(Note:  A complete summary of today's General Assembly meetings will be available at a later time.) 

As the General Assembly took up a series of resolutions regarding humanitarian and disaster relief assistance, the annual omnibus text on strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance was withdrawn — after three decades of consensus adoption — as delegates expressed divisions about the role of the UN in humanitarian work, and what that work should include.

“Our debate today is not only about the role and necessity of humanitarian relief but also about how deeply we believe in this institution and how willing we are” to stand up for its principles, said Annalena Baerbock (Germany), President of the General Assembly, ahead of the joint debate on strengthening coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance.

In a glaring reflection of the increasing contentions within the international community, humanitarian texts that used to be adopted by consensus faced challenges this year, with the omnibus text “Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations” (document A/80/L.25) taken back by its chief negotiator.

Introducing that text, Sweden’s delegate urged the two delegations that had tabled amendments to withdraw them.  She noted that this annual resolution has now enjoyed an impressive 33 years of consensus.  “It carries significant weight when Member States come together year after year to send one unified message guiding global humanitarian action,” she said, noting that this year’s negotiations focused on reform efforts laid out by the Emergency Relief Coordinator and the broader UN80 reform initiative.  However, negotiations were more difficult than ever, with one delegation requesting changes to over 70 paragraphs of the text.  “The text that was tabled constitutes our best attempt at striking a balance between the views expressed between all Member States,” she said.

Citing Untenable Amendments, Sweden Withdraws Draft to Protect Interests of Millions for Whom It Was Tabled

However, those amendments were not withdrawn.  The representative of the United States proposed four amendments “to protect the original purpose of this resolution from ideological agendas”.  Rejecting terminology around sexual and reproductive healthcare, she said this language carries “highly controversial meanings conflating this term with notions of abortion, LGBTQ and other sexual rights”. Further, the UN has gone “wildly off-track exaggerating climate change into the world's greatest threat”, she said, adding that her delegation is proposing amendments to preambular paragraphs 4 and 15 to address the inappropriate references to climate change.

The representative of the Russian Federation introduced a draft amendment which would insert a new paragraph calling on Member States to refrain from applying any unilateral coercive measures, as they affect social and humanitarian conditions and impact the most vulnerable on the ground. 

After these amendments were introduced, Sweden’s delegate withdrew “L.25” to protect the interests of the hundreds of millions for whom it was tabled.  She expressed the hope that a better outcome could be achieved if delegates reach agreement on the text as a whole.  Responding, the representative of the United States described that text as a “globalist wish-list” that “barreled past the red line concerns of numerous delegations” and stressed that her delegation will continue to stand against it if it comes to the floor again.

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