the draft were based on a selective and discriminatory premise that only developing countries required electoral assistance, the representative said. Indeed, recent elections held in developed countries showed that they too could benefit from electoral assistance. Cuba would therefore not support the draft and would abstain.
The draft resolution was approved in a vote of 156 in favour, with seven abstentions (Brunei, China, Cuba, Libya, Myanmar, Syria, Viet Nam) (see annex III).
In a general statement after the vote, the representative of
Egypt said the draft was important, and his delegation had therefore voted in favour of it.
Before the Committee was a draft resolution on the
United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995-2004 (document A/C.3/58/L.62) that would have the General Assembly urge all governments to promote the development of national strategies for human rights education and to strengthen knowledge of human rights issues in their education policies. It would urge the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat to continue to utilize United Nations information centres to disseminate basic information, reference and audio-visual materials on human rights and fundamental freedoms, and would encourage the Office of the High Commissioner to continue to support national capacities for human rights education and information.
The draft was approved without a vote, as orally revised.
