14. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations1
SUBJECT
- Global Negotiations: U.S. Statement for MOW Meeting, May 5, 1981.
Refs:
1. Following is text of U.S. statement on Global Negotiations which Mission is authorized to deliver and release to press at Meeting of the Whole May 5. Begin text:
Mr. President and Delegates,
The United States has been an active participant in preparations for Global Negotiations since the General Assembly adopted two resolutions on this subject in December 1979.5 Through the Committee of the Whole meetings during the spring of 1980 and during the special and regular sessions of the General Assembly, we struggled together attempting to reach an agreement on procedures and agenda that would enable Global Negotiations to produce concrete and mutually beneficial results—results that would advance global interests. But, as the United States noted when the Global Negotiations resolutions were originally adopted, and as the new administration of the United States continues to believe, the international community should not launch Global Negotiations until we are all fully satisfied that these [Page 41] negotiations would be structured in such a way as to satisfy truly global interests.
The new administration is currently engaged in a broad and systematic review of our economic relations with developing countries.6 This review is taking into account all aspects of these relations. The policy resulting from this review will be consistent; relations at one level will support and reinforce relations at another. Our future decisions on Global Negotiations will be based on the results of this review. When fully developed, our policy will be constructive, practical and designed to achieve concrete results in economic development. Meanwhile, President Reagan is giving serious consideration to participation in the North/South Summit to be held in Cancun, Mexico in October. The administration has also indicated that it takes seriously its commitments to and relations with developing countries. Contrary to accounts in the press, this administration has recommended an increase in foreign aid by 18 percent over the past year. It has fully supported the sixth replenishment of the International Development Association by recommending a contribution of more than three billion dollars, and it is making a substantial contribution to the International Fund for Agricultural Development. In addition, we are studying how private investment and financial flows to developing countries can play a more constructive role in the development process.
This approach leads us to believe that the issue of Global Negotiations should be deferred at least until the next regular session of the General Assembly and after other scheduled intervening discussions, including the economic summits in Ottawa and Cancun. Although the heads of state are not expected to discuss Global Negotiations per se, they will benefit from each other’s experience and perspectives and will be in a better position to decide later about Global Negotiations. We believe that the General Assembly should be reconvened as soon as possible to defer formally the issue of Global Negotiations.
Mr. President, I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your efforts over these past trying months. Much indeed has been accomplished under your thoughtful guidance. End text.
2. Department would hope that MOW remains relatively tranquil. We expect some criticism because other governments will try to absolve themselves of responsibility for deferment of Global Negotiations. However, if criticism is such that a response is needed, Mission should [Page 42] make it clear that the U.S. does not consider such criticism helpful but rather an obstacle to useful discussion on these issues.
3. Department understands that Mohonk meeting scheduled for May 8 has been cancelled.7 Please confirm.
- Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D810212–0030. Limited Official Use; Immediate. Drafted by Keller; cleared by Washburn, Meissner, Jon Hartzell (Treasury), Basora, Rush, and Nau; approved by Creekmore. Repeated Immediate to Port Moresby on May 7.↩
- See footnote 8, Document 13.↩
- In telegram 113417 to all diplomatic posts, May 2, the Department updated posts on the U.S. decision not to participate in Global Negotiations at that time and its insistence that the issue be postponed until after the October North-South Summit. The Department provided talking points on Global Negotiations for posts to use if the host nation raised the issue. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D810207–1032)↩
- In telegram 114282 to USUN, May 4, the Department delivered instructions to communicate to the EC President, UK, France, Canada, Japan, and any other nation the Mission deemed helpful, that the U.S. believed a formal UNGA session “should be held as soon as it can be arranged and that it should simply hear von Wechmar’s report and then pass the Global Negotiations issue on to the next regular UNGA session.” The telegram further instructed that the Mission express appreciation to those who spoke in support of the U.S. position at the April 30 meeting and to encourage them do the same at the May 5 meeting, as appropriate. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D810209–0366)↩
- A reference to UN Resolution 34/138 and UN Resolution 34/139 on the subject of launching and preparing for global negotiations relating to international economic cooperation on development.↩
- The Interagency Group on Economic Relations with Developing Countries undertook this review in the spring of 1981. A draft synthesis paper on economic relations with LDCs produced by the IG was sent to the CCEA for review under a June 21 memorandum from Porter. The memorandum and the synthesis paper are in the Reagan Library, Richard Darman Files, Cabinet Council on Economic Affairs 6/23/1981, Case File 018667.↩
- In telegram 1481 from USUN, May 6, the Mission reported on the May 5 Meeting of the Whole. Sorzano delivered the prepared U.S. statement on Global Negotiations as instructed and the telegram documented other nations’ positions on Global Negotiations and their responses to the U.S. position. The Mission also reported that von Wechmar announced the cancellation of the Mohonk conference. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D810212–0198) In telegram 1492 from USUN, May 6, the Mission continued its reporting on the May 5 meeting and documenting various nations’ responses to the U.S position on Global Negotiations. The “disappointment, disillusion, and impatience expressed by the LDCs and Nordics with the U.S. need to postpone consideration of GN is real,” the Mission concluded, “but the overall mood of the assembly was more frustration than condemnation.” (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D810214–0420)↩