The United States appreciates the facilitator’s successful shepherding of this resolution. We are pleased to join consensus on this resolution.
As we seek to address the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19, the United States is committed to supporting our Landlocked Developing Country (LLDC) partners and friends.
We take this opportunity to clarify our positions on a few issues in this resolution.
Regarding OP13bis, consistent with the 2030 Agenda and Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the United States emphasizes the catalytic role of official development assistance in mobilizing resources from other sources and clarifies that blended finance can use both concessional and non-concessional public finance to partner with private finance experts.
With respect to OP26, the reference to “debt relief” implies debt cancellation, which we do not support and is inappropriate to mention in the context of the Common Framework given that the Common Framework determines the type and size of debt restructuring on a case-by-case basis. Furthermore, this passage reads as though we are encouraging already heavily indebted countries to take on more debt financing.
We also underscore our position that trade language, negotiated or adopted by the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council or under their auspices, has no relevance for U.S. trade policy, for our trade obligations or commitments, or for the agenda at the World Trade Organization, including discussions or negotiations in that forum. While the UN and WTO share common interests, they have different roles, rules, and memberships. Similarly, this includes calls to adopt approaches that may undermine incentives for innovation, such as technology transfer that is not both voluntary and on mutually agreed terms.
Thank you.
Original source can be found here.
