Second Committee Approves Three Draft Resolutions, including Text Underlining Positive Role Entrepreneurship Plays in Job Creation, Reducing Inequalities
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today approved three draft resolutions, two by recorded votes, on entrepreneurship, small island developing States and a new international economic order.
A draft on “Entrepreneurship for sustainable development” (document A/C.2/79/L.10/Rev.1) was approved in a recorded vote of 136 in favour to 28 against, with 11 abstentions.
By its terms, the General Assembly would stress the positive role that entrepreneurship plays in driving job creation, reducing inequalities and expanding opportunities, while emphasizing the importance of improved regulatory environments and policy initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, and foster micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises. It would further stress the need to highlight the value of entrepreneurship and its contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by promoting policies, initiatives and programmes that support an enabling entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Introducing the text, Israel’s delegate noted that entrepreneurs and the micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises they lead “account for 90 per cent of businesses globally and more than two‑thirds of employment”. The resolution addresses challenges entrepreneurs face, he said, highlighting “the critical need for national and international support mechanisms, including access to finance, capacity-building and digital tools”.
Speaking for the Arab Group, the representative of Lebanon criticized the draft, emphasizing that it discusses topics like equal opportunities and poverty eradication, while Israel continues to destroy vital Palestinian and Lebanese infrastructure needed for water, health services and communications. Israeli aggression is also severely impacting the region’s agricultural sector, he added, using starvation as a weapon of war in violation of international humanitarian law.
Adding to that sentiment, the observer of the State of Palestine said her delegation did not support the resolution, because Israel — “the last occupying Power in the twenty-first century” — has disrespected resolutions adopted on the Israel-Palestine issue. It has perpetrated grave breaches of international law, she stressed, entrenching its domination of the occupied Palestinian territories and implementing the expansionist plans of its far-right Government. Israel is denying Palestinians the rights to life, self-determination and freedom, she continued, noting that her people have, for 413 days, been surviving “apocalyptic conditions”, amounting to a full-fledged genocidal assault by Israel.
Similarly, South Africa’s delegate, recalling that his delegation has abstained from the resolution for many years, stated that “this year, the cognitive dissonance was too much, so we took the decision to vote ‘no’”. “What entrepreneurial opportunities do the people of Gaza have under the onslaught they face?” he said, adding that his delegation’s vote was due to its belief that human rights are universal, and its inability to pretend that “all is well” after the events of the past year.
The Russian Federation’s delegate observed that the share of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises makes up to 80 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in certain countries. His delegation supported the draft, while noting that “there remains ambiguous terminology allowing for differing interpretations with regards to the Pact for the Future”. This may reflect priorities of Western countries and lead to negative consequences for the work of the UN.
In a similar vein, Argentina’s representative said his delegation disassociated itself from references to the Pact for the Future, stressing that the 2030 Agenda is made up of legally non-binding aspirations, which each State has the right to interpret and pursue freely.
The representative of the United States voiced regret that “some delegations insist on continuing to politicize this non-controversial topic every year”. His delegation understands that language on technology transfer refers to voluntary technology transfers on mutually agreed terms, he said, referring the Committee to its general explanation of position submitted on 13 November and posted on the mission website.
The representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, said his delegation supported the resolution as entrepreneurship is the “backbone of the global economy”. The presented text emphasizes the crucial role of entrepreneurship, as well as highlighting effective policy and addressing systemic barriers, thereby helping work towards the 2030 Agenda, he added.
Next, the Committee turned to a draft titled “Follow-up to and implementation of the SIDS [small island developing States] Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States” (document A/C.2/79/L.41). The Committee approved the draft resolution without a vote, withdrawing a previous text.
By its terms, the Assembly would call on the international community to take urgent and concrete action to address vulnerabilities of small island developing States and seek solutions to major challenges facing them. It would encourage international and regional financial institutions and other multilateral development partners to incorporate the priorities of small island developing States into strategic and programmatic documents as well as ensure participation of those nations in decision-making in such institutions.
Addressing that draft, Samoa’s delegate, speaking for the Alliance of Small Island States, stressed that bringing economic development to her group needs a collective effort. This year’s resolution lays out a foundation to facilitate implementation of past agreements, mainstreams a programme of action across the UN system and sets out a reporting system for implementation.
Argentina’s delegate expressed support for the resolution but disassociated from paragraphs unaligned with its foreign policy as well as those mentioning the Pact for the Future, 2030 Agenda and gender.
Several delegates, while supporting the draft, highlighted its lack of focus on climate. The representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, expressed regret that language on climate mitigation, climate and security and gender equality was not included. Moreover, “we are disappointed that the text does not welcome the Summit of the Future or the Pact for the Future and its annexes”, she said. The Pact for the Future can be a road map for reinvigorated efforts towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and revitalization of the multilateral system, she said.
New Zealand’s delegate, also speaking for Australia and Canada, similarly expressed regret that language on climate action was significantly watered down, adding that the draft does not meet the real-world requirements of small island developing States. As “stewards of the ocean”, he noted that they consider plastic pollution in the marine environment “as amongst their most pressing priorities, with its impacts on biodiversity and sustainable ocean-based economies”.
France’s delegate likewise said he would have welcomed more ambitious language on climate, while welcoming inclusion of a new paragraph on the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference, calling on Member States to use that event in strengthening capacities of States on conservation and sustainable use of oceans.
Another draft titled “Towards a New International Economic Order” (document A/C.2/79/L.30) was approved in a recorded vote of 126 in favour to 51 against, with 3 abstentions (Armenia, Tonga, Türkiye).
By its terms, the Assembly would call on States to strengthen cooperation to combat illicit financial flows. It would express concern over increasing debt vulnerabilities and negative capital flows of developing countries, fluctuation of exchange and interest rates and tightening of global financial conditions. It would stress the need to explore means and instruments needed to achieve debt sustainability and measures to reduce indebtedness in developing countries.
By further terms, the Assembly would express concern that the global trade financing gap has increased sharply in recent years, estimated at $2.5 trillion annually, encouraging multilateral development banks and development finance institutions to scale up efforts to support trade finance and seek opportunities in digital trade finance to help narrow the trade finance gap.
On that draft, Hungary’s delegate, speaking for the European Union, in its capacity as observer, said the bloc prefers to negotiate constructively in the Committee, but the zero draft as presented did not “provide us with an adequate basis on which to engage”. It therefore voted against the draft, while reaffirming the bloc’s commitment to promote multilateral solutions to shared global problems, particularly within the framework of the UN.
The representative of the United States said his delegation once again voted against the text, due to “numerous concerns”, including language prescribing actions for institutions independent of the United Nations, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and World Trade Organization (WTO). Moreover, the text contains “problematic references” to unilateral economic, financial and trade measures, and calls for technology transfer, without specifying that it should be on a voluntary basis and on mutually agreed terms.
Argentina’s delegate said his delegation wished to dissociate itself from and withdraw its co-sponsorship of the resolution, calling on the Secretariat to act on its request.
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