VZCZCXYZ0014
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1044/01 3211837
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171837Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7643
INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3944

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001044 
 
DEPT FOR IO/HR, DRL/MLGA, PRM/PIP, S/GWI 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KWMN KOCI UNGA
SUBJECT: THIRD COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELPOMENT, ADVANCEMENT OF 
WOMEN, AND RIGHTS OF CHILDREN 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: The 64th UNGA Third Committee began October 5th with the 
discussion of Social Development.  Speakers centered on women, 
youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, migrants, and 
indigenous peoples as related to reducing poverty and achieving 
social development.  On October 12th, the Committee took up 
Advancement of Women followed by Rights of Children.  Most speakers 
during the Advancement of Women's debate endorsed the creation of 
the new gender entity, and urged the SG to announce its leader as 
soon as possible.  The Rights of Children debate had over 95 
speakers, many of whom focused on the effects of the economic crises 
on children, as well as child labor, all forms child abuse including 
FGM or cutting, children in armed conflict, and achieving MDGs that 
directly affect children.    END SUMMARY. 
 
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 
 
¶2. During four formal meetings October 5-6, the UN General Assembly 
Third Committee discussed social development.  Under Secretary 
General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang addressed the 
three sub-items associated with this theme: a) Implementation of the 
outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the 24th 
special session of the GA; b) the world social situation of youth, 
ageing, disabled persons, and the family; and c) follow-up to the 
International Year of Older Persons: Second World Assembly on 
Ageing.  U/SYG Zukang stressed that in periods of extended 
unemployment and rising prices, nations must devote special 
attention to those most affected by the situation.  Representatives 
from over 45 countries spoke, including several international 
organizations, and Deputy U.S. Representative to ECOSOC, John F. 
Sammis, delivered the U.S. statement.  The complete text of U.S. 
statements can be found at www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov. 
 
¶3. With the exception of a few youth delegates focused on youth 
issues and climate change, speakers centered on women, youth, older 
persons, persons with disabilities, migrants, and indigenous peoples 
as critical in reducing poverty and achieving social development. 
Many noted that the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) did not 
mention persons with disabilities.  Sudan, speaking on behalf of the 
Group of 77 and China, expressed concern that negative impacts from 
the global economic and financial crises were undermining 
development efforts, especially in the fulfillment of commitments 
for internationally agreed official development assistance (ODA) in 
accomplishing the MDGs.  The Group called for an equitable 
multilateral system that avoided protectionism, and stressed that 
developing countries needed additional resources to address food 
security. 
 
¶4. The European Union (EU) said social exclusion was a major 
obstacle in combating poverty reduction and that job creation was a 
viable solution.  Other speakers stressed the need to address the 
elderly in social development and suggested intergenerational 
solidarity as the bridge between the young and the old, as well as 
the family, as the primary social institution.  The Cuban 
representative asked why the two billion dollars of bank bail-out 
money wasn't being used to help alleviate poverty and why developing 
country's debts weren't being cancelled.  She suggested that $300 
billion of the agriculture subsidy be redirected to food security 
issues and, that despite the illegal U.S. blockade, Cuba has 
undergone positive social transformation. 
 
ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN 
 
¶5. During five formal meetings October 12-14, the Third Committee 
discussed Advancement of Women.  Several presenters took the floor 
on the first day including, Joanne Sandler, Deputy Executive 
Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women; Carolyn 
Hannan, Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women; 
Jessica Neuwirth, Director, Office of the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Human Rights; and Special Adviser to the SG on 
Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Rachel Mayanja.  Ms. Mayanja 
presented the report of the Committee on the Elimination of 
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on its forty-second and 
forty-third sessions (document A/64/38). More than 80 speakers 
discussed a broad range of women's issues such as all forms of 
violence against women, migrant workers, women in the informal 
sector, economic empowerment, trafficking in women, and female 
genital mutilation (FGM), among others.  Public delegate Wellington 
Webb delivered the U.S. statement. 
 
¶6. Another main topic was the adopted resolution on the new 
composite gender entity, which would unite the four UN 
gender-specific entities - UNIFEM, the Office of the Special Adviser 
on Gender Issues (OSAGI), the Division for the Advancement of Women 
(DAW), and INSTRAW.  The reports presented by UNIFEM and INSTRAW are 
document A/64/164 and document A/64/79-E/2009/74, respectively.  Ms. 
Mayanja said she looked forward to the Committee making a "swift 
decision" for a composite gender entity that would be better 
resourced, have stronger field presence and a greater capacity to 
serve member states.  During a question and answer session in which 
 
 
several delegates requested resource clarification, Ms. Sandler said 
the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, managed by UNIFEM, 
had only $12 million available, not nearly enough to handle almost 
$900 million in requests.  UNIFEM was working to raise the 
visibility of successful projects and was reaching out to the 
private sector for help. 
 
¶7. Several speakers underscored the dangers facing women migrant 
workers.  They said women, who often worked at the lowest levels of 
the labor market, were among the first to be laid off as a result of 
the economic crisis.  It was noted that, as the informal labor 
market grew for women, they were being exposed to violence and a 
higher degree of insecurity that had been associated with migrant 
workers in the informal sector.  Sri Lanka's representative 
expressed strong support for efforts by UN agencies to promote 
protection of women migrant workers.  Those measures included 
strengthening contractual agreements, control over recruitment 
agencies and information campaigns. 
 
¶8. Other highlights throughout the discussion were the increased 
participation of women in the public and private sector, ongoing 
legislative and judicial reforms, and FGM.  A number of African 
countries including, Burkina Faso Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Togo 
stressed the need to eradicate FGM in communities and enact laws 
making it a criminal act.  Eritrea said that it has taken steps but 
more work was needed in public awareness and dialogue.  The Perm Rep 
of Djibouti noted the increasing number of peacekeeping soldiers 
were themselves responsible for violence against women and called 
for a zero-tolerance policy for violence perpetrated against women 
by UN peacekeepers.  He also welcomed Security Council resolution 
1888 and quoted part of Hillary Clinton's statement made in 
September on the resolution to Combat Sexual Violence in Armed 
Conflict.  Additionally, the Australian delegate said that some 
government's characterization of sexual violence as an inevitable 
"by-product" of war was intolerable. 
 
¶9. In addition to Cuba's normal U.S. blockade rhetoric, the 
representative said it was a "genocide act and the major form of 
violence suffered by Cuban women and girls."  She also called the 
visa denial of Mrs. Adriana Perez O'Connor; wife of one of five 
Cubans imprisoned in the U.S., inhumane and demanded the issuance of 
a humanitarian visa.  She also criticized the lack of criminal 
prosecution by the U.S. of Luis Posada Carriles, who Cuba considers 
a terrorist for carrying out an airplane attack and hotel bombing. 
She urged states to support Cuba's upcoming resolution aimed at 
ending the embargo. 
 
¶10. The United States delivered a right of reply to Cuba saying the 
U.S. regretted the use of the word "genocide" by Cuba to describe 
U.S. actions.  One statement noted that even with the blockade, the 
U.S. was the largest provider of food to Cuba, exported medicine and 
medical equipment to the country and was Cuba's fifth largest 
trading partner. 
 
¶11. The DPRK delegate blamed Japan for past crimes against Korean 
women and called for Japan to admit its wrong doing and give redress 
for its past crimes, particularly with respect to the 200,000 women 
it had abducted.  The Japanese delegate repeated that his country 
was facing up to its past with sincerity and remorse for its 
actions, and had offered apologies.  As for the abducted women, his 
country recognized that their existence was an act involving 
military authorities of the day, which injured the honor and dignity 
of many women, for which Japan apologized. 
 
RIGHTS OF THE CHILD 
 
¶12. Rights of the Child attracted over 95, including Radhika 
Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the SG for Children and 
Armed Conflict; Omar Abdi, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF; and 
Yanghee Lee, Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the 
Child.  Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative on Violence 
against Children, in her first appearance before the Committee since 
her appointment, said her agenda would build on the foundation 
provided by the Pinheiro UN Study on Violence against Children. 
Several Speakers noted that the U.S. and Somalia are the only two 
states that have not signed onto the Convention on the Rights of the 
Child.  Public Delegate Laura G. Ross delivered the U.S. statement. 
 
 
¶13. The debate covered the effects of the economic crises on 
children, child labor, all forms child abuse including FGM or 
cutting, children in armed conflict, and achieving MDGs that 
directly affect children.  Many speakers said that the array of 
crises around the world, from the economic crisis to climate change 
to high food prices and nutritional insecurity, threatened to make 
achievement of the rights of the child, especially for girls, more 
difficult.  The ILO estimated 218 million children in child labor. 
Speakers noted that child labor needed to be addressed, that 
children who are working are not going to school and learning, 
 
 
thereby making the MDG of "education for all" unattainable and that 
the real impact of the economic crisis would likely push more 
children into the work force and the informal sector. 
 
¶14. While countries called for an end to the physical and emotional 
abuse of children worldwide, several speakers focused on ending FGM 
and sexual violence against children.   Chile's representative 
underscored the crucial role of health systems in overcoming the 
lack of equity faced by girls, and that the elimination of FGM and 
obstetric fistula would promote the attainment of MDGs 3 and 5.  The 
Inter-Parliamentary Union noted that progress on MDG 4, child 
survival, was slow with 97% of all maternal and child deaths 
occurring in 68 countries but only 16 are on track to reach MDG 4. 
Many delegates affirmed their country's commitment to SC resolution 
1882 on children and armed conflict. 
 
¶15. Cuba once again condemned the U.S. blockade calling it a 
"genocidal blockade" but also named U.S. companies Merck, NUMED, 
AGA, and Boston Scientific as companies that are forbidden to sell 
life saving medical products to Cuba. 
 
¶16. Georgia and Russia had a tit-for-tat on who was at fault for the 
conflict in South Ossetia in August 2008.  Armenia blamed Azerbaijan 
for using every agenda item to unleash anti-Armenian comments. 
Responding, the delegate from Azerbaijan said it was not 
politicizing the issue, but had special concerns, namely the 
disproportionate amount of refugees and internally displaced 
persons, a large number of which were children. 
 
 
Rice