Ambassador Richard Mills
Deputy Permanent Representative
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, New York
December 30, 2020
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My delegation would like to call for a recorded vote on draft resolution three, program budget for 2021 A/C.5/75/L.19.
We do that because the United States cannot in good conscience support a budget that further perpetuates anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias and refuses to recognize the rightful re-imposition of sanctions on Iran.
We appreciate the tireless efforts of our negotiators and the Fifth Committee Secretariat – in the midst of a pandemic, no less – but we cannot set aside our principles for the sake of consensus.
The United Nations is supposed to stand for peace, security, freedom. But this budget fails to take steps to hold Iran, the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism, accountable for its actions. What is more, in its 75th year, instead of reflecting on the reason for its creation, the UN is funding the 20th commemoration of a conference outcome with anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias at its core.
As Ambassador Wallace stated when the United States called a similar vote on the budget in 2007: “Our political sentiments have been clearly expressed on this revisiting of an event that was noxious to my country and a disgrace to the international community. Unfortunately, the objectionable political agenda that seeks to revisit Durban has seeped into the fifth committee.”
The United States is, and always has been, the largest and most reliable partner of the UN. That will not change as a result of this vote, but we will not stand quiet when the UN falls short of its important mission and values. That is why we are calling for a vote.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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