Second Committee, 19th plenary meeting - General Assembly, 80th session

The 19th meeting of the Second Committee is called to order. Before we proceed to action on draft proposals, I recall that at its organizational meeting on the 1st of October, The Committee decided that the time limit of 5 minutes would apply to statements in explanation of position. Taking into account the number of proposals to be considered by the Committee before the conclusion of its work for the main session on the 26th and the following discussions in the Bureau, I propose that the time limit for statements in explanation of votes Opposition be reduced to three minutes. No objection. I hear no objection. It is so decided. Delegations are also reminded that in accordance with Rule 128 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly. The sponsor of a proposal is not permitted to speak in explanation of vote on that proposal. Before we begin our consideration of individual draft proposals before the Committee this afternoon, I'll give an opportunity to any delegation that wishes to make a statement relating to draft proposals submitted under different agenda items. Any delegation?

Okay.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Argentina.

Gracias, señor presidente.

Thank you, Chair. The Argentine delegation delivers this statement to reserve its national position And express its disassociation from all paragraphs of the draft resolutions to be adopted today that are not in line with our country's foreign policy. A detailed list of the points we are unable to support will be submitted in a note to the chair. Chair, the Argentine delegation reiterates the elements made or the points made in its statement of October seventh during the committee's general debate. We should. Recall that the core mandate of the United Nations is to preserve international peace and security and that everything else should be considered complementary to that end. Many of the draft resolutions to be adopted do not complement this end and are far removed from the true needs of development, generating duplication of effort and an overemphasis on certain political agendas that lack consensus. This also runs counter to the spirit of the UNAT initiative. The committee's work should focus on the necessary actions to promote economic growth and free markets, both essential for eradicating poverty and generating stable conditions that foster peaceful and friendly relations among nations. Economic growth remains the foundation for job creation, investment, and resilience in our economies. Such growth depends on national policies that promote stability, innovation, and private sector development within a predictable framework grounded in the rule of law and a market-based economy. Chair, Argentina reaffirms its commitment to protecting the individual rights of all human beings without distinction, in accordance with the obligations expressly agreed upon in the international treaties to which it is a party, and recalls that the 2030 Agenda comprises non-legally binding aspirations that each state, in the exercise of its sovereignty, has the right to interpret and pursue freely. Furthermore, Argentina recalls that it dissociates from The Pact for the Future and its annexes. Regarding the concept of gender, Argentina understands that different interpretations may be admitted depending on the context in which it is used. While originally it was used interchangeably with the concept of sex, it currently has a specific technical meaning that requires contextual analysis in each case. We prefer to use the concepts of man and woman. Chair, in closing, the Argentine delegation will evaluate the relevance of the proposals.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Türkiye.

Mr. Chair, thank you very much. Türkiye would like to deliver a statement regarding the terms indigenous, indigenous peoples, and local communities as referenced in resolutions of the Second Committee to be considered today and the following sessions on 25th and 26th November. Türkiye declares that there does not exist any group of people in its territory which could be considered as indigenous peoples and believes that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples refers to the exercise of self-determination in line with the UN Charter obligations regarding non-interference in the sovereignty, integrity, and political unity of states. The relevant paragraphs in the resolutions of the Second Committee should be interpreted as applicable only to the extent that they are consistent with and implementable under national legislation. We kindly request that this explanation be reflected in the official records of the Second Committee for the sessions held on 24th, 25th, and 26th November. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Türkiye. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Paraguay.

Thank you very much, Chair. Paraguay is delivering this general statement on the draft resolutions upon which action will be taken during this session. As regards the references to Agenda 2030 and the SDGs, We highlight that paragraph 74 of Resolution 70/1 that sets out the SDGs and Agenda 2030, that it highlights the voluntary nature of the follow-up and review processes for Agenda 2030. And this should be adjusted to the normative and national frameworks. As a result, the national government is implementing the development plans in full exercise exercise of the sovereignty of the State of Paraguay with abiding support for our national constitutional principles. My delegation wishes to recall that in Paraguay, in accordance with what has been established in our national constitution and the normative framework in place, no type of discrimination is permitted. This legal order lays the foundation for our real situation. For Paraguay, any definition of gender is exclusively circumscribed to the difference between men and women. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Paraguay. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba.

Thank you, Chair. Cuba is grateful to have before it the list of the resolutions that we're going to be dealing with in this session. Most of these are crucial pillars for the promotion of sustainable development, to strengthen international cooperation, and to move forward with the implementation of Agenda 2030. For developing countries, these texts are not mere rhetorical exercises. These are settling of a long overdue debate such as poverty, climate change, and sustainable debt and profound structural asymmetries of the current international economic system. Our delegation recalls and thanks the facilitators for their work with the delegations and the Secretariat. This joint effort is part of the collective commitment that we have to multilateralism, to solidarity, and to the pledge to leave no one behind. The indifference of the US to the work of this committee is a sign of their abandonment of the historical commitment that they made in the area of development. This attitude is isolationist and it is accompanied by unparalleled arrogance as they attempt to give lessons to those here. This is the United Nations Organization, not the U.S. organization. We regret that once again the United States is resorting to this practice of requesting a vote, whereas the long consultations have been undertaken to achieve consensus. This is an affront to the spirit of commitment that people have shown. They seem even to have gotten tired of the mandate of this organization, which is to preserve peace and security internationally. They seem to be denying the right to development. Peace cannot thrive where there is still poverty. Cuba firmly rejects this selectivity and reaffirms that the only effective pathway to make progress in sustainable development is through consensus and mutual respect and the genuine promotion of a more just, equitable order with greater solidarity. My delegation will continue working constructively with all member states to defend multilateralism, to strengthen international solidarity, and to ensure that this committee is a space that is tailored to suit the needs of people today.

I thank you.

Mr. Representative of Cuba. I now invite the committee to turn to agenda item 16A, International Trade and Development, in order to take action on draft resolution A/C 2.80/L10/Rev1 entitled Unilateral Economic Measures as a Means of Political and Economic Coercion Against Developing Countries, as submitted by Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. I wish to thank the facilitator of the draft resolution Mr. Roberto Varela of Venezuela for leading the informal consultations on the draft resolution and delegations for their constructive engagement in the negotiations. I would like to inform the committee that draft resolution L10-REV1 has no program budget implication. Does any delegation not a member of the Group of 77 and China wish to join as sponsor of draft resolution L10/Rev1, please signify by pressing your microphone button.

None.

I've seen none. As a recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution A/C2/80/L10, entitled Unilateral Economic Measures as a Means of Political and Economic Coercion Against Developing Countries. Before proceeding to vote, I will give the floor to any sponsor delegation wishing to make a general statement in connection with the draft proposal to any non-sponsor delegation wishing to make a statement in explanation of vote. Does any delegation wish to make a general statement or explanation of vote before the vote in connection with draft resolution L10/REV1? As I now give the floor to the representative of European Union.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and good afternoon, colleagues. I have the honor of delivering the statement on behalf of the European Union and its member states. We would like to first thank Mr. Roberto Bailey of Venezuela. The topic of the resolution is very complex. UEMs are a very broad range of measures taken by developed and developing countries alike for a variety of reasons, including some very untransparent ones. The text is not sufficiently clear that not all unilateral coercive measures are contrary to the Charter. And not all such measures automatically have an adverse effect on developing countries. Most importantly, the text blurs the difference between legitimate concerns about hostile measures— some of these concerns which we share— with politicized narratives about legitimate measures such as those of the EU's common foreign and security policy. The EU uses sanctions to preserve peace and support democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and the principles of international law, as well as strengthen international security. They are not an end in themselves and form a part of a wider comprehensive policy approach. They are a useful non-military response to serious violations of the UN Charter, crimes against humanity, and, for example, waging an unprovoked war of aggression against a neighbor. They are legitimate and transparent, contrary to many of the measures taken by other countries, and consistent with the principles of international law and the UN Charter. On a more broad level, by singling out so-called UEMs as allegedly the biggest inhibitor of sustainable development, the text deliberately ignores universally recognized major inhibitors for countless countries around the world, such as governance and financing challenges, not to mention conflict and war. It thus distorts and politicizes a key UN priority— sustainable development— which requires global cooperation, not artificial polarization. It should be noted that the EU and its member states do understand that unilateral economic measures can have a negative impact. Especially ones that are not transparent and consistent with international law and the UN Charter. The citizens and businesses of the EU are in fact regularly subject to such hostile measures. This is why we engaged constructively in negotiations and made a number of proposals. Regrettably, there was not enough understanding nor flexibility to accept these proposals. We underline that the EU voted against establishing an International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures and taking note of it in this text is unwelcome. Furthermore, PP12 on trade restrictions is also unbalanced and taken out of context. And lastly, we regret that OP9 has added to OP7 to further micromanage the Secretary-General by telling him how to fulfill his mandate. The EU and its member states do not support further iterations of this text, but were it to be rediscussed in the future, we expect the above elements to be properly reflected. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the representative of the European Union. I see no other requests for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L10/rev1. In accordance with Rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting. Can delegation please indicate their vote? Those in favor of draft resolution L10/Rev.1, please signify. Those against, and abstention.

The committee is now voting on draft resolution L10/Rev.1 entitled Unilateral Economic Measures as a Means of political and economic coercion against developing countries. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

Thank you.

The results of the vote are as follows. In favor, 123. Against, 15. Abstention, 39. Draft Resolution A/C 2/80/L10 Rev. 1 Is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote or general statement after the vote on the draft resolution? I give the floor to the representative of Lithuania.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Lithuania appreciates the opportunity to engage constructively on this resolution. However, we view the resolution's primary objective as problematic, which makes it impossible for Lithuania to accept. We oppose this resolution because we believe that it is based on the incorrect premise that all sanctions are contrary to international law or inherently detrimental to development. This is simply not the case. For instance, European Union sanctions are adopted and implemented in response to serious violations of international and human rights law. They intend to put pressure on decision makers to engage their behavior and end violations rather than punishing any developing states. EU restrictive measures are targeted and do not impose full trade embargoes. They are preventive, reversible, and gradual, as well as proportionate, and include a system of exceptions to provide for the basic needs of or deliver medical treatment to the designated persons and to deliver humanitarian aid. They are lawful and proportionate responses to a fundamental threat to international peace and security, not coercive measures against a developing country as the resolution implies. Lithuania rejects any narrative that seeks to obscure this reality. We do not appreciate Russia weaponizing this resolution and portraying itself as a victim of unilateral coercion. For these reasons, Lithuania voted against this resolution. Mr. Chair, Lithuania believes that the implementation of Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals is effective and successful when a universal principle principles such as good governance, the rule of law, human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the non-use of force are observed. Sanctions aim to protect these values and maintain peace and international security. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Lithuania. I now give the floor to the representative of United Kingdom.

Chair, the United Kingdom would like to make an explanation of vote for this resolution in which we have voted against. We are disappointed that several proposals were not incorporated into the final text. Every state is free to govern its own economic affairs. We reject any conflation between UEMs and our sanctions. UK sanctions apply to UK citizens, UK business, and activities taking place in the UK. We do not target entire states, and each sanction regime includes a robust system of exceptions and licensing to avoid unintended consequences. Our sanctions have transparent purposes, which are available to see publicly. When we act— and we do not act lightly, nor as a first resort— we target specific individuals, specific entities, or specific sectors in response to specific egregious activities— activities such as conflict, terrorism, human rights abuses, and corruption— which cause significant harm to developing countries. Additionally, referring to risk to global economic stability in PP12 without underscoring the critical need for deep and substantial WTO reform to enable the organization to fulfill its central role at the core of a stable multilateral trading system will not help us in tackling global challenges.

Thank you. I thank the representative of the United Kingdom. I now give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious issues year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking, and instead many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United Nations core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The United Nations can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out our vital work.

Mr.

Chair and colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the weeks ahead to make the Second Committee more efficient, effective, and relevant. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I now give the floor to the representative of Poland.

Mr.

Chair, thank you for giving me the floor, and to the facilitator for conducting the negotiations of the resolution on UEMs. Poland aligns itself with the general statement delivered earlier by the European Union. The explanation of vote in my national capacity offers some complementary remarks. Poland voted against this resolution because it continues to promote a false and harmful narrative. Its content, even the title itself, claim that unilateral economic measures are a means of political economic coercion against developing countries. This is not only inaccurate but profoundly misleading. Why does the resolution avoid calling by name the very acts that compel such measures? Acts of aggression, grave human rights violations and abuses, terrorism. What is especially concerning, this deceptive narrative, which the resolution elevates, has been utilized across other UN texts with politically charged intentions by a group of countries aiming to divert attention away from the acts we have just mentioned. One clear example of such action is disinformation spread by the Russian Federation as to why sanctions are imposed against their country. The truth is that when the permanent member of the UN Security Council is involved in a blatant violation of international law, such as in the case of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, non-action enables impunity and creates a precedent for further violations of the UN Charter. Distinguished colleagues, this resolution, while focusing on proving illegitimacy of the restrictive measures, fails to properly reflect that there is a wide array of sanctions that are lawful and fully consistent with international law. Sanctions adopted by the United Nations remain the primary instrument. Yet, when the Security Council is unable to act, the international community cannot abdicate its responsibility to uphold the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. In such circumstances, autonomous sanctions serve as lawful alternative. Measures such as those imposed by the European Union are targeted and carefully designed to influence the conduct of specific individuals and entities, violators of international law. Sanctions are therefore legitimate foreign policy tools applied to protect civilian populations from the escalation of conflicts and other factors that ruin the chances for sustainable development in the first place. In our conviction, denouncing acts of violence, eliminating violations and abuses of human rights, or simply creating peace is the path to the preservation of the essential preconditions for development. In closing, as this resolution stays silent on all of the above, Poland's vote against it today should be understood as a categorical rejection of the selective and misleading narrative it promotes and as an attempt to put a stop to it. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Poland. I now give the floor to the Representative of Cuba.

Chair, we are facing a very complex international landscape with many crises that are due to the undemocratic and unjust order and a failure to fulfill the commitments made to support sustainable development. Many countries such as Cuba are facing the multiplied impact of unilateral coercion measures that affect more than a third of humanity. In this regard, the report of the Secretary-General on this topic in 2025 confirms that their use has increased and now affects 76 developing countries. Unilateral coercive measures are a direct attack on the sovereignty and political independence of states, and they are a of non-interference in the internal affairs of states. They impede the work of the United Nations and prevent the achievement of human rights. For these reasons, such measures run counter to international law, the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and multilateralism itself. Chair, Cuba has been a victim of the UCM approach that has the worst that has ever been applied until— through to 2025. The blockade has caused material damage for more than— amounted to more than $7.5 billion. This is an increase of about 50% compared to last year. This is a direct result of the increase of the policy to financially strangle Cuba. Let me give you a few examples. 2 days of the blockade is the equivalent of maintaining public transport in Cuba, $40 million. And 14 hours represents the cost of acquisition of insulin to cover the demand of the country for a whole year, $12 million. And so no one can deny that many of the problems that Cuba is facing today could be resolved much more easily without this blockade, compounded by disinformation and manipulation campaigns to twist the reality of Cuban life. Chair, the imposition of unilateral coercive measures represents a hurdle to our aspirations to achieve sustainable development and fulfill the 2030 Agenda. Instead of these measures, the United States should actually promote just economic relations on a basis of solidarity between all nations that lead to an economic order internationally that is more inclusive and more democratic for developing countries.

I thank you.

I thank the representative of Cuba. I now give the floor to the representative of Russian Federation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Our delegation supported this document, and we partook in the consultations. What's more, we had the opportunity to discuss all of the issues that were addressed in these statements in the informal negotiations. This includes the delegations that spoke before me. I would like to draw attention to the attention of certain delegations to one point, the attention of those delegations who noted in their statements that specifically my country was using this resolution in order to criticize sanctions introduced against the Russian Federation. If you look at the text of the document, if you look at the headline, you'll see that this is a document that is addressed to measures introduced against developing countries, and the Russian Federation is not one of them according to the United Nations classification. Today also, we heard statements by certain European delegations. They asserted that measures undertaken as unilateral coercive measures were targeted and verified and did not harm the populations of affected states. This is a lie. This can be easily refuted by UN reports, and that includes the report of the Secretary-General under this same agenda item, the same item as this resolution. It's also refuted by the reports of the Special Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council on unilateral coercive measures. It's easy to view a huge body of evidence to this effect which shows that this is not true. And finally, we also need to draw attention to some accusations that we've heard against my country. They came from Poland and Lithuania. Unfortunately, we've already become accustomed to these delegations politicizing substantive consultations and negotiations in the, in the Second Committee. Again, we would like to point out to these delegations that in rejecting this resolution, you're rejecting the interests of developing states. The microphone has been cut off.

I thank the representative of Russia, of the Russian Federation. I see no other request No one has asked for the floor. The committee has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item A of Agenda Item 16. I now invite the committee to turn to Agenda Item 16D, Commodities, in order to take action on draft Resolution A/C/80/L52 entitled Commodities as submitted by the Vice Chair, Mrs. Weronika Grabowski of Poland, on the basis of informal consultations on draft resolution L.8 presented by Iraq on behalf of Group of 77 and China. I wish to thank the facilitator, Mr. Ronnie Gitonga, Mutenyi Chair of Kenya, for leading the informal consultation on the draft resolution and delegations for their constructive engagement in negotiations. I would like to inform the Committee that draft resolution L.5.2 has no program budget implications. A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution A/C2/80/L.5.2 entitled Commodities. Before proceeding to vote, does any delegation wish to make a statement in explanation of vote before the vote in connection with draft resolution L52? I see no request for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L52. In accordance with Rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting. Delegations are requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of the draft resolution L.52, please signify. Those against, an abstention. Secretary.

The committee is now voting on draft resolution L.52 entitled Commodities. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

Thank you.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 173; against, 2; abstention, 1. Draft Resolution A/C2/80 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make a statement after the vote on the draft resolution. I give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year, and we'd like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious issues year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking, and instead many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the UN's core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is no— little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work. Mr. Chair and colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective, and we refer you to the long-form explanation position posted on our mission's website for more information.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I see no other requests for the floor. In light of the adoption of draft resolution L.5.2, I understand that draft resolution L.8 is withdrawn by its sponsor. The committee has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item D of agenda item 16. I now invite the Committee to turn to Agenda Item 16E, Financial Inclusion for Sustainable Development, in order to take action on Draft Resolution A/C2/80/L44 of the same title, as submitted by Vice Chair Mrs. Weronika Grabowski of Poland on the basis of informal consultation on Draft Resolution L21 presented by Iraq on behalf of Group of 77 and China. I wish to thank the co-facilitators, Mrs. Cleopatra Perkins of Jamaica and Mr. Dennis Bragala of Philippines, for leading the informal consultation on the draft resolution and delegations for their constructive engagement in negotiation. I would like to inform the committee that draft resolution L44 has no program budget implications. A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution A/C2/80/L44 entitled Financial Inclusion for Sustainable Development. Before proceeding to vote, does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote before the vote in connection with draft resolution L44? I see no requests for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L44. In accordance with Rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with actual process of voting. Delegations are requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of draft resolution L44, Please signify those against and abstentions.

The Committee is now voting on Draft Resolution L44 entitled Financial Inclusion for Sustainable Development. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

The results of the vote is as follows: in favor, 176; against, 2; abstentions, 0. Draft Resolution A/C2/80/L44 Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote after the vote on draft resolution? I give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you again, Mr.

Chair.

The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year, and we'd like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious issues year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking, and instead many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United Nations' core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work. Mr. Chair, colleagues, we do look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, effective, and relevant. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I now give the floor to the representative of Hungary.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Noting the important value of consensus, we regret that it was elusive this year, and we are determined work together to reforge it going forward. Hungary supports this resolution, as financial inclusion is the bedrock of economic and social development. We recognize that while financial inclusion has improved in recent years, significant gaps remain within and among developed and developing countries, leaving 1.3 billion people globally without access to formal financial services. In this regard, the improved use of digital technologies and tools, as outlined by the resolution, is of great importance that can yield tangible results across the board. Mr. Chair, we would like to note that in our view, the text of the resolution adopted uses an uneven approach when it comes to the reflection of certain vulnerable groups. In connection to that, we would like to recall Hungary's stance that highlighting only certain vulnerable groups while omitting others is not the most beneficial way of leading our efforts to success in leaving no one behind. In this vein, we reiterate our stance that by including the group of migrants as a whole in the list of vulnerable people, we do a disservice to those individuals who are really being left behind and need targeted assistance. Finally, we would like to reaffirm Hungary's readiness to continue its positive engagement on this important resolution. I thank you for your attention.

I thank the representative of Hungary. I see no other requests for the floor. In light of the adoption of Draft Resolution L.44, I understand that the draft— that Draft Resolution L.21 is withdrawn by its sponsors. The Committee has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item E of Agenda Item 16. I now invite the Committee to turn its— to turn to Agenda Item 17. 16G, Promoting Investment for Sustainable Development, in order to take action on draft resolution A/C2/80/L46 of the same title as submitted by Vice Chair Mrs. Weronika Grabowski of Poland on the basis of informal consultation on draft resolution L24 presented by Iraq on behalf of Group of 77 and China. I wish to thank the facilitators, Mr. Vivek Ganesh of Singapore, for leading the informal consultation on the draft resolution, and delegations for their constructive engagement in negotiation. I would like to inform the Committee that Draft Resolution L.46 has no programme budget implications. A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution A/C2/80/L46 entitled Promoting Investment for Sustainable Development. Before proceeding to vote, does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote before the board in connection with draft resolution L46? I see no request for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L46. In accordance with Rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting. Delegations are requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of draft resolution L46, please signify.

Those against and absent, The committee is now voting on draft resolution L46 entitled Promoting Investments for Sustainable Development. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

The resolution is adopted. The results of the vote is as follows: in favor, 176; against, 2; abstentions, 0. Draft Resolution A/C2/80/L46 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make a statement after the vote on draft resolution? I give the floor to the representative of the United States, to be followed by India.

Thank you again, Mr.

Chair.

The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year, and we would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious issues year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking. Instead, many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United Nations' core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The United Nations can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work. Mr. Chair and colleagues, we do look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I now give the floor to the representative of India.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

India commends the facilitator, Mr. Vivek Ganesh of Singapore, for his efforts on a text that highlights the importance of mobilizing investments in developing countries in order to help them advance on the SDGs while also bringing out the persistent challenges they face in this regard. This is why India has voted in favor of this resolution. However, India expresses its serious concern on the references to the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement in the context of the World Trade Organization's 13th Ministerial Conference. India's primary concern is that the IFD agreement arises from a joint statement initiative that does not have consensus approval from all WTO members. Under Articles 9 and 10 of the Marrakesh Agreement, new agreements can only be negotiated multilaterally and adopted by consensus. Bringing the IFD into the WTO without consensus would contravene WTO rules, set a dangerous precedent, and erode the member-driven, consensus-based character of the organization. Furthermore, negotiation on investment does not belong to the WTO since it entails issues of economic sovereignty of a country and serious ramifications for domestic stakeholders, industry, and other sectors. Thus, such an agreement should not be negotiated within the WTO framework.

Mr.

Chair, it is an irony that a resolution aimed at promoting sustainable development investments in developing countries references an agreement which was negotiated without the participation of many developing countries. on a subject matter that directly affects their policy space for development. India remains fundamentally opposed to imparting legal status to any outcome of such joint statement initiatives, and for these reasons, India dissociates from Preambular Paragraph 45 of this resolution. I thank you, Mr. Chair, and request that this statement be reflected in the records of the meeting.

I thank the representative of India. I see no other requests for the floor. In light of the adoption of Draft Resolution L.4.6, I understand that Draft Resolution L.2.4 is withdrawn by its sponsors. The Committee has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item G of Agenda Item 16. I now invite the Committee to resume its consideration of Agenda Item 18, Sustainable Development, in order to take action on 2 draft resolutions submitted under the item. I first invite the committee to turn to Draft Resolution A/C2/80 Revision 1, entitled The Pivotal Role of Reliable and Sustainable Stable energy connectivity in driving sustainable development, as submitted by Turkmenistan on behalf of the co-sponsors. I want to thank the facilitator, Mr. Pena, at the GLEF of Turkmenistan, for leading the informal consultation on the draft resolution, and delegations for their constructive engagement in the negotiation. I would like to inform. I would like to inform the committee that the draft resolution L.15/Rev.1 has no program budget implications. I give the floor to the representative of Turkmenistan to introduce the draft resolution. I recall that the time limit for introduction is 2 minutes. Turkmenistan.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Chair.

Mr.

Chair, Excellencies, on behalf of the delegation of Turkmenistan, I have the honor to introduce draft resolution A/C2/AT/L15/REF1 entitled The Pivotal Role of Reliable and Stable Energy Connectivity in Driving Sustainable Development. We extend our sincere appreciation to all delegations for their constructive engagement, which made it possible to reach a substantive and balanced text. This draft resolution seeks to address today's global energy crisis by promoting reliable, stable, and resilient energy connectivity and transportation, a key enabler of sustainable development. It continues Turkmenistan's longstanding efforts initiated through the UN General Assembly resolutions on stable energy transit adopted in 2008, 2013, and 2023. Energy connectivity process and encourages cooperation on diversification, innovation, investment, and capacity building. The draft also proposes that Turkmenistan host the 7th Sustainable Energy for All Forum in 2027 and requests the United Nations systems and member states to share their views on challenges and opportunities in achieving stable and reliable energy transportation and transmission. Mr. Chair, given the urgency of global energy challenges, we believe this issue deserves focused attention within the Second Committee. We invite all member states to support this draft resolution. Thank you, Mr.

Chair. I thank the representative of Turkmenistan. I give the floor to the Secretary to announce additional sponsors of the draft resolution.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution, the following countries have also become co-sponsors of L.15 Rev. 1: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Eswatini, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Suriname, Tajikistan, Tonga, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan. If any other countries wish to co-sponsor L15, Please signify by pressing the microphone button. Palau, Venezuela, Philippines, Samoa, Rwanda, Eritrea, Belize, Cameroon, Kenya, Nicaragua, Fiji, Philippines, I think I read. Philippines and Morocco. That concludes the list. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I, I thank the Secretary. As recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution L.15/Rev.1 entitled The Pivotal Role of Reliable and Stable Energy Connectivity in Driving Sustainable Development. Before proceeding to vote, I will give the floor to any sponsor delegation wishing to make a general statement in connection with draft proposal, or any non-sponsored delegation wishing to make a statement in explanation of vote. Does any delegation wish to make a statement in explanation of vote before the vote in connection with draft resolution L.15? Rev. 1. I see no requests for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L15, Revision 1. In accordance with Rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order. In connection with the actual process of voting, delegations are requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of Draft Resolution L.15 Rev. 1, please signify. Those against, and abstentions.

The committee is now voting on Draft Resolution L.15 Rev. 1 entitled The Pivotal Role of Reliable and Stable Energy Connectivity in Driving Sustainable Development. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

Thank you.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 173; against, 1; abstention, 2. Draft Resolution L.15/Rev.1 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote? or a general statement after the vote on the draft resolution 1115-REV-1. I give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious irrelevant issue year after year. The Second Committee resolution should be short, actionable, and forward-looking. Instead, many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United Nations' core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out our vital work. Mr. Chair, colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I now give the floor to the representative of Peru.

Thank you very much for giving me the floor. Peru is grateful to the distinguished representative of Turkmenistan and the delegation for their work on this, and we take note of the technical update under document L15 Rev.

1.

We value the the substance of the text, in particular its relevance in terms of stepping up for SDG 7 and strengthening the resiliency of energy systems, as well as the call to pursue international cooperation nationally, regionally, and globally, and also the drive for more secure networks. Peru has had concerns in relation to the program of work. We have abstained not because of any disagreement in terms of the technical update. In the current context of the budget and liquidity crisis, my delegation feels that it is a priority to streamline our resources and to avoid duplication across texts in neighboring sectors in accordance with Resolution 76/327, especially paragraphs 21 and 22 on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly. And it is in this spirit that we consider that the substantive components of the current draft could be included more naturally in the annual resolution of the G77 and China entitled Guaranteeing Access access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, modern energy for all. In this way, we would be able to use the reporting cycles that have already been established, the coordination of UN Energy and regional commissions, and also act within existing resources. That pathway decisively supports international coordination and avoids duplicative mandates. Chair, the delegation of Peru reiterates its support for the goal of driving reliable and stable energy connectivity for the integration of renewable energies, provision networks, and resiliency of networks. In this regard, we express our full availability and openness to work with the proponents and with other interested delegations to ensure that going forward these substantive components of this text are effectively included in the annual resolution of G77 and China with effective non-duplicative follow-up that is aligned with the criteria of the revitalization as established in Resolution 79/327. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Peru. I see no other requests for the floor. I next invite the committee to turn to draft Resolution A/C2/80/L16/Rev. 1 entitled United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026 to 2035, as submitted by Turkmenistan on behalf of the co-sponsors. I wish to thank the facilitator, Mr. Ata Iyabadiyev of Turkmenistan, for leading the informal consultations I also thank delegations for their constructive engagement in the negotiations. I now give the floor to the Secretary to read an oral statement of program budget implications.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The present oral statement is made in the context of Rule 153 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly and was circulated to Member States. Under the Terms of Operative In addition, in paragraphs 11 and 15 of the draft resolution, the General Assembly would stress that the costs of all activities that may arise from the implementation of the resolution should be met from voluntary contributions and request the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its 85th and 90th sessions on the implementation of the decade. The request for documentation contained in operative paragraph would constitute an addition to the documentation workload of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management of one pre-session document in all 6 languages in 2030 and 2035. In this regard, the Secretariat wishes to inform the General Assembly that its ability to implement the mandate in 2030 and 2035 would depend on the availability of funds through voluntary contributions. Thank you, Mr.

Chair. Secretary, I give the floor to the Deputy Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to introduce the draft resolution. I recall that the time limit for introduction is 2 minutes. Turkmenistan.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I have the honor to, on behalf of co-sponsors to introduce a draft resolution entitled United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport 2635, contained in document A/C2/80/L16/REF1. This draft implements General Assembly Resolution 78/148, which proclaimed the decade and requested the UN system under the leadership of UN-DESA and the regional commissions to prepare the implementation plan through broad consultations with member states and all relevant stakeholders. We commend the UN DESA's team for their dedicated and invaluable efforts in this regard. Importantly, this milestone reflects 12 years of sustained efforts by the leadership of Turkmenistan, beginning in 2013 with the adoption of the first transport-oriented General Assembly resolution, and strengthened by the continuous advocacy of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport. Taking this opportunity, we invite delegations to join the Group to navigate the decade. We also congratulate all delegations on the upcoming World Sustainable Transport Day this Wednesday, 26 November, marking the anniversary of the first United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference held in the city of Ashgabat. Colleagues, transport is essential to sustainable development, enabling trade, connectivity, employment, social inclusion, resilience, and climate action. The decade aims to accelerate collective efforts across all modes of transport, taking into account national circumstances and needs for LLDCs, LDCs, and SEEDs. The draft resolution provides a practical implementation architecture, including midterm review 2030, final high-level review in 2013. So finally, we invite all delegations to participate on the launch of the decade on 10th December. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the permanent— Deputy Permanent Representative. of Turkmenistan. I give the floor to the Secretary to announce the additional sponsors of the draft resolution.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I would like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution, and in addition to those listed on the L document, the following countries have also become co-sponsors of L.16 Rev. 1: Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Botswana, Burkina Faso.

Cambodia.

Chile.

China.

Djibouti. Eritrea. Eswatini.

Georgia.

Hungary.

Indonesia.

Jamaica.

Kazakhstan.

Kyrgyzstan.

Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Malawi.

Malaysia.

Mongolia.

Morocco.

Myanmar.

Nepal.

North Macedonia.

Pakistan. Panama, Russian Federation, Singapore, Tajikistan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan. If any other countries wish to co-sponsor L16 Rev 1, please signify by pressing the microphone button. El Salvador, Venezuela, Cameroon, Cabo Verde is an original co-sponsor, Mozambique, Philippines, Dominican Republic, Rwanda, Samoa, Vietnam, Belize, Lesotho, and Nicaragua. That concludes the list.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I thank the Secretary. I thank the Secretary.

As recorded, vote has been requested on draft resolution L I'm not sure that I read out Vietnam, in case I didn't.

Israel, yes. Thank you.

I did.

You read Israel, yes.

Not Vietnam.

Okay.

A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution L.16/Rev.1 entitled United Nations Decade for Sustainable Transport 2026-2030. 2035. Before proceeding to vote, I will give the floor to any sponsor delegation wishing to make a general statement in connection with the draft proposal, or any non-sponsor delegation wishing to make a statement in explanation of vote. Does any delegation wish to make a general statement or an explanation of vote before the vote in connection with draft resolution L16/Revision 1. I see no request for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L16/Revision 1. In accordance with Rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting. Delegations are kindly requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of draft resolution L.16/Rev.1, please signify. Those against, and abstentions.

The committee is now voting on draft resolution L.16/Rev.1 entitled United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport, 2026 to 2035. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

The result The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 175; against, 2; abstentions, 0. Draft Resolution L.1.6, Revision 1, is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote or general statement after the vote on the Draft Resolution L.1.6, Revision 1? I give the floor to the representative of United States.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year, and we'd like to take the opportunity to once again reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious issues year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking, and instead many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United Nations core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work. Mr. Chair and colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website

I thank the representative of the United States.

I see no other requests for the floor. I now invite the committee to turn to Agenda Item 18A, Towards the Achievement for Sustainable Development: Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through sustainable consumption and production. Building on Agenda 21 in order to take action on draft resolution A/C2/80/L51 entitled Promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Building on Agenda 21 as submitted by the rapporteur, Mr. Javed Momin. of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the basis of informal consultation on draft resolution L.27 presented by Iraq on behalf of Group of 77 and China. I wish to thank co-facilitators Mr. Soumia Ramouk of Algeria, Mrs. Audrey Danti of Belgium, and Mr. Rubuma Dange of Ethiopia for their efforts in leading the informal consultations and delegations for their constructive engagement in negotiation. I would like to inform the committee that draft resolution L51 has no program budget implications. A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution A/C2/80/81. L5.1, entitled Promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Building on Agenda 21. Before proceeding to vote, does any delegation wish to make a general statement or an explanation of vote before the vote in connection with draft resolution L5.1?

Thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of European Union.

Mr.

Chair, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its member states. The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia, as well as Monaco, align themselves with this statement. At the outset, we would like to I would like to thank the G77 and China for presenting the draft resolution and the co-facilitators and the Secretariat for their support. Mr. Chair, we welcome some updates to the resolution, including on the welcoming of the new Science Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution, the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, the 2028 UN Water Conference, and youth and decent jobs. At the same time, we regret that some delegations continue to block a dialogue on pollution at the level of the UN General Assembly. The pollution crisis rages on and is estimated to result in nearly 10 million premature deaths every year. It affects us all, and multilateral cooperation is urgently needed to address this crisis. We will continue to engage with members on this important topic. We also regret the lack of consensus to return to agreed language from last year on the work of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution. Where new language cannot be agreed on a specific issue, it is the standard practice to continue to uphold previously agreed consensus-based language. We take good note that this solution was not acceptable in this resolution and that agreed language has been deleted. Mr. Chair, the SCP resolution is a resolution on which the EU and its member states feel a strong sense of co-ownership. We believe that this resolution should remain a jointly drafted consensus resolution that takes account of the priorities and views of all delegations, and in that vein, we have refrained from tabling separate resolutions under this agenda item. We look forward to continue to co-facilitate the informal consultations next year in line with the well-established practice from previous years, and to also being invited to to contribute to the zero draft before it is tabled. Mr. Chair, we regret that a vote has been called on this normally consensual resolution. We believe that this undermines our collective effort and the constructive spirit of striving for consensus, which has been a tradition in this committee and has also guided the negotiations on this resolution this year. The EU and its member states fully support this important resolution, and the full version of this The statement will be available on our website. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the European Union. I see no other requests for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L.5.1. In accordance with rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting. Delegations are requested to indicate their vote. Those in favor of draft resolution L.51, please signify. Those against, an abstention.

The committee is now voting on draft resolution L.51 entitled Promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Building on Agenda 21. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 175; 5 against 2 abstentions 1. Draft Resolution A/C2/80/L51 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote after the vote on the draft resolution? I give the floor to the representative of the United States to be followed by Mexico and

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The United States has made it clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious or irrelevant issue year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking. Instead, many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United Nations' core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work. Mr. Chair, colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I now give the floor to the representative of Mexico.

Thank you, Chair.

Mexico thanks the G77 and China for presenting this draft resolution. We also thank the delegations of Algeria, Belgium, and Ethiopia for their dedication and for their efforts as facilitators of the text. My country has decided to vote in favor of the draft as we recognize the central importance of sustainable patterns of consumption and production in achieving sustainable development across 3 dimensions, the economic, social, and environmental dimensions. We particularly appreciate references to capacity building, technical cooperation, technology transfer, and preparing youth for full participation in sustainable sectors, which are indispensable for a just transition. Nevertheless, Mexico wishes to place— wishes to raise some concerns. We regret the text does not adequately reflect the substantive work that was done during the last sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on plastic pollution. While no final agreement was reached, the progress made in Busan and Geneva is a salient technical contribution. And from our perspective, this deserved to be mentioned objectively in a way that faithfully reflects the efforts and the progress of the negotiation process. Mexico also reiterates the importance of the future international instrument adopting a comprehensive approach that covers the entire life cycle of plastic in line with Resolution 514 of the United Nations Environment Assembly. Such an approach is indispensable to ensuring an effective instrument. However, we recognize that it poses significant challenges for many developing countries which require adequate means of implementation for financing, technology, and capacity building in order to meet the obligations of a future agreement. In this regard, we reaffirm our commitment to an inclusive and transparent process based on the effective participation of all parties. Having said all of this, Mexico recognizes the value of this resolution in consolidating international efforts in the area of sustainability, and we reiterate our commitment to the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Agenda. We also underscore our readiness to work constructively with all delegations with a view to strengthening our ambition for sustainable consumption and production, while at the same time seeking ways to move towards successful conclusion of a legally binding instrument that will end plastic pollution, including in marine ecosystems.

I thank you.

I thank the representative of Mexico. I now give the floor to the representative.

Mr.

Chair, dear colleagues, we regret the fact that this resolution was called to a vote, which is traditionally adopted by consensus. Switzerland voted in favor of this resolution as part of our unwavering support for international efforts seeking to promote sustainable production and consumption. Switzerland has always emphasized the importance of food systems, which is a high-impact sector for sustainable modes of production and consumption. We do regret that it wasn't possible to include a reference to the 5th Global Conference of the One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Program. However, we welcome the reference to the 2nd stocktake of the UN Food Systems Summit, which still allows for strengthening the link with food systems. However, we regret the fact that the update on the last sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution was not included. Plastic has an impact on the environment throughout its life cycle. This makes it a central challenge for sustainable production and consumption, in particular in terms of pollution. We also regret the deletion of the reference to the International Resource panel, which provides scientific information on the utilization and environmental impact of natural resources throughout their life cycles. This information is also invaluable for the promotion of sustainable production and consumption. Switzerland will continue to engage constructively in order to advance this resolution for sustainable production and consumption. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Switzerland. I see no other requests for the floor. In light of the adoption of draft resolution L.5.1, I understand that the resolution— that draft resolution L.2.7 is withdrawn by its sponsors. The committee has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item A of agenda item 18. I now invite the committee to resume its consideration of Agenda Item 18B, follow-up to and implementation of the Antigua and Bermuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States, a renewed declaration for resilient prosperity, in order to take action on draft Resolution A/C2/80/L25 Rev. 1 of the same title as submitted by Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. I wish to thank the facilitator, Mr. Vladimir Budhu of Palau, for leading the informal consultation on the draft resolution, and delegations for their constructive engagement in the negotiation. I now give the floor to the Secretary to read the oral statement of program budget implications.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The present oral statement is made in the context Rule 153 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly and was distributed to member states. The request referred to in operative paragraph 13 of the draft resolution L.25/Rev.1 would entail additional activities for the Department of Economic and Social Affairs from 2027 to 2029, which would require one temporary data analyst P3 and associated non-post Should the General Assembly adopt Draft Resolution L.25 Rev. 1, the resource requirements for 2027 through 2029 would be presented in the proposed Programme Budgets for the respective years for consideration of the General Assembly. The Secretariat also wishes to inform the General Assembly that its ability to implement the mandates would depend on the availability

I thank the Secretary.

I give the floor to the Secretary to announce the additional sponsors of the draft resolution.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I would like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution, the following countries have also become co-sponsors of L.25 Revision 1. Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Malta, Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Slovenia. If any other countries not not members of the Group of 77 and China wish to co-sponsor L.25 Rev. 1, please signify by pressing the microphone button. Slovakia, Denmark, Tuvalu, Austria— Burundi has pressed— Sweden, Greece, Luxembourg.

Thank you.

That concludes the list. Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

France, that concludes the list. Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I, I thank the Secretary. A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution L.25/rev. 1 entitled Follow-up to and Implementation of the Antigua and Bermuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States: A Renewed Declaration for Resilient Before proceeding to vote, I will give the floor to any sponsor delegation wishing to make a general statement in connection with the draft proposal, or any non-sponsor delegation wishing to make a statement in explanation of vote. Does any delegation wish to make a general statement or explanation of vote before the vote in connection with draft resolution L.25 Rev. 1? I give the floor to the European Union.

Mr. Chair, I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its member states. The candidate countries North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Monaco, align themselves with this statement. I would like to start by thanking Mr. Vladimir Budu of Palau for facilitating the negotiations and the Secretariat for their support. The EU is committed to contributing to full, timely, and effective implementation of Antigua and Barbuda agenda for CITES through strengthened partnership. We welcome the endorsement of the key ABAS deliverables, in particular the monitoring and evaluation framework, and follow-up of the recommendations for strengthening the CIDS partnership framework and CIDS Global Business Network and its forum. We also welcome updates on operationalization of the CIDS Center of Excellence and the coordination mechanism for the AIS region. We are pleased that the resolution welcomes recent developments that provided opportunities to highlight the priorities and specific vulnerabilities of SIDS and to support the implementation of ABAs, including the FFD4 and the upcoming entry into force of the agreement on BBNJ, as well as UNOC 3. While appreciating the focused approach to this year's resolution, it is unfortunate that there no agreement to include language on the 1.5 degrees temperature goal. We hope that in future delegations will be ready to engage substantively on this and other important cross-cutting thematic matters central to ABAS in the context of driving implementation forward. Mr. Chair, we regret that a vote has been called on this normally consensual resolution. We believe This undermines our collective effort and the constructive spirit of striving for consensus, which has been a tradition in this committee and has also guided the negotiations on this resolution this year. We welcome the adaptation of the resolution. Seeds have a friend and a committed partner in the EU and its member states, and we look forward to continuing our partnership in this critical

I thank the representative of the European Union.

I see no other requests for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L.25/rev.1. In accordance with Rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except in a— on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Delegations are kindly requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of Draft Resolution L.25 Rev. 1, please signify. Those against, and abstentions.

The Committee is now voting on Draft Resolution L.25 Rev. 1 entitled Follow-up to and Implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States: A Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 179; against, 1; abstentions, 0. Draft Resolution L.25 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote or a general statement after the vote on the Draft Resolution L.25? A ref one. I give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Russia voted for the adoption of the resolution. However, given the fact that the Russian position on paragraph 19 of the resolution was not reflected in the final text of the resolution, The Russian Federation disassociates itself from this paragraph. This provision contains a complementary assessment about the agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. As we have repeatedly and consistently emphasized, the Russian Federation Believes that this instrument is unacceptable. Its provisions harm critical existing international agreements. These include the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 and the Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks of 1995. Its standards also allow for encroaching on the mandates and competencies of sectoral and regional international organizations.

organizations.

That includes fisheries organizations. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation. Now give the floor to the representative of the United States, followed by New Zealand. United States, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The United States has made it clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious or irrelevant issue year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking. Instead, many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United Nations' core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work. Madam Chair, colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States, and now I give the floor to the representative of New Zealand.

Thank you, Chair. I'm delivering this explanation of vote on behalf of Canada, Australia, and my own country, New Zealand. CANZ extends its sincere appreciation to Palau for its skillful facilitation of this resolution. We also commend all delegations for their collegial engagement throughout the negotiations.

Process.

CANZ has cast its vote in favour of this resolution, and we support this resolution for 3 key reasons. First, this resolution advances concrete measures to support Small Island Developing States. Second, we welcome the language which highlights the SIDS-specific commitments set out in the Savila Commitment, the UN Oceans Conference Political Declaration, and the BBNJ Agreement. The unique vulnerabilities of must be recognized and taken into account when thinking about how we implement the commitments set out in these documents. Third, we value the resolution for being forward-looking, concise, and action-oriented, and for that we very much thank all parties involved for their restraint and consensus-based approach to negotiations. CANZ looks forward to working with all parties to advance the priorities set out in this resolution and and to ensure that the UN delivers effectively and efficiently for Small Island Developing States.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of New Zealand speaking on behalf of CANZ, and now I'll give the floor to the representative of Palau.

Chair, on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, I have the honor to deliver this general statement on the resolution entitled Follow-up to and Implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States. AOSIS wishes to express its appreciation to all delegations for their constructive engagement and flexibility, as well as to the, to the Second Committee Bureau and the Secretary for their support. We also extend our gratitude to Mr. Diosdado Hernández of the Permanent Mission of Cuba for his tireless efforts as coordinator for the Group of 77. Chair, building on last year's resolution and the numerous calls for concise and action-oriented resolution, AOSIS, through the G77 and China, maintained a draft text that focused on the next steps for the implementation of the ABAS. In this regard, we welcome the endorsement of the ABAS monitoring and evaluation framework. It is our hope that the framework will contribute significantly to the annual reporting on the implementation of the ABAS in a manner that would allow for greater analysis and guidance. This step is instrumental to avoid the pitfalls of previous program of action, where progress was not measured or tracked adequately. We also look forward to the workshops to familiarize SIDS with the application of the framework and to their— to build their capacity to collect and submit their data, especially in the lead-up to the Abaas midterm review. AOSIS also welcomes the progress on strengthening the SIDS Partnership Framework and the SIDS Global Business Network. We look forward to a revitalized and strong partnership framework and global business network that results in more genuine and impactful partnerships for SIDS. Chair, in closing, EOSIS is again disappointed that one delegation has requested a vote on this draft resolution, which to our knowledge has always been adopted by consensus since its inception. Given our collective pledge to ensure that no one is left behind, the work that is advanced under this resolution undoubtedly remains relevant and critical to CITES and the United Nations. In this regard, AEOSIS expresses our appreciation to all delegations for their support, flexibility, and constructive engagement in this process, and looks forward to working with all partners closely as we galvanize our collective efforts toward the full and effective implement— implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for CITES. I thank you, Chair.

I thank the representative of Palau speaking on behalf of AEOSIS. I see no other requests for the floor. The committee has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item B of Agenda Item 18. I now invite the committee to turn to Agenda Item 18G, Education for Sustainable Development, in order to take action on draft resolution L45 entitled Education for Sustainable Development in the Framework of the 2030 Agenda. Agenda for Sustainable Development, as submitted by the rapporteur, Mr. Javad Momeni of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the basis of informal consultations on draft resolution L33 presented by Iraq on behalf of the group of G77 and China. I wish to thank the co-facilitators, Ms. Gabriela Horosanu of Romania and Mr. Assan Dioum of Senegal, for leading the informal consultations and delegations for their constructive engagement in the negotiations. I would like to inform the committee that the draft resolution L45 has no program budget implication. A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution L45 entitled Education for Sustainable Development in the Framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Before proceeding to the vote, does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote before the vote in connection with draft resolution L.45? I see no requests for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L.45. In accordance with Rule 122, No representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting. Delegations are requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of draft resolution L45, please signify. Those against? And abstentions?

The committee is now voting on draft resolution L.45 entitled Education for Sustainable Development in the Framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 175; against, 3; abstentions, 0. Draft Resolution L45 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote or a general statement? statement after the vote on the draft resolution. I give the floor to the representative of Denmark.

Thank you, Chair. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states. The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Georgia align themselves with the statement. We fully support the adoption of the Resolution Education for Sustainable Development at the 80th Session and commend the progress made, with many thanks to the co-facilitators Gabriela Joroszanyo and Ah Sahm Yoon for their leadership throughout the negotiations. This text adopts a strongly forward-looking approach, including through enhanced attention to lifelong learning, teacher support and development, digital transformation, climate and education, and the integration of education for sustainable development through the ESD for 2030 framework. These elements are essential for accelerating progress toward our shared goals.

Mr.

Chair, we regret that a vote has been called on this normally consensual resolution. We believe this undermines our collective effort and the constructive spirit of striving for consensus which has been a tradition in this Committee and has also guided the negotiations on this resolution this year. The EU and its Member States support this important resolution. Whilst underscoring the important progress achieved, we would like to clarify our position regarding the language in OP5bis on national circumstances and priorities for building up national education systems. We believe that this formulation could inadvertently weaken the universality of our commitments on the 2030 Agenda. Our view is that national approaches should complement, not replace, the global standards and principles we have collectively endorsed. For these reasons, the EU dissociates from that part of the paragraph. In conclusion, we wish to underline that we remain committed to ensuring that education continues to be a unifying force for inclusive, equitable, and ambitious sustainable development. Thank you.

I thank Denmark for the statement on behalf of the UN member states. Now I give the floor to the United States.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious issue year after year. The Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking. Instead, many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United Nations' core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work. Madam Chair, colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States, and now I give the floor to the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Madam Chair, education constitutes a central pillar of national development and remains one of the highest priorities of Islamic Republic of Iran. My country has consistently invested in expanding equitable access to education, and strengthening capacity building across all levels, with particular emphasis on empowering women and girls. As a result of these longstanding policies, Iran has witnessed significant improvement in educational attainment. With this understanding, my delegation wishes to reiterate that the Islamic Republic of Iran considers the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UNESCO Education 2030 Framework for Action as non-legally binding and voluntary instruments. We have previously registered our position on these documents. Accordingly, Iran is not committed to those parts of the aforementioned text which in one way or another are in contradiction with the Iranian national laws, regulations, legislations, or policies as well as cultural values. Furthermore, we formally dissociate ourselves from certain non-consensual terms and concepts reflected in the text that do not enjoy intergovernmental agreement. My delegation requests that this statement be duly reflected in the records of the Committee and the General Assembly. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I see no other requests for the floor. In light of the adoption of the draft resolution L45, I understand that the draft resolution L33 is withdrawn, but by its sponsors. The committee has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item G of agenda item 18. I now invite the committee to turn to agenda item 18, combating sand and dust In order to take action on draft resolution L50 of the same title, as submitted by the rapporteur, Mr. Javad Momeni of Islamic Republic of Iran, on the basis of informal consultations on the draft resolution L39 presented by Iraq on behalf of the group of G77 and China, I wish to thank the facilitator, Mr. Ali Mohammed of Iraq, for leading the informal consultations. consultations, and delegations for their constructive engagement in negotiations. I would like to inform the committee that draft resolution L.50 has no program budget implication. A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution L.50 entitled Combating Sand and Dust Storms. Before proceeding to the vote, does any delegation wish to make a general statement or an explanation of vote before the vote in connection with draft resolution L50? I see no requests for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting the draft resolution L50. In accordance with, with Rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting or Delegations are requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of draft resolution L.50, please signify. Those against and abstentions.

The committee is now voting on draft resolution L.50 entitled Combating Sand and Dust Storms. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 173; against, 4; abstentions, 1. Draft resolution L50 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote after the vote on the draft resolution? I give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you so much, Madam Chair. The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious issue year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking. Instead, many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does not— that does nothing to advance the United States' core mandate— excuse me, the United Nations' core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations have blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work. Madam Chair and colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I see no further requests for the floor. In light of the adoption of Draft Resolution L.50, I understand that Draft Resolution L.39 is withdrawn by its sponsors. The committee has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item I of Agenda Item 18. I now invite the committee to resume its consideration of Agenda the Item 20A, Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development, in order to take action on Draft Resolution L.47 of the same title as submitted by the Vice Chair, Mr. Andrés Napuri Pitta of Peru, on the basis of informal consultations on Draft Resolution L.18 presented by Iraq on behalf of the Group of G77 and China. I wish to thank the facilitator, Mr. Walter Mira of El Salvador, for leading the informal consultations, and delegations for their active participation and constructive engagement in negotiations. I would like to inform the committee that draft resolution L47 has no program budget implications. A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution L47 entitled Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development. Before proceeding to the vote, does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote before the vote in connection with draft resolution L47? I see no— I see a request for speak on By Denmark on behalf of the UN and its member states. Denmark, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states. The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina align themselves with these statements. I wish to commend the work of the facilitator, Mr. Walter Walter Mira of El Salvador, for its masterful steering of the informal consultations. I also wish to thank the secretariats and other delegations for their dedication and constructive engagement on this resolution. One year after the Pact for the Future, the EU and its member states remain committed to harnessing SDI to achieve the SDGs. A prime example of our commitment is the EU's research framework program, Horizon Europe. Which allocates over 60% of its budget to sustainable development. In particular, we are committed to promoting an open, fair, and inclusive environment for scientific and technological developments. However, we wish to put on record our reservation regarding the term non-discriminatory that is used in PP16, as this can be interpreted as undermining legitimate policy instruments which legally create differentiated approaches. We do recall nonetheless that to ensure that SDI effectively helps us achieve the SDGs as a safe, inclusive, and supportive working environment for researchers and innovators is absolutely indispensable, regardless of their background, sex, age, or sexual orientation. It is our firm conviction that international cooperation in SDI should be guided by compliance with international law, as well as the promotion of democratic values, cooperation for peace achievement of the SDGs, access to the most up-to-date knowledge, as well as fostering collaboration and circulation of talents worldwide. Excellencies, dear colleagues, we must acknowledge the academic freedom is under pressure globally, and scientists worldwide are increasingly challenged and instrumentalized instrumentalized. While the EU is not immune to such challenges and backlash, we remain a global leader in academic freedom, in line with our commitments in the Pact for the Future. Mrs. Chair, finally, we regret that a vote has been called on this normally consensual resolution. We believe this undermines our collective efforts and the constructive spirit of striving for consensus, which has been a tradition in this committee and also guided negotiations on this resolution this year. The EU and its member states fully support this important resolution. Let me conclude by saving— saying that you can count on the EU to pursue its dedication to protecting academic freedom in international research and innovation cooperation in order to leverage science and technology to create a sustainable, resilient, and innovative future for all. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Denmark speaking on behalf of the EU and its member states. I see no other request for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L47. In accordance with Rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting. Delegations Delegates are requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of draft resolution L.47, please signify. Those against, and abstentions.

The committee is now voting on draft resolution L.47 entitled Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 177; against, 2; abstentions, 0. The draft resolution L47 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote after the vote on draft resolution? I give the floor to the representative of France.

France aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and by— read by Denmark, and we would like to read the following remarks in national capacity. France is firmly convinced that science and technology can accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals. In order to do this, we need to continue to promote digital governance that is inclusive and multi-stakeholder in nature, which serves the planet. These aren't just words; it's a need. This is the meaning behind the artificial intelligence. Summit that we convened in 2025, which aims at openness, cooperation, and aims to open up new opportunities for progress, cultural development, and to promote freedom, knowledge, and culture in order to ensure individual and collective emancipation. The capacity building for developing countries in terms of digital access is a priority for France. The French Agency for Development committed in 2024 millions of euros to develop infrastructures and digital services in developing countries. There's some €340 million aimed at connectivity and internet services. Our goal is clear. We need to reduce the digital divide. We need to prioritize equality and inclusion in the digital realm, and we need to put citizens at the forefront of governance in the digital space. We regret the fact that this resolution was called to a vote, but this doesn't prevent us from continuing to work, in particular in the context of negotiations, on the upcoming negotiations, to ensure that science, technology, and innovation are put at the service of the common good. Thank you.

I thank the representative of France, and now I give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions cycle the same contentious or irrelevant issue year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking. Instead, many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United States— excuse me, United Nations core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work. Madam Chair and colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United

Thank you, Mr.

States. I see no other requests for the floor. In light of the adoption of Draft Resolution L.47, I understand that Resolution L.18 is withdrawn by its sponsors. The Committee has thus concluded in its consideration of sub-item A of Agenda Item 20. I now invite the Committee to resume its consideration of Agenda Item 21A, follow-up to the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in order to take action on Draft Resolution L48 of the same title, as submitted by the Vice Chair, Ms. Jenni Mikola of Finland, on the basis of informal consultations on Draft Resolution L5 presented by Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. I thank the facilitator, Mr. Talal Abdulaziz Al-Nama of Qatar, for leading the informal consultations on the draft resolution, and delegation for their constructive engagement in the negotiations. I give the floor to the Secretary to read out a statement of program budget implications of the draft.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The present oral statement is made in the context of Rule 153 of the Rules of procedure of the General Assembly and was also distributed to member states. The written version of the statement makes reference to operative paragraphs 58, 59, 60, 71, 79C, and 83 of draft resolution L48, which in the interests of brevity I won't cite. The requests contained in operative paragraphs 59, 71, and 83 of the draft resolution would entail additional workload for the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management and the Office of Information and Communications Technology. For the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, implementation of the mandate would entail new activities and related resource requirements estimated at $24,500 in 2026 and $208,600 in 2027, excluding staff assessment. Interpretation in all 6 languages would be provided for the 3-day comprehensive high-level midterm review, as well as 4 parallel thematic roundtable meetings to be held in Doha in 2027 and the 2-day preparatory meeting in New York in 2027. In addition to documentation services that would be provided for the high-level midterm review and the preparatory meeting in 2027, translation in all 6 languages would be provided for the report requested in operative paragraph 83. In accordance with established practice, the date of the preparatory meeting would be determined in consultation with the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management. For the Office of Information and Communications Technology, implementation of the mandate would entail new activities and related resource requirements estimated at $5,800 in 2027 for IT conference servicing— conference— conferencing services for the 2-day preparatory meeting. For the Office of the President of the General Assembly, with regard to the requests contained in operative paragraphs 58, 59, 59, 60, and 79C of the draft resolution, there would be additional workload to provide support inter alia for the preparatory meetings to the co-facilitators for the review process and the preparation of the draft political outcome and the coordination of the list of representatives who may participate in the midterm review. The OPGA will make every effort to meet the requirements within its capacity. Should the General Assembly adopt Draft Resolution L48, the Secretariat will, to the extent possible, seek to absorb these requirements within the overall approved regular budget resources for 2026, with any portion that cannot be absorbed to be reported in the context of the Financial Performance Report for the year. The related resource requirements for 2027 may be included in the proposed program budget for 2027 for the consideration of the General Assembly at its 81st session. Secretariat also wishes to inform the General Assembly that its ability to implement the mandate will depend on the availability of adequate liquidity resources. Also, pursuant to operative paragraph 58 of the draft resolution, it should be noted that the government of Qatar will need to defray the additional costs for High-Level Midterm Review directly or indirectly involved, in accordance with paragraph 5 of General Assembly Resolution 40/243, which stipulates that UN bodies may hold sessions away from their established headquarters when a government issuing an invitation for a session to be held within its territory has agreed to defray, after consultation with the Secretary-General as to their nature and possible extent, the actual additional costs directly or indirectly involved. With regard to operative paragraph 71, the attention of the Committee is drawn to the provisions of Section 6 of General Assembly Resolution 45/248 of 21 December 1990 and subsequent resolutions, the most recent of which is Resolution 79/257 of 24 December 2009, December 2024, in which the Assembly reaffirmed that the 5th Committee is the appropriate main committee of the Assembly entrusted with the responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters, and reaffirmed the role of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions. That concludes the statement.

I thank the Secretary. A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution L48. entitled Follow-up to the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries. Before proceeding to the vote, I will give the floor to any sponsored delegation wishing to make a general statement in connection with the draft proposal, or any non-sponsored delegation wishing to make a statement in explanation of vote. Does any delegation wish to make a general statement or an explanation of vote before the vote on draft resolution L48. I give the floor to the representative of the European Union.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have the honor to deliver this general statement on behalf of the European Union and its member states. Candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina align themselves with this statement. The EU and its member states would like to thank the G77 in China for presenting this resolution, and the facilitator, Mr. Talal Abdulaziz Al-Nama of Qatar, for skillfully guiding us through the lengthy discussions. We also wish to thank all delegations for their constructive approach throughout the negotiations. Madam Chair, for the EU and its member states, the LDCs remain a key priority. In 2023, we renewed our promise in EU Council conclusions to support the sustainable development and economic resilience of LDCs through ODA, trade and investment, and supporting their adaptation and mitigation efforts against climate change. Thanks to the Everything But Arms GSP program, EU imports from LDCs have reached over €50 billion, accounting for more than 2.1% of the EU's total imports in 2024, with industrial products making up 87%. Furthermore, in 2024, ODA going from the EU and EU member states to LDCs increased as a share of the EU's total ODA at $15.3 billion. Madam Chair, this year's resolution is not business as usual. By adopting it, we take important concrete steps to ensure follow-up and political momentum to our promise to leave no one behind. Notably, we look forward to the midterm review on the Doha Programme of Action to be held in Qatar in 2027, which will provide member states with an opportunity to reflect on progress achieved on the key outcomes of the DPOA and the challenges that remain. Likewise, we welcome an open-ended ad hoc working group that will reflect on smooth transition for countries graduating from the List of Least Developed Countries and review existing resolutions on transition and support. We look forward to contributing meaningfully to these processes. Madam Chair, finally, we regret that a vote has been called on this normally consensual resolution. We believe this undermines our collective effort and the constructive spirit of striving for consensus which has been a tradition in this committee and has also guided the negotiations on this resolution this year. The EU and its member states fully support this important resolution.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of the European Union. I see no other requests for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L48. In accordance with rule 128, no representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting. Delegations are requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of draft resolution All those in favor of draft resolution L48, please signify. Those against and abstentions.

The committee is now voting on draft resolution L48 entitled Follow-up to the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 178; against, 2; abstentions, 0. Draft Resolution L48 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote after the vote on the draft resolution? I give the floor to the representative of Türkiye.

Madam Chair, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the facilitator, our esteemed colleague Mr. Talal Abdülaziz Annama, for his dedicated efforts, and we also thank the Secretariat for its valuable support. Türkiye fully supports the adoption of the resolution, which reaffirms member states' commitment to supporting the Doha Programme of Action. We are also confident that Qatar will host a successful and productive high-level midterm review of the implementation of the DPOA. Madam Chair, Türkiye has long attached special importance to the LDC agenda and will continue to stand firmly by LDCs in their quest for sustainable development. Over a decade ago, at the 4th UN Conference on LDCs in Istanbul, we committed to establishing and hosting the UN Technology Bank for LDCs. Today, the bank in Türkiye continues to play a unique and essential role in strengthening STI capacities. We believe that the bank can support the specific deliverables of the DPOA, particularly in enhancing the capacity of LDCs to leverage technology for the development goals. On the other hand, Mr. Chair, Türkiye regrets the formulation of OP/79C, which violates the non-objection principle. Turkey is a strong supporter of inclusive and constructive multilateralism. We attach great importance to the meaningful participation of NGOs, academia, and the private sector in the work of the UN, provided that such participation is fully in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Unfortunately, some NGOs may pursue agendas incompatible with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter or undertake politically motivated actions against some Member States. In such cases, the concerns of Member States raising objections must be fully respected. We regret that valid objections can be overridden by other Member States without sufficient scrutiny of the NGO's objectives, activities, or sources of funding. Such violation of non-objection principles has the potential to transform UN meetings into politically charged ones and may deter constructive engagement. We therefore call for full respect for transparency and reiterate our support for applying either ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31 or a genuine non-objection procedure as safeguards. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Türkiye. I now give the floor to the representative of France.

France aligns itself with the statement delivered by the EU and its member states and wishes to make the following remarks on our national capacity. As you know, international crises that we are going through and the consequences that they entail have delayed progress in the achievement of the SDGs, and it is the LDCs that pay the highest price for this. The Doha Programme of Action is our collective roadmap. 45 years since hosting the first conference on LDCs. France continues to put its partners at the heart of its international solidarity efforts. We devote 60% of our financial efforts to the most vulnerable countries, including LDCs. We are a part of the Debt for Commerce Initiative, and we contribute 20% of our ODA to trade in developing countries. We support LDCs through robust investment systems in order to mobilize private capital. France hails this resolution, which shows our commitment to work together to address both equity and efficacy. We regret that this has been called to a vote, whereas it's usually a consensual resolution. France is firmly committed to LDCs and alongside them to leave no one behind.

I thank you.

I thank the representative

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious issue year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking. Instead, many resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United Nations' core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of, number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work.

Mr.

Chair and colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I now give the floor to the representative of Holy See.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Holy See would like to thank the Group of 77 and China for presenting this resolution, and to Mr. Taral Abdulaziz Al Na'ama of Qatar for his dedicated efforts in facilitating negotiations. This resolution outlines important follow-up actions to the Doha Programme of Action and reaffirms the pressing need to mobilize accessible and long-term support for the LDCs. In this regard, my delegation underscores that international solidarity, rooted in the recognition of the inherent dignity of every person, must remain the guiding principle of all efforts to accompany these countries. The Holy See would like to take this opportunity to thank the State of Qatar for its generous offer to host the Midterm Review of the Doha Programme of Action. We look forward to actively engaging in the preparatory process and contributing to the review that meaningfully assesses progress, identifies obstacles, and reinforces our collective resolve to support the aspiration of the LDCs to ensure that no one is left behind. Mr. Chair, it is unfortunate that the Committee was unable to adopt this resolution by consensus. On matters that speak so directly to shared responsibilities and common interests, unity is both symbolically and substantively important. Therefore, the Holy See reaffirms the importance of consensus among Member States, particularly with regard to our efforts aimed at supporting those countries Thank you, Mr.

Chair. I thank the representative of Holy See. I see no other requests for the floor. In light of the adoption of Draft Resolution L.4.8, I understand that Draft Resolution L.5 is withdrawn by its sponsors. The Committee has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item A of Agenda Item 21. I now invite the Committee to resume its consideration of Agenda Item 21B, Follow-up to the 3rd United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, in order to take action on Draft Resolution A/C2/80/L49 of the same title as submitted by the Vice Chair, Jenni Mikola of Finland. On the basis of informal consultation on draft resolution L6 presented by Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. I wish to thank the co-facilitators, Ms. Olivia Legadi of Austria and Ms. Odutuya Bengalma of Mongolia, for leading the informal Consultation on the draft resolution and delegations for their constructive engagement in negotiations. I give the floor to the Secretary to read out the statement of program budget implication of the draft resolution.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The present oral statement is made in the context of Rule 153 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly and was also distributed to member states. The written version of the statement makes reference to operative paragraphs 6, 46, and 68 of the draft resolution, in accordance with which the General Assembly would request the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its 81st session on a) the feasibility, effectiveness, and administrative modalities of regional agricultural research hubs for landlocked developing countries; B, on the feasibility of the establishment of a dedicated infrastructure investment finance facility and its possible modalities; and C, on strengthening the capabilities and effectiveness of the Office of the High Representative and the United Nations system to support landlocked developing countries. The requests for documentation contained in operative of paragraphs 6, 46, and 68 would constitute an addition to the documentation workload of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management of 3 pre-session documents with an estimated word count of 8,500 words each in all 6 languages in 2026. Additional resource requirements for documentation would arise in 2026 in the amount of $73,000. Should the General Assembly adopt Draft Resolution L.49, the Secretariat will, to the extent possible, seek to absorb these requirements within the overall approved regular budget resources for 2026, with any portion that cannot be absorbed to be reported in the context of the Financial Performance Report for the year. The Secretariat also wishes to inform the General Assembly I would also like to inform the Assembly that its ability to implement the mandate will depend on the availability of adequate liquidity resources. Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I thank you, Secretary. A recorded vote has been requested on draft resolution L.49 entitled Follow-up to the 3rd United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries. Does any delegation wish to make a general statement or an explanation of vote before the vote on draft resolution L.49? I give the floor to the representative of the European Union.

Mr. Chair, I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states. The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia aligned themselves with this statement. First, we would like to commend the co-facilitators of this resolution, Ms. Olivia Legradi of Austria and Ms. Odontuya Baigalma of Mongolia, for their masterful leadership. We also thank all delegations involved in the negotiations for their constructive approach and the Secretariat for their support. Distinguished colleagues, this year delegations were tasked with transposing the outcome of the LLDC III conference into a 2C resolution and to launch the implementation and follow-up process to the Awaaza Programme of Action. The EU and its member states believe that this task has been accomplished well. The APOA is now reflected in the LLDC resolution in a balanced way, capturing crucial elements from each of the 5 priority areas while maintaining balance between them. In particular, the EU notes that the ambitions of LLDCs related to trade are present in the resolution in the most comprehensive way possible. The EU also welcomes that the resolution addresses the issue of connectivity, both related to digital connectivity and sustainable infrastructure. The EU is especially pleased that the resolution, like the APOA, integrates language on both climate adaptation and mitigation. The holistic combination of mitigation efforts with adaptation strategies will enhance LLDC's resilience to the economic and climate crises. Partnerships are necessary for mobilizing means of implementation. Let me underscore that Team Europe has been committed to doing its part, including through investments in various projects such as the Lobito Corridor or the Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy, and Climate in Central Asia, to name just 2 examples. Looking ahead, the EU hopes that the reports on major deliverables of the APOA, which this resolution remandates for the first session of the General Assembly will materialize in this new timeline.

Mr.

Chair, finally, we regret that a vote has been called on this normally consensual resolution. We believe this undermines our collective effort and the constructive spirit of striving for consensus, which has been a tradition in this committee and has also guided the negotiations on this resolution this year. The UN and its member states fully support this important resolution. Let me conclude by saying that the EU and its member states remain committed to walking side by side with LLDCs on their journey of APOA implementation, which has just begun. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the European Union. I see no other requests for the floor. The committee will now commence the process of voting on draft resolution L.49 in accordance with Rule 128, No representative may interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual process of voting. Delegations are requested to indicate their votes. Those in favor of draft resolution L49, please signify. Those against, and abstentions.

The committee is now voting on draft resolution L49 entitled Follow-up to the 3rd United Nations Conference on Will all delegations confirm that their votes are correctly reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the voting machine.

Thank you.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 178; against, 1; abstention, 0. Draft Resolution A/C2/80/L49 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make an explanation of vote after the vote on the draft resolution? I give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Mr. Chair, thank you. The United States has made clear its intention to disengage from a majority of resolutions in the Second Committee this year. We would like to take the opportunity to reiterate our view that many of these resolutions recycle the same contentious issue year after year. Second Committee resolutions should be short, actionable, and forward-looking. Instead, many of these resolutions continue to include problematic language that does nothing to advance the United Nations' core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. The UN can no longer afford to waste its resources where there is little or no impact. The number of reports, conferences, and negotiations has blossomed beyond the point of ineffectiveness and waste to a level of dysfunction that makes it impossible to carry out vital work. Mr. Chair, colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the future to make the Second Committee more efficient, relevant, and effective. We refer you to the long-form explanation of position posted on our mission's website for more information. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I see no other requests for the floor. In light of the adoption of draft resolution L.49, I understand that draft resolution L.6 is withdrawn by its sponsors. The committee has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item B of agenda item 21 as a whole. The Committee has thus concluded the program of work for this meeting. The next plenary meeting of the Committee will take place tomorrow morning, Tuesday, 25th November, at 10:00 AM in this conference room to continue taking action on draft proposals. The meeting is adjourned.