UNITED NATIONS (AA) – The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will put on discussion and then for vote the resolution sponsored by Germany and Brazil - censuring the illegal electronic surveillance of governments and world leaders by the US National Security Agency (NSA), a western diplomat confirmed to AA in New York.
He explained -- It will first happen next week in the Third Committee which deals with the human rights within UN General Assembly, and then – some times next month at the plenary meeting of the 68th Session of UNGA. The draft resolution was so far introduced to the limited group of countries – including to the delegation of the European Union at the UN in New York, the same diplomatic source told AA.
In accordance with not specially extra-ordinary practice the proposed draft resolution, could undergo changes by the time it reaches the General Assembly plenary in mid-November for vote.
Beside Brazil and Germany other co-sponsors of the resolution are expected within most of the European and Latin American countries.
- The saga of spying games continues
At the same time, a US diplomat told Anadolu Agency, Americans -- also have a full knowledge of the proposed draft that will deal with prolonged episodes of spying on its allies.
But, according to other sources – General Assembly resolution on illegal spying will spare the United States from public condemnation – despite some media reports of evident US culpability in widespread wiretapping.
Although still in limited circulation – copy of the draft resolutiont was obtained by some media outlets at the UN. Beside the other things - it criticizes “the conduct of extra-territorial surveillance” and the “interception of communications in foreign jurisdictions”.
US is fingerpointed globaly and publicly of spying on foreign governments, including political leaders in Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico and Spain, among some 30 others.
The UN draft resolution contains the position that -- while the gathering and protection of certain sensitive information may be justified on grounds of national security and criminal activity that jeopardize the states, UN member states will have to ensure “full compliance with international human rights.”
Asked whether the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would comment on this espionage affair that will now have its epilogue under the UN's roof at its East River Headquarters - the associate UN spokesman Farhan Haq, told AA, the UN chief did not - and have not plans to address this issue.
"It is a matter of bilateral relations between the UN members tates and the United States," Haq told AA.
- Culpability without castigation
But, experts warn, in this case - UN should not do business as usual. The World Organization will have to push for follow-up action at the General Assembly on the resolution. That would assume a clear calls for all UN member states to pursue in the direction of the resolution.
On the other hand, the proposed resolution will request the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, to present an interim report on the issue of human rights and “indiscriminate surveillance, including on extra-territorial surveillance.”
The resolution will also call for the establishment of independent oversight mechanisms to provide transparency and accountability of state surveillance.
If the resolution is adopted at the United Nations, as Western diplomats predict -- the Pillay’s report will be scheduled for full presentation at the next 69th Session of the General Assembly, in September 2014, while final UN report on the issue will be presented at its 70th annual global gathering of UN General Assembly in early autumn 2015.
- Not everybody spy on each other
The revelations of US spying have come mostly from the widely publicized activities by US citizen Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, who became a political refugee in Russia after most of the European countries refused to grant him an asylum. He was accused of espionage by the United States.
Yet, the final resolution will not specifically castigate the US at the United Nations, since Washington, as experts do predict - is expected to exert diplomatic pressure on its allies and aid recipients, media reported on Tuesday.
The most influential US daily New York Times also criticized US attitude on this saga of espionage, saying it returns to the era of the Cold War – not only the United Nations. It is not enough, NY Times said -- just to put forward “NSA’s Cold War-era argument, that everyone does it (spy on each other),” pointing that this position of Washington - “seems unlikely to win the day.”
According to already published reports on Monday, the electronic surveillance of German Chancellor Angela Merkel goes back to 2002, even before she was at her top position in Berlin. The German magazine Der Spiegel wrote that according the unwritten tradition – only the well known “Five Eyes” - which are United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand -- do not spy on each other.
