Courtney R. Nemroff
Deputy U.S. Representative to the Economic and Social Council
New York, New York
June 7, 2021
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Mr. President. The United States wishes to thank Georgia and the Philippines for this modalities resolution.
We place importance on the UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons and look forward to the high-level meeting in November. We fully support the co-facilitators’ text presented to the General Assembly for adoption today and urge the preservation of the language in OP 9, which ensures the inclusive participation of civil society and ensuring accountability and transparency by bringing it to the whole General Assembly for a decision.
We therefore call on all members to vote “no” on the proposed amendment. We have had these modalities adopted in recent resolutions mentioned by other delegations already, including the consensual modalities text on the Ad Hoc Committee on Cybercrime adopted by the General Assembly just a few days ago in this very chamber.
We regret that some Member States wish to weaken the resolution’s references to ensure transparency and accountability for NGO participation in the meeting. It is critical that we enable the meaningful participation of civil society and ensure that its views are heard, in order to inform the discussion. Once again, we urge all delegations to vote no on this amendment that would walk back recent precedent.
And finally, Mr. President, I would like to clarify a point of fact for the record which was raised by another delegation here today regarding past practice of this body on this matter. The modalities for NGO accreditation before us today are a long-standing practice and precedent of the General Assembly for may high level events and conferences over the years. It is disappointing that the sponsors of this amendment continually distort and elude this fact.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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