Third Committee Approves 11 Drafts Covering Use of Mercenaries, Women in Rural Areas, Unilateral Coercive Measures amid Sparring over Right to Food | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases

9 November 2021

[...]

The Committee approved a draft on the right to food by a recorded vote of 180 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 0 abstentions, expressing alarm that in 2020, the number of people lacking access to adequate food rose by 320 million - to 2.4 billion - amounting to nearly a third of the world's population, and that between 720 million and 811 million people faced hunger.

"Hunger is a violation of human dignity", Cuba's delegate asserted. Presenting the draft, he voiced concern that the United States has blocked consensus on the text for four years. The United States representative — highlighting conditions in the Lake Chad Basin, Yemen and Somalia ‑ said the draft contains unbalanced and inaccurate positions that her delegation simply cannot support. The concept of food sovereignty could justify food protectionism, negatively impacting food security, she explained, adding that the United States does not recognize the right to food, as it lacks a definition in international law.

  • Lovely_sombrero [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    People say that these kinds of votes are mostly symbolic... well, they are because a huge asshole of a country with veto power keeps voting them down in the end. I guess that other countries know that it is symbolic and can just vote however they want?

      • MasterShakeVoice [undecided]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Funnily enough they play the opposite (the Elizabeth Warren maybe?) in the security council, where they will sometimes not vote on a resolution to seem more fair and level headed, but bribe and strongarm 8 smaller nations into it; see Libya

    • MasterShakeVoice [undecided]
      ·
      3 years ago

      The US has permanent veto power on the Security Council the only (afaik) part of the UN which has some enforcement mechanisms (kinda). They cannot veto this food resolution, but there is simply no power to enforce it

      • Lovely_sombrero [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Yes, this is why these kinds of votes won't even happen in the SC, since the US has veto power and has already voted down the non-binding resolution.

    • inshallah2 [none/use name]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      I assume many Europeans - from all walks of life in their countries - are starting to realize the US is not the indispensable country. Instead, they are beginning to see as as we really are. Unhinged, raving, insane idiots with the biggest, most powerful, most deadly collection of matériel in human history. And many of us are not only anti-science and anti-medicine who refuse masks and vaccines - we are anti-anything involving ethics and thought. If we like it - it's good and true. If we hate it - it's bad and false.

      In this environment it's not surprising that this year at least half of the states will become Handmaid states. How crazy will we be next year? And the year after that? And...

  • Dirt_Owl [comrade/them, they/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Jesus Christ America what the hell is wrong with you?!

    So much for being a christian nation. I'm sure Jesus would have totally let the poor starve.

    • inshallah2 [none/use name]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      Jesus Christ America what the hell is wrong with you?!

      You surely meant to say "American Jesus Christ are you awesome or super-awesome?!"

      I'm an atheist but I'm no new atheist. There are surely millions of American Christians more righteous and just than I am. But the US has a population of ~330 million. I think the majority of American Christians are truly awful. They are liars, hypocrites, and many use their "religion" as an excuse for hatred, racism, intolerance, and cruelty. I put religion in quotes because they often literally don't even know what's in their book.

      If you tell (or even teach) a fundie (or a self-righteous Christian) about the New Commandment - they'll probably hate you for the rest of their life. Jesus roughly said: "This is my commandment: Love each other as I have loved you."

      Unlike the vast majority of bible quotes - there's zero wriggle room for them. Jesus loved them and if they are going to actually do what he commanded - they must at least try to do the same.

      • Mardoniush [she/her]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Yeah. "As I have loved you" is the kind of thing the average radtrad or prot is not prepared to even think about for too long.

        Not seeing a lot of chuds being willing to be tortured and beaten to death for the life of their enemies here.

        • inshallah2 [none/use name]
          hexagon
          ·
          3 years ago

          Not seeing a lot of chuds being willing to be tortured and beaten to death for the life of their enemies here.

          I'd settle for them having their cross to bear as wearing a mask and getting vaccinated.

    • Duckduck [none/use name]
      ·
      3 years ago

      So much for being a christian nation.

      I thought that myth was debunked a long time ago.

  • Link
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    3 months ago

    deleted by creator

    • zifnab25 [he/him, any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      you have the right" to work to make money and buy FOOD.

      • Special Notice: money is not a guarantee for labor. Access to real estate and capital may vary by region. The United States reserves the right to sanction trade or sale along international shipping lanes. Food prices may exceed regional wage rates at certain times. Access to arable land and potable water is not guaranteed by labor. Other terms and conditions may apply.
  • Coolkidbozzy [he/him]
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    edit-2
    3 years ago

    of course, the US delegation completely ignores how food protectionism is already a thing in the US without a right to food

  • garbage [none/use name,he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    why wasn't this like the biggest global news for like months? the US literally said "fuck you starve" to ... every fucking human from the past to the future. the land of the fucking free? :amerikkka:

    • inshallah2 [none/use name]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      Is the country so small that I can’t even see it?

      Is that a joke? There's info in the self-text.

        • inshallah2 [none/use name]
          hexagon
          ·
          3 years ago

          Accidentally skipped past it, ngl.

          Lemmy isn't designed so flairs can be used but I wish it was and we had a SEE SELF-TEXT flair in neon colors so it was impossible to miss.

  • Link
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    edit-2
    3 months ago

    deleted by creator

    • Vitnonourelow [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      they give a bunch of fake reasons, but the real reason is US imperialism/capitalism (monsanto, bill gates etc)

    • theother2020 [comrade/them, she/her]
      ·
      3 years ago

      This is in the OP’s text:

      The United States representative — highlighting conditions in the Lake Chad Basin, Yemen and Somalia ‑ said the draft contains unbalanced and inaccurate positions that her delegation simply cannot support. The concept of food sovereignty could justify food protectionism, negatively impacting food security, she explained, adding that the United States does not recognize the right to food, as it lacks a definition in international law.

  • Mike_Penis [any]
    ·
    3 years ago

    do these votes even result in anything though?

    • JuneFall [none/use name]
      ·
      3 years ago

      They result in people dunking on the US and with each one that gets publicized the image of the US and its factual effect gets chipped away more and more.

    • zifnab25 [he/him, any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_food

      The right is derived from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which has 170 state parties as of April 2020. States that sign the covenant agree to take steps to the maximum of their available resources to achieve progressively the full realization of the right to adequate food, both nationally and internationally. In a total of 106 countries the right to food is applicable either via constitutional arrangements of various forms or via direct applicability in law of various international treaties in which the right to food is protected

      What does this amount to in practice? No idea. But I have to assume some degree of policy is following from these agreements, if for no other reason than local leadership has an interest in keeping food supplies available to their supporting constituencies.

    • JuneFall [none/use name]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Israel will vote with their global power protector always (except if it conflicts directly with their own interests as state).

    • inshallah2 [none/use name]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      I was the same. "The other country is... Oh..." I mentally smacked the palm of my hand into my forehead "Fuck me. Israel. Of course. Of course. Of course."