Third Committee report – GA general debate – Verbatim record (excerpts)

Official Records

General Assembly

Fifty-eighth session 

77th plenary meeting

Monday, 22 December 2003, 3 p.m. 

New York

President:

The Hon. Julian R. Hunte ………………  

(Saint Lucia)


    The meeting was called to order at 3.10 p.m.

Reports of the Third Committee 

/…

Agenda item 113

Promotion and protection of the rights of children

    Report of the Third Committee (A/58/504)

 The President : Before proceeding to the draft resolutions, I should like to inform members that action on draft resolution III is postponed to a later date to allow time for the review of its programme budget implications by the Fifth Committee. The Assembly will take action on draft resolution III as soon as the report of the Fifth Committee on its programme budget implications is available. 

  The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolutions I, II and IV recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 65 of its report and on one draft decision recommended by the Committee in paragraph 66 of the same report.

  We now turn to draft resolution I, entitled “Situation of and assistance to Palestinian children”.

  A recorded vote has been requested.

 A recorded vote was taken. 

In favour:

  Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’ Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Against:

  Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Palau, United States of America

Abstaining:

  Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tonga, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay, Uzbekistan

  Draft resolution I was adopted by 106 votes to 5, with 65 abstentions (resolution 58/155).

/…

Agenda item 116

Right of peoples to self-determination

    Report of the Third Committee (A/58/507)

 The President: The Assembly will now take a decision on the three draft resolutions recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 25 of its report.

/…

 The President: Draft resolution III is entitled “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination”.

  A recorded vote has been requested.

 A recorded vote was taken.

In favour:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Against:

Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Palau, United States of America

Draft resolution III was adopted by 169 votes to 5 (resolution 58/163).

/…

Agenda item 117

 Human rights questions 

/…

 (b)   Human rights questions, including the alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms

    Report of the Third Committee (A/58/508/Add.2)

/…

 Mr. Mekel (Israel): I would like to refer to item 117 (b) and the draft resolution on the elimination of all forms of religious intolerance. I am obliged to inform the Assembly that Israel will be forced to abstain on a resolution that is central to its history and to its foundations as a modern State. We supported this very draft resolution in the Third Committee on the understanding that the draft resolution addressing the problem of anti-Semitism would be formally tabled in the General Assembly. Now, as no such draft resolution has in fact been tabled and no reference to anti-Semitism has been incorporated into the draft resolution, we have been left with no option but to abstain in the plenary and express our disappointment at the process that led to this result.

  As a State created in the wake of the Holocaust, whose people are all too familiar with intolerance and discrimination, Israel supports without reservation the general message conveyed in this draft resolution and international efforts aimed at eradicating all forms of religious intolerance and related discrimination. Over the past 20 years, Israel has stood shoulder to shoulder with its United Nations counterparts in sponsoring this very draft resolution. But an alarming global escalation in anti-Semitic incidents in the intervening period demands a necessary and timely change to the annual text. As we debated this draft resolution last month, twin truck bombings killed 25 people and wounded more than 300 in two synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey. Near daily incidents of anti-Semitism in the Middle East, Europe and throughout other parts of the world demand our specific attention.

  Israel regrets that the intention to present a special draft resolution to the General Assembly on the scourge of anti-Semitism did not materialize and that certain States chose to block the initiative. We continue to look towards the United Nations to show the way and issue a resounding moral condemnation of the cancer that is anti-Semitism. The Holocaust taught us that all that is needed for evil to prosper is for good people to do nothing. Do not let it be said that the United Nations stood in the way of what is so patently right.

/…

  The President: Draft resolution XVIII is entitled “Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance”.

  The Third Committee adopted draft resolution XVIII without a vote. 

  A recorded vote has been requested.

 A recorded vote was taken.

In favour:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Against:

 None

Abstaining:

 Israel 

Draft resolution XVIII was adopted by 179 votes to none, with 1 abstention (resolution 58/184).

/…

 The meeting rose at 5.10 p.m.

This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-154A. Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum.


2019-07-11T16:07:18-04:00

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