R 222038Z MAY 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC POSTS COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 
AMCONSUL BARCELONA 
AMCONSUL FLORENCE 
AMCONSUL STRASBOURG

UNCLAS STATE 055178 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC UNSC UNGA
SUBJECT: 2007 UN VOTING REPORT 
 
¶1.  The Department's annual Voting Practices in the United 
Nations report (2007) is complete and will be distributed 
soon to posts.  The Department wishes to use the release 
of the report to convey to UN member states that a 
country's voting record at the United Nations is relevant 
to its bilateral relationship with the United States and 
that greater cooperation with the United States at the UN 
is a priority.  The Bureau of International Organization 
Affairs will pouch two copies of the 2007 report to posts 
in UN member states so that posts can provide one copy to 
the foreign ministry and retain one copy for reference. 
The report is also available online (see para 4).  Please 
address inquiries about distribution of the report to: 
Paulette Onley (OnleyPL@state.gov).  Queries about content 
should be addressed to Mark Schlachter 
(SchlachtMM@state.gov) or Susan Poulin 
(PoulinSS@state.gov).  Please see general and 
post-specific action requests in paragraphs 3-17. 
 
¶2.  BACKGROUND: The Department prepares an annual report 
to Congress on voting practices in the United Nations in 
compliance with Public Law 101-246.  The report reviews 
voting practices in the UN Security Council (UNSC) and 
General Assembly (UNGA).  All UNSC resolutions adopted in 
2007 are described, and voting on them is tabulated.  The 
report statistically measures the overall voting of UN 
member states at the 62nd UNGA (Fall 2007) in comparison 
with the U.S. voting record (i.e., voting coincidence). 
The report also lists and describes UNGA resolutions 
selected as important to U.S. interests, again with tables 
showing voting coincidence statistics.  The report 
presents data by country and by various groups.  As 
required by P.L. 101-246, voting coincidence is also 
displayed with levels of U.S. foreign assistance. 
Finally, an annex is included to present the voting 
patterns on UNGA resolutions relating to Israel and 
opposed by the United States. 
 
¶3.  Action Requests/General:  Bilateral missions in 
countries that are UN member states are asked to present a 
copy of the report to the foreign ministry and to deliver 
a message regarding voting coincidence.  Where a country's 
voting coincidence with the United States is high, the 
post is asked to convey to the host government that the 
United States appreciates the support it has shown in its 
UN voting in 2007, and hopes to maintain and build on that 
cooperation in the 63rd General Assembly.  Where a 
country's voting coincidence could improve (as is the case 
for most countries), the post is asked to convey that the 
country's voting record at the United Nations is relevant 
to its bilateral relationship with the United States and 
that we desire greater cooperation at the UN.  The gulf 
between the United States and voting blocs led by the 
G-77, NAM, and regional groups continues to widen.  The 
Bureau of International Organization Affairs would welcome 
the opportunity to support Embassies that would like to 
engage in or develop public diplomacy activities related 
to UN voting practices (e.g., targeted placement of 
op-eds, speaker outreach to civil society, digital video 
conferencing with government officials and/or civil 
society).  Contact details are those listed in para 1. 
The 2007 version of the report is now available online at: 
http://www.state.gov/p/io/rls/rpt/c25867.htm. 
 
¶5.  For Bridgetown:  Eight copies are intended for post 
and for the Governments of Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, 
Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. 
Vincent and the Grenadines. 
 
¶6.  For Colombo, Dakar, Libreville, New Delhi, and Paris: 
A third copy is being pouched to each post for passing to 
Maldives, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Bhutan, 
and Monaco, respectively. 
 
¶7.  For Port Louis:  Two additional copies are for Comoros 
and Seychelles. 
 
¶8.  For Port Moresby:  Two additional copies are for the 
Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. 
 
¶9.  For Suva:  Four additional copies are for Kiribati, 
Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu. 
 
¶10.  For Barcelona and Florence:  Two copies will be 
pouched.  Posts should retain one and give the other to 
the foreign ministries of Andorra and San Marino, 
respectively. 
 
¶11.  For Bern:  One additional copy is for the foreign 
ministry of Liechtenstein. 
 
¶12. For Strasbourg:  Only one copy is being pouched for 
retention by post. 
 
¶13.  USUN New York:  Mission is requested to present 
copies of the report to the missions of other member 
states.  300 copies will be sent to USUN New York 
shortly.  One copy should be delivered to each UN 
mission.  Remaining copies are for USUN New York's use and 
for distribution at mission's discretion. 
 
¶14.  For Geneva and UNVIE:  Each mission will receive 10 
copies. 
 
¶15.  For U.S. UNESCO:  Two copies are being pouched. 
 
¶16.  For USUN Rome:  Five copies are being pouched. 
 
¶17.  For USEU Brussels: Three copies are being pouched, 
one for retention by post, one for the European 
Commission, and one for the Council of the European Union. 
 
¶18.  Minimize considered. 
 
RICE