VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1099/01 3252326
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 202326Z NOV 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5408
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3437

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001099 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KWMN KOCI UNGA
SUBJECT: UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE DISCUSSES SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, 
ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN, RIGHTS OF CHILDREN, AND INDIGENOUS 
ISSUES 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  From October 6-21, the UN General Assembly Third 
Committee formally discussed social development, advancement 
of women, rights of children, and indigenous issues.  The 
broader themes discussed under these topics reflected those 
raised during the UN General Assembly General Debate, namely 
the global food, financial, and energy crises, and the need 
to fulfill the Millennium Development Goals, especially those 
focused on poverty eradication, education, and health care. 
Speakers from developing countries called for technical and 
financial assistance to enable them to enact programs on 
these issues.  Many speakers expressed concern regarding the 
UN's slow progress in achieving gender balance within its own 
institutions, as well as the UN's as-of-yet failure to 
appoint a Special Rapporteur on Violence against Children. 
The representatives of several Arab nations used many of 
these discussions to make comments regarding Israel's 
"occupation" of the West Bank and Gaza and other territories. 
 Russia used the discussion on rights of children to blame 
Georgia for the recent conflict.  END SUMMARY 
 
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 
------------------ 
 
¶2. During four formal meetings October 6-7, the UN General 
Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee discussed social development. 
 Speakers included the Under-Secretary-General (SYG) for 
Economic and Social Affairs, the Acting Director of ECOSOC's 
Division of Social Policy and Development; the Executive 
Coordinator of the UN Volunteer Program; the Director of 
UNESCO's Division for the Coordination of UN Priorities in 
Education; observers from the International Labor 
Organization (ILO), the International Organization for 
Migration (IOM), and the International Federation of Red 
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC); representatives of 
59 countries, and the Palestinian observer.  Public Delegate 
Cheryl Halpern delivered the U.S. statement, which focused on 
the need for greater international efforts to eradicate 
illiteracy.  (The complete texts of all U.S. statements can 
be found at www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov.) 
 
¶3. Key themes from the discussion included improving access 
to healthcare and education; increasing employment 
opportunities; protecting the rights of persons with 
disabilities; addressing the needs of aging populations and 
youth; eliminating diseases such as HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis, 
and malaria; developing small and medium enterprises; 
promoting literacy; and encouraging volunteerism.  Many 
speakers focused on the impact of poverty and hunger -- 
worsened by the global food, financial, and energy crises, as 
well as climate change -- on already-vulnerable groups, such 
as persons with disabilities, the elderly, and women and 
children.  Representatives of developing countries noted that 
the lack of financial and technical resources was stalling 
their progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals 
(MDGs).  They called upon the developed countries to fulfill 
their assistance commitments. 
 
¶4. Speakers from Central and Latin America stressed that the 
financial crisis was a major obstacle to social development, 
advocating more "people-centered" economic policies as 
opposed to capitalism.  Cuba pointed to the "unfair 
international reality" imposed by "powerful countries" as the 
main cause of unemployment.  India said it was time for the 
Bretton Woods institutions to stop being the "cheerleaders of 
capitalism" and revert to their initial goal of providing 
assistance to countries to maintain high levels of 
employment.  Burma complained about the imposition of 
"unilateral sanctions and coercive measures," which the 
speaker said worked against national and international 
efforts to increase employment.  Lebanon blamed Israel for 
impeding social development in the Middle East, and Syria 
called for attention to the rights of persons in territories 
under foreign occupation, expressing particular concern 
regarding the "plight" of older persons in these territories. 
 
ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN 
-------------------- 
 
¶5. During five formal meetings October 13-15, the Third 
Committee discussed advancement of women.  Speakers included 
the Assistant-SYG and Special Advisor to the SYG on Gender 
Issues and Advancement of Women; the Director of the Division 
of the Advancement of Women; the Executive Director of the UN 
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM); the Chairperson for the 
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women; 
the Executive Coordinator of Global Health of the UN 
Population Fund (UNFPA); observers from the 
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the International Committee 
of the Red Cross, the IOM, the ILO, and the International 
Fund for Agricultural Development; representatives of 80 
countries, and the Palestinian observer.  Ambassador T. Vance 
 
 
 
McMahan delivered the U.S. statement, which emphasized the 
need to end sexual violence, particularly in situations of 
armed conflict. 
 
¶6. Key themes from the discussion included eliminating 
discrimination against women; eliminating all forms of 
violence against women; combating trafficking of women and 
girls; providing sexual and reproductive healthcare, with 
specific goals of reducing maternal mortality and supporting 
efforts to end obstetric fistula; achieving gender equality 
in the workplace; ensuring girls' access to education and 
encouraging attendance; promoting women's participation in 
public life; ensuring equal property rights for women; 
eradicating poverty; and protecting the role of rural women. 
The need to fulfill the MDGs was referenced often, with some 
speakers describing their perception of the "feminization of 
poverty."  Many speakers, including the European Union (EU) 
via France's statement, called for the creation of a new 
gender entity with the UN system, which would coordinate the 
UN's existing gender-focused entities.  Several speakers also 
criticized the UN's slow progress in achieving gender balance 
within its own institutions, to which the Special Advisor to 
the SYG on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women responded 
that her office was also frustrated, explaining that there 
were not many female applicants for senior-level vacancies, 
and that the UN was working more actively to recruit 
qualified female candidates.  Speakers from developing 
countries noted their lack of resources, and called for 
technical and financial assistance to work towards gender 
equality and women's empowerment. 
 
¶7. Sudan, Syria, and Palestine used the question and answer 
session following the presentation of reports to bring up the 
situation of women in areas under foreign occupation, with 
Syria specifically referring to Israel's "occupation" of the 
Golan Heights.  Qatar, Oman, Sudan, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, 
Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian observer also raised this 
during their statements, although not all specifically 
referenced Israel.  During its statement, Cuba called the 
U.S. embargo "a genocide act," claiming that it is the 
"biggest form of violence" suffered by Cuban women.  Japan 
spoke in exercise of the right of reply in response to the 
Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) comment during 
its statement that Japan "denies its past," and the DPRK 
responded that Japan had become "double-faced," noting 
concern that because Japan was denying the "crimes" it had 
committed against the DPRK, it was likely to repeat such 
crimes. 
 
RIGHTS OF CHILDREN 
------------------ 
 
¶8. During four formal meetings October 15-17, the Third 
Committee discussed rights of children.  Speakers included 
the Special Representative of the SYG for Children and Armed 
Conflict; the Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children's 
Fund (UNICEF); the Director of the New York Office of the 
High Commissioner for Human Rights; the Chairperson of the 
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC); observers from 
the IPU, the IOM, the ILO, the IFRC, the Sovereign Military 
Order of Malta; representatives of 71 countries, and the 
Palestinian observer.  Ambassador T. Vance McMahan delivered 
the U.S. statement, which underscored the need to protect 
children against abuse, exploitation and violence. 
 
¶9. Key themes from the discussion included protecting 
children in situations of armed conflict, including ending 
the recruitment and use of children as child soldiers; 
eliminating all forms of violence against children; 
eliminating sexual exploitation of children; ending child 
labor; eradicating poverty; providing health care for 
children and preventing the spread of diseases such as 
HIV/AIDS; addressing the needs of children living without 
guardians; protecting the rights of detained children and 
finding alternatives to the detainment of children; and 
protecting children's rights to education and nutrition. 
Nearly every speaker made positive comments about the Special 
Representative of the SYG for Children and Armed Conflict's 
work.  Many speakers noted their concern that a Special 
Representative on Violence against Children had not yet been 
appointed as stipulated in a 62nd UNGA resolution.  The 
Director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for 
Human Rights reported that candidates for the position were 
currently being interviewed.  Representatives from several 
countries noted their support for the CRC's reform efforts, 
including its decision to work in two chambers to help reduce 
the backlog of reports pending the Committee's consideration. 
 The CRC Chairperson called for Member States who had not yet 
done so to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child's 
Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution 
and child pornography, and the Optional Protocol on the 
 
 
 
involvement of children in armed conflict.  The EU, via 
France's statement, said that discussions were underway 
regarding the potential drafting of a third Optional 
Protocol, which would grant the CRC authority to review 
individual complaints. 
 
¶10. Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, and the Palestinian observer used 
 
the question and answer session following the presentation of 
reports to bring up the situation of children in areas under 
foreign occupation, specifically the situation of Palestinian 
children in the West Bank and Gaza.  Sudan, Egypt, Iran, 
Libya, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Malaysia, and the Palestinian 
observer also raised this during their statements, with the 
Palestinian observer stating that more than 1,000 children 
had died as a result of Israel's "occupation" of the West 
Bank and Gaza.  Israel expressed concern regarding the 
"indoctrination of children into the world of extremist 
ideology," listing as an example practices used at Hamas-run 
"summer camps."  During its statement, Cuba noted that it had 
made progress in protecting children's rights in spite of the 
financial and economic "blockade" imposed by the United 
States, and said the "Bush plan" was "willfully ignorant of 
the will of the people" in terms of their right to 
self-determination.  Russia spoke in exercise of the right of 
reply in response to Georgia's reference during its statement 
to acts of violence committed by a neighbor, listing 
anecdotal cases "proving" that Georgia had committed acts 
killing and injuring many children in South Ossetia.  Georgia 
reaffirmed that it was still open to its request for an 
international investigation into the conflict, noting that 
Russia had rejected the request. 
 
INDIGENOUS ISSUES 
----------------- 
 
¶11. During two formal meetings October 20-21, the Third 
Committee discussed indigenous issues.  Speakers included the 
Under-SYG for Economic and Social Affairs; the Director of 
the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human 
Rights; experts from the UN Development Fund for Women, the 
ILO, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development; 
and representatives of 17 countries.  The Under-SYG for 
Economic and Social Affairs highlighted several positive 
steps taken by the international community during the past 
year, but noted that indigenous communities continued to 
suffer from exclusion, exploitation, discrimination, extreme 
poverty, and violence and persecution, with some facing the 
threat of extinction.  Many speakers expressed concern 
regarding the impact of climate change on indigenous 
populations, as they often live in the areas hit hardest by 
natural disasters.  Several speakers touched upon the 
importance of preserving indigenous languages, and others 
outlined their country's efforts to incorporate multicultural 
curricula into the education system. 
Khalilzad