Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–14, Part 1, Documents on the United Nations, 1973–1976

186. Telegram 6922 From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, December 19, 1975, 2307Z.¹ ²

December 19, 1975, 2307Z

TELEGRAM
Department of State
USUN 6922

P 192307Z DEC 75

FM USMISSION USUN NY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5146

USUN 6922

PASS D/IWY MARCH
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: UNGA, SGEN, WCIWY

SUBJECT: WRAP UP OF WOMEN’S ITEMS IN THE 30TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
REF: USUN 5285

1. SUMMARY: EARLY IN THE SESSION THE US INDENTIFIED 3 PRINCIPAL AREAS FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES TO THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR(WCIWY), THE MOST IMPORTANT BEING NEGOTIATION OF AN ACCEPTABLE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION TO SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR CARRYING FORWARD THE WORLD PLAN OF ACTION. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTED 11 RESOLUTIONS AND DRAFT DECISIONS RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN. THE US SUPPORTED 8, OPPOSED 2 SOVIET-INITIATED DRAFTS AND ABSTAINED ON THE KEY OMNIBUS RESOLUTION BECAUSE OF WORDING IN TWO OPERATIVE PARAGRAPHS. IN VIEW OF THE HEIGHTENED POLITICIZATION OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE (ESPECIALLY THE ZIONISM ISSUE), SUCH AN OUTCOME WAS REALISTICALLY THE BEST THAT COULD BE EXPECTED. THE CRITICAL VOTE ON THE OPERATIVE PARAGRAPH OF THE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION REFERRING TO THE DECLARATION OF MEXICO AND THUS RAISING THE ZIONISM ISSUE, LINED UP 50 COUNTRIES WHICH DID NOT ENDORSE THE “ACTION PROPOSALS” IN THE MEXICO CITY DOCUMENTS. IN SUBSTANCE, THE RESOLUTIONS PROVIDE A SATISFACTORY BASIS FOR FOLLOW-UP TO WCIWY THROUGH A DECADE FOR WOMEN, THE MAJOR FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED THE OUTCOME WERE THE STRONG STAND TAKEN BY THE U.S. DURING NEGOTIATIONS, COORDINATION WITH THE EC-9, THE GENUINE EFFORTS OF THE PRIMARY CO-SPONSORS TO PRODUCE A COMPROMISE TEXT AND THE FACT THAT THE SOVIETS ADVANCED THEIR IDEOLOGICAL CONCERNS THROUGH SEPARATE RESOLUTIONS RATHER THAN BY AMENDING THE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION. END SUMMARY.

2. EARLY IN THE SESSION, USUN REVIEWED THE PROSPECTS FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES TO THE WOMEN’S CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR (WCIWY). IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT, THREE AREAS FOR ACTION WERE IDENTIFIED (REFTEL): NEGOTIATION OF AN ACCEPTABLE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION TO SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR CARRYING FORWARD THE WORLD PLAN OF ACTION AND OTHER U.S. INITIATIVES TAKEN AT MEXICO CITY; MEASURES TO PROMOTE THE FULL PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS; MEASURES TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE UN SECRETARIAT.

3. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTED 11 RESOLUTIONS AND DRAFT DECISIONS RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN. THE DRAFT DECISION FURTHERING THE WORK OF THE JOINT ADVISORY COMMITTEE’S STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE SECRETARIAT WAS DEFERRED FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION. THE U.S. SUPPORTED 8 OF THESE MEASURES, VOTED AGAINST 2 SOVIET-INITIATED DRAFTS AND ABSTAINED ON THE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION--THE CENTERPIECE OF FOLLOW-UP ACTION. THE U.S. WAS JOINED BY THE EC-9 IN ALL BUT ONE THESE VOTES.

4. IN VIEW OF THE INJECTION OF THE ZIONISM ISSUE AT MEXICO CITY AND THE HEIGHTENED POLITICIZATION OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE WHERE THE BULK OF WOMEN’S ITEMS WERE CONCENTRATED, SUCH AN OUTCOME WAS REALISTICALLY THE BEST THAT COULD BE EXPECTED. UNLIKE EARLIER TACTICS ON THE WOMEN’S ISSUE, THE SOVIET BLOC THIS TIME DID NOT DIRECTLY OPPOSE IWY ACTIVITIES. INSTEAD, THE THREAT WAS THAT SOME DELEGATIONS WOULD USE THE WOMEN’S ITEMS TO PROMOTE EXTRANEOUS POLITICAL CAUSES AND THIS ALIENATE WESTERN SUPPORT. THE DESIRE OF SOME TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE URGING IMPLEMENTATION OF CERDS OR ZNTI-ZIONISM MEASURES AND THE DEMONSTRATED CAPACITY OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE TO DISTORT BROADLY-BASED PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE DECADE AGAINST RACISM CREATED A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT THE FINAL OMNIBUS RESOLUTION MIGHT BE MADE UNACCEPTABLE TO THE U.S. SUCH DID NOT PROVE TO BE THE CASE. BOTH THE FIRM STAND TAKEN BY THE U.S. (AND TO A LESSER DEGREE BY THE EC-9, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND) DURING NEGOTIATIONS AND THE GENUINE EFFORTS OF THE PRINCIPAL CO-SPONSORS TO PREVENT INTRODUCTION OF MORE OBJECTIONABLE POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS RESULTED IN A MODERATE RESOLUTION. THE U.S. AND THE EC-9 ABSTAINED ON THE RESOLUTION BECAUSE OF WORDING IN TWO OPERATIVE PARAGRAPHS, BUT INDICATED THEIR INTENTION TO CARRY OUT THE PLAN OF ACTION AND PARTICIPATE IN THE DECADE.

5. IN THE CRITICAL VOTE ON THE OPERATIVE PARAGRAPH OF THE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION THAT REFERRED TO THE MEXICO DECLARATION AND THUS RAISED MOST DIRECTLY THE ZIONISM ISSUE, 50 COUNTRIES DID NOT ENDORSE THE A “ACTION PROPOSALS” CONTAINED IN THE MEXICO CITY DOCUMENTS. THIS VOTE ON OPERATIVE PARAGRAPH 1 OF 83-24 (U.S.)-26 COMPARES REASONABLY WELL WITH THE PLENARY VOTE NOVEMBER 10 ON THE ANTI-ZIONISM RESOLUTION OF 72-35(U.S.)-32. MANY DELEGATIONS CONSIDERED THAT THE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION DEALT ONLY TANGENTIALLY WITH THE ISSUE OF ZIONISM, UNLIKE THE RESOLUTION ON RACISM WHICH DEALT WITH IT DIRECTLY. THE U.S. HOWEVER OPPOSED THIS PARAGRAPH BECAUSE IT OBJECTED TO ANY WORDING THAT COULD BE INTERPRETED AS GIVING BLANKET ENDORSEMENT TO THE DECLARATION OR TO ALL RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT MEXICO CITY, AND MADE CLEAR THAT IT DID NOT CONSIDER THE DECLARATION TO CONTAIN “ACTION PROPOSALS”.

6. EXCLUDING THE 2 SOVIET DRAFTS, THE 8 RESOLUTIONS AND DRAFT DECISION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PROVIDE A BASIS FOR FOLLOW-UP TO THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR AND MAP OUT MORE SPECIFIC, CONCRETE ACTIVITIES TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE UN SYSTEM, MEMBER STATES AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS. THE SOVIET DRAFTS ARE LARGELY AN ATTEMPT TO PLACE ON RECORD UN ENDORSEMENT OF THE CURRENT SOVIET LINE WHICH LINKS IMPROVEMENT OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS WITH STRENGTHENING INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SUCH FORCES AS RACISM AND COLONIALISM. IN CONTRAST, THE OTHER RESOLUTIONS SPUR ACTION ON THREE FRONTS. THE GENERALLY WORKMAN LIKE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION IS THE CENTERPIECE OF FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES AND DESIGNED TO CARRY FORWARD THE INITIATIVES TAKEN AT MEXICO CITY, PARTICULARLY THE PLAN OF ACTION. IT ESTABLISHES A UN DECADE FOR WOMEN WITH A MID-TERM WORLD CONFERENCE, URGES GOVERNMENTS AND UN AGENCIES TO TAKE SPECIFIC STEPS TO CARRY OUT THE PLAN OF ACTION, ESTABLISHES PROCEDURES FOR REVIEWING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN, RECOMMENDS THE CREATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE ON RESEARCH AND TRAINING FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN AND INITIATES A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN. THE U.S. IN ITS EXPLANATION OF VOTE STRONGLY SUPPORTED STEPS TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN AND DECADE BUT WOULD HAVE NO PART OF ANY MEASURES DIRECTED AGAINST ZIONISM. A DRAFT DECISION WAS ALSO ADOPTED WHICH REQUESTS THE NEXT ECOSOC SESSION TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONTINUING THE VOLUNTARY FUND FOR THE UN DECADE.

7. THE SECOND COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS AND THREE IN THE THIRD COMMITTEE, REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, EXTEND UN EFFORTS TO PROMOTE FULL AND EQUAL PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. SPECIFIC MEASURES INCLUDE APPEALS TO GOVERNMENTS AND UN AGENCIES TO PROVIDE WOMEN WITH EQUAL ACCESS TO CREDIT FACILITIES AND VARIOUS FORMS OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION AS WELL AS REQUESTS TO SET UP PROCEDURES, INCLUDING IMPACT STATEMENTS (FOLLOWING THE U.S. INITIATIVE IN MEXICO CITY), TO EVALUATE WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT FIELD. REVIEW AND APPRAISAL OF PROGRESS UNDER THE PLAN OF ACTION IS TO BE CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.

8. EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE UN SECRETARIAT IS THE THIRD ARAS FOR ACTION. THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE FIFTH COMMITTEE, ALTHOUGH CONSIDERABLY WATERED DOWN, SEEKS TO PROMOTE AN EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF POSITIONS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN THE SECRETARIAT. THE DRAFT DECISION ON THE JOINT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, HOWEVER, WAS DEFERRED.

9. THE OUTCOME IN THE THIRD COMMITTEE WAS INFLUENCED BY A NUMBER OF FACTORS. FIRST, THE U.S. TOOK A STRONG STAND DURING SEVERAL WEEKS OF INTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS, MAKING CLEAR THAT IT WOULD VOTE AGAINST THE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION SHOULD IT BE TOO WEIGHED DOWN WITH EXTRANEOUS POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS. COORDINATION WITH THE EC-9 STRENGTHENED THE WESTERN POSITION. MOREOVER, THE PRINCIPAL CO-SPONSORS --ORIGINALLY THE PHILIPPINES, IRAN AND MEXICO WITH THE LATTER ADDITION OF EGYPT AND JAMAICA--SOUTH TO ACHIEVE A COMPROMISE TEXT AND SUCCESSFULLY HEADED OFF AMENDMENTS BY MORE RADICAL DELEGATIONS. DURING NEGOTIATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, REFERENCES TO CERDS AND THE NIEO WERE CHANGED TO MAKE THE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION MORE ACCEPTABLE TO THE U.S. ALSO SIGNIFICANT IS THE FACT THAT THE SOVIETS, PERHAPS AS A RESULT OF PRESSURE FROM THE CLEVER PARLIAMENTARY TACTICS BY THE PRINCIPAL CO-SPONSORS, ADVANCED THEIR IDEOLOGICAL CONCERNS THROUGH SEPARATE RESOLUTIONS RATHER THAN BY AMENDING THE OMNIBUS DRAFT. THIS REDUCED THE IDEOLOGICAL BAGGAGE OF THE OMNIBUS RESOLUTION. FINALLY, ISRAEL DELAYED ITS INTERVENTION UNTIL THE ZIONISM ISSUE HAD ALREADY BEEN RAISED BY THE UAE WHICH ENDORSED ANTI-ZIONISM MEASURES.

10. UNLIKE THE EXTENDED CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO RESOLUTIONS IN THE THIRD COMMITTEE (SEVERAL WEEKS OF NEGOTIATION, 11 COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND ABOUT 90 SPEAKERS), THOSE IN THE SECOND COMMITTEE PASSED WITH VERY LITTLE DEBATE. NOT ONLY WERE THERE FEWER RESOLUTIONS WITH NARROWER SCOPE, BUT THEIR SUBSTANCE WAS LESS CONTROVERSIAL AND REFLECTED A WIDE DESIRE TO FOCUS ON ASPECTS OF WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT.

11. THE TWO PROPOSALS IN THE FIFTH COMMITTEE EXPERIENCED DIFFERENT PROBLEMS. THE AUSTRALIAN DRAFT ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE SECRETARIAT RAN INTO G-77 OPPOSITION. THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FEARED THAT ANY INCREASED EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE SECRETARIAT WOULD BENEFIT ONLY THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND THUS WOULD INTERFERE WITH REALIZING THEIR MORE IMPORTANT GOAL OF MORE SECRETARIAT JOBS FOR THEIR OWN NATIONALS. THE RESOLUTIONS PASSED ONLY AFTER THESE COUNTRIES STRIPPED IT OF PROVISIONS FOR SETTING TARGETS TO INCREASE THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE SECRETARIAT TO 30 PERCENT BY 1980 AND FOR CREATING A NEW UN POST FOR SPECIAL ADVISER ON QUESTIONS OF EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN. IN THEIR PLACE WERE ADDED PROVISIONS TO AID “UNREPRESENTED” AND “UNDER-REPRESENTED” STATES. THE DRAFT DECISION ON THE JOINT ADVISORY COMMITTEE’S STANDING COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE SECRETARIAT WAS DEFERRED BECAUSE DELEGATIONS ARGUED THAT THE FIFTH COMMITTEE WAS UNACQUAINTED WITH THE JAC RECOMMENDATIONS AND THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAD NO AUTHORITY OVER AN INTERNAL SECRETARIAT BODY.
MOYNIHAN

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use.
2. The Mission summarized the treatment of women’s issues at the 30th United Nations General Assembly, focusing on efforts to implement the World Plan of Action enacted at the World Conference of the International Women’s Year.