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U.S. alone in opposing U.N. refugee text over sovereignty concerns
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS NOVEMBER 13, 2018 / 5:30 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
U.S. alone in opposing U.N. refugee text over sovereignty concerns
Michelle Nichols
3 MIN READ
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States was the only country on Tuesday to oppose an annual draft U.N. General Assembly resolution on the work of the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) because it said elements of the text ran counter to the Trump administration’s sovereign interests.
The resolution has generally been approved by consensus for more than 60 years. But this year Washington asked for a vote.
The draft text was adopted by the General Assembly human rights committee with 176 votes in favor, while there were three abstentions and 13 countries didn’t vote. It is now due to be formally adopted by the 193-member General Assembly in December.
U.S. Ambassador for economic and social affairs Kelley Currie told the committee that while the United States valued much of what was contained in the resolution and an attached Global Compact on Refugees, some U.S. concerns were unaddressed.
“We regret that the resolution before us today contains elements that run directly counter to my government’s sovereign interests,” said Currie, citing references to a U.N. commitment to a global approach to dealing with refugees and migrants.
-snip-
U.S. alone in opposing U.N. refugee text over sovereignty concerns
Michelle Nichols
3 MIN READ
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States was the only country on Tuesday to oppose an annual draft U.N. General Assembly resolution on the work of the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) because it said elements of the text ran counter to the Trump administration’s sovereign interests.
The resolution has generally been approved by consensus for more than 60 years. But this year Washington asked for a vote.
The draft text was adopted by the General Assembly human rights committee with 176 votes in favor, while there were three abstentions and 13 countries didn’t vote. It is now due to be formally adopted by the 193-member General Assembly in December.
U.S. Ambassador for economic and social affairs Kelley Currie told the committee that while the United States valued much of what was contained in the resolution and an attached Global Compact on Refugees, some U.S. concerns were unaddressed.
“We regret that the resolution before us today contains elements that run directly counter to my government’s sovereign interests,” said Currie, citing references to a U.N. commitment to a global approach to dealing with refugees and migrants.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-un-refugees/u-s-alone-in-opposing-u-n-refugee-text-over-sovereignty-concerns-idUSKCN1NI2VB
