Right to food – Third Cttee debate, vote – Press release (excerpts)

SEVEN DRAFT RESOLUTIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS, ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN

APPROVED BY THIRD COMMITTEE

Topics Include Right to Food, Human

Trafficking, Globalization, Coercive Measures, Mercenaries

…

Background

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met today to take action on a variety of draft resolutions related to advancement of women, the right of peoples to self-determination and questions of human rights.

…

Action on Draft Resolutions

…

The Committee next took up the text on The right to food (document A/C.3/59/L.64/Rev.1), which would have the General Assembly encourage all States to take steps with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the right to food and stress the need to make efforts to mobilize and optimize the allocation and utilization of technical and financial resources from all sources, including external debt relief for developing countries, and to reinforce national actions to implement sustainable food security policies.

…

Speaking in explanation before the vote, the representative of Israel said the right to food unquestionably stood among the most important rights enjoyed by human beings.  However, it could not be limited geographically, and attention should not be focused unfairly upon certain regions to further political agendas.  The report of the Special Rapporteur, on which the text was based, did not give attention to regions in proportion to their needs, but seemed to be driven by particular political obsessions.  The emphasis placed upon the situation in the West Bank and Gaza was problematic.  Israel could not lend credence to a draft based on a report, which had focused almost solely on admonitions against Israeli conduct, without regard for the context of the proper allocation of priority in responding to food emergencies.  The report belied the complex reality on the ground, weakening its message and its responsibility to the most troublesome parts of the world.

One must wonder what positive outcome could have been accomplished if the Special Rapporteur had fulfilled his mandate in a professional and balanced manner, he said.  Israel could not support a resolution commending the Special Rapporteur for his work.  The way to alleviate the situation of peoples in the Middle East, and around the world, was not through politicized reports and one-sided resolutions, but by adopting balanced and concerted actions.  Israel had worked hard to support the economy and sources of food for Palestinian people, and remained committed to realization of the right to food in every corner of the world.

The text on the right to food was then adopted by a recorded vote of 167 in favour to 2 against (Israel and the United States), with no abstentions.  (See annex IV.)

…

…

ANNEX IV

Vote on Right to Food

The draft resolution on the right to food (document A/C.3/59/L.64/Rev.1) was adopted by a recorded vote of 167 in favour to 2 against, with no abstentions, as follows:

In favour:  Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, 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, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against:  Israel, United States.

Abstain:  None.

Absent:  Benin, Central African Republic, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guinea, Kiribati, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Tonga, Tuvalu, United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu.

…

* *** *