Cablegate: Final Unga Plenary Action On Resolutions of The
VZCZCXYZ0019
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUCNDT #2278 3561924
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221924Z DEC 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1017
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2450
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 002278
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/EDA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN AORC UNGA ETRD SENV KPAL LE
SUBJECT: FINAL UNGA PLENARY ACTION ON RESOLUTIONS OF THE
SECOND COMMITTEE, DECEMBER 20, 2006
REF: USUN 2246 AND PREVIOUS
1. (U) Summary: The UN General Assembly took final action
December 20 on all the resolutions of the Second Committee.
As is customary, final action in the Plenary was virtually
identical to that taken previously when the Second Committee
adopted each resolution. For the sake of brevity, this cable
will highlight only those four resolutions on which votes
took place. On all other items, resolutions were adopted by
consensus. End Summary.
2. (U) Votes on individual items were as follows:
Agenda Item 40: A/61/418 -- Draft resolution on "Permanent
Sovereignty of the Palestinian People and the Arab Population
in the Occupied Syrian Golan over their Natural Resources."
Adopted 163-6(U.S.)-8, with 16 not voting. In addition to the
U.S., others voting no were Australia, Israel, Marshall
Islands, Micronesia, and Palau.
Agenda Item 51(a): A/61/420/Add.1 -- Draft resolution on
"International Trade and Development." Adopted
129-1(U.S.)-53, with 9 not voting. In addition to the U.S.,
Moldova initially voted no but afterward changed its vote to
"Abstain" in keeping with its tendency to follow EU lines on
such items.
Agenda Item 53(a): A/60/422/Add.1 -- Draft resolution on "Oil
Slick on Lebanese Shores." Adopted 170-6(U.S.)-0, with 16
not voting. In addition to the U.S., others voting no were
Australia, Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, and Palau.
Agenda Item 53(d): A/60/422/Add.4 -- Draft Resolution on
"Protection of global climate for present and future
generations of mankind." Adopted 137(U.S.)-0-47, with 8 not
voting. Abstaining were mainly the EU countries and
aspirants, along with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Japan, which voted in favor, delivered an explanation of vote
once again reiterating its view that the Secretariat of the
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change should end its
reliance on UN Secretariat support in view of budgetary
implications.
3. (U) The President of the General Assembly also noted that
the Second Committee Program of Work, adopted in this
session, will be later amended to reflect the fact that the
General Assembly had adopted a decision earlier in its
session (A/61/L.46) that transfers action on resolutions
pertaining to humanitarian and disaster relief assistance to
the GA Plenary and away from the Second Committee, as from
the GA's sixty-second session.
WOLFF