VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0859/01 2662318
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 222318Z SEP 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4988

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000859 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNGA PHUM CH TW
SUBJECT: SHARP DEBATE ON UKRAINE MARKS UN GENERAL COMMITTEE 
MEETING REGARDING THE AGENDA FOR THE 63RD GA 
 
REF: A. STATE 98699 
     ¶B. STATE 85098 
     ¶C. STATE 99661 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: The UN General Committee (GC) met September 
17 to inscribe items on the agenda of the 63rd UNGA, which 
opened September 16, and to allocate them to the Main 
Committees or Plenary.  There were no votes in the General 
Committee, but several controversial items were deferred for 
future consideration.  The UNGA plenary met September 19 to 
consider the General Committee's Report.  In the General 
Committee and at the plenary, USUN spoke to express 
reservation about Serbia's request for an International Court 
of Justice advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of 
independence and to dissociate from decisions on that item. 
The General Committee's Report was adopted without further 
comment. End Summary. 
 
Advisory Opinion on Kosovo 
-------------------------- 
¶2.  (U) At the September 17 General Committee Meeting, the 
Serbian Foreign Minister spoke in support of inscription of 
their request for an International Court of Justice advisory 
opinion on Kosovo.  Spain, Argentina, Egypt, and Myanmar also 
spoke in support of inscription.  France spoke against 
inscribing the item.  The UK did not object to the 
inscription but clarified that the position rested on 
procedural grounds and should not be interpreted as support 
for the request.  Ambassador Wolff explained U.S. 
reservations about the request and dissociated from the 
decision to inscribe, which was made without a vote. 
 
The Human Rights Council Report 
------------------------------- 
¶3.  (U) Inscription of this item was not controversial but 
the General Committee decided by consensus to defer a 
decision on whether to allocate consideration of the Report 
of the Human Rights Council to the plenary or the Third 
Committee.  France spoke in favor of allocation to the 
plenary.  Argentina, Portugal, New Zealand, the UK, Mexico, 
Hungary, Spain, and Costa Rica concurred in statements of 
their own.  Jamaica, Egypt, The Solomon Islands, Uruguay, 
China, Myanmar, and Niger spoke in favor of allocation to the 
Third Committee.  No date was set for further consideration, 
but consultations will be undertaken to resolve the matter. 
This was a replay of General Committee action on the item 
last year. 
 
Libya Withdraws item regarding the 1986 U.S.  Attack 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶4.  (U) At Libya's request the Committee removed from the 
agenda the item entitled, "Declaration of the Assembly of 
Heads of State and Government of the OAU on the aerial and 
naval military attack against the Socialist People's Libyan 
Arab Jamahiriya by the present U.S. administration in April 
1986." 
 
Natural Resources & Conflict 
---------------------------- 
¶5.  (U) A Belgian request to inscribe an item entitled 
"Natural Resources and Conflict" provoked extended 
discussion.  The UK spoke in strong support of inscribing 
"Natural Resources and Conflict;" Spain and France concurred. 
 Egypt, supported by China and Namibia, proposed that the 
item's title be changed to relate to development instead of 
security.  One wording suggested in Egypt's speech was 
"Strengthening National Ownership of Resources for 
Development."  The Committee agreed to postpone discussion of 
the inscription of the item to a later, unspecified, date. 
 
Commemoration of the Great Famine provokes debate 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶6.  (U) Heated discussions ensued after Ukraine addressed the 
committee in support of its request to inscribe an item 
regarding the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the 
Great Famine of 1932-1933.  Ambassador Wolff spoke in support 
of inscription, noting that discussion of the content of the 
commemoration should take place in the plenary.  Russia spoke 
at length opposing the inscription.  Myanmar and Kyrgystan 
concurred.  China and Argentina requested that the item be 
postponed until the countries affected by the famine reached 
consensus.  Ambassador Wolff, after consulting the Ukrainian 
Permanent Representative, supported inscription of the item 
and called for a vote.  The chair began the voting process. 
Russia made a speech on a point of order to attempt to change 
the question to be put to a vote to "the item should not be 
inscribed." Speeches by Belarus against the item and Poland 
supporting it followed.  To block additional statements 
against inscription, Ambassador Wolff raised a point of order 
when Kazakhstan began to speak in opposition.  GA rules 
provide that once voting has begun, members can only speak if 
raising a point of order relating to the conduct of the vote. 
 
 
 
¶7.  (U) In view of continued Russian objections to the 
formulation of the question to be put to a vote, the Chairman 
suspended the Committee to conduct consultations.  During the 
suspension the Ukraine representative informed Ambassador 
Wolff that some of the votes they had "locked in" were no 
longer there and they preferred not to risk a vote.  Wolff 
and Russian Permanent Representative Churkin agreed to accept 
the Chinese proposal that a decision on inscription be 
deferred on the condition that it be considered again by the 
General Committee within a time frame that would permit the 
debate to proceed before the end of 2008.  As a result, the 
Ukraine was spared a probable defeat and will have an 
opportunity to lobby for additional support before the 
committee decides the issue. 
 
Taiwan 
------ 
¶8.  (U) A September 11 informal agreement limited discussion 
of inscription an item allowing Taiwan to participate 
meaningfully in the UN to one speaker on either side.  The 
Solomon Islands spoke in favor of the item, saying that their 
flexibility in wording the item this year did not set a 
precedent for the future.  The Chinese Permanent 
Representative reiterated that there is one China.  The 
Committee Chairman, following past practice, then announced 
that there was no agreement to include the item in the 
agenda. 
 
Granting GA Observer Status for the Global Fund 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶9.  (U) The Committee also deferred inscription of the item 
regarding observer status in the GA for the Global Fund to 
Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  Egypt spoke and 
delivered a strong objection that the organization did not 
meet the criteria for Observer status.  France, the sponsor, 
said that that determination should be made by the Sixth 
Committee after inscription and allocation and did not fall 
under the purview of the General Committee.  (Note: That is 
the correct position, which has been consistently applied in 
similar cases).  Portugal and Spain spoke in support of 
France's point.  Argentina did not oppose, but said they 
would like more clarity. 
 
Plenary Accepts the General Committee's Recommendations 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
¶10.  (U) At the September 19 plenary, the GA accepted the 
inscriptions and allocations suggested in the General 
Committee's Report almost without comment.  Contrary to 
expectations, no one spoke regarding the General Committee's 
decision not to inscribe the item regarding Taiwan's 
participation in the UN. (Note: Last year, 14 countries spoke 
supporting inclusion of the Taiwan item and 125 countries 
spoke against it.  The Solomon Islands Permanent 
Representative told a USUN senior advisor that this year the 
policy has changed and they are trying to work with the 
Peoples Republic of China. End Note.)  USUN spoke to express 
again reservations regarding Serbia's request for an ICJ 
advisory opinion and to dissociate from decisions relating to 
inscription of that item. 
Khalilzad