EU Presidency Statement - Explanation of Vote: Globalization and its impact on Human Rights

EU Presidency Explanation of vote on GLOBALIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE FULL ENJOYMENT OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, by the UK Mission to the UN on behalf of the European Union, UN General Assembly, Third Committee, New York

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Turkey, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYROM, Serbia and Montenegro, Ukraine and Moldova align themselves with this statement.

The EU welcomes the open manner in which negotiations have been conducted on the draft resolution on Globalization and its Impact on the Full Enjoyment of All Human Rights, and appreciates the opportunity to address gaps in understanding and interpretation. The EU thanks the co-sponsors for their willingness to engage.

However, there is still considerable work to be done. The EU believes that changes made to the resolution this year do not address fundamental disagreements between delegations and regrets that it is unable to support the resolution. The EU acknowledges that globalisation can have implications on the full enjoyment of human rights, positive ones as well as potentially negative ones. However, the EU is not convinced that globalisation has an impact on all human rights, as suggested throughout this resolution. Certain human rights and fundamental freedoms are not affected by globalisation and the EU believes this relationship should be assessed on a case by case basis.

The EU recognises that, at present, the benefits of globalisation are unequally shared. But the EU believes that globalisation provides a great opportunity for stimulating growth and prosperity all over the world, and, more relevant to the context of the Third Committee, believes it can exert a positive influence on the protection and promotion of human rights worldwide.

The European Union stands ready to continue to discuss globalization with interested parties and looks forward to further progress on these issues in the future, in a continued atmosphere of openness, in order to bridge the gap between the sponsors and other delegations

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

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• EU Presidency Statement - Globalisation and Interdependence and ICT for Development  (27/10/2005)
• Speech by Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner - Human rights, Security and Development in a Globalised World (8/7/2005)
• Commissioner Mandelson at ILO/European Commission Conference on globalisation and employment (26/5/2005)