Economic and Social Council

2010 Substantive Session

41^st & 42^nd Meetings (AM & PM)

In Recorded Vote, Economic and Social Council Adopts Text Expressing Grave Concern

over Difficulties Faced by Palestinian Women, Girls under Israeli Occupation

Council Also Dissolves International Research and Training Institute

For the Advancement of Women, Taking Step towards Operationalizing ‘UN Women’

Expressing deep concern about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, resulting from Israeli occupation, the Economic and Social Council adopted a text today urging continued international attention to promote and protect their human rights, as well as intensified measures to improve their difficult conditions.

By a recorded vote of 24 in favour to 3 against (Australia, Canada, United States), with 15 abstentions, the Council reaffirmed that occupation hindered Palestinian women’s advancement, self-reliance and societal integration, and stressed the importance of increasing their decision-making in conflict prevention and resolution efforts.  By other terms, the resolution called on Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to their homes.

The resolution was one of three texts proposed for the Council’s adoption by the Commission on the Status of Women, in its report on its fifty-fourth session, held on 13 March and 14 October 2009, and from 1 to 12 March 2010.

Ahead of the vote, Israel’s delegate said the text “deliberately ignored” all challenges faced by Palestinian women, including domestic and gender-based violence, honour killings and Hamas’ imposition of restrictions on their freedoms.  An observer of Palestine said the draft reaffirmed the rights of Palestinian women living under 43 years of repression and he urged the Council to adopt the text.

By a second text in that report, adopted by consensus, the Council took note of the Declaration adopted by the Commission on the fifteenth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women — which called for intensified efforts to implement the 1996 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action — and decided to transmit it to the General Assembly for its endorsement.  By a decision, adopted by consensus as orally revised, the Council took note of the Commission’s report on its fifty-fourth session and approved the provisional agenda for its fifty-fifth session.

Acting on the request of the General Assembly in its 2 July resolution on system-wide coherence, which created a composite United Nations body dealing with gender issues and women’s empowerment — “UN Women” — the Council adopted a consensus text put forward by its President, Hamidon Ali of Malaysia, by which it dissolved the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW).

Created in 1975 at the First World Conference of Women in Mexico, INSTRAW was tasked with strengthening the capacities of key stakeholders to integrate gender perspectives into policies, programmes and projects.  It was one of four entities, along with the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, the Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), to be dissolved or merged into UN Women, as outlined in Assembly resolution A/64/L.56.

Prior to action, Rachel N. Mayanja, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, said 2010 would be an historic year for the promotion of equality and empowerment of women.  Indeed, attention to gender had highlighted the urgency of addressing such issues at the global level, with cascading momentum generated at the national level.

The General Assembly’s conclusion of the three-year deliberation on strengthening the United Nations gender architecture was particularly significant, she said.  UN Women would play a key role in ensuring that such issues were better incorporated into the entire intergovernmental process as well as country programmes.

Earlier in the day, during its consideration of regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields, the Council adopted two consensus texts that, respectively, endorsed a decision by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to hold its thirty-fourth session in El Salvador in the first half of 2012, and mandatedthe Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) to adopt the statute of the ESCWA Technology Centre.  It also adopted, by consensus, an oral decision that took note of six documents on regional cooperation.

It postponed action on two other drafts under that agenda item, one that would endorse upgrading the ESCWA Section for Emerging and Conflict–Related Issues to the level of a division, and another by which that Commission would request its secretariat to complete administrative procedures related to upgrading the Centre for Women to the level of a division.

A related panel discussion on “opportunities for small island developing States” examined opportunities in the agricultural, energy and service sectors related to the emergence of new crops.  In that context, it explored opportunities for developing technology to reduce harmful emissions and improve energy efficiency and security.

In other business related to its subsidiary bodies, the Council was informed that Portugal and the United States had resigned their seats on the Commission on Population and Development, effective immediately.  Given that, it went on to elect by acclamation the United States to immediately replace Portugal, whose term would expire at the close of the Commission’s forty-seventh session in 2014, and Portugal to replace the United States, whose term would expire at the close of the forty-eighth session in 2015.

The Council also elected Chile and Grenada to the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2011.  In an oral decision by the President, it postponed the election of three members from Western European and Other States for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2011.  Currently, there are four outstanding vacancies on that Council: two terms that expired on 31 December 2011; and two others that expired on 31 December 2012.  To date, no nominees had been proposed to fill those seats.

It also appointed Victor Polterovich ( Russian Federation) to the Committee for Development Policy for a two-year term of office beginning today and expiring on 31 December 2012.  He fills a vacancy arising from the resignation of Vladimir Popov (Russian Federation).

Also today, Yemen’s representative, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, introduced a draft resolution on Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 (document E/2010/L.20). 

The Director of the Regional Commissions New York Office introduced a report on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields (document E/2010/15/Add.1), and the Secretary-General’s note on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on living conditions of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan (document A/65/72–E/2010/13).

Participating in the general discussion on agenda items 9, 10 and 11 were representatives of Indonesia, Belarus, Venezuela, Cuba, Israel, Syria, Ukraine and Iran.

A representative of the Permanent Observer Mission for Palestine also spoke.

Saint Lucia’s representative introduced the draft resolution on “Support to Non-Self-Governing Territories by specialized agencies and international institutions associated with the United Nations” (document E/2010/L.22).

Speaking on issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment were the representatives of Belgium (on behalf of the European Union), Iraq, Belarus, United States, Guatemala, Ukraine, Russian Federation, Republic of Korea, Chile, Peru and the Dominican Republic.

The Economic and Social Council will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 21 July, to continue its general segment and consider sustainable development issues.

Background

The Economic and Social Council met today to continue its general segment, which will run through 22 July.  It was expected to take action on several draft resolutions and discuss several other items on its agenda, including decolonization, regional cooperation, social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people, and issues related to gender equality and women’s empowerment.  In addition, it was expected to hold a panel discussion on “Opportunities for small island developing States”.

Introduction of Draft

Yemen’s representative, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, introduced a draft resolution on Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 (document E/2010/L.20).  Noting the upcoming conclusion of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010, he said that, since 2001, only one country had graduated from the least developed country status, a source of concern.  Ambitious support measures to establish a new partnership between those countries and their partners was needed for the new Decade.  As such, his delegation looked forward to the Council’s adoption of the text by consensus.

Opening Remarks

Addressing Council members on decolonization issues, DONATUS SAINT AIMEE (Saint Lucia), Chairperson of the Special Committee with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, said the Council’s work in that area was directly relevant to the 16 non-Self-governing Territories, which could benefit from the range of activities that the United Nations provided in the quest to end colonialism.

He said the ongoing call for United Nations specialized agencies to grant assistance to Non-Self-Governing Territories was still as valid as ever.  The Special Committee had sought to improve the well-being of those Territories and promote their economic advancement.  To that end, later in the day, his delegation would introduce a draft text on the subject, contained in document E/2010/L.22.

Continuing, he said several United Nations agencies had carried out activities to benefit Non-Self-Governing Territories — a welcome integration of those Territories into the assistance community.  In that context, he acknowledged those agencies, funds and programmes, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).  Recent seminars held under the auspices of those agencies had identified cross-cutting issues, including climate change, the impacts of the financial crisis and the role of women, which had to be addressed.

Next, AMR NOUR, Director of the Regional Commissions New York Office, speaking first on agenda item 10, introduced a report on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields (document E/2010/15/Add.1), saying that neither the Millennium Development Goals nor economic recovery would be possible without gender equality or women’s empowerment.  Progress on the Goals was uneven across countries and regions.  Even before the food, fuel and financial crises, the prospects had been gravest for maternal health, notably in Southern Asia.  While those crises, and the effects of climate change, had presented formidable challenges, they also had fostered out-of-the-box thinking, he said, and pointed to aspects requiring attention, like food security and more stringent regulation.

Among the lessons learned was the value of State intervention to maintain economic stability and absorb some of the impacts on the most vulnerable groups, through targeted social systems, which, he said, acted as shock stabilizers.  Countries that had not done so could adopt Millennium Goal-based development plans, with spending on Goal-related priorities.  Another lesson had been learned about the increasingly recognized value of South-South and regional cooperation, an important element for the achievement of the Goals.

The crises highlighted the need for more environmentally sustainable growth, he said.  For their part, the regional commissions had actively promoted a coherent United Nations at regional and subregional levels through the Regional Coordination Mechanism.  In that context, he highlighted continued efforts to articulate that Mechanism’s functions.  Regional directors’ teams also had brought challenges the Mechanism and lessons had been drawn, which could be more broadly shared and feed normative work.

Continuing on behalf of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Mr. NOUR presented the Secretary-General’s note on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on living conditions of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan (document A/65/72–E/2010/13).  It covered developments through March 2010 and outlined events like the disproportionate use of force, property destruction and closure policies, which only intensified hardships for Palestinians.

Between 1 February 2009 and February 2010, 85 Palestinians had been killed, he said, most in context of Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip.  Over 400 Palestinians had been displaced as a result of home demolitions.  Restricting Palestinian movement were the more than 550 closures in the West Bank.  Irregular supply of industrial fuel in Gaza had exacerbated the chronic shortage of electricity, while the ban on importing building materials had prevented the reconstruction of most of the 3,500 homes destroyed and 2,900 homes severely damaged during the last Israeli offensive of December 2008 and January 2009.

Israel had continued settlement activity in the West Bank, he said, while in the occupied Syrian Golan, Israel’s decision to impose its laws had been deemed null and void by Security Council resolution 497 (1981).  Syrians in that area suffered from a lack of employment within their communities and had no prospects for economic development.  The Secretary-General stressed that clear parameters to end the occupation that had begun in 1967 and create a State of Palestine living side by side with Israel in peace and security were contained in the Road Map and Arab Peace Initiative.

General Discussion

AMMAR HIJAZI, Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine, said foreign occupation was “unjustifiable, cruel and repressive”, and it comprehensively debilitated a nation’s potential at all levels.  Over the past 43 years, Israel’s military occupation of the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Syrian Golan had systematically devastated the societies and economies of the those territories.  Moreover, it had done that in “grave violation” of its obligations as an occupying Power under international humanitarian law. 

The illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip, he stressed, was clear evidence of Israel’s “perverse mentality”, as it collectively punished the entire Palestinian population.  That blockade had resulted in several adverse impacts, including increasing food insecurity, declining economy and income, and worsening conditions with regard to health, water, sanitation and sewage systems.  Israel had also imposed its siege mentality on Palestinians in the West Bank, particularly in East Jerusalem, via its illegal colonization measures.

For the past six years, the occupying Power had employed “punitive and highly restrictive” permit system, treating Palestinians as strangers in their own land in order to maintain the “wall regime”.  That illegal regime had had devastating effects on the health sector, especially because of the unprecedented isolation Israel had imposed on East Jerusalem, he noted.  However, despite all challenges, the Palestinian people and their leadership were forging ahead with their State-building efforts.

A comprehensive programme launched by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in August 2009, called “Palestine: Ending the Occupation, Establishing the State”, enjoyed the international’s community’s strong support, he continued.  Palestinians would, however, continue to look to the international community to make efforts to achieve a two-State solution for peace.  In that regard, he called for the international community to act swiftly and collectively to compel Israel to cease its illegal policies and practises.

Also speaking on that issue, YUSRA KHAN (Indonesia) said it deserved the Council’s continued serious consideration.  The continuation of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian and other Arab territories was not only a matter of legality, security and politics, but also had severe economic and social repercussions.  Mobility restrictions and closure policies imposed by Israel had also negatively affected Palestinians, limiting their access to needed emergency humanitarian assistance.

Indonesia, along with other members of the international community, had for years urged Israel to respect international law as the only way to attain peace in the Middle East.  It was hoped that the proximity talks which had begun on 9 May would lead to direct negotiations in the near future, leading to an independent and sovereign Palestinian State.  “There is a long way to go, but we must keep hope alive and continue to encourage and support the efforts of the parties,” he said.

However, the settlement question remained the “most formidable hurdle on the road to peace”.  Calling for Israel to stop all settlement constructions, he stressed that it could prove its commitment by halting all demolitions, evictions, and expansion, as well as dismantling settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and East Jerusalem.  Lastly, he reiterated his country’s absolute commitment to an independent, viable and democratic Palestine.

DENIS ZDOROV (Belarus), speaking on regional cooperation, said his Government attached importance on the regional commissions, which assisted States in coping with the aftermath of the economic crisis.  Belarus supported interaction with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), which helped to create strong business environments, establish financing instruments for innovative projects and streamline trade measures.  He trusted that the Commission would continue to afford such assistance to States to strengthen national competitiveness.  In that context, he pointed out that transitional and middle-income economies deserved special attention.  In such efforts, beneficiary States should play the defining role.

JORGE VALERO BRICEÑO (Venezuela), speaking about the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation, said that in the last few months, Israel’s campaign to “torpedo the peace process” had been fuelled by new actions.  Israel’s leaders had refused to heed international opinion, which demanded the immediate and unconditional end to the blockade in the Gaza Strip.  Israel had perpetrated State terrorism, such as against a ship in the so-called “Freedom Flotilla”, carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, but the Security Council had not appointed an independent committee to determine the authors of that crime.  Such impunity must end, as it jeopardized the maintenance of international peace and security, and undermined the sovereign equality of Member States.

Moreover, such impunity had hampered Palestinian’s access to the most basic economic and social rights, he said.  The results of Israel’s “genocide and aggression” were heartrending, with Palestinians’ situation now constituting a humanitarian disaster.  The ban on fuel imports had restricted the operation of Gaza’s only power station, while the ban on the import of building materials had halted reconstruction of homes.  According to the World Health Organization, nearly half of Gaza’s health centres had been affected or destroyed during the “Operation Cast Lead”.  Voicing concern at the lack of progress in the peace process, he said Israel’s “genocide” continued with the harassment of Palestinians.  In the West Bank, Israel had demolished houses and built settlements, part of a systematic policy to destroy territorial contiguity.  He called for an end to the blockade on the Gaza Strip and urged that resolute action be take for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East and that a free Palestinian State be established.

RODOLFO ELISEO BENÍTEZ VERSÓN (Cuba) aligned with statement made by the Permanent Observer for Palestine.  Regarding decolonization issues, his country had co-sponsored the resolution that would be introduced later in the day, “support to Non-Self-Governing Territories by the specialized agencies and international institutions associated with the United Nations”.  He recalled that the Council had adopted similar resolutions in the past.  Those Territories faced particular obstacles in implementing measures towards sustainable development; therefore, support from the international community was essential.

While some progress had been made, much remained to be done, he said.  Cuba regretted that several United Nations agencies had come forward with specific facts with regard to the programmes they carried out to the benefit of Non-Self-Governing Territories.  Given that, he called upon those agencies to carry out plans of that nature without further delay.  Reaffirming his country’s firm commitment to the cause of decolonization, he stressed that the resolution on support to Non-Self-Governing Territories was an “invaluable tool” for the Special Committee on Decolonization.

SHULAMIT YONA DAVIDOVICH (Israel) expressed disappointment that today’s forum had been exploited for discussion of a political agenda item.  During the Council’s substantive sessions, thematic issues were discussed, but the only country singled out for discrimination was Israel, through agenda item 11.  If the Council wished to address a specific country issue, it was obliged to do so in an even-handed manner; however, the report before it contained misleading and one-sided content, deliberately ignoring the implications of Hamas’ terrorist control of Gaza.

Despite that, Israel continued to ensure that Palestinian civilians in Gaza received adequate daily humanitarian provisions, she said.  In the first three months of 2010 alone, some 94,500 tons of supplies had been delivered to Gaza, while a new joint task force between Israel and the Palestinian Authority would advance coordinated projects in that area.  Further, the global community, including the Quartet, had welcomed Israel’s policy to allow more goods in to the Gaza Strip as long as they were not weapons or material for war-like purposes.  “All such facts would be noted by a balanced report,” she said.

Moreover, the Palestinian economy in the West Bank had continued to grow at a rate of nearly 8 per cent, she said, meriting attention that such growth had been encouraged by the removal of various checkpoints, which directly had correlated to the improving security situation in that area.  The hours of checkpoint operations, including the Allenby Bridge, had been expanded as part of dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.  The report also failed to mention the daily coordination between the two sides on issues related to public health, sanitation and the environment.

Related fields of cooperation included the joint creation of energy infrastructure and joint agricultural projects advanced through Israel’s international development organization, she explained.  Joint forums addressed women’s empowerment pertinent to both Israelis and Palestinians.  Such work stood in stark contrast to the selective information conveyed in the report.

BASHAR JA’AFAR (Syria) said the report by Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) had shed light on the situation of Palestinians in Gaza and Syrians living in the occupied Syrian Golan.  Among the crimes committed by Israel, the economic blockade imposed on more than 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had led to a severe shortage of basic needs and halted humanitarian aid to the area.  The “Freedom Flotilla” incident had led to the “murder” of nine innocent civilians, whose goal had been to bring humanitarian assistance to civilians languishing under occupation.

In the Syrian Golan, where occupation had continued since 1967, he urged Israel to wake up and remember that the global community considered it an illegal occupying Power.  “Occupation is nothing but a crime” he said, noting that territorial annexation was an even graver crime that required immediate accountability.  The Israeli Knesset had decided to conduct a referendum to the effect that any agreement resulting in withdrawal from East Jerusalem and Syrian Golan must enjoy 80 per cent support among Israelis.  The idea that the country desired peace was nothing but political posturing.

He was baffled that States only paid lip service to human rights in international forums.  In negotiating draft resolutions on foreign occupation, they opposed references to the suffering of those living under such occupation, particularly Israeli occupation.  That the Council could not implement resolutions related to the occupation of Arab territories did not take away from the weight of those texts.  He expressed hope that the Council would adopt by consensus the draft resolution to be submitted under the agenda item.

YEVHENII TSYMBALIUK (Ukraine), speaking with regard to regional economic cooperation, said his country had been heavily affected by global crises.  A gross domestic product (GDP) decline of nearly 15 per cent had forced Ukraine to turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial support.  At the same time, the Government was taking measures to reduce the country’s budget deficit, he said.  Social spending had been maintained or even increased, and funds had been allocated to rescue the banking sector.

However, the financial system remained partially impaired and needed to be repaired.  Unemployment had risen to nearly 8.8 per cent in 2009, and his country’s dependence on global economic development and foreign finance inflows was equally high.  Given the high correlation between progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and national income growth, Ukraine’s progress towards many targets had been set back by perhaps four years.  With a new Government in place that was implementing anti-crisis measures to support the real economy, he hoped his country would be able to achieve progress on the Millennium Goals by 2012.

AHMAD RAJABI (Iran) said Israel’s occupation of Palestine was the “most flagrant violation of inalienable human rights”.  In that regard, the need for Palestinians to freely exercise their rights to self-determination should be addressed as a main priority, he said.

Highlighting challenges faced by civilians in the Gaza Strip as a result of “atrocious crimes” by the Israeli regime, he noted that more than 1.5 million people in the territory were starved, massacred and subjected to collective punishment.  In undertaking such activities, the occupying Power had “practically eliminated a whole population” in front of the entire international community.  With that in mind, he stressed that emphasis must be on practical steps to make human rights in occupied territories a reality.

Speaking in exercise of the right of reply, the representative of the Permanent Observer Mission for Palestine addressed Israel’s “false” accusations. Debate on the item was repeated due to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.  Through debate, the international community had reaffirmed its commitment to international law and the rights established therein.  It stood with Palestinians’ right to dignity and prosperity.  Claiming that the debate was one-sided only was an assault on the global community, which had tried repeatedly to uphold the principles for which the United Nations stood.

He said it was misleading to suggest that the occupying Power was keen to facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, as it had closed Gaza crossings for almost three years, denying food, petrol and building materials to Palestinians.  Israel was obliged to facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance.  It would be highly positive if Israel could show goodwill by ceasing its aggression, illegal exploitation of Palestinian resources and demolishing of homes, notably in East Jerusalem, and by lifting the blockade on Gaza.

Introduction of Draft Resolution

The representative of Saint Lucia introduced the draft resolution on Support to Non-Self-Governing Territories by specialized agencies and international institutions associated with the United Nations (document E/2010/L.22).  Many living within Non-Self-Governing Territories believed that expression of political will was intertwined with the forward movement of their economic and social positions.  In that regard, the fundamental purpose of the resolution was to facilitate cooperation between United Nations agencies and the Territories to enable them to benefit from the Organization’s assistance.  Emphasis should be on the assistance aspect, he stressed, urging United Nations agencies and institutions to make meaningful contributions to the social and political development of the Territories.

Panel on Small Island Developing States

The panel on “Opportunities for small island developing States” was chaired by Council Vice-President Somduth Soborun (Mauritius) and featured presentations by Anthony Clayton, Alcan Professor of Caribbean Sustainable Development, Institute for Sustainable Development at the University of the West Indies; Vasantha Chase, Director, Chase Consulting Ltd; and Pierre Encontre, Chief of the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Launching the discussion, Mr. SOBORUN said the panel would identify potential opportunities for small island developing States and proposals for how such opportunities might be pursued.  In particular, it would examine opportunities in the agricultural, energy and service sectors related to the emergence of new crops.  In that context, small islands had piloted various initiatives to develop extreme-weather-resistant crops and livestock.  Finally, the panel would explore opportunities for developing technology to reduce harmful emissions and improve energy efficiency and security.

Speaking first, Mr. CLAYTON said it was important for small island developing States to stop looking for support and instead develop in areas that were ripe for competition.  In that context, he discussed a case study in Jamaica, which had been the world’s largest sugar producer from the 1600s to the 1800s, but had seen its share of world production dwindle to 0.1 per cent.  Jamaica had become uncompetitive in part because it had been protected from competition by European trade preferences and had become “profoundly threatened” by the phasing-out of those preferences.  The industry still took up 30 per cent of all agricultural land.  As the opportunity costs associated with that were unviable, two alternatives had been developed that were relevant to other small islands.

To optimize land use, a focus on intensive high-value agriculture, including plant extracts, such as oleoresins and flavonoids, was recommended.  He said development of nutraceutical and functional foods containing micro-nutrients like plant extracts could be used to reduce the impact of age-related degenerative diseases.  Estimates by The Economist showed that sales of functional foods in Western Europe had grown by 10.2 per cent a year between 2004 and 2007.  In the United States, sales had grown by 15.8 per cent annually between 2002 and 2007.  Other estimates showed that the global market could grow from $78 billion in 2007 to $128 billion in 2013.  Jamaica had 348 plants that contained nutraceutical actives, 45 of which were endemic.

A second focus on third-generation biofuels was also recommended, he said, noting that algae could produce 10,000 to 20,000 gallons of fuel per acre per year, meaning that 85 billion gallons — sufficient for all United States transport — could be produced on 15,000 square miles, about the size of the state of Maryland.  Genetically modified algae produced long-chain hydrocarbons, which could be refined into synthetic high-octane gasoline that was compatible with refineries.  Processes used non-arable land, non-potable water and delivered 10 to 100 times more energy per acre than cropland biofuels.  Projections estimated that global biotechnology revenues would grow from $170 billion in 2008 to $660 billion by 2020, with much of that work done in developing countries, especially Brazil and China, he said.  Small island developing States could transform their cost structure and development prospects by reducing dependence on imported fuel and chemicals.

Ms. CHASE said small island developing States were well positioned to take the lead in renewable energy efforts.  However, many of those States were heavily dependent on imported petroleum for commercial energy.  The fuel import bill for the English-speaking Caribbean and Haiti had risen from $6.5 billion in 2004 to $12 billion in 2007.  Moreover, some countries in the Caribbean region had spent about 50 per cent of foreign-exchange earnings to purchase fuel.

In light of such high vulnerability, she regretted a generally limited integration of the energy sector with other sectors.  Thus far, small island developing States had treated energy as a thematic area.  Therefore, efforts must be made to integrate and mainstream energy, she said, suggesting the development of a small island developing States-specific approach. 

The saving grace, however, was that small islands depended on a range of renewable energy sources.  Biomass remained an important source, and the use of coconut residues and oils as an energy source could provide some exciting future opportunities.  Hydroelectric power, as well as solar, wind and geothermal energy, were also useful within the small island developing States.  The use of ocean energy technologies had been discussed, yet there were still no projects being undertaken due to the costs and science surrounding it.

Given that, there were considerable barriers to attaining sustainable energy in small islands.  Recognizing that the stage had been set for an improved paradigm for sustainable energy within the States, she presented the basis for a small island developing States sustainable energy security framework.  That framework aimed to create a sustainable energy scenario, including improving energy efficiency and demand-side management, and enhancing renewable energy and distributed energy systems.

The successful implementation of such a plan required several elements to be put into place, she noted.  Energy development and management must be integrated into national development agendas, and enhanced cooperation among the small island developing States was urgently needed.  The framework could only be successful if it was actively pursued by all island States, and if those States increased regional cooperation.

Additionally, she stressed that small island developing States should promote enhanced demand-side management to reduce dependency on fossil fuels.  Most States had already established their renewable energy targets, and needed the international community’s assistance in reaching them.  Lastly, the large financing gap for sustainable energy infrastructure development called for innovative financing schemes to improve commercial viability through public-private partnership, venture capital and carbon financing.

Next, Mr. ENCONTRE, noting that economic specialization was a paramount goal of small island developing States, reviewed the revenue structures of those States using 2008 data.  Focusing on the Caribbean, he said foreign-exchange earnings in Antigua and Barbuda, a service economy with almost no exports, were dominated by tourism.  Bahamas had a mix of exports of goods and services, with offshore services well behind tourism.  In Barbados, also service-dominated, exports were small compared to tourism.  There was also the case of Cape Verde, which had small merchandise exports, and which had graduated from least developed country status, owing to tourism development.  In Dominica, tourism also dominated, as the banana industry was no longer what it once had been.

While tourism also dominated Fiji’s economy, the sugar, fish and textiles sectors were significant, he said.  Grenada depended mainly on tourism; however, Jamaica stood out as a genuinely specialized economy.  Again, the Maldives was dominated by tourism, but Mauritius had a “fair mix” of service and merchandize exports.  In Papua New Guinea, export specialization was almost all merchandise-based, after mineral wealth, which dominated the export structure.

He went on to say that Saint Kitts and Nevis was almost entirely service-based, as were Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Samoa.  Sao Tome and Principe was the only small island developing State where tourism placed second to the cocoa industry.  The Seychelles was more typical, dominated by tourism and tuna exports.  The Solomon Islands boasted more merchandize than service trade, with tourism not even among the eight strongest revenue generators.  Eighty per cent of Tonga’s exports were related to services.  Trinidad and Tobago was dominated by hydrocarbons, but Vanuatu had a more mixed economy, where financial services exceeded coconut oil exports.

Indeed, services dominated the economic specialization of 22 of 29 small island developing States, he said, especially tourism and the “offshore” sector.  What mattered most for policymakers was creating two viable service-export sectors and two merchandise-export sectors.  Sixteen developing countries were offshore-service centres, 12 of which were small island developing States.  With offshore sector development, it was important to be aware of three aspects: the global mood about offshore centres and tax havens was negative; the definition of offshore services was widening; and it was important to create the right specialization.

Finally, he said development often fuelled a tendency to overestimate country potential and led to the denial of concessionary treatment.  That, in turn, created the “island paradox”, meaning that small island developing States were generally prosperous, but always vulnerable.  Resilience-building was costly, due to the exorbitant costs associated with preventing future shocks.  In such contexts, preferential treatment, technical assistance and concessionary financing were needed.  Allowing small island developing States to gain credibility was critical and the designation in Council resolution 2009/17 of small island developing States status as an “important tool for recognizing and responding to their vulnerability” was a step in the right direction.

In the ensuing discussion, many speakers stressed that small island developing States required special attention.  Grenada’s representative called for the creation of a special category for the States, noting that there had been clear and constant oscillation between vulnerability and resilience, partly based on geography, history and even political legacy.

Special categorization, she said, would promote United Nations support and enhance the States’ capacity to maintain previously made achievements.  Without such support, all small island developing States could become least developed countries.

Furthermore, many speakers stressed that new ways to address the States’ vulnerabilities were needed, with Fiji’s representative underscoring the need to eliminate or reduce disabling elements, such as climate change.

Saint Lucia’s representative noted that many small islands lacked resources needed for research and development.  Such a lack of capacity made them “guinea pigs for some laboratory experiments”, which looked good on paper, but required high investments and long gestation periods.  With that in mind, he recommended increased consideration of marine resources, as the States’ had a comparative advantage in that area.

Responding to a question, Mr. ENCONTRE said the UNCTAD list of small island developing States was not and should not be considered as the same as the United Nations list.  UNCTAD’s list was used for analytical purposes only, and it was important for the sake of credibility to have a list that made sense.

With regard to special and differential treatment, Mr. CLAYTON said the problem with such treatment was that, when left in place, it made the protected industry less productive and shielded it from competition.  Given that, he stressed the need to develop strategies that would enable strong and competitive businesses in the small island developing States.

Also participating in the discussion were representatives of the Solomon Islands, Cuba and the Maldives, as did a representative of the European Union.

Action on Drafts

The Council in the afternoon turned its attention to the Secretary-General’s report on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields (document E/2010/15/Add.1), and began consideration of the four draft resolutions contained therein.

In its first action, the Council adopted by consensus the draft resolution entitled “Venue of the thirty-fourth session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean”.  By that text, it endorsed the decision of the Commission to hold the thirty-fourth session in El Salvador in the first half of 2012.

Next, the Council postponed action on the draft resolution on “Upgrading the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Section for Emerging and Conflict-Related Issues to the level of a division and establishing a governmental committee on emerging issues and development in conflict settings”.

Representatives of Canada, Belgium (speaking on behalf of the European Union) and Australia requested more time to consider the draft text, with Belgium’s representative noting that European Union members were not ready to adopt it without further discussion.

The Council then postponed action on the draft resolution on “Upgrading the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Centre for Women to the level of a division and follow-up to the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in the Arab countries after 15 years: Beijing+15”.

Australia’s representative requested more time to consider questions on the draft text’s budget implications.

The Council then adopted by consensus a draft resolution on the “Establishment of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Technology Centre”.

Next, the Council adopted by consensus an oral decision, by which it took note of six documents on regional cooperation (documents E/2010/15, E/2010/15/Add.1, E/2010/16, E/2010/17, E/2010/18, E/2010/19 and E/2010/20), concluding its consideration of the agenda item.

Statements on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

The Council then began to consider a cluster if items related to women, including mainstreaming a gender perspective into all United Nations policies and programmes, women and development, and the advancement of women.

RACHEL N. MAYANJA, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, said that the year 2010 would be recognized as a historic year in the promotion of equality and the empowerment of women.  Ten years into the new millennium and five years before the target date for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the international community had reached a global accord that women and girls should be placed at the centre of that global struggle.  The attention given this year to gender issues highlighted the urgency of addressing those issues at the global level, with a cascading momentum at the national level as well.

She went on to say that the General Assembly’s conclusion of the three-year deliberation on strengthening the United Nations architecture for addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment, was particularly significant.  The newly created “UN Women” would play a key role in ensuring that those issues were better incorporated into the entire intergovernmental process, as well as country programmes, while ensuring a vital link to experience on the ground.  Various global crises continued to present inordinate challenges to women and girls, she added.

While the international community recognized the potential of UN Women to strengthen the global capacity to address gender issues, it must also recognize that the value of such strategies had been long acknowledged.  She said the Council recognized that the goal of gender equality could not be achieved without a clear and calculated process for assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, and policies for programmes in all areas and at all levels.  In that respect, the Council saw gender mainstreaming as a strategy for making women’s, as well as men’s, concerns and experiences an integral dimension in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and social spheres.

She went on to say that the basis for defining gender mainstreaming as a process was sound, as it was only through changing basic processes that gender equality and women’s empowerment would become an integral part of the development dialogue, rather than an appendage to it.  While academics and bureaucrats alike continued to grapple with the links between gender mainstreaming and gender equality, it was important to deconstruct the concept and its different stages into a viable implementation process with appropriate indicators to monitor or evaluate it.  Without a solid common understanding of gender mainstreaming, efforts to promote it could be haphazard and uncoordinated.

NICOLAS NIHON (Belgium), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said that this year at the United Nations was a pivotal one in the international community’s efforts to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment.  He welcomed the establishment of UN Women and said the European Union would vigorously support all efforts to see that the new entity was up and running by January 2011.  The merger of several bodies into one new and strengthened gender entity was a new milestone in the United Nations reform process.

He said there were still too many misconceptions about what mainstreaming a gender perspective really was, as that process did not simply entail adding the word “women” to all texts, but instead took into account the different needs of women and men, girls and boys, and made serious use of tools such as sex-aggregated data collection, gender-responsive budgeting and gender markers.  In order to achieve a clearer and more operational definition, the European Union supported a consultation with and within the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality, and would highlight the essential contribution of civil society, especially women’s organizations, when it came to the advancement and rights of women.

He emphasized that, in the European Union, equality between women and men constituted a fundamental principle, and on 5 March of this year, had reaffirmed its commitment by adopting a Women’s Charter.  The five areas of that Charter, namely equal economic independence; equal pay for equal work and work of equal value; equality in decision-making; dignity, integrity and an end to gender-based violence; and the promotion of gender equality in external relations, would be translated into a new strategy for gender equality that would be presented in autumn this year.

As the economic crisis continued, the persistent stress would seriously impact women’s livelihoods.  That crisis could not be an excuse to cut back on national budgets that invested in women’s empowerment.  Women’s equal participation at all levels of decision-making was not only a matter of human rights, but could greatly contribute to strengthening families and communities resilience and reversing the economic crisis.

AHMED HAMEED MOHAMMED (Iraq) said the empowerment of women was part and parcel of his Government’s agenda, as witnessed by its adherence to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Beijing Plan of Action.  Despite several years of challenges, his country was now based on the principles of equality and rights.  Amid those challenges, Iraqi women had proved their resilience in facing terrorism, assuming family responsibilities, and participating in elections.  Iraq’s Constitution included articles which enhanced equality between men and women, and three of those articles pointed to the fact that all Iraqis were now considered equal, regardless of gender, race, or viewpoint.

With that in mind, the Iraqi Government had established national institutions for women, and in 2006, had also adopted laws of nationality and naturalization which abolished inequality between men and women.  There had been clear improvements in the situation of Iraqi women, he said, noting the increase of women’s employment in sectors other than agriculture, and high women’s enrolment rates in all levels of education.  Nearly 25 per cent of parliament positions were allocated to women, and more women were becoming part of the police, army, and diplomatic core. 

IRINA VELICHKO (Belarus) said gender-equality policies required equal participation of both men and women in decision-making processes at all levels.  In Belarus, women made up 19.3 per cent of people in State bodies, and 51 per cent of all academics.  There were also 36 women’s organizations in the country, she said, noting that Belarus was ranked nineteenth out of 27 countries who had reached several targeted indicators with regards to the Millennium Development Goals.

In promoting gender equality, a national mechanism charged with ensuring coordination between all institutions working towards gender mainstreaming played a very important role.  However, she recognized that more work needed to be done to prevent gender discrimination and ensure that women’s potential could be fully harnessed in all spheres of life.

LAURIE PHIPPS (United States) said her delegation was delighted at the establishment of UN Women, and noted that the Commission on the Status of Women could adjust its programme of work so that the head of the new entity would be able to share her vision of UN Women with the Commission during its upcoming session.  The meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women next March should be held in such a way as to allow participants to sit in as observers for the meeting of UN Women if they so chose.

She said that holding the United Nations system accountable for gender mainstreaming was a key component to success, and all members of the United Nations family should continue to have responsibility for mainstreaming gender.  She said her delegation looked forward to the appointment of a dynamic, forceful, charismatic and skilled new Under-Secretary-General for UN Women, and to its formation into a cohesive and effective new agency.

CONNIE TARACENA SECAIRA (Guatemala) said her delegation did not intend to repeat what had already been said, but would like to applaud the commitment of Governments to improve the situation of women worldwide and reduce gender gaps that persisted.  Such actions aimed to promote the participation of women, especially indigenous women, in institutions.  Regarding fulfilling the globally agreed upon development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, she said the international community must continue to develop plans and projects to achieve those goals, especially regarding eradicating poverty and improving education, health and the right to live free of violence.

OLHA KAVUN (Ukraine), aligning with the statement made on behalf of the European Union, said national action plans and legal regulations in her country were based on major international instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.  Ukraine had taken into account the recommendations of the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on the Status of Women and the report of the Executive Board of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW).

Both men and women in Ukraine enjoyed full socio-economic, political and personal rights and freedoms, she noted.  Furthermore, the principle of equal rights for both genders was stipulated in her country’s Constitution and reflected in other legislative acts.  The Ukrainian Government prioritized efforts towards increasing gender awareness and establishing a rapid response mechanism to meet the needs of those subjected to gender-based violence and discrimination.  Measures had also been taken to promote the balanced representation of women and men in all authoritative branches.

NIKOLAY RAKOVSKIY (Russian Federation) commended the Commission on the Status of Women.  He welcomed the recent decision to create UN Women, the future activities of which would enhance the United Nations work in the area of gender equality.  The establishment of sustainable interactions between the Commission and the executive board of the new gender entity would help to further strengthen those efforts, he said.

Specific measures to improve the status of women that focused on coping with aftermath of financial crisis had been taken in his country.  The Russian Federation considered women’s economic equality and independence as of the utmost importance.  Women were well-established in the country, consisting of half of the country’s labour resources and serving as a driving force in small- and medium-sized businesses.

HYUNT HWANG (Republic of Korea) welcomed the establishment of UN Women, as that new body would increase the effectiveness of addressing gender-related issues.  She said the time had come to take concrete actions to put UN Women in operation, to appoint a new Under-Secretary-General, elect board members and secure a funding mechanism for the entity.  Her delegation noted the importance of properly appointing a qualified Under-Secretary-General, as the new entity would play a pivotal role in implementing the internationally agreed upon development goals.

She stressed that UN Women needed to adequately prioritize and streamline current initiatives and programmes in collaboration with the Economic and Social Council.  Challenges remained to be faced relating to fully understanding gender mainstreaming, and further work should be done in defining the term and in forming an assessment mechanism that could be shared by diverse agencies, Governments and individuals.

BELÉN SAPAG ( Chile) thanked Ms. Mayanja for her statement and wished to echo her words.  Regarding efforts to ensure a definitive understanding of gender mainstreaming, she added that a consensus decision had been adopted at a regional conference for women, held in Brazil, which had included specific rules for gender mainstreaming.  The details of the decision could be shared with the Council at a later date.

Action on Drafts

The Council then adopted by consensus a draft decision on the Declaration on the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, (document E/2010/27).

Following that action, the Council turned to a draft resolution contained in document E/2010/27, Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, by which it would urged the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls, and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions being faced by those women and their families living under Israeli occupation.  That text would also demand that Israel comply fully with provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Posing a question to the Council Vice-President, the representative of the United States said that since the resolution had been adopted by a recorded vote in the Commission on the Status of Women, there should therefore also be a recorded vote taken in the Council.

Ahead of the vote, Israel’s representative expressed her country’s dismay at the Council’s consideration of the draft resolution.  Rather than broadly addressing the countless burning issues related to women, the Council was forced to consider the annual resolution on the situation of Palestinian women presented by a group of Member States, therefore “ignoring the needs of countless other women, none of whom have powerful political blocs to lobby on their behalf”.

The resolution, she said, contained misleading and one-sided content as it “deliberately ignored” all challenges faced by Palestinian women.  Such challenges included domestic and gender-based violence, overt discrimination, female genital mutilation and honour killings, as well as Hamas’ imposition of restrictions on their freedoms.  Moreover, the resolution failed to note the substantial economic growth that had widely benefited Palestinian women.

The resolution simply served to scapegoat Israel, and by doing so, the Council diminished its own credibility.  It also reinforced the belief that “certain countries only care about the plight of women if it can be used as a political weapon”.  She called for direct negotiations between her country and the Palestinians to move the peace process towards two States living side by side in peace and security, urging countries to vote against the resolution.

Next, the representative of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine said the draft resolution reaffirmed the rights of Palestinian women living under 43 years of repression and humiliation.  He urged the Council to vote strongly in favour of the text, which also reaffirmed the principles of protecting women under occupation.  Emphasizing that a United Nations Member State continued to violate Palestinian women’s rights, he specifically asked the members of the Group of 77 developing countries and China to vote in favour of the draft text.

The Council then adopted the draft resolution on Palestinian women by a recorded vote of 24 in favour to 3 against (United States, Canada, Australia), with 15 abstentions.

Speaking in explanation of vote after the vote, the representative of Australia said his delegation was deeply concerned for those living in the Palestinian Territory, and had made strong shows of support for achieving an enduring peace based on a two-State solution.  Therefore, it must refrain from any action that undermined the trust and support of the peace process.  Australia was contributing to the development of Palestinians by helping the Palestinian Authority meet the Territory’s recovery needs and the needs of the people, including of course women.

The Council then turned to the draft decision entitled Report of the Commission of the Status of Women on its fifty-fourth session and provisional agenda for the fifty-fifth session of the Commission (document E/2010/27).

Speaking before its adoption, the representative of Peru said that his delegation considered the provisions of the decision in line with its Constitution and its international obligations emanating from the Human Rights treaties for which it was a signatory.  Along those lines, it was understood that, in Peru, abortion was not legal, and his delegation believed the best way to avoid taking such measures it was through education so that people were responsible.  In that way, they could avoid unwanted pregnancies.

The representative of Chile said her delegation would accept the content of the resolution as long as it was understood that the aims of the text were in line with Chile’s national legislation and that her country’s support for the text did not suggest support for abortion.

The Council then adopted the draft decision without a vote.

Next, the Council adopted by consensus the draft resolution entitled “Strengthening the institutional arrangements for support of gender equality and the empowerment of women” (document E/2010/L.21), as orally amended.  By the draft text, submitted by Council President Hamidon Ali ( Malaysia), the Council decided to dissolve the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) as of today.

After that action the Dominican Republic’s representative said INSTRAW, established in 1976, had been a relevant tool for the advancement of women throughout the world, especially in developing countries.  He hoped the integration of INSTRAW with the new United Nations gender entity, UN Women, would give rise to training activities with far greater impact, owing to more resources.   The adoption of the resolution, he said, was tantamount to opening a new page in the struggle for gender equality worldwide

Chile’s representative thanked the Dominican Republic for its efforts with INSTRAW, noting that, because of that country’s availability and generosity in 1983, the developing world — especially the Latin American and Caribbean region — had been offered a headquarters for bolstering national agendas on women’s issues.

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For information media • not an official record