U.S. Alone at UN on Trade Policy

The U.S. again finds itself alone at the UN, this time opposing the imposition of free trade rules for rich countries and not just the poor who are always hypocritically lectured about free trade while massive public subsidies go to the wealthy. It would be interesting to know which countries composed the 51 absentions. Europe no doubt accounts for much of the number. The resolution is hardly very radical though and may have picked up abstentions for other reasons as well.

Excerpt below:

["UN ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR PROGRESS IN TRADE POLICY TO AID DEVELOPMENT," UN DAILY NEWS from the UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE, 23 December, 2005]

Yesterday’s [General] Assembly resolution, adopted by a vote of 121 in favor to 1 against (United States), with 51 abstentions, underscored the need to enhance market access for developing-country goods and services, and called on developed, as well as developing countries, to provide immediate duty- and quota-free market access to all products from the poorest countries.

The Assembly’s text also called for the changes in trade policy in the area of intellectual property rights and public health, in order to make treatment more available for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other epidemics.

It stressed the need for putting into place the already agreed-upon “aid-for-trade” initiative, which addresses economic adjustment helps build supply and trade capabilities along with infrastructure in developing countries.

Among several related resolutions on macroeconomic policy adopted yesterday, the Assembly also adopted a text that stressed the need to resolve the debt problems of low- and middle-income developing countries, as it considered the recommendations of its Second Committee on economic and financial matters.