Second Committee Approves 14 Resolutions, Including Text Calling Upon States to Strengthen Cooperation in Combating Illicit Financial Flows
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today approved 14 resolutions, voting on two of them, including a text calling upon States to strengthen cooperation, including through relevant organizations of the United Nations system and other relevant regional or international forums, to combat illicit financial flows in all their forms.
By the draft titled “Towards a New International Economic Order” (document A/C.2/77/L.46), the Assembly would further express concern over the increasing debt vulnerabilities of developing countries, the net negative capital flows from developing countries, the fluctuation of exchange rates and the tightening of global financial conditions, and in this regard stress the need to explore the means and instruments needed to achieve debt sustainability and the measures necessary to reduce the indebtedness of developing States.
The Committee then approved the draft by a recorded vote of 124 in favour to 50 against, with 2 abstentions (Armenia, Türkiye).
The representative of the United States, speaking before the vote, said that his country will vote against this resolution, urging others to do the same. The United States had numerous concerns with the text, including language seeking to prescribe action for institutions independent from the United Nations, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Further, it contains a problematic reference to unilateral trade measures, along with calls for technology transfer that is not both on a voluntary basis and on mutually agreed terms.
The representative the Czech Republic, speaking on behalf of the European Union, noted the bloc voted against the resolution in its current form. The Union participated in negotiations good faith but given two divergent positions, consensus was impossible to reach. Citing previous resolutions from 1974 do not address the multiple challenges of today’s globalized world, with concepts from the 1970s possibly sending a message of the United Nations inability to solve contemporary problems. She noted the call to increase the concessional funding and allocation of special drawing rights should be limited to Member States to live up to their official development assistance (ODA) commitments.
The Committee also took up the draft on “Combating sand and dust storms” (document A/C.2/77/L.42/Rev.1), approving it by a recorded vote of 174 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 2 abstentions (Australia, Papua New Guinea).
By that text, the Assembly would encourage regional, subregional and interregional organizations and processes to continue to share best practices, experiences and technical expertise in combating sand and dust storms to address their root causes and impacts, including through improved implementation of sustainable land management practices. The Assembly would also decide to proclaim 16 May of each year as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms to further raise public awareness.
The representative of Israel underlined that the draft is important to his country, as it is situated in a dry region and subject to sand and dust storms. However, his delegation called for a vote on the text, which incorrectly refers to the identity of participants in the high-level interactive dialogue on sand and dust storm held at the Headquarters. Adding that misrepresentation was deliberately included, he said his country cannot accept such language calling on delegations to vote against the text.
The Committee also took up a draft on “Enhancing the role of parliaments in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals” (document A/C.2/77/L.18/Rev.1), approving it without a vote.
By that text, the Assembly would call on the United Nations to work with Member States to strengthen the role and institutional capacity of national parliaments in addressing climate change and its adverse effects and natural hazards through the development of legislation aimed at mitigation, adaptation and building resilience, and reducing the risk of loss and damage.
Introducing the draft, the representative of Uzbekistan noted it pays special attention to the unique capability of parliaments to increase accountability and inclusivity of an implementation process that is responsive to the needs of all, including the most vulnerable. As adoption of the text will be an important milestone to inspire parliamentarians to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, he expressed hope that it will be adopted by consensus.
Speaking after the vote, the representative of El Salvador said that, seven years into the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and amid interrelated crises, many challenges remain, and progress was lost, requiring “concrete action” on behalf of the Organization. Pointing to women’s empowerment participation in decision-making, she said that at the current pace it will take them another 40 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments.
The representative of Belarus stressed that, in the face of myriad, complex global challenges, depoliticized dialogue is needed, including via parliamentary diplomacy. It is “unacceptable” that some parliamentarians are targeted by sanctions, calling on partners to refrain from imposing unilateral measures on such individuals. All members of all parliaments must also have access to international events on a non-discriminatory basis.
Drafts on the following topics were also approved, without a vote: Follow-up to and implementation of the outcomes of the International Conferences on Financing for Development; International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, 2025; Promoting zero-waste approaches to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, building on Agenda 21; Towards the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea for present and future generations; Implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations Conferences on Human Settlements and on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat); International migration and development; Promotion of sustainable and resilient tourism, including ecotourism, for poverty eradication and environmental protection; Implementation of the third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018–2027); Human resources development; and Operational activities for development of the United Nations system.
Also speaking were the representatives of Guatemala, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Türkiye, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Iran, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Poland, Bulgaria, Morocco and Indonesia.
A representative of European Union, in its capacity as observer, also spoke, as did an observer for the Holy See.
The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 22 November, to continue taking action on draft resolutions.
General Statements
The representative of Guatemala, addressing the draft resolutions “Harmony with Nature” (document A/C.2/77/L.40/Rev.1) and “Application of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its contribution to sustainable development” (document A/C.2/77/L.32/Rev.1), distanced her delegation from the references to the “Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean”, known as the “Escazú Agreement”. Regarding the draft “International Year for Glacier Conservation, 2025” (document A/C.2/77/L.17/Rev.1), she reiterated that Guatemala does not accept the term “cross-border cooperation” and disassociates itself from the respective paragraph, emphasizing that the use of international watercourses must be the subject of bilateral international treaties whose negotiation and celebration correspond exclusively to the States involved. On the draft “Women in Development” (document A/C.2/77/L.28/Rev.1), she expressed support for its spirit, with specific actions to achieve the socioeconomic empowerment of women, while maintaining reservations in line with the firm commitment to protect life from the time of conception.
The representative of the United States expressed a preference for neutral language that “notes” or “acknowledges” their function. His delegation does not support references to the statements of conference hosts, such as the Kunming Declaration, or the inclusion of individual Member States’ foreign policy ideology or rhetoric in resolutions. He urged all Member States to reject the inclusion of contentious language that does not reflect the interests of the majority of Member States. Stressing that the Russian Federation’s brutal and unjustified war against Ukraine has only contributed to a surge in food and energy prices and exacerbated poverty and food insecurity worldwide, he further cited the Secretary-General’s unequivocal statement that the war will “prolong the dramatic impacts on the global economy, especially in developing countries, and hinder our ability to deliver life-saving aid”. He understood references to “geopolitical tensions and conflicts” to refer to the unprovoked war against Ukraine, which has unravelled years of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and harmed stability everywhere.
The representative of the Russian Federation said that the analysis of the repercussions of the situation in Ukraine, as contained in various reports, is based on flagrantly biased positions and inaccurate assumptions. Holding the events in Ukraine responsible for poverty and hunger is destructive and leads the international community astray, he said, adding that these crises have built up over many years and were compounded by the COVID‑19 pandemic, which hit the global supply chains. Also expressing concern about the short-sighted financial policies implemented by Western countries to combat the pandemic, he dissociated from all passages in all the reports and texts under consideration today that refer to the repercussions of the situation in Ukraine.
The Committee then approved that text without a vote.
By the text, the Assembly would reiterate that States will not be able to achieve the Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development without a revitalized and enhanced global partnership and ambitious means of implementation, and it would reaffirm the commitment at the very heart of the 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind and commit to taking more tangible steps to support people in vulnerable situations and the most vulnerable countries and to reach the furthest behind first.
Further to the draft, it would note that official development assistance (ODA) reached its highest level in 2021 during the unprecedented COVID‑19 crisis, underscore the need for this trend to continue, and urge development partners to scale up and fulfil their respective ODA commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income for ODA and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of gross national income for ODA to the least developed countries.
The representative of the United States, expressing commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, emphasized the importance of leaving no one behind. “We do not support language that attempts to shift the discussion towards a narrow set of vested country interests,” he said, dissociating from any such references.
The Committee then turned to the draft resolution titled “International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, 2025” (document A/C.2/77/L.17/Rev.1), approving the text without a vote.
The delegate of Tajikistan, introducing the resolution, said that, aimed at raising awareness and improving international cooperation on glaciers issues, the resolution gives mandates to mobilize financial resources through the trust fund to support activities for glaciers preservation. In this regard, he encouraged Member States to observe the International Year and the World Day through activities aimed at raising awareness of the importance of glaciers, snow and ice in the climate system, including the hydrological cycle, and the economic, social and environmental impacts of the impending changes in the Earth’s cryosphere. He also called on States to share best practices and knowledge in this regard.
By the text, the Assembly would decide to declare 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and to proclaim 21 March of each year the World Day for Glaciers, to be observed starting in 2025.
The Assembly would further invite Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, major groups, other relevant stakeholders and donors to voluntarily contribute to the trust fund in support of activities for glaciers’ preservation. The fund would be coordinated by the Secretary-General in partnership with relevant agencies of the United Nations system, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), to support countries in addressing issues related to accelerated melting of glaciers and its consequences.
Next, the Committee took up a draft on “Enhancing the role of parliaments in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals” (document A/C.2/77/L.18/Rev.1), approving it without a vote.
By that text, the Assembly would call on the United Nations to work with Member States to strengthen the role and institutional capacity of national parliaments in addressing climate change and its adverse effects and natural hazards through the development of legislation aimed at mitigation, adaptation and building resilience, and reducing the risk of loss and damage.
Further to the draft, the Assembly would recommend interparliamentary cooperation, including through the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), to inspire ambitious collective plans, enhance mutual learning and sharing of best practices, enhance knowledge-sharing and awareness-raising among parliamentarians and generate momentum to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Introducing the draft, the representative of Uzbekistan said the text calls on States to promote the leadership role of parliaments in accelerating the achievement of all Sustainable Development Goals and encourages the Organization to work with them, upon their request, on strengthening their institutional capacity in this regard. Further, the draft pays special attention to the unique capability of parliaments to increase accountability and inclusivity of an implementation process that is responsive to the needs of all, including the most vulnerable. Believing that the adoption of the text will be an important milestone to inspire parliamentarians to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, he expressed hope that it will be adopted by consensus.
Speaking after the vote, the representative of El Salvador said seven years into the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and amid interrelated crises, many challenges remain, and progress was lost, requiring “concrete action” on behalf of the Organization. She valued the call of the Assembly to all parliaments to institutionalize the 2030 Agenda, incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals in their policies and contribute to their follow-up and evaluation. Further, she underlined the fundamental roles of parliaments to combat climate change, adding that the Assembly should address such a role in the future. Pointing to women’s empowerment participation in decision-making, she said that at the current pace it will take them another 40 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments.
The representative of Belarus, speaking after approval, said that her country was “delighted” to join as a co-sponsor. In the face of myriad, complex global challenges, depoliticized dialogue is needed, including via parliamentary diplomacy. It is also important to deepen cooperation between the United Nations, national parliaments and IPU to ensure effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda. She went on to stress that it is “unacceptable” that some parliamentarians are targeted by sanctions, calling on partners to refrain from imposing unilateral measures on such individuals. All members of all parliaments must also have access to international events on a non-discriminatory basis, she added.
Next, the Committee took up draft resolution titled “Promoting zero waste initiatives to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (document A/C.2/77/L.19/Rev.10), which contained no programme budget implications.
Introducing the draft resolution, the representative of Türkiye said the amount of waste generated globally is projected to substantially increase in the coming years, adversely affecting States’ ability to implement the 2030 Agenda. Therefore, zero waste initiatives applied at local and national levels have a critical role to play in environmentally sound management of waste, especially in cities, he said, adding that the resolution aims to build on the work carried out by the United Nations and its partners, and not duplicate any programmes or projects currently under way. To this end, the text promotes inter-agency cooperation within the Organization, as well as collaboration with relevant existing global and regional platforms, he said, adding that the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will be key agencies in bringing the resolution forward from paper to practice. He expressed hope that the innovative resolution will be adopted by consensus.
The Committee then approved “L.19” without a vote.
By that text, the Assembly would decide to proclaim 30 March as International Day of Zero Waste, to be observed annually. It would also invite all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, other international and regional organizations and other relevant stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector and academia, to observe the Day in an appropriate manner, through activities aimed at raising awareness of the zero-waste approach and its contribution to achieving sustainable development.
Further to the draft, the Assembly would invite UNEP and UN-Habitat to facilitate the observance of the International Day of Zero Waste and stress that the cost of all activities that may arise from the implementation should be met from voluntary contributions.
The representative of the United States, speaking after approval, said his delegation was pleased to join consensus, as his country supports efforts at all levels to promote environmentally sound waste management. The zero-waste approach is part of a wide set of solutions to improve waste management, and he welcomed the General Assembly’s efforts to elevate the profile of zero-waste approaches. Regarding references to the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, he recalled his country’s statement delivered earlier this afternoon.
The representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, joined consensus, calling for implementation to adhere to agreed-upon modalities, and not to duplicate existing work. The resolution does not give a new mandate to the United Nations system on zero waste, he noted, and the work of the vote should be limited to advocacy in promoting local and national initiatives.
Next, the Committee took up the draft resolution titled “Promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, building on Agenda 21” (document A/C.2/77/L.44), approving it without a vote, withdrawing a previous text.
By that text, the Assembly would urge the full and effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and all other internationally agreed development goals and commitments in the economic, social and environmental fields, including the Millennium Development Goals and those under the three Rio conventions, building on their contributions, best practices, challenges and lessons learned, in order to support the full and effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
It would further urge the international community to continue to support developing countries in strengthening their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production, and calls for enhanced support to developing countries by providing means of implementation.
The representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, speaking after action, said today’s consensus underlines the universal relevance of sustainable consumption for the transformation of economies. After two years of limited negotiations, the Committee engaged to update the resolution. While the consensus does not fully comply with initial intent of the group, he welcomed progress made, including references to key decisions on the circular economy. Nevertheless, he noted it does not fully reflect the focus on Sustainable Development Goal 12, still containing many general paragraphs, and looked forward to streamlining it.
The Committee then turned to a draft titled “Towards the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea for present and future generations” (document A/C.2/77/L.43), approving it by consensus.
By the text, the Assembly would recognize that the Caribbean Sea is an area of unique biodiversity and a highly fragile ecosystem that requires relevant regional and international development partners to work together to develop and implement regional initiatives to promote the sustainable conservation and management of coastal and marine resources.
It would also note the efforts of the Caribbean States and the work undertaken by the Caribbean Sea Commission of the Association of Caribbean States, including the development of their concept of the designation of the Caribbean Sea as a special area in the context of sustainable development, and invite the international community to support such efforts.
The representative of the United Kingdom, speaking after the vote, said he joined consensus on the text. Reiterating the United Kingdom’s position on language contained in preambular paragraph 9, on the scope and applicability of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, he said that, as such, all references to international, regional and national legislation and policies in United Nations resolutions and agreements should align with the Convention.
The representative of the United States said resolution “L.43” highlights the unique vulnerabilities and urgent economic challenges facing the Caribbean region. Highlighting preambular paragraph 20, she said that while debt swaps may be useful tools for supporting certain policy goals, including climate adaptation, it is important to clearly distinguish between attempts to use debt swaps to achieve policy goals versus attempts to use debt swaps to address debt sustainability issues.
The representative of Türkiye, speaking in explanation of position, said her country joined consensus on the resolution, as it addresses important issues on the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources in the Caribbean Sea area. Türkiye firmly supports the efforts of the Association of Caribbean States to develop and implement regional initiatives to promote the sustainable conservation and management of coastal and marine resources. However, it dissociates itself from references made in the text to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, she said, adding that such references cannot be construed as a change in her country’s legal position vis-à-vis the concerned instrument.
The representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, welcomed the text’s reference to the political declaration adopted at the United Nations Ocean Conference, calling for urgent action to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 targets, especially those that matured in 2020. It is also crucial that the resolution underlines the cumulative human impacts on the oceans and the important role played by marine ecosystems.
The representative of Venezuela noted that her country is not a State party to the Convention on the Law of the Sea. Therefore, its norms are not applicable in terms of conventional or international law, except the norms included in the national legislation. The reasons that have prevented the country from acceding to the respective instruments remain. With the view to consensus, her country joined in approving the resolution. She, however, expressed her reservations with regard to the content of preambular paragraph 9, given that Venezuela is not a State party to the Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The representative of Iran said that his delegation joined the consensus on the resolution; however, he disassociated himself from the reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in the text of the resolution.
Next, the Committee took up the draft on “Combating sand and dust storms” (document A/C.2/77/L.42/Rev.1), approving it by a recorded vote of 174 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 2 abstentions (Australia, Papua New Guinea).
By that text, the Assembly would encourage regional, subregional and interregional organizations and processes to continue to share best practices, experiences and technical expertise in combating sand and dust storms to address their root causes and impacts, including through improved implementation of sustainable land management practices. The Assembly would also decide to proclaim 16 May of each year as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms to further raise public awareness.
Speaking before the vote, the representative of the United States, supporting various organizations to combat sand and dust storms, said that these have different causes and times, thus making regional, national and local efforts key. He looked forward to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s toolbox. However, noting that language in the final text reflects bias against one Member State, he said his delegation would vote against the draft. On references to the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the transfer of technology, he referred to his country’s earlier general statement.
The representative of Israel underlined that the draft is important to his country, as it is situated in a dry region and subject to sand and dust storms. However, his delegation called for a vote on the text, which incorrectly refers to the identity of participants in the high-level interactive dialogue on sand and dust storm held at Headquarters, he said. Adding that misrepresentation was deliberately included, he said his country cannot accept such language. States will continue to vote on the text until the drafters decided that promoting sustainable development is more important than inserting a political agenda in the work of the Committee, he added, calling on delegations to vote against the text.
The Committee next turned to the draft resolution “Implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations Conferences on Human Settlements and on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)” (document A/C.2/77/L.49), approving the draft resolution without a vote.
By that text, the Assembly would invite Member States, international and bilateral donors and financial institutions to contribute to UN-Habitat through increased voluntary financial contributions, especially non-earmarked contributions, to the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation, including the urban basic services trust fund and other technical cooperation trust funds. It would also invite Governments and other stakeholders to provide voluntary predictable multi-year funding and increased non-earmarked contributions to support the implementation of its mandate.
The Assembly would also reaffirm the central role that cities and human settlements can play in sustainable development, and urge UN-Habitat to further support increased participation of Governments at all levels and regional organizations in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda to contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The representative of the United States, speaking after approval, said that helping human settlements recover from post-conflict situations is a mandate of UN-Habitat. Therefore, it is disappointing that the resolution does not recognize the impact of the Russian Federation’s war on Ukraine and other conflicts that cause damage to urban environments. Regarding the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, she referred to her country’s statement delivered earlier in the day.
Next, the Committee took up the draft resolution “Towards a New International Economic Order” (document A/C.2/77/L.46), approving it by a recorded vote of 124 in favour to 50 against, with 2 abstentions (Armenia, Türkiye).
By that draft, the Assembly would call upon States to strengthen cooperation, including through relevant organizations of the United Nations system and other relevant regional or international forums, to combat illicit financial flows in all their forms. Further to the draft, it would express concern over the increasing debt vulnerabilities of developing countries, the net-negative capital flows from developing countries, the fluctuation of exchange rates and the tightening of global financial conditions. In this regard, the Assembly would stress the need to explore the means and instruments needed to achieve debt sustainability and the measures necessary to reduce the indebtedness of developing countries.
The representative of the United States, speaking before the vote, said that his country will vote against this resolution, urging others to do the same. The United States has numerous concerns with the text, including language seeking to prescribe action for institutions independent from the United Nations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Further, it contains a problematic reference to unilateral trade measures, along with calls for technology transfer that is not both on a voluntary basis and on mutually agreed terms. He added that, as in prior years, it contains unacceptable references to foreign occupation. For elaboration on these and other issues with the resolution, he referred to the statement delivered by his country earlier today.
The representative the Czech Republic, speaking on behalf of the European Union, noted they voted against the resolution in its current form. The European Union participated in negotiations good faith, but, given two divergent positions, consensus was impossible to reach. Citing previous resolutions 3201 and 3202 of 1974 do not address the multiple challenges of today’s globalized world, she said referencing concepts from the 1970s may send a message of the United Nations inability to solving the problems of today’s world. The text also addresses work covered by the Economic and Social Council forum on financing for development follow-up, and duplications of other work should be avoided. On increasing the volume of concessional funding and allocation of special drawing rights, she noted the call should be limited to Member States to live up to their ODA commitments.
The Committee then turned to the draft titled “International migration and development” (document A/C.2/77/L.48), approving it without a vote.
By the text, the Assembly would reaffirm the importance of facilitating orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies, in line with target 10.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals. Further to the draft, it would reiterate its commitment to preventing and combating trafficking in persons, identifying and protecting victims of trafficking, preventing and combating migrant smuggling, as well as the activities of transnational and national organized crime entities and protecting migrants from exploitation and other abuses, stressing the need to establish or upgrade national and regional anti-human trafficking policies.
The representative of Italy, speaking after action, noted his delegation joined consensus, as international migration and development are connected. Italy is a long-standing partner of many countries of origin and transit of migrants, and hosts a high number of diaspora communities and actively supports them with sustainable development projects. He reiterated that today’s approval does not change his delegation’s stance on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
The representative of the United States, expressing commitment to fair and orderly migration systems, with safeguards for the vulnerable, including migrant children, recalled his country’s previous clarifications on the Global Compact for Migration. Endorsing the aspirational vision contained in the Compact, he said his country will work with other States to enhance cooperation to manage migration in ways that are grounded in human rights and transparency. Stressing the importance of responsibility-sharing, he added that harassment while condemnable does not constitute violence.
The representative of the Russian Federation, welcoming the adoption of the text, praised the constructive efforts of the coordinating delegations. The draft contains a new element on combating immigration factors, he said, pointing to the so-called brain drain and the link between migration and regional integration processes. Also noting language on eliminating discrimination as well as hate speech, he said that migrants of some countries and religious beliefs continue to be intimidated in the countries they migrate to.
The representative of Austria pointed out that some of the paragraphs in the text are in conflict with its national position on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. However, in a spirit of solidarity, cooperation and partnership, Austria joined consensus. He further recalled the abstention from voting on the Global Compact in the first place. He emphasized that, by avoiding to object to some of the paragraphs in the resolution, Austria’s general position on the Global Compact has not changed.
The representative of Hungary, associating himself with the European Union on the resolution on “International migration and development”, recalled that his country voted against the Global Compact for Migration in 2018, and has not taken part in its implementation ever since. Consequently, it cannot accept any references to the Global Compact in internationally negotiated documents. Pointing out the need for providing local assistance to countries of origin by creating stable and secure conditions to ensure that people can stay in their homeland, Hungary is prioritizing development projects in those States. Recognizing that the overall approach of the resolution remains fundamentally different from Hungary’s position on migration, the Global Compact and its implementation, he underscored his country’s dissociation from the text.
The representative of the Netherlands, welcoming the return of the consensual adoption of the text, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to support the Global Compact for Migration as the leading framework for international migration management. Underscoring his State’s efforts to advance the implementation of the International Migration Review Forum recommendations in collaboration with the United Nations migration network, he said its position remains as expressed in the joint explanation of position delivered at the time of the adoption of the Progress Declaration.
The representative of Latvia acknowledged that multilateral cooperation is indispensable for addressing migration, both its challenges and contributions to development, and joined consensus. However, several paragraphs correspond to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration — which her country did not join. As such, Latvia does not apply to the provisions of the Global Compact, nor the Progress Declaration of the International Migration Review Forum.
The representative of the Czech Republic said that her country did not join the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, did not participate in the intergovernmental conference to adopt the Compact in Marrakech, and voted against the related resolution (document A/73/195). Her delegation joined consensus on “L.48”, but she stressed that the Global Compact and the International Migration Review Forum Progress Declaration established illegal obligations on her country and must not lead to the emergence of customary international law. These documents shall also not serve as point of reference for national or international courts, she added.
The representative of Lithuania stressed that States have the sole authority to distinguish between regular and irregular migration, noting that such distinction could have been more clearly mainstreamed throughout the resolution. Determining receipt of social security and other welfare rights is solely an issue of national competence. However, all migrants are entitled to safe access to basic services. Underscoring that effective migration management should be based on a comprehensive approach, he called for cooperation between countries of origin, transit and destination to ensure effective border management, measures against human trafficking and efforts to address the root causes of migration.
The representative of Portugal stressed the importance of delving deeper into migrants’ contributions to sustainable development. Such contributions were a constant — before, during and after the pandemic — which is evidenced by migrants’ hard work in countries of destination and remittances sent to countries of origin. Welcoming that progress has been made in aligning the resolution with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, he noted that the General Assembly is again sending a strong signal of the international community’s determination to harness migrants’ contribution to sustainable development and to implement the Global Compact.
The representative of Poland said she joined consensus on “L.18”, but reiterated that her country did not support the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration and did not participate in its review process.
The representative of Bulgaria noted his delegation joined consensus, but abstained from the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
The observer for the Holy See said that “L.48” contributes to responding to socioeconomic challenges that countries face in the context of migration. He welcomed this year’s strengthening of the operative paragraphs, like the inclusion of 26 out of 27 recommendations from the International Migration Review Forum. That one omission, however, is of particular concern, because it represents a selective approach and because that recommendation focused on the crucial issue of saving migrants’ lives. It called for transparent, safe and predictable arrival procedures on land and at sea of all migrants, as well as search and rescue procedures and agreements. He hoped that this crucial element would be included next time. On the term “gender”, he reiterated that the Holy See understands that term to be grounded in biological sexual identity and difference, male or female.
Next, the Committee took up the draft “Promotion of sustainable and resilient tourism, including ecotourism, for poverty eradication and environmental protection” (document A/C.2/77/L.15/Rev.1), approving it without a vote, withdrawing a previous text.
By the text, the Assembly would stress that the cultures, traditions and knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, in all their aspects, including women and young people, are to be fully considered, respected and promoted, as appropriate, in policy development for sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, and underline the importance of promoting their participation in decision-making and all tourism operations that affect them. It would further stress the need to ensure the integration of sustainable consumption and production patterns in the tourism sector, including through identifying and adopting tourism-planning approaches aimed at improving efficiency in the use of resources.
The representative of Morocco, introducing the draft resolution, noted tourism is one the industries most affected by the pandemic, costing some 120 million jobs in small and medium-sized enterprises. It is important for the international community to cooperate on the issue, as tourism is an important source of revenue for developing countries.
Speaking in explanation of position after adoption of “L.15/Rev.1”, the representative of Indonesia highlighted the contribution of tourism to the world economy and the negative impact of the pandemic on that sector. She also highlighted the World Tourism Organization’s work in uniting the sector in the face of crisis and laying the foundations for a more inclusive and resilient future.
Next, the Committee took up the draft “Implementation of the Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018–2027)” (document A/C.2/77/L.54), approving it without a vote.
By the text, the Assembly would express its deep concern that, while there has been progress in reducing poverty, such progress remains uneven, with 1.3 billion people in 109 developing countries still living in multidimensional poverty, this number continues to be significant and unacceptably high, the levels of inequality in income, wealth and opportunities remain high or are increasing within and between many countries.
It would further stress the importance of taking targeted measures to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, of implementing nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including social protection floors, and of achieving substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable, and encourages Member States to continue to develop and implement social protection floors based on national priorities.
Speaking in explanation of vote after adoption, the representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, said that the eradication of poverty has been further hindered by a number of factors, such as the pandemic and the Russian Federation’s invasion against Ukraine. Today’s text stresses the importance of action and emphasizes the relevance of food security and education for poverty eradication, he said.
The representative of the United States said that her country is pleased to join consensus on the resolution. She, however, underscored that, in operative paragraph 19, trade language, negotiated or adopted has no relevance to the trade policy of the United States, its trade obligations or commitments of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agenda, including discussions or negotiations in that form. While the United Nations and WTO share common interests, they have different roles, rules and memberships. Similarly, this includes calls to adopt approaches that may undermine incentives for innovation, such as technology transfer. Turning to operative paragraph 36, she pointed out the reference to scaling up ODA to refer to support to fiscal capacity and not a generic call for scaling up ODA. With respect to operative paragraphs 29 and 37, she recognized as precedent the language on commitments and targets of ODA in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. She pointed out that the language refers to the commitments made by each country and noted that the United States is not committed to any particular target with regard to ODA to gross national income.
The representative of Hungary, associating himself with the European Union, reiterated his country’s commitment to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. The aim of Hungary’s International Development Cooperation Strategy for the period 2020-2025 is to ensure that the country plays a more prominent role in addressing some of the foremost challenges faced by the international community, including eradication of poverty. He underscored that his country prioritizes the implementation of projects and programmes in the field of water management and sanitation, agriculture, health, education, environment and information technology. Without breaking consensus, he pointed out that the enumerations of vulnerable groups contained in preambular paragraphs 7 and 22 are not in line with the position of Hungary. In this regard he expressed a preference for a more general reference to vulnerable groups and people in vulnerable situations, noting that some groups may have been omitted, while others might have been cited arbitrarily.
The Committee then turned to the draft titled “Human resources development” (document A/C.2/77/L.47), approving it without a vote.
By that text, the Assembly would stress that long-term resilience for human-resources development requires the anchoring of efforts in all parts of societies, and that policies must be expanded to include holistic, inclusive efforts in decision-making and implementation and in enabling agency to efficiently address unexpected challenges.
The Assembly would also stress that cross-border challenges to address human-resources development require cross-border solutions, and that human-resources development is a question of global solidarity and global well-being, in which effective global cooperation depends on shared responsibility to act upon common challenges and adapt societies accordingly.
The representative of the United States, speaking after approval, said that his country joined consensus with the express understanding that, when the resolution acknowledges taking measures with respect to education, it does so in terms mindful and consistent with the governance frameworks for education in the United States. He also referred to his country’s earlier statement regarding its position on technology transfer.
The representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, noted that, since the adoption of the previous resolution on this item, several serious challenges have manifested, including the pandemic, armed conflict and climate change. These have “hit humanity hard”, he stressed, underlining the importance of this resolution. The various options at the international community’s disposal to address these challenges are linked to human capital, which must be developed. For its part, the Union has implemented numerous initiatives, and is a main provider of overseas development assistance. He added that education, health and digitalization are “crucial levers” for developing human resources and are catalysts for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The representative of Hungary, associating himself with the European Union, said that on “L.47” his country does not support the migration-related paragraphs, rooted in his nation’s firm belief that migration is not a solution for addressing challenges in countries of origin. Instead of promoting departure and facilitating migration, which generates further pull factors, he urged focusing on providing assistance to third countries by creating stable and secure conditions to ensure people can stay in their homeland. As such, Hungary dissociated itself from paragraphs 16, 18 and 42.
The Committee then took up the draft resolution “Operational activities for development of the United Nations system” (document A/C.2/77/L.45), approving it without a vote, withdrawing a previous text.
By the text, the Assembly would welcome the ongoing efforts of the Secretary-General on the repositioning of the United Nations development system and the reinvigorated resident coordinator system, and acknowledge the progress achieved thus far in advancing all reform mandates contained in General Assembly resolutions A/RES/71/243 of 21 December 2016, A/RES/72/279, A/RES/75/233 and A/RES/76/4 and continue to call for their full implementation.
It would further re-emphasize that adequate, predictable and sustainable funding of the resident coordinator system is essential to delivering a coherent, effective, efficient and accountable response in accordance with national needs and priorities, and recommits to providing sufficient funding for the resident coordinator system in line with resolution A/RES/76/4.
The representative of the United States, speaking after action, noted his delegation joined consensus, and on other cross-cutting issues, referred Member States to his country’s general statement made earlier.
The representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, said on the draft “Operational activities for Development of the United Nations System”, that consensus is important as the reform of the United Nations development system is at a crucial phase. The current text reflects important priorities of the European Union and its Member States, such as the language on the funding compact and the results of the framework. The cooperation framework constitutes an important preparation for the upcoming Economic and Social Council operational activities for development segment.
However, he was disappointed that consensus could not be reached to mention the precarious funding situation of the resident coordinator system. Additionally, some confusion affected the discussion on the funding compact language, which clearly shows the need to strengthen the role of the Economic and Social Council operational activities for development segment. He looked forward to future constructive discussions on that matter.